Signet-ring cells with diffuse infiltration are characteristic of which gastric cancer type?

Signet-ring cells with diffuse infiltration are characteristic of which gastric cancer type?

• A. Intestinal type.
• B. Diffuse type.
• C. Medullary type.
• D. Signet-ring cell carcinoma.

Answer: (B)

Signet-ring cells with diffuse infiltration define diffuse-type gastric carcinoma. These cells contain mucin that pushes the nucleus to the periphery, creating a ring-like appearance, and they invade the stomach wall in a noncohesive, scattered pattern. This diffuse spread thickens and stiffens the stomach—the classic linitis plastica appearance. In contrast, the intestinal type forms gland-forming tumor nests with more cohesive cells and tends to stay localized to the mucosa and submucosa. The medullary type shows sheets of poorly differentiated cells with a prominent lymphoid background rather than signet-ring cell–induced diffuse infiltration. While signet-ring cell carcinoma describes the same histology at the cellular level, the standard classification used here identifies this pattern with the diffuse type, making diffuse type the best answer.

Signet-ring cells with diffuse infiltration define diffuse-type gastric carcinoma. These cells contain mucin that pushes the nucleus to the periphery, creating a ring-like appearance, and they invade the stomach wall in a noncohesive, scattered pattern. This diffuse spread thickens and stiffens the stomach—the classic linitis plastica appearance. In contrast, the intestinal type forms gland-forming tumor nests with more cohesive cells and tends to stay localized to the mucosa and submucosa. The medullary type shows sheets of poorly differentiated cells with a prominent lymphoid background rather than signet-ring cell–induced diffuse infiltration. While signet-ring cell carcinoma describes the same histology at the cellular level, the standard classification used here identifies this pattern with the diffuse type, making diffuse type the best answer.