TY - JOUR
T1 - Epithelioid sarcoma
T2 - An immunohistochemical analysis evaluating the utility of cytokeratin 5/6 in distinguishing superficial epithelioid sarcoma from spindled squamous cell carcinoma
AU - Lin, Lin
AU - Skacel, Marek
AU - Sigel, Jessica E.
AU - Bergfeld, Wilma F.
AU - Montgomery, Elizabeth
AU - Fisher, Cyril
AU - Goldblum, John R.
PY - 2003/2
Y1 - 2003/2
N2 - Background: Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a rare, aggressive soft tissue tumor characterized by nodular aggregates of epithelioid and/or spindled cells that are immunoreactive to cytokeratins (CKs) and epithelial membrane antigen. ES that arises in the dermis may cause epidermal ulceration and can resemble, clinically, morphologically and immunohistochemically, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. CK 5/6 has recently been found to be an excellent marker of squamous cell carcinoma, including spindled variants, but it is not known if this marker can be utilized to distinguish superficial ES from cutaneous spindled squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC). Methods: Twenty-four cases of ES with typical histologic features and 10 cases of SSCC with ultrastructural evidence of epithelial differentiation were studied. Immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody to CK 5/6 was performed. The extent of immunoreactivity was evaluated in a semiquantitative manner using the following scale: 0, ≤ 5% of cells staining; 1+, 6-25% of cells staining; 2+, 26-50% of cells staining; 3+, 51-75% of cells staining; 4+, > 75% of cells staining. Results: CK 5/6 was expressed in all 10 cases of SSCC, including one case with 3+ staining and six cases with 4+ staining. In contrast, CK 5/6 staining was found only in rare tumor cells (1+ staining) in one of 24 (4%) cases of ES. Conclusions: CK 5/6 staining is useful in distinguishing superficial ES from cutaneous SSCC.
AB - Background: Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a rare, aggressive soft tissue tumor characterized by nodular aggregates of epithelioid and/or spindled cells that are immunoreactive to cytokeratins (CKs) and epithelial membrane antigen. ES that arises in the dermis may cause epidermal ulceration and can resemble, clinically, morphologically and immunohistochemically, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. CK 5/6 has recently been found to be an excellent marker of squamous cell carcinoma, including spindled variants, but it is not known if this marker can be utilized to distinguish superficial ES from cutaneous spindled squamous cell carcinoma (SSCC). Methods: Twenty-four cases of ES with typical histologic features and 10 cases of SSCC with ultrastructural evidence of epithelial differentiation were studied. Immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody to CK 5/6 was performed. The extent of immunoreactivity was evaluated in a semiquantitative manner using the following scale: 0, ≤ 5% of cells staining; 1+, 6-25% of cells staining; 2+, 26-50% of cells staining; 3+, 51-75% of cells staining; 4+, > 75% of cells staining. Results: CK 5/6 was expressed in all 10 cases of SSCC, including one case with 3+ staining and six cases with 4+ staining. In contrast, CK 5/6 staining was found only in rare tumor cells (1+ staining) in one of 24 (4%) cases of ES. Conclusions: CK 5/6 staining is useful in distinguishing superficial ES from cutaneous SSCC.
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U2 - 10.1034/j.1600-0560.2002.00040.x
DO - 10.1034/j.1600-0560.2002.00040.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 12641789
AN - SCOPUS:0037303029
SN - 0303-6987
VL - 30
SP - 114
EP - 117
JO - Journal of cutaneous pathology
JF - Journal of cutaneous pathology
IS - 2
ER -