Open AccessBenign signet ring cells in pseudomembranous colitis: A diagnostic trap
Author(s) -
Shibu Jacob,
Najah R Zayyani
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
indian journal of pathology and microbiology/indian journal of pathology and microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.217
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 0974-5130
pISSN - 0377-4929
DOI - 10.4103/0377-4929.125356
Subject(s) - pseudomembranous colitis , lamina propria , signet ring cell , medicine , signet ring cell carcinoma , pathology , diarrhea , biopsy , colitis , broad spectrum , gastroenterology , antibiotics , adenocarcinoma , clostridium difficile , cancer , biology , epithelium , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , combinatorial chemistry
A 71-year-old female patient was admitted with intractable diarrhea and abdominal distention following several courses of broad spectrum antibiotic therapy. Colonic biopsy revealed pseudomembranous colitis with foci of signet ring cell (SRC) change. The SRCs possessed bland nuclei and were confined to the basement membranes of the crypts with no infiltration into the lamina propria. Benign SRCs in pseudomembranous colitis is an uncommon phenomenon. Awareness of this rare, but potential pitfall is of utmost importance to avoid a misdiagnosis of SRC carcinoma.