[Mucoepidermoid tumors of the bronchi]

A total of 14 observations on mucoepidermoid tumours of the bronchi were studied. Patients were of the age of 29-75 years. Nine tumours were exophytic, 3-- endobronchial, 2--of the type "Iceberg". A definite interdependence was observed between the anatomic form of the tumours and histological structure thereof. All the variants of the multi-stratified structures (pseudoepidermoid, spindle-cellular, clear-cellular, and others) were characterized by the absence of cornification, and they fully comply with the notion of ateleplasia suggested by V.G. Garshin. Similarly, in mucigenesis there was not observed metaplasia, but maturation of cells in the direction natural for the respiratory epithelium. Mucigenesis could be realized in two ways: in glandular tubes or by mucification of individual cells of the pseudoepidermoid layers. In the latter case the polar differentiation of cells was absent. Mucoepidermoid tumours may develop both from mucous glands and from tegmental epithelium of the bronchi.