Summary
Of a total of 544 tubular, villous and tubulo-villous adenomas of the human colon which were investigated by light microscopy, six tubular and six villous adenomas were examined under the electron microscope. It was shown that the two types of adenoma differ in their tissue architecture, but not in their cytological appearance.
Different grades of epithelial atypia occur in both types of adenoma. These are designated as grades I to III, corresponding to mild, moderate and severe atypia respectively. Whereas adenoma cells with atypia grade I clearly show a cytological relationship with the crypt epithelia of the normal colonic mucosa under the electron microscope, adenoma cells with atypia grade III have largely lost the differentiation characteristics of the parent cells and there is no longer intracytoplasmic organization. In the cytoplasm of adenoma cells with atypia grade II, glycogen storage is found as a special feature which does not occur in normal colonic epithelium. A similar finding has been described in the course of malignant transformation of the liver and kidney and thus can be regarded as a further indication of the precancerous nature of the adenomas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bannasch, P.: The cytoplasm of hepatocytes during carcinogenesis. Recent results in cancer research, Vol. 19. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1968
Bannasch, P., Schacht, U.: Nitrosamin-induzierte tubuläre Glykogenspeicherung und Geschwulstbildung in der Rattenniere. Virch. Arch. Abt. B Zellpath.1, 95–97 (1968)
Bannasch, P., Massner, B.: Histogenese und Cytogenese von Cholangiofibromen und Cholangiocarcinomen bei Nitrosomorpholin-vergifteten Ratten. Z. Krebsforsch.87, 239–255 (1976)
Bannasch, P.: Präneoplastische Stadien der chemischen Carcinogenese. Zelluläre Vorgänge. Verh. Dtsch. Ges. Path.63, 40–61 (1979)
Bomhard, D. von, Raddatz, R.: Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen an soliden Mammacarcinomen der Hündin. Z. Krebsforsch.83, 129–143 (1975)
Eder, M.: Krebsvorstadien am Darm. Verh. Dtsch. Ges. Path.63, 96–105 (1979)
Elster, K., Wündisch, G.: Morphologische Wertung der Rectumpolypen. Katamnestische und histologische Untersuchungen. Langenbecks Arch. klin. Chir.311, 41–63 (1965)
Enterline, H.T.: Polyps and cancer of the large bowel. Curr. Top. Pathol.63, 95–141 (1976)
Enterline, H.T.: Significance of adenomatous polyps in colon carcinogenesis. E. Grundmann (ed.) In: Colon cancer, pp. 57–65. Stuttgart: Gustav Fischer 1978
Fisher, E.R., Sharkey, D.A.: The ultrastructure of colonic polyps and cancer with special reference to the epithelial inclusion bodies of Leuchtenberger. Cancer15, 160–170 (1962)
Fung, C.H.K., Goldman, H.: The incidence and significance of villous change in adenomatous polyps. Am. J. Clin. Pathol.53, 21–25 (1970)
Grinnell, R.S., Lane, N.: Benign and malignant adenomatous polyps and papillary adenomas of the colon and rectum. An analysis of 1856 tumors in 1335 patients. Int. Abstr. Surg.106, 519–538 (1958)
Höhn, P.: Morphology and morphogenesis of experimentally induced small intestinal tumors. Curr. Top. Pathol.67, 69–144 (1979)
Imai, H., Saito, S., Stein, A.A.: Ultrastructure of adenomatous polyps and villous adenomas of the large intestine. Gastroenterology48, 188–197 (1965)
Ioachim, N.J., Delaney, W.E., Madrazo, A.: Villous adenoma of the colon and rectum: an ultrastructural study. Cancer34, 586–596 (1974)
Kalus, M.: Carcinoma and adenomatous polyps of the colon and rectum in biopsy and organ tissue culture. Cancer30, 972–982 (1972)
