Alveolar Adenocarcinoma Definition
Alveolar Adenocarcinoma: A carcinoma thought to be derived from epithelium of terminal bronchioles, in which the neoplastic tissue extends along the alveolar walls and grows in small masses within the alveoli. Involvement may be uniformly diffuse and massive, or nodular, or lobular. The neoplastic cells are cuboidal or columnar and form papillary structures. Mucin may be demonstrated in some of the cells and in the material in the alveoli, which also includes denuded cells. Metastases in regional lymph nodes, and in even more distant sites, are known to occur, but are infrequent. (From Stedman, 25th ed)
Synonym: bronchiolo alveolar adenocarcinoma, alveolar carcinoma, alveolar adenocarcinomas, bronchiolo-alveolar carcinomas, bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, bronchiolar carcinoma.