Stains - Vimentin

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Stains

Vimentin

Reviewer: Nat Pernick, M.D. (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 22 October 2012, last major update August 2012
Copyright: (c) 2002-2012, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

Definition
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● Intermediate filament for mesenchymal tissue

Uses by pathologists
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● Vimentin staining confirms mesenchymal origin of some tumors; may be the only positive stain and thus confirms that the tissue is capable of staining (Am J Surg Pathol 2011;35:1722)
● Staining may confirm mesenchymal origin, but numerous exceptions so relatively non-specific
● Help distinguish renal cell clear cell carcinoma from mimics as part of panel
● Absence of vimentin staining may confirm that fat-like or other spaces actually lack a cellular lining (Am J Surg Pathol 2011;35:1823)
● Distinguish endocervical and endometrial adenocarcinoma, as part of panel (Am J Surg Pathol 2010;34:915)

Micro images
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Breast: pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH)

CNS: alveolar soft parts sarcoma (metastasis from tongue tumor)

CNS: atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor

CNS: gemistocytic astrocytoma

CNS: medulloepithelioma

CNS: meningioma (left to right) - anaplastic, clear cell type

CNS: pituicytoma (figure F)


Kidney: oncocytoma

Kidney: renal cell carcinoma

Kidney: solitary fibrous tumor

Larynx: squamous cell carcinoma


Melanoma: left-desmoplastic; right-nasopharyngeal mass


Synovial sarcoma: left-mandible, right-mediastinum

Ovary: signet ring stromal tumor

Soft tissue: low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma

Soft tissue: parachordoma

Spermatic cord: aggressive angiomyxoma

Testis: Leydig cell tumor

Thyroid gland: angiosarcoma

Vulva: angiomyofibroblastoma

Positive staining - normal
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● Mesenchymal cells including endothelial cells, fibroblastic reticulum cells, fibroblasts, interdigitating dendritic cells, Langerhans cells, vascular smooth muscle

Positive staining - disease
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● Mesenchymal tumors of soft tissue or other organs
● Carcinomas of adrenal cortex, endometrium, thyroid
● Breast: pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010;134:1070)
● CNS: ependymoma, meningioma, pituicytoma (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2010;134:1063)
● Melanoma
● Mesothelioma
● Pancreas: solid pseudopapillary tumor (Am J Clin Pathol 2009;132:831)
● Perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2011;135:499)
● Renal cell carcinoma
● Salivary gland: mammary analog secretory carcinoma (Am J Surg Pathol 2012;36:27, Am J Surg Pathol 2009;33:1370)
● Soft tissue: most sarcomas or other mesenchymal tumors
● Stomach "gastroblastoma" (Am J Surg Pathol 2009;33:1894)
● Testis: Leydig cell tumor, seminoma, Sertoli cell tumor
● Uterus: mucinous carcinoma (not of cervix)

Negative staining
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● Carcinomas (usually, but there are many exceptions), Krukenberg tumor
● Renal oncocytoma, although usually is focal staining with a pattern different from carcinomas (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2007;131:1782)
● Renal chromophobe carcinoma
● Thymic carcinoma, thymoma

End of Stains > Vimentin

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