title: All things rhabdoid and SMARC: An enigmatic exploration with Dr. Louis P. Dehner.
abstract: Over the past several decades, our understanding of malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT) and the central nervous system equivalent atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) has undergone considerable refinement, particularly in terms of genetic characterization. MRT (both renal and extra-renal) and ATRT share phenotypic similarities and a common genetic signature, that being inactivating alterations of the SWI/SNF complex component SMARCB1 (or rarely SMARCA4). Unfortunately, a wide array of tumors bears significantly overlapping phenotypic characteristics to MRT/ATRT, posing a formidable diagnostic challenge. Likewise, the list of tumors bearing SMARC-related alterations has grown at a dizzying pace, and the original assumption that SMARCB1 alterations were unique to MRT/ATRT has been essentially negated. It should come as no surprise that Dr. Louis P. Dehner, no stranger to enigmatic lesions, participated significantly in this pathologic controversy, and the circuitous journey of entity discovery and clarification. This review aims to (1) summarize our current knowledge of MRT and ATRT with an emphasis on genetic characterization, (2) present insight into so-called "composite rhabdoid tumors" (CRTs), and (3) and provide an updated account of others tumors bearing SMARC alterations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cincinnati Children׳s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 1035, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026. Electronic address: Christine.fuller@cchmc.org.
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Fuller
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms; D010340:Pathology, Surgical / Q000266:history*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000266:history; D018335:Rhabdoid Tumor; D013724:Teratoma
keywords: Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor; Cribriform neuroepithelial tumor; Epithelioid sarcoma; Rhabdoid tumor; SMARC; Small cell carcinoma of the ovary; hypercalcemic type