title: Heterogeneity of malignant schwannomas.
abstract: Six malignant schwannomas were studied by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry for S-100 protein at the light and electron microscopic levels to clarify the nature of the tumor cells. Three tumors (group A) were composed of poorly differentiated tumor cells and showed no immunoreactivity for S-100 protein. One tumor (group B) was composed of perineurial cells that were S-100 protein-negative. Two tumors (group C) consisted of both Schwann cells and fibroblastic cells like neurofibromas, and only the former were found to contain S-100 protein. Thus, this study showed the heterogeneous nature of the malignant schwannomas and suggested that these tumors might arise from multipotential Schwann cells or different cellular components of peripheral nerve or primitive cells.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000032:analysis / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009418:S100 Proteins