[Histological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of localized alveolar cell carcinoma (author's transl)].

The diagnosis of the alveolar cell carcinoma is based on the fact that it is a cytological and histological highly differentiated tumour. It consists thoroughly out of cylindrical cells. Furthermore, a diffuse carcinosis of the alveoli has to exist, i. e. lining of the intact alveolar walls by cancer cells. The adenocarcinoma is the only alternative in differential diagnosis to the alveolar cell carcinoma in view of the cytological and histological criteria. Pulmonary metastases of extrapulmonary adenocarcinomas can exactly imitate the histologic pattern of the alveolar cell carcinoma and can be diagnosed only by the clinician.