title: Reticular and myxoid non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an unusual case mimicking a salivary gland carcinoma.
abstract: We present a case of non-keratinizing carcinoma of the nasopharynx (NK-NPC) with an unusual histopathological pattern. The neoplastic cells were arranged in anastomosing cords embedded in a stroma which contained a significant component of alcian blue-positive myxoid substance forming a reticular pattern. These histopathological features gave an initial impression of a salivary gland-type carcinoma. On immunohistochemistry the tumor cells were strongly and diffusely positive for cytokeratins (AE1-3 and 5/6) and p63 and there was strong and diffuse nuclear positivity for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA on in situ hybridization. This case highlights the histomorphological variability of NK-NPC. Awareness of the histological spectrum of NK-NPC is important in clinical practice and this is not always adequately highlighted in currently used standard textbooks of Head and Neck Pathology.
authors: Department of Pathology, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore, fredrikpetersson@live.se.
authors: Fredrik
authors: F
authors: Petersson
authors: Desai
authors: D
authors: Vijayadwaja
authors: Kwok Seng
authors: KS
authors: Loh
authors: Kong-Bing
authors: KB
authors: Tan
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D002277:Carcinoma; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor