Water-clear cell adenoma of the parathyroid. A case report with immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy.
We report a water-clear cell adenoma of the parathyroid gland, a lesion which to our knowledge has not been described previously. Like its rare but well-described hyperplastic counterpart, water-clear cell hyperplasia, this adenoma is composed of cells with abundant foamy-to-granular cytoplasm and mild nuclear pleomorphism. The cells form glandular structures and cell nests separated by fine fibrovascular septae. The tumor cells stain positively with anti-parathyroid hormone and show characteristic glassy and flocculate material by electron microscopy. Unlike water-clear cell hyperplasia, water-clear cell adenoma is a solitary lesion that compresses the residual nonneoplastic parathyroid gland.
D000236:Adenoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000328:Adult; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure