Mucinous carcinoma of the skin, primary, and secondary: a clinicopathologic study of 63 cases with emphasis on the morphologic spectrum of primary cutaneous forms: homologies with mucinous lesions in the breast.
We present the largest series of mucinous carcinoma involving the skin, describing the histopathologic, immunohistochemical, electron microscopic, and cytogenetic findings. Our aim was fully to characterize the clinicopathologic spectrum and compare it with that seen in the breast. In addition, we wished to reevaluate the differential diagnostic criteria for distinguishing primary mucinous carcinomas from histologically similar neoplasms involving the skin secondarily, and study some aspects of their pathogenesis. We demonstrate that primary cutaneous mucinous carcinomas span a morphologic spectrum compatible to their mammary counterparts. Both pure and mixed types can be delineated morphologically, and some lesions have mucocele-like configurations. Most lesions seem to originate from in situ lesions that may represent, using mammary pathology terminology, ductal hyperplasia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, or ductal carcinoma in situ or a combination of the three. Inverse cell polarity appears to facilitate the progression of the changes similar to lesions in the breast. The presence of an in situ component defines the neoplasm as primary cutaneous, but its absence does not exclude the diagnosis; although for such neoplasms, full clinical assessment is essential. Mammary mucinous carcinoma involving the skin: all patients presented with lesions on chest wall, breast, axilla, and these locations can serve as clue to the breast origin. Microscopically, cutaneous lesions were of both pure and mixed type, and this correlated with the primary in the breast. Dirty necrosis was a constant histologic finding in intestine mucinous carcinomas involving the skin, and this feature may serve as a clue to an intestinal origin.
Kazakov
Dmitry V
DV
Sikl's Department of Pathology, Charles University, Medical Faculty Hospital, Alej Svobody 80, 304-60 Pilsen, Czech Republic.
Suster
Saul
S
LeBoit
Philip E
PE
Calonje
Eduardo
E
Bisceglia
Michele
M
Kutzner
Heinz
H
Rütten
Arno
A
Mentzel
Thomas
T
Schaller
Jörg
J
Zelger
Bernhard
B
Baltaci
Mehmet
M
Leivo
Ilmo
I
Rose
Christian
C
Fukunaga
Masaharu
M
Simpson
Roderick H W
RH
Yang
Yu
Y
Carlson
J Andrew
JA
Cavazza
Alberto
A
Hes
Ondrej
O
Mukensnabl
Petr
P
Vanecek
Tomas
T
Fidalgo
Ana
A
Pizinger
Karel
K
Michal
Michal
M
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary