Lymphangiosis carcinomatosa of the liver.

A study of lymphangiosis carcinomatosa of the liver was performed. Lymphangiosis carcinomatosa is a disease showing diffuse lymphangitic spread of cancer cells in the interstitium of the organ. Among a total of 762 cases of malignant disease, lymphangiosis carcinomatosa of the liver was found in 10 cases out of 250 with liver metastases. Among a total of 10 cases of primary cancer showing this condition, 8 were gastric cancer, the other 2 being pancreas cancer and gallbladder cancer. With regard to the histological type of primary cancer in this disease, all cases were poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. On the basis of the histological findings, the spread of this disease seems to occur in a retrograde manner from the large lymphatics of the hilum to the periphery.