Frequent positive staining with NKI/C3 in normal and neoplastic tissues limits its usefulness in the diagnosis of cellular neurothekeoma.
NKI/C3 originally was described as a marker for melanoma. Recently, it resurfaced as a marker to separate cellular neurothekeoma from other dermal tumors in the differential diagnosis. To determine the sensitivity and specificity of NKI/C3, we evaluated its staining pattern in 709 normal and neoplastic tissues, including 92 dermal tumors, using tissue microarrays and conventional sections. We found that although NKI/C3 is positive in only a few normal tissues, it stains a broad spectrum of neoplastic tissues. NKI/C3 is also positive in many dermal tumors of possible histiocytic origin, including juvenile xanthogranuloma (6/10), atypical fibroxanthoma (4/12), cellular fibrous histiocytoma (5/10), reticulohistiocytoma (3/6), and xanthoma (8/10). However, it is negative in epithelioid cell histiocytomas (0/7) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (0/9). Given the wide spectrum of positive staining in morphologic mimics of cellular neurothekeomas, pathologists should be cautious when making this diagnosis based solely on positive staining with NKI/C3.
Sachdev
Reena
R
Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Sundram
Uma N
UN
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000276:immunology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D018321:Neurothekeoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor