Thymic sarcomatoid carcinoma with skeletal muscle differentiation: report of two cases, one with cytogenetic analysis

Histopathology
T EimotoH J Wang

Abstract

Malignant thymic tumour histologically resembling a soft tissue sarcoma is extremely rare and defined as sarcomatoid carcinoma in the recent World Health Organization (WHO) classification. We report two such cases in which the tumour cells showed a prominent rhabdomyoblastic differentiation and analyse whether these tumours retain an epithelial nature at least in part. One tumour occurred in a 51-year-old man (Case 1) and the other in a 40-year-old woman (Case 2). Microscopically, both tumours consisted essentially of two types of tumour cells: spindle and large round cells, with no apparent epithelial components. Osteosarcomatous small foci were also found in Case 2. Immunohistochemically, desmin and muscle-specific actin were positive in the majority of both types of tumour cells, whereas myogenin was predominant in the spindle cells and myoglobin in the large round cells. Some of both types of cells expressed cytokeratin with co-expression of myoglobin in the large round cells, but with no myogenin in the spindle cells. Some cytokeratin-positive spindle cells were also negative for desmin. Ultrastructural examination of a recurrent tumour in Case 2 revealed some epithelial features among the spindle cells. Cytogenetic study ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Sep 6, 2005·Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine·A A RzhaninovaD V Goldshtein
Jan 13, 2011·General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery·Roman DuttaPramod Kumar Julka
Aug 19, 2004·The American Journal of Surgical Pathology·Eduardo Moreira de QueirogaSaul Suster
Nov 27, 2008·The American Journal of Dermatopathology·Woo Jin LeeJai Kyoung Koh
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Mar 31, 2004·Histopathology·L ChalabreysseF Thivolet-Bejui
Dec 5, 2008·Histopathology·Michael A den Bakker, J Wolter Oosterhuis
Sep 12, 2015·Virchows Archiv : an International Journal of Pathology·Michael A den BakkerPhilipp Ströbel
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Aug 5, 2006·Pathology, Research and Practice·R Hubert LaengKuniyasu Shimokawa
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May 3, 2005·International Journal of Surgical Pathology·Anthony ChangBrian P Rubin
Dec 21, 2007·Virchows Archiv : an International Journal of Pathology·Kenji KashiwabaraTakashi Nakajima

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