Granular cell basal cell carcinoma. Light microscopy, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study.
Granular cell basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a rare histological variant of BCC. In this, the fifth reported case, a 67-year-old male with BCC located on the nose, light microscopy examination showed a tumour with the classical configuration of nodular BCC, in which most cells had finely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. Ultrastructural observation showed numerous lysosome-like granules filling the cytoplasm of tumour cells, along with numerous well-formed pentalaminate desmosomes. Immunohistochemical profile (including positivity for keratins C 5.2 and AE 1 and for Leu-M1), together with the presence of cytoplasmic tonofilament bundles and desmosomes, are consistent with the proposed epithelial origin of granular cells in this tumour.
García Prats
M D
MD
Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
López Carreira
M
M
Martínez-González
M A
MA
Ballestín
C
C
Gil
R
R
De Prada
I
I
D000368:Aged; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D007633:Keratins