In 1927, Hamperl carried out histochemical studies on gastric cancer and found one
case which contained many Fontana reactive argentaffin cells. Thereafter the gastric and
intestinal adenocarcinomas which contain enterochromaffin cells such as argentaffin cell
and argyrophil cell have been reported by several investigators. As the results, many
reports revealed that 1.7 to 8% of gastric carcinomas and about 3f of intestinal
carcinomas contained argentaffin cells, and 13 to 20% of gastric carcinomas and 12 to
15% of intestinal carcinomas contained argyrophil cells.
The present study is aimed to evaluate the frequency of argentaffin and argyrophil
cells in gastric and intestinal carcinoma in relation to the histopathological patterns. The
material consisted of 282 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma and 83 cases of intestinal
carcinoma which were diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, Yonsei University
College of Medicine from January 1982 through December 1983.
All cases were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for histological classification and with
silver impregnation techniques for argentaffin and argyrophil granules. Staining for
mucin was also performed using PAS stain.
The results obtained were as follows :
1) Among 282 cages of gastric carcinomas, Grimelius Positive argyrophil cells are
noted in 43 cases (15.2%) and montana-Masson positive argentaffin cells are noted in 5
cases(1.8%).
2) Among 83 cases of intestinal carcinomas, Grimelius positive argyrophil cells are
rooted in 15 cases (18.2%) and montana-Masson positive argentaffin cells are noted in 1
crises(1.2%).
3) In gastric carcinoma, argyrophil cells are present in 31 cased(17.5f) among H6 male
patients and in 12 cases(11.3%) among 106 female patients.
4) In intestinal carcinoma, argyrophil cells are present in 9 cases(20.4%) a%one 44
male patients, and in 6 cases(15.4%) among 39 female patients.
5) According to classification by Willis, argyrophil cells are present in 12
Cases(11.1%) among 108 well to moderately well differentiated adenocarcinoma, 14
cases(14.4%) among 99 Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, 6 cased (30%) among 20
mutinous carcinoma, and 11 cases(21.1%) among 52 undifferentiated carcinoma. There is
no significant difference in the frequency of argyrophil Cells in relation to the
histological type.
6) According to general classification of intes-tinal carcinoma, argyrophil cells are
present in 9 cased(21.4%) among 42 well to moderately well differentiated
adenocarcinoma, 3 cartes(15%) among 25 poorly differentiated adrcinom adenocarcinoma
and cases(18.7%) among 16 mucinous carcinoma. The argentaffin cells were noted only
in one case, which was the case of well to moderately well differentiated
adenocarcinoma.
In summary, the results of thin studs indicates that the frequency of enterochromaffin
cells was 15,2% in stomach carcinoma and 18.2% in intes-tinal carcinoma. According to
histological type, the Grimelius positivity was higher in mucinous and undifferentiated
type, and higher frequency was noted in male than female.
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