Pyloric gland adenoma: a histologic, immunohistochemical and molecular genetic study of 23 cases

Pyloric gland adenoma is a rare neoplasm with a gastric epithelial differentiation. We report 23 cases of pyloric gland adenoma in older persons, with a mean age of 74 years (range 52 - 87 years). They occurred in the esophagus (3 cases), corporal gastric mucosa (7 cases), duodenum (10 cases), gallbladder (2 cases), and choledochus (one case). Histologically, they were characterized by closely packed pyloric gland-type tubules with a monolayer of cuboidal to low columnar epithelial cells containing basally located round nuclei, and a superficial layer of tall, columnar, foveolar-type epithelium. Immunohistochemically, most tumor glands expressed pyloric gland mucin MUC6, whereas MUC5AC was positive in superficial gastric foveolar epithelium, and in a minority of glands. In addition, scattered neuroendocrine cells positive for chromogranin A and/or synaptophysin were seen in all cases. In 3 cases (two cases in the gallbladder and one case in the esophagus), areas of intestinal metaplasia with CK20, CDX2, and MUC2 positivity were found. Focal low-grade dysplasia was found in five cases (21.7%), and diffuse high-grade dysplasia was seen in one adenoma (4.4%), i.e., 6 of 23 PGAs (26.1%) showed dysplastic features. In one esophageal case, an invasive adenocarcinoma was diagnosed. Scattered p53 positive cells were found in all cases. Their number was higher in lesions with low-grade dysplasia and it was substantially increased in adenoma with high-grade dysplasia and in adenocarcinoma. Our molecular genetic results indicate that pyloric gland adenomas neoplastic nature is associated with p53 accumulation, mutations in oncogenes GNAS, KRAS, CTTNB1 and tumor suppressor genes SMAD4, and TP53. Pyloric gland adenoma can evolve into dysplasia and adenocarcinoma.