title: Complex karyotype in a case of cutaneous lymphangiosarcoma associated with chronic lymphedema of the lower limb.
abstract: Lymphangiosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of endothelial cells. The term is used to describe an angiosarcoma associated with chronic lymphedema. The skin of the head and neck region is the most common site of origin. Rather few cytogenetic studies on lymphangiosarcoma are reported in the literature. We here describe a case of an 87-year-old woman, with a history of recurring lymphangitis and with an ulcerated nodular lesion of the leg. The histological diagnosis was a malignant neoplasm of vascular origin, with the morphological and immunohistochemical features of a lymphangiosarcoma. A series of antibodies (CD31, CD34, vimentin, podoplanin and HHV-8), conventional and molecular cytogenetic and Spectral Karyotyping (SKY-FISH) analyses were used to study this case. The immunohistochemical evaluation revealed that the neoplasm was positive for vimentin, CD31, CD34 and podoplanin and negative for HHV-8. The proliferation rate (Ki-67) was about 70%. Karyotype was defined using conventional cytogenetic and SKY-FISH. In addition, high-level of amplification was observed with MYC split signal probe. The morphological and immunohistochemical evaluations supported the diagnosis of lymphangiosarcoma. Moreover, the cytogenetic and molecular findings contributed towards accurately defining the karyotypic aberrations of this rare sarcoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Morphological Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy. Electronic address: alessandromarando@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marando
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Morphological Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.affiliation: Unity of Pathology, Ospedale di Circolo, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sabatino
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Sciences, Nano and Biotechnologies, University "G. D'Annunzio", Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Militti
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Morphological Sciences, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy; Unity of Pathology, Ospedale di Circolo, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capella
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059785:Karyotype; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000473:pathology*; D008204:Lymphangiosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Complex karyotype; Lymphangiosarcoma; Podoplanin; SKY-FISH; Skin