Carcinoid

This is a very low-grade cancer. These tumors metastasize late if at all.

The heterochromatin-euchromatin pattern of a carcinoid tends to be coarse, as you can see here. But you see the nuclear membranes are intact, so these are not mitotic figures.

You can contrast the chromatin pattern in the tumor to the lymphocybes (round) and fibroblast (elongated) nuclei nearby, Both are composed mostly of heterochromatin, in contrast with the more active carcinoid tumor cell nuclei.

There is a conspicuous lack of anaplasia. Notice that the tumor cells form either solid islands (as at left) or as glands (center, right).

This tumor has a fairly dense fibrous stroma. Noticehow the groups of tumor cells have separated from thier stroma ("shrinkage artifact"). Carcinoid cells are fastened together by desmosomes.

Carcinoid tumors come from cells related to nerve cells. Often they produce serotonin. This and other substances produced by these tumors can have a variety of effects systemically.

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