Monotypic epithelioid angiomyolipoma of the liver

AIMS: Monotypic epithelioid angiomyolipoma is a recently recognized renal tumour, which is composed purely of epithelioid cells coexpressing markers of both smooth muscle differentiation and melanogenesis (HMB45). We report here the first case of monotypic epithelioid angiomyolipoma arising in the liver. CASE DETAILS: A 30-year-old woman without tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) was incidentally found to have a hepatic mass by ultrasonography. Grossly, the resected tumour showed a nodule-in-nodule appearance, with large areas of haemorrhagic necrosis. Microscopically, the tumour was composed of pleomorphic epithelioid cells with clear, eosinophilic cytoplasm. Neither adipocytes nor abnormal vessels were recognized in the tumour. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells were strongly positive for HMB45 and S100 protein, focally positive for desmin, vimentin and smooth muscle actin, and negative for epithelial markers (cytokeratins, EMA). Ultrastructural analysis showed numerous dense granules with some striated ones resembling melanosomes, myofilaments and pinocytic vesicles in the cytoplasm. Molecular analysis showed no allelic loss of the TSC2 region or 12 other chromosomal regions. The patient is free of disease over 1 year after the operation. CONCLUSION: We consider that this hepatic tumour is closely related to angiomyolipoma, and a counterpart of renal monotypic epithelioid angiomyolipoma.     

Primary monotypic epithelioid angiomyolipoma of bone

AIMS: Monotypic epithelioid angiomyolipoma is a distinct and definable variant of angiomyolipoma, composed of monomorphous epithelioid cells that show HMB45 immunoreactivity. Angiomyolipoma, including its morphological variants, belongs to the family of perivascular epithelioid cell tumour. METHODS AND RESULTS: The tumour was examined using immunohistochemical staining and by transmission electron microscopy. Neoplastic cells showed a cytoplasmic granular positivity for HMB45. CONCLUSIONS: Extrarenal angiomyolipomas are rare and, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a primary monotypic epithelioid angiomyolipoma of bone in a patient without evidence of tuberous sclerosis.     

肾脏上皮样色素性透明细胞肿瘤病理形态观察

目的 探讨上皮样色素性透明细胞肾脏肿瘤形态学特点,加强对该肿瘤的认识,减少误诊.方法 回顾性分析2000余例肾脏肿瘤,符合上皮样色素性透明细胞肿瘤3例,通过HE、免疫组织化学EnVision法观察3例肿瘤形态学特点,对其中1例行超微结构观察,同时复习相关文献.结果 女性2例,男性1例,2例形态学表现为透明细胞癌样,1例见透明细胞和嗜酸性细胞构成乳头结构.免疫组织化学上皮标记及S-100蛋白均为阴性,HMB45均为阳性,2例Melan A阳性.电镜末见黑色素小体结构.结论 色素性透明细胞上皮样肿瘤是非常罕见的肾脏肿瘤,病理学特征兼有肾细胞癌、上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤与黑色素瘤等肿瘤特征,免疫组织化学有利于鉴别诊断.其可能是上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤的一种亚型.     

Coexistence of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma and clear cell carcinoma in patients without tuberous sclerosis

Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML) is a rare but distinct variant of angiomyolipoma, closely simulating renal cell carcinoma or sarcoma both clinically and histopathologically. This report presents an unusual case of unilateral simultaneous renal EAML and renal clear cell carcinoma. A 52-year-old man without any sign of tuberous sclerosis had a complaint of 6-month history of pain in left renal area and had macroscopic hematuria twice within the recent 1 month. Computed tomography showed the presence of 2 masses in the upper and lower portion of the left kidney. The patient underwent left radical nephrectomy. Histological examination revealed the upper mass was composed of medium to large epithelioid cells with clear or eosinophilic cytoplasm and numerous giant multinucleated cells. Adult-appearing adipose tissue and coagulative necrosis could also be observed focally in the mass. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells in the upper mass showed positive reactions to actin, HMB-45, Melan-A, and CD68 but negative reactions to pan-cytokeratin (pan-CK), epithelial membrane antigen, and CD10. However, the lower mass was composed of diffusely monomorphic clear cells with strongly immunoreactive for pan-CK, vimentin, and CD10, whereas without expression for HMB-45 and actin. The patient showed no evidence of recurrence or metastasis during 1-year postoperative following-up period. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of coincidental renal EAML and clear cell carcinoma in the same kidney. Unlike classic triphasic angiomyolipoma, adjuvant therapy after resection should be considered for renal EAML because of its malignant potential, more aggressive behavior and poor prognosis.     

Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND: Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma is a recently recognized variant of angiomyolipoma, closely simulating renal cell carcinoma both clinically and histologically. Only a relatively small number of cases of epithelioid angiomyolipoma of the kidney have been reported. AIM: To highlight clinicopathological features of this rare tumour. OBSERVATION: We report herein a new case of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma in a 38-year-old male with no stigmata of tuberous sclerosis. The tumour was composed of diffuse sheets of epithelioid cells, small numbers of adipocytes and occasional blood vessels. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells were immunoreactive for HMB-45, but negative for cytokeratin. The patient showed no evidence of recurrence or metastatic disease one year after radical nephrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Epithelioid angiomyolipoma may be locally aggressive and can metastasise; therefore, long-term post-operative follow-up is mandatory.     

Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma--a close mimic of renal cell carcinoma. Report of a case and review of the literature

The epithelioid variant of angiomyolipoma (EAML) is a rare tumor of unpredictable behavior that is composed of epithelioid, spindle, and giant cells and contains no or only a minimal amount of lipomatous tissue. The picture can lead to an erroneous diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma or sarcoma. We report on a case of EAML in the kidney of a 47-year-old female without any signs of tuberous sclerosis and review the literature. Grossly, a well-demarcated, spheroid, largely hemorrhagic tumor measuring 4.2 cm in diameter occupied the central third of the kidney. Histologically, it was solid, highly cellular, with occasional microcysts, composed of medium to large epithelioid cells with clear or oxyphilic cytoplasm, short spindle cells, and numerous giant multinucleated cells. After extensive sampling, adult-appearing fat tissue was found to present as rare foci of microscopic dimensions. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed positive reactions with antibodies against HMB-45, melan A, CD-68, muscle-specific actin, and, rarely, smooth muscle actin. Cytokeratins and epithelial membrane antigen were negative. The EAML is a variant growing in a carcinoma-like pattern that can lead to an erroneous diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. An extensive sampling and HMB-45 and CD-68 positivity combined with cytokeratin negativity are of paramount importance for the correct diagnosis. As a sporadic renal tumor it followed a benign course in most of the reported cases.     

Triple synchronous neoplasms in one kidney: report of a case and review of the literature

We report the case of a patient with three synchronous but histologically different primary renal tumors that were all in the same kidney. Two tumors were different subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and the third was a variant form of angiomyolipoma. The patient was a 62-year-old man who was receiving antihypertensive drugs and came to our hospital for a regular check-up. Ultrasonography performed during the visit revealed a left renal mass, but the patient had no related symptoms. Subsequent computed tomography revealed two round, high-density masses, one in the mid-portion and the other in the lower pole of the left kidney, and multiple cysts in the right kidney and the liver. The mass in the mid-portion measured 3.3 x 3.0 x 2.8 cm, and the mass in the lower pole measured 1.7 x 1.1 x 0.9 cm. A left radical nephrectomy was performed. On gross examination, an additional ovoid nodule (0.6 cm in the greatest dimension) was found in the lower pole. Microscopically, the largest tumor consisted of a broad alveolar arrangement of large round cells with abundant eosinophilic or clear cytoplasm, distinct cell borders, and perinuclear halos, features consistent with chromophobe RCC. The smallest tumor was a conventional (clear-cell) RCC. The third tumor was composed solely of atypical epithelioid cells with prominent nucleoli and yellowish-brown to black pigments. The tumor cells were positive for melanin (Fontana-Masson stain), the melanoma marker HMB45, vimentin, smooth-muscle actin, and the macrophage marker CD68 and were negative for cytokeratin. This tumor was considered a pigmented epithelioid type of angiomyolipoma. The histologic, histochemical, and immunohistochemical features in this case confirmed the presence of three synchronous primary tumors, a chromophobe and a clear-cell type RCC and a pigmented epithelioid angiomyolipoma, all of which were in the same kidney. This case is the first of its type reported in the literature.     

