Atypical pulmonary carcinoid tumour
Atypical pulmonary carcinoid tumour is a subtype of pulmonary carcinoid tumor. It is an uncommon low-grade malignant lung mass that is most often in the central airways of the lung. It is also known as "atypical lung carcinoid tumour", " atypical lung carcinoid" or "moderately differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma".
It is a more aggressive than typical carcinoid tumors: nodal metastases in 70% vs. 5%. The 5 year survival is 49-69%.
Atypical carcinoid tumors have increased mitotic activity, nuclear pleomorphism or foci of necrosis.
Morphological differential diagnosis
- Typical pulmonary carcinoid tumor
- * Typical pulmonary carcinoid lacks comedo-like necrosis, and has < 0.2 mitotic figures/HPF.