Clinical and Colonoscopic Characteristics of Primary Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma in Colorectum / 대한소화기내시경학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A primary signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) in the colorectum is unusual. This study evaluated the clinical and colonoscopic characteristics of primary colorectal SRCC. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with a primary colorectal SRCC and 100 patients diagnosed with a primary colorectal nonmucinous adenocarcinoma were enrolled in this study. The medical records and colonoscopic findings were reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age was younger in the SRCC patients than in the nonmucinous adenocarcinoma patients (47.3+/-15.5 years vs. 60.3+/-10.4 years, p<0.001). In SRCC, hematochezia was less frequent while abdominal pain was more common (p<0.001). Duke stages A or B was rare in SRCC (4/28, 14.3% vs. 58/100, 58.0%, p<0.001). The colonoscopic features of Borrmann type 4 was more common in SRCC (10/28, 35.7% vs. 3/100, 3.0%, p<0.001). The occurrence of a tumor in the right colon was more frequent in SRCC (17/28, 60.7% vs. 20/100, 20.0%, p<0.001). The diagnostic yield of the first colonoscopic biopsy was lower in the SRCC patients (85.7% vs. 98.0%, p=0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Primary colorectal SRCC appears to occur in younger patients compared with nonmucinous adenocarcinoma. A more advanced stage and an infiltrative lesion such as Borrmann type 4 appears to be common and the diagnostic yield of a colonoscopic biopsy tends to be low in primary colorectal SRCC.