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of renal angiomyolipoma: Report of a case with immunocytochemical and electron microscopic findings

A case is presented in which the diagnosis of renal angiomyolipoma was made by computed tomography (CT)-guided, fine-needle aspiration cytology and the examination of a cell block. The tumor was characterized by epithelioid smooth muscle cells, blood vessels and fat in the cytologic material. The cytodiagnosis was further substantiated by positive staining of the epithelioid muscle cells for markers of muscle-specific actin, HMB45, and trace positivity for vimentin but not with S100 protein, desmin, or cytokeratin. Further studies for the recently described crystalloids were also performed by using the periodic-acid Schiff stain with and without diastase treatment and electron microscopy on the cytologic material. However, no such crystalloids were found. A preoperative cytologic diagnosis of renal angiomyolipoma was considered to be of value due to the difference in management between angiomyolipoma and a renal carcinoma, both of which can present as a renal mass on imaging. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1998;18:297–300. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the uterus: immunohistochemical, ultrastructural and molecular study

A case of perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the uterus is reported, occurring in a 32-year-old woman. The tumor (8.0 cm in dimension) showed exophytic growth from the outer half of the myometrium. Histopathologically, the tumor was composed of thick blood vessels and perivascular epithelioid cells. The neoplastic cells were strongly immunoreactive for HMB45 antigen, CD117 (c-kit), vimentin and the progesterone receptor, but completely negative for S-100 protein, smooth muscle actin, desmin, CD34, the estrogen receptor and p16. The Ki-67 labeling index was low (1.25%). Ultrastructurally, the neoplastic cells had numerous premelanosomes with some glycogen deposits. Single-stranded DNA conformational polymorphism of p53 and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction of p16 revealed negative results. Definite melanosomes on electron microscopic analysis and coexpression of HMB45 antigen and stem cell factor receptor (CD117) may provide the clue to understanding perivascular epithelioid cell tumor because angiomyolipoma also coexpresses HMB45 antigen and CD117.     

肾血管平滑肌脂肪瘤31例临床病理分析

目的：探讨肾血管平滑肌脂肪瘤（angiomyolipoma，AML）的临床病理特征。方法：对31例肾AML的临床病理特征进行分析，并做免疫组化检测，其中4例做电镜观察。结果：31例肾AML按其组织形态可分为典型型（67.7%）、非典型型(6.5%)、平滑肌瘤样型（9.7%）、脂肪瘤样型（9.7%）、炎症型（6.5%）5型。免疫表型：肿瘤细胞特征性表达HMB45、Melan-A、gp-100、HHF35、SMA、CD68。其中1例电镜下肿细胞内可见黑色素小体。结论：肾AML的组织形态多样，特征性免疫级化标记为诊断提供依据。掌握形态特征及其鉴别诊断要点有助于临床的正确治疗。     

Klarzelltumor der Lunge

Clear cell tumors of the lung are rare tumors composed of epithelioid HMB45 positive tumor cells. It has been proposed that clear cell tumors generate from perivascular epithelioid cells which are also found in renal angiomyolipoma. Due to its morphologic epithelioid features with clear cytoplasm the distinction from either primary or metastatic clear cell carcinoma is difficult. Usually clinical investigations do not lead to the final diagnosis so that only subsequent histological examination and immunophenotyping can establish the correct tumor classification. We describe the case of a 52 year old woman who underwent exploratory thoracotomy because of a lung mass in the right lower lobe. In frozen sections a solid trabecular tumor was diagnosed, paraffin histology and immunohistochemistry revealed a clear cell tumor of the lung. The difficulty of the correct diagnosis of the clear cell tumor of the lung in frozen sections is discussed as well as the differential diagnosis.     

肾脏上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤的病理观察

目的对肾脏上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤（epithelioid agiomyolipoma,EAML）的病理诊断、鉴别诊断和预后进行分析。方法2例肾脏EAML（其中1例为复发病例）,复习其临床资料,病理学检查包括常规病理学、免疫组织化学和超微结构,并进行随访。结果光镜下肿瘤均主要由具有多形性和不典型性的上皮样细胞组成,部分区域有明显的血管周上皮样排列;可见出血和坏死;并可见静脉内瘤栓;淋巴结内可见上皮样肿瘤细胞累及。免疫组织化学肿瘤细胞（包括淋巴结内肿瘤）HMB45、平滑肌肌动蛋白（SMA）、神经元特异性烯醇化酶（NSE）和波形蛋白弥漫阳性;S-100、melanpan和CD68散在阳性;而上皮细胞膜抗原（EMA）、AE1／AE3、CK7、CD117、肌肉特异性肌动蛋白（MSA）、结蛋白、白细胞共同抗原（LCA）、CD20、CIM5RO、CD30、CD15、嗜铬素（CgA）、突触素（Syn）、bcl-2、雌孕激素受体（ER、PR）和p53均为阴性。电镜检查可见一些肿瘤细胞内有黑色素小体样的致密颗粒、肌丝、密体,肿瘤细胞外可见不连续的基膜。2例患者手术后10个月状态良好,无肿瘤局部复发和转移征象。结论血管周上皮样排列、寻找经典血管平滑肌脂肪瘤的结构和肿瘤细胞表达HMIM5和SMA对于诊断和鉴别诊断至关重要。而细胞的不典型性、出血坏死和核分裂象可能只表明肿瘤的恶性潜能：淋巴结受累、肾静脉瘤栓不是恶性的诊断依据：只有远处转移才是恶性的证据。     

