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The endocrine cells of the pancreas and related tumours

Ultrastructural study and classification

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Summary

Up to seven endocrine cell types have been identified ultrastructurally in the pancreas, including glucagon A cells, insulin B cells, somatostatin D cells, pancreatic peptide F cells and 5-hydroxytryptamine EC cells. In addition, D1 cells, which have been proposed as the cell type producing VIP and possible P cells of unknown function are seen. Various patterns of endocrine cell differentiation have been found in 20 endocrine pancreatic tumours. Well and poorly differentiated B cells have been identified in 6 insulinomas, diagnostic G cells in 3 out of 7 gastrinomas, D1 and/or F cells in 7 diarrheogenic tumours. Moreover, cells apparently unrelated to the prevalent clinical syndrome have been noted in 8 of the 20 tumours. Granular non diagnostic cells (poorly diagnostic gastrin cells? D1 cells?) were particularly frequent in gastrinomas; agranular or poorly granular cells, either of “active” or “stem cell” type, were present in nearly all tumours, particularly in diarrheogenic tumours, gastrinomas and malignant insulinomas. A cytological classification of pancreatic endocrine tumours is proposed.

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  1. Histopathology, Histochemistry and Ultrastructure Centre, University of Pavia at Varese, I-21100, Varese, Italy

    C. Capella,  E. Solcia, B. Frigerio, R. Buffa, L. Usellini & P. Fontana

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  1. C. Capella
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  2. E. Solcia
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Capella, C., Solcia, E., Frigerio, B. et al. The endocrine cells of the pancreas and related tumours. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 373, 327–352 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00432532

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