Adenoma, adenocarcinoma and mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma arising in a small lesion of the colon.

A unique tumor measuring 8 x 8 x 5 mm and composed of adenoma, adenocarcinoma and mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma arising in the ascending colon is reported. The mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma, in which adenocarcinomatous and carcinoid components intermingled, originated in the mucosa, penetrated the muscularis mucosa and extended into the submucosa. Immunohistochemically, carcinoid cells were positive for neuroendocrine markers and adenocarcinoma cells were intracytoplasmicly positive for carcinoembryonic antigen. Ultrastructurally, membrane-bound electron dense granules varying in shape, size and electron density were detected in the cytoplasm of carcinoid cells. No mutations of p53 and k-ras genes were detected in adenomatous, adenocarcinomatous or mixed carcinoid-adenocarcinoma components. The morphological appearances of the present case strongly suggests the histogenesis of this tumor in an adenoma-adenocarcinoma-carcinoid tumor sequence.