Retroperitoneal PEcoma (angiomyolipoma) composed exclusively of epithelioid lipoblastic-like cells: a diagnostic conundrum on needle biopsy

Angiomyolipomas are one of several distinct entities that belong to the “PEComa” (perivascular epithelioid cell tumour) family that comprise varying degrees of fatty, smooth muscle and vascular components. Angiomyolipomas occurring in the retroperitoneum are relatively uncommon; however, when all of the three components are represented, the diagnosis can be readily made. Herein, we report the first case of a retroperitoneal angiomyolipoma composed exclusively of epithelioid and lipoblast-like cells. An extra-renal retroperitoneal mass was biopsied and revealed a relatively uniform population of epithelioid cells arranged in sheets separated by both a delicate vascular network and vessels of larger calibre. The tumour cells were small to medium in size with mild nuclear pleomorphism and cytoplasmic vacuolization ranging from multiple large vacuoles to larger vacuoles, resembling lipoblasts. Occasional nuclei were seen to have prominent clear nuclear pseudo-inclusions. Immunohistochemistry revealed the cells to be strongly positive for SMA and focally positive for HMB45, MiTF and S100. The tumour cells were negative for AE1/AE3, CAM5.2, CD45, Pax8, SF-1 and TFE3. Angiomyolipomas in the retroperitoneum share morphological similarities with a wide variety of tumours, chiefly liposarcoma. Awareness of angiomyolipomas composed purely of epithelioid and lipoblast-like cells is essential to avoid misdiagnoses.     

Renal angiomyolipoma with a clear cell component

Case report of a 52-year-old woman with angiomyolipoma of the left kidney. The tumor had appearance of a typical angiomyolipoma predominantly composed of spindle cells, some epithelioid cells and few large hyalinized vessels. Adipose tissue was concentrated into small foci. Unusual presence of large cells with a clear fine granular cytoplasm closely resembled cells of the "sugar tumor" of the lung. Epithelioid cells and occasionally spindle cells were HMB45 positive. A minority of cells also coexpressed S100 protein. Clear cells were usually strongly positive for HMB45 too. Our findings supported consideration of a close relation between clear cell ("sugar") tumor of the lung and angiomyolipoma.     

Oncocytic angiomyolipoma of the kidney: a case report

We describe a case of oncocytic angiomyolipoma composed of polygonal eosinophilic cells, that shares many features with renal oncocytoma. It was composed of alveolar structures, with accumulation of foamy histiocyte-like cells surrounding large globules of acellular, nonfibrillary, densely eosinophilic basal membrane-like substance. Immunohistochemically, there was focal reactivity for HMB45 and negativity for the epithelial markers. Oncocytic angiomyolipoma lacks the atypical features of the recently described epithelioid variant of angiomyolipoma. None of the reported cases have been associated with tuberous sclerosis.     

Abdominopelvic sarcoma of perivascular epithelioid cells. Report of four cases in young women, one with tuberous sclerosis.

The perivascular epithelioid cell has been proposed to be the unifying proliferating cell type in a number of lesions such as angiomyolipoma, lymphangiomyomatosis, clear cell "sugar" tumor and renal capsuloma. With the exception of rare examples of angiomyolipoma, they are non-metastasizing. We report four examples of a new member of this family of perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms that occur in abdominopelvic location and show metastatic properties. The patients, all women, were aged 19 to 41 years (mean, 32), and presented with a tumor mass involving the serosa of the ileum, uterus or pelvic cavity. Morphologically, the tumors were composed of sheets of large polygonal cells with glycogen-rich clear or eosinophilic cytoplasm and moderately pleomorphic nuclei, traversed by a delicate vasculature, mimicking clear cell carcinoma. There were areas of coagulative necrosis and occasional mitotic figures. Intracytoplasmic brown pigment was present in two cases. Spindly cells, smooth muscle and fat were absent. Lymphovascular invasion was present in all, lymph node metastasis was documented in two and metastasis to the ovary was present in one case. Two patients developed widespread metastatic disease after 10 and 28 months from diagnosis. One patient showed the clinical signs of tuberous sclerosis. In spite of the epithelial-like appearance, the tumor cells were negative for epithelial markers but were strongly positive with the melanogenesis-related marker HMB45. Another melanogenesis marker (MART-1) was positive in two cases. Other markers including S-100 protein, vimentin, muscle-specific actin, desmin and chromogranin A were negative. Thus, these tumors are not readily classifiable in the existing schema of known entities, and show overlapping morpho-phenotypic features of clear cell "sugar" tumor of the lung and epithelioid angiomyolipoma. We consider them as sarcomas composed of a pure population of uncommitted perivascular epithelioid cell, that lack modulation toward smooth muscle or adipose cells.     

