[Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma. Anatomo-pathological and evolutional study of a series of 52 operated cases].

The postoperative outcome of bronchiolo-alveolar epithelioma (EBA) is unpredictable. We question whether a study of the anatomo-pathological structures would enable us to detect prognostic indicators. The clinical characteristics, histopathology and outcome of 52 cases of EBA were studied. 31 tumours were detected in a systematic fashion; 50 patients had excision of the tumour and in 39 cases there was no invasion of the lymphatics. 10 were of the multicentric variety and 42 were of the nodular variety and 9 of these were the centre of an inflammatory lympho-plasmocytic reaction. 20 cases revealed mucinous differentiation and 32 were non-mucinous. In the latter cases nucleo-cytoplasmic anomalies were only slightly increased or even absent. Blood vessel invasion was present in 12 cases and metastases to the air spaces in 20. The overall survival was 83% in the first year, 65% in the second year, 42% at five years and 26.5% at 10 years. The nodular lesions were compatible with a significantly better survival than the diffuse forms. Other characteristics such as whether the tumour was mucinous or not, inflammatory, showed nuclear anomalies, blood vessel invasion and airborne metastases did not seem to affect survival.