title: Mixed tumors, myoepitheliomas, and oncocytomas of the soft tissues are likely members of the same family: a clinicopathologic and ultrastructural study.
abstract: Four diagnostically unusual soft tissue tumors are presented. All lesions were of consistent size and long duration. Histologically, one lesion was analogous to mixed tumors of the usual sites (i.e., salivary glands), one lesion was totally spindled, and the two other lesions both had oncocytic appearances (epithelioid and spindle biphasic pattern in a case, purely epithelioid in the other). Immunohistochemically, the mixed tumor was positive for vimentin, cytokeratins, S-100 protein, and focally for EMA. The purely spindled tumor exhibited immunoreactivity for vimentin, actins, S-100 protein, EMA (focally), and GFAP. The oncocytic biphasic tumor was positive for mitochondrial antigen, vimentin, and actins. The purely epithelioid oncocytic neoplasm was immunoreactive only for mitochondrial antigen and vimentin. Ultrastructurally, in the epithelial-like portion of the first (mixed) tumor, peripheral arrays of contractile filaments were detected along with well-developed desmosomes. In the second (spindled) case, peripheral contractile filaments and attenuated desmosomes were also seen. In the third case, a huge number of mitochondria, some desmosomes, and actin-type microfilaments were found. In the fourth case, desmosomes and punctate subplasmalemmal densities, in addition to numerous mitochondria, were documented. In all cases an external basal lamina were present, which was discontinuous in the first three cases and almost continuous in the fourth. These tumors were respectively designated as mixed tumor, myoepithelioma of the classic type, myoepithelioma of oncocytic type with biphasic cell architecture, and true oncocytoma. So far, all tumors have followed benign clinical courses (median follow up: 12 months). Comparisons with similar tumors of other sites are drawn, and suggestions for considering all of them as members of the same myoepithelial-derived tumor family are given.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Anatomia Patologica, IRCCS-Ospedale Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. bismi@libero.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bisceglia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cardone
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fantasia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cenacchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasquinelli
mesh_terms: D018249:Adenoma, Oxyphilic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D009208:Myoepithelioma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018193:Neoplasms, Complex and Mixed / Q000737:chemistry / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000601:surgery / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D018396:Mucin-1; D009418:S100 Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D007633:Keratins