肝脏单形性上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤

目的：探讨肝脏单形性上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤的临床病理学特征及诊断、鉴别诊断要点。方法：对1例单形性上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤进行临床病理学分析及免疫组织化学研究。结果：肝脏单形性上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤临床多无症状,光镜下单形性上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤由形态多样的上皮样细胞构成,胞质透明或嗜酸,无脂肪组织及异常血管;免疫表型;HMB45阳性,SMA及vimentin部分阳性,desmin少数阳性,S－100蛋白弱阳性,cytokeratin及AFP阴性,CD34血管内皮细胞阳性。结论：肝脏单形性上皮样血管平滑肌脂肪瘤是极为罕见的间叶性肿瘤,组织起源至今不明,其诊断及鉴别诊断主要依靠病理组织学及免疫组织化学。     

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumour (PEComa) of the soft tissue

AIMS: PEComa is a rare tumour developing from perivascular epithelioid cells (PEC) and is characterised by positive immunoreactivity for HMB45. Since PEComas are tumours having both a spindle cell component and an epithelioid and giant cell component, as seen in many sarcomas, as well as having a wide distribution in various organs and soft tissue, we reviewed cases originally diagnosed as sarcomas of the soft tissue in our institution and screened them by immunostaining for HMB45. METHODS: Consecutive soft tissue sarcomas (31 tumours) retrieved from the Surgical Pathology file at our institution for a period of 3 years were submitted for immunostaining for HMB45. Cases with positive HMB45 immunostaining were submitted for further immunostaining for MART1, CD68, S100 protein, cytokeratin AE1/3, EMA, vimentin, MSA and CD117. RESULTS: Of 31 sarcomas, three tumours in the group of 11 malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFH) and unclassified sarcomas showed positive immunoreactivity for HMB45 and MART1 in 1-25% of tumour cells. The three tumours were located in the lower extremities and measured 8, 11 and 12 cm in diameter. Patient gender male:female was 2:1 and ages were 46, 56 and 60 years. Microscopically, the tumours were composed of a variable proportion of spindled cells, multinucleated cells and epithelioid cells disposed in diffuse sheets or nests. Mitotic figures and necrosis were frequent. The immunoreactivity was diffuse for CD68, focal for AE3 and EMA, negative or focal for MSA and CD117, and negative for S100 and AE1. All three patients developed lymph node or distant metastases and died of the disease within 1-2 years. CONCLUSIONS: PEComa re-screened from the group of high grade sarcomas without definite differentiation range from pleomorphic to monomorphic cytohistopathological features. Immunostaining for HMB45 of unclassified sarcomas is useful for the classification of these tumours. They occur preferentially in the lower extremities and have a high malignant potential when associated with large size, tumoural necrosis and high mitotic activity.     

子宫血管周上皮样细胞肿瘤临床病理观察

目的研究子宫血管周上皮样细胞肿瘤的病理学特征、诊断、鉴别诊断和生物学行为。方法对5例子宫血管周上皮样细胞肿瘤进行常规组织学和免疫组织化学（SP法）染色和观察,对患者进行随访,并复习相关文献。结果光镜下5例肿瘤均由透明或嗜酸细胞巢或宽窄不等的细胞索组成,间质有丰富的小血管和程度不等的透明变。免疫组织化学染色示5例瘤细胞均黑色素细胞标记阳性和程度不等的结蛋白和平滑肌肌动蛋白（SMA）阳性,CK和CD10阴性。5例患者现均存活。结论子宫血管周上皮样细胞肿瘤具有较特征性的组织病理及免疫组织化学特点,HMB45阳性对诊断有重要作用。该肿瘤分良性、恶性潜能不能确定和恶性三类,应与透明细胞癌和上皮样平滑肌肿瘤区别。