[Well differentiated fetal-type pulmonary adenocarcinoma: a tumour with a good prognosis].

INTRODUCTION

Pulmonary tumours resembling the foetal lung are primitive tumours and are rare. They include pneumoblastomas and foetal-type pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Foetal-type adenocarcinomas (FTA) fall into two categories: well differentiated and poorly differentiated. Poorly-differentiated FTA, which tends to occur in older subjects who smoke and who are male, has a guarded prognosis and is classified as a variety of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

CASE REPORTS

Well-differentiated FTAs are also called endodermic tumours resembling the foetal lung. These are large tumours, peripherally sited but with endobronchial extension that occur primarily in younger patients who are often non-smoking females. They comprise of tubular glandular structures and morular metaplasia, compact and rounded cellular proliferation's which contain endocrine cells. We have described three cases.

CONCLUSIONS

These tumours are important to classify as their prognosis is good if surgical excision is complete.