Primary pulmonary hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma (HCCC) is a rare salivary gland-type tumor newly recognized in recent years, with approximately 21 cases reported to date in the English literature, which constitutes a challenge in pathology diagnosis, particularly in small biopsy specimens. Here, we present a case of pulmonary HCCC diagnosed by computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy in a 70-year-old man’s right lower lung. Although the morphology and immunophenotype of the tumor suggested the diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, fluorescence in situ hybridization failed to reveal the rearrangement of MAML2 gene, which is characteristic of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Instead, further molecular genetic testing showed that the tumor harbored a rare EWSR1::CREM fusion combined with a previously unreported IRF2::NTRK3 fusion. Pulmonary HCCC is commonly regarded as a low-grade malignant tumor with an indolent course, but this case has a different biological behavior, presenting extensive dissemination and metastases at the time of diagnosis, which expands our understanding of the prognosis of this tumor. The patient has had five cycles of combination chemotherapy and has been alive with the tumor for eight months.
Background: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an uncommon cutaneous tumor in children. Most published articles are sporadic or small series and lack systematically molecular analyses. The aim of our study is to better understand the clinicopathologic and genetic features of these rare lesions.
Methods: All patients diagnosed with DFSP aged ≤ 18 years were retrospectively reviewed from January 2006 to May 2022.
Results: A total of 66 cases (32 male and 34 female patients) were identified, with ages ranging from 0.3 to 18 years (median, 13 years). Tumor locations predominantly occurred on the trunk (38/66, 57.6%), followed by the extremities (20/66, 30.3%) and head/neck (8/66, 12.1%). Histological findings revealed classic (41/66, 62.1%), myxoid (4/66, 6.1%), pigmented (6/66, 9.1%), plaque-like (3/66, 4.5%), giant cell fibroblastoma (GCF; 6/66, 9.1%), and fibrosarcomatous (6/66, 9.1%) variants of DFSP. Immunochemistry revealed minority tumors (9/66, 13.6%) showing patchy or negative staining for CD34. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) indicated that 49 of 53 tested cases including all detected biopsy specimens (11/11) contained COL1A1-PDGFB fusion, in which the average copy number gain of COL1A1-PDGFB was 0.68. There were four cases negative for COL1A1-PDGFB rearrangement, one of which was found to harbor a novel COL3A1-PDGFB fusion by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Treatment for 63 patients comprised 40 marginal excisions and 23 wide local excisions (WLEs), including 1 with imatinib therapy. Follow-up information was available on 49 patients with a duration of 12–161 months (median, 60 months). Fourteen patients developed tumor recurrence, all with initial marginal excisions. The others survived with no evidence of disease.
Conclusions: This study of pediatric DFSP indicates certain discrepancies in clinicopathologic characteristics between children and adults. The majority of pediatric DFSPs contain COL1A1-PDGFB fusion, the same as their adult counterparts. The COL3A1-PDGFB chimerism might be associated with the special morphology of GCF, which needs further investigation. FISH is valuable in biopsy tissues and cases with atypical CD34 immunostaining, while supplementary NGS could be helpful to identify the cytogenetically cryptic DFSP. Overall, an urgent accurate diagnosis is needed to formulate an optimal therapeutic strategy in the pediatric population.
Atypical spindle cell/pleomorphic lipomatous tumors (ASPLTs) were recently categorized as benign lipomatous tumors. However, accurate and complete preoperative diagnosis of ASPLTs may be difficult. Furthermore, diagnosis based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings is uncertain because of the varying ratios of the fat component within the tumor. Here, we report a case of ASPLT masquerading as a myxoid tumor. Although MRI findings were consistent with a myxoid liposarcoma, needle biopsy findings suggested a myxoma, and we performed marginal resection. Histopathological findings revealed infiltrating spindle cells with atypia. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed positive staining for CD34 and heterogeneous retinoblastoma deficiency, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) showed no amplification of mouse double minute 2 homolog and no rearrangement of FUS or EWSR1. When MRI and histopathological findings suggest a myxoid tumor, IHC and FISH should be considered and performed for a precise and accurate diagnosis.
ALK rearrangements have rarely been reported in S100- and CD34-co-expressing soft tissue neoplasms with lipofibromatosis-like neural tumor (LPFNT) pattern or stromal and perivascular hyalinization, mimicking NTRK-rearranged spindle cell tumors. Here, we reported ALK fusions involving related partner genes in two adult soft tissue tumors with S100 and CD34 co-expression, and conducted a literature review of mesenchymal tumors harboring ALK or other kinase fusions. Case 1 was a 25-year-old female who underwent excision of a soft tissue mass in the anterior thigh region. Morphologically, the tumor was composed of spindle cells adjacent to epithelioid cells embedded in myxedematous and hyalinized stroma, with infiltrative boundary. Spindle cells mixed with inflammatory infiltration resembling inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) were seen sporadically. However, brisk mitosis and focal necrosis was also observed, indicating an intermediate-grade sarcoma. In case 2, the left side of the neck of a 34-year-old man was affected. The tumor was composed of monomorphic spindle cells arranged in fascicular growth or patternless pattern, with stromal and perivascular hyalinization. Sparse inflammatory cell infiltration was also observed. Both tumors showed CD34, S100, and ALK-D5F3 immunoreactivity. Next generation sequencing (NGS) test identified a PLEKHH2::ALK fusion in case 1, which was confirmed by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing, whereas the RT-PCR (ARMS method) test detected an EML4::ALK fusion in case 2. In conclusion, this study expands the morphological and genetic landscape of tumors with S100 and CD34 co-expression harboring kinase fusions, and suggests that kinase fusion–positive mesenchymal neoplasms are becoming an enlarging entity with a variety of morphological patterns.
Frontiers in Physiology
Precision Physical Activity and Exercise Prescriptions for Disease Prevention: The Effect of Interindividual Variability Under Different Training Approaches