Kaneko, M.: Pedunculated adenomatous polyps of colon and rectum with particular reference to their malignant potential. Mt. Sinai J. Med. M.Y.39, 103–111 (1972)
Kastendieck, H., Altenähr, E., Burchardt, P.: Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen zur Zelldifferenzierung in Prostatacarcinomen. Virch. Arch. Abt. A Path. Anat.361, 241–256 (1973)
Kaye, G.I., Fenoglio, C.M., Pascal, R.P., Lane, N.: Comparative electron microscopic features of normal, hyperplastic and adenomatous human colonic epithelium. Gastroenterology64, 926–945 (1973)
Korhonen, K., Mäkelä, V., Lilius, G.: Carcohydrate-rich compounds in the colonic mucosa of man. II. Histochemical characteristics of colonic adenocarcinomas. Cancer27, 128–133 (1971)
Lev, R.: A histochemical study of glycogen and mucin in developing human foetal epithelia. Histochem. J.1, 152–165 (1968)
Lev, R., Weisberg, H.: Human foetal epithelial glycogen: a histochemical and electronmicroscopic study. J. Anat.105, 337–349 (1969)
Morson, B.C., Bussey, H.J.R.: Predisposing causes of intestinal cancer. In: Curr. Probl. Surg. M.M. Ravitch (ed.) pp. 1–50. Chicago: Medical Publishers 1970
Morson, B.C.: The polyp-cancer sequence in the large bowel. Proc. R. Soc. Med.67, 451–457 (1974a)
Morson, B.C.: Evolution of cancer of the colon and rectum. Cancer34, 845–849 (1974b)
Morson, B.C., Sobin, L.H.: Histological typing of intestinal tumours. Vol. 15, International Histological Classification of Tumours. Genf: WHO 1976
Muto, T., Bussey, H.J.R., Morson, B.C.: The evolution of cancer of the colon and rectum. Cancer36, 2251–2270 (1975)
Muto, T., Kamiya, J.: The evolution of human colon cancer: its histological and clinical aspects. In: Pathophysiology of carcinogenesis in digestive organs. E. Farber et al. (eds.), pp. 335–350 Tokyo: University Press 1977
Nevalainen, T.J., Järvi, O.H.: Ultrastructure of intestinal and diffuse type gastric carcinoma. J. Pathol.122, 129–136 (1977)
Oberndorfer, S.: de]Die Geschwülste des Darmes. Histologie der Darmpolypen und der Darmkrebse. Verhältnis der Darmpolypen zu den Darmkrebsen. Präkanzeröse Veränderungen. In: Hdb. d. Spez. Path. Anat., F. Henke und O. Lubarsch (Hrsg.), 4/III, 878–891. Berlin: Springer 1929
Potet, F., Soullard, J.: Polyps of the rectum and colon. Gut12, 468–482 (1971)
Rousset, M., Robine-Leon, S., Dussaulx, E., Chevalier, G., Zweibaum, A.: Glycogen storage in foetal and malignant epithelial cells of the human colon. Front. Gastrointest. Res.4, 80–85 (1979)
Schmieden, V., Westhues, H.: Zur Klinik und Pathologie der Dickdarmpolypen und deren klinischen und pathologisch-anatomischen Beziehungen zum Dickdarmkarzinom. Dtsch. Z. Chir.202, 1–124 (1927)
Staedel, C., Castagna, M., Beck, J.P.: Modifications of the activities of the key enzymes and intracellular levels of cyclic nucleotides, in correlation with the glycogen deposition in a cultured hepatoma cell line. Cell Differ.8, 29–38 (1979)
Thoenes, W.: Zytoplasmatische Aspekte der Onkozytologie. Verh. Dtsch. Ges. Path.57, 61–81 (1973)
Tokumitsu, S., Tukumitsu, K., Nomura, H., Takeuchi, T.: Deviated formation of intestinal glycocalix in human stomach cancer cells. Another type of signet ring cell. Virch. Arch. Abt. B Cell Path.27, 217–227(1978)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gabbert, H., Höhn, P. Grades of atypia in tubular and villous adenomas of the human colon. Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathol 33, 1–15 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02899167
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02899167