[A case of minute carcinoma associated with an atypical epithelial lesion of the stomach and histopathological analysis].

A patient with minute carcinoma associated with an atypical epithelial lesion (ATP) of the stomach is reported. The resected stomach from this 81-year-old male exhibited a 1.3 X 1.0 cm elevated ATP; microscopic examination revealed a minute (0.4 mm) carcinoma. The lesion was differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma and was suggestive of one-gland carcinoma. It consisted of one faveola in the upper half and multibranched , compound alveolar glands in the lower half, structurally mimicking the initial stage of intestinal metaplasia. The lesion existed in small metaplastic foci; the surface foveolar epithelia of the lesion showed no cancerous changes. These findings suggested that this minute carcinoma occurred in the initial stage of intestinal metaplasia.