Signet ring cell

Signet ring cell, as seen in a case of colon adenocarcinoma with mucinous features, showing a tumor cell with a vacuole of mucin. H&E stain.
Signet ring for comparison.

In histology, a signet ring cell is a cell with a large vacuole. The malignant type is seen predominantly in carcinomas. Signet ring cells are most frequently associated with stomach cancer,[1] but can arise from any number of tissues including the prostate,[2] bladder, gallbladder,[3] breast, colon,[4] ovarian stroma and testis.[5]

  1. ^ Cancer Research UK. Signet Ring Cancer. cancerhelp.org.uk. URL: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=7581 Archived 2007-10-14 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on: November 2, 2007.
  2. ^ Leong FJ, Leong AS, Swift J (1996). "Signet-ring carcinoma of the prostate". Pathol. Res. Pract. 192 (12): 1232–8, discussion 1239–41. doi:10.1016/S0344-0338(96)80156-7. PMID 9182294.
  3. ^ Jain V, Gupta K, Kudva R, Rodrigues GS (2006). "A case of ovarian metastasis of gallbladder carcinoma simulating primary ovarian neoplasm: diagnostic pitfalls and review of literature". Int. J. Gynecol. Cancer. 16 Suppl 1: 319–21. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1438.2006.00335.x. PMID 16515613.
  4. ^ Makino T, Tsujinaka T, Mishima H, et al. (2006). "Primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum: report of eight cases and review of 154 Japanese cases". Hepatogastroenterology. 53 (72): 845–9. PMID 17153438.
  5. ^ Michal M, Hes O, Kazakov DV (2005). "Primary signet-ring stromal tumor of the testis". Virchows Arch. 447 (1): 107–10. doi:10.1007/s00428-005-1218-2. PMID 15909171.