Breast malignant, males, children - Acantholytic subtype of squamous cell carcinoma

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Breast malignant, males, children

Carcinoma subtypes

Acantholytic subtype of squamous cell carcinoma

Reviewer: Monika Roychowdhury, M.D. (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 4 November 2012, last major update August 2012
Copyright: (c) 2001-2012, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

Definition
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● Acantholysis (lack of cell adhesion) is due to a desmosomal defect, possibly alteration in keratins (Cell Cycle 2008;7:2021)
● May be very aggressive

Terminology
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● Also called pseudoglandular or adenoid squamous cell carcinoma

Case reports
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● 57 year old woman (Cesk Patol 2011;47:184)
● 60 year old woman (Ecancermedicalscience 2011;5:214)

Gross images
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Cystic area with necrosis (upper), gray white solid area (below)

Micro description
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● Pseudovascular or pseudoglandular appearance due to tumor cell discohesiveness
● Lining is composed of squamous epithelium and spaces with necrotic debris and keratin

Micro images
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Breast:

Various images

Conjunctival tumor:

Pseudoglandular pattern due to acantholysis of neoplastic squamous cells

Head and neck:

Pseudolumina are present, but no true glands

Skin:

Various images

Positive stains
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● Myoepithelial markers: CK14, CD10, p63 (Cesk Patol 2011;47:184)
● May have EGRF overexpression (Virchows Arch 2005;446:305)

Negative stains
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● EMA, factor VIII, PAS and Alcian blue

Differential diagnosis
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● Angiosarcoma: endothelial cells line spaces and are CD31+, CD34+, keratin- (Am J Surg Pathol 1986;10:855, Head Face Med 2008;4:17)
● Phyllodes tumor
● Sarcoma

End of Breast malignant, males, children > Carcinoma subtypes > Acantholytic subtype of squamous cell carcinoma

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