Simultaneous gastric adenosquamous carcinoma and gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma: A case report

Primary gastric adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) is a rare tumor, and gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma (GCLS) is a distinct and relatively rare tumor, which is characterized histopathologically by prominent lymphoid infiltration and is commonly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. The association between ASC and GCLS has been poorly understood, and only two cases of concomitant occurrence of ASC and GCLS have been reported previously. In this report, we describe the first documented case of simultaneous gastric ASC and GCLS. A 58-year-old Japanese male complained of loss of appetite. Gastric endoscopic examination revealed a type 3 tumor in the antrum. Distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection was performed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Macroscopic examination of the resected specimen revealed two discontinuous lesions in the antrum. The first lesion, an ASC, was detected preoperatively by endoscopic examination. This type 3 tumor was composed of a mixture of squamous cell carcinoma (~75% of the tumor) and poorly-to-moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (~25%). No EBV-encoded RNA (EBER)-positive neoplastic cells were noted. The tumor had invaded into the serosa. The second lesion was a GCLS, which was not preoperatively detected by endoscopic examination. The neoplastic cells of the GCLS were EBER-positive. The tumor had invaded into the muscularis propria. Accordingly, a diagnosis of simultaneous gastric ASC (pT4a) and GCLS (pT2) was made. The pathogenesis of gastric ASC has been under debate. Only limited cases of ASC associated with EBV have been reported. Notably, EBV has not been associated with the development of an ASC component in the previously reported concomitant cases of ASC and GCLS, as well as in the present case study. Therefore, additional studies are required to clarify the pathogenesis of gastric ASC, including its association with EBV.