title: Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the skin in a tunisian patient.
abstract: Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the skin (LELCs) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm with histologic features resembling lymphoepitheliomatous tumors of the nasopharynx. The association of lymphoepitheliomas with Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) at some extracutaneous sites is well documented. In contrast, the presence of EBV in LELCs has never been shown in either Caucasians or Asian patients. We present the first case of LELCs in a Tunisian patient, a 78-year-old woman who presented with a nodule of the right cheek of 2 months' duration. The patient underwent surgical excision and there was no evidence of local recurrence 6 months later. Histologically, the entire dermis was occupied by lobules composed of atypical epithelial cells surrounded by a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the epithelial tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen. In situ hybridization investigations for the presence of EBV-encoded RNA showed negative results. Our findings suggest that LELCs is not related to EBV among North African patients.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Department, Habib Thameur Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia. fenniche.samy@planet.tn
authors.forename: Samy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fenniche
authors.forename: Yossra
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zidi
authors.forename: Naoufel Ben
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Tekaya
authors.forename: Feiza Ben
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Ammar
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yaacoub
authors.forename: Mourad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokni
authors.forename: Insaf
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mokhtar
authors.forename: Amel Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.forename: Mohamed Moncef
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Zitouna
authors.forename: Slim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haouet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018396:Mucin-1; D007633:Keratins