Stains & molecular markers
Synaptophysin
Copyright: 2002-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Synaptophysin[TI] free full text[sb]
Synaptophysin
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Topic Completed: 1 November 2011
Minor changes: 9 October 2020
Copyright: 2002-2021, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Synaptophysin[TI] free full text[sb]
Table of Contents
Pathophysiology | Uses by pathologists | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive staining - normal | Positive staining - disease | Negative stainingCite this page: Pernick N. Synaptophysin. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainssynaptophysin.html. Accessed May 12th, 2021.
Pathophysiology
- Most abundant synaptic vesicle membrane glycoprotein, present in neuronal presynaptic vesicles
- Gene is at Xp11.23-p11.22
- May regulate endocytosis to ensure vesicle availability during and after sustained neuronal activity (Neuron 2011;70:847)
- Specific but not sensitive for neuroendocrine tumors
- More sensitive in well differentiated tumors
- Granular cytoplasmic pattern in small cell carcinoma reflects neurosecretory granules
Uses by pathologists
- Common neuroendocrine marker (also chromogranin and CD56)
Microscopic (histologic) images
Cases #195, #45, #110, #189, #185 and #17
Bladder: paraganglioma
Breast: neuroendocrine carcinoma
Breast: neuroendocrine DCIS
CNS: chordoma
Colonic polyp - tubulovillous adenoma with microcarcinoids
Neuroblastoma (retropharyngeal mass)
Testis: Leydig cell tumor
Thymic carcinoma
(type C thymoma),
nonkeratinizing squamous
cell carcinoma type
Contributed by Jijgee Munkhdelger, M.D., Ph.D. and Andrey Bychkov, M.D., Ph.D.
Typical carcinoid immunoprofile
Images hosted on other servers:
Adrenal gland: left-corticomedullary mixed tumor, right-adrenocortical carcinoma
Bladder: small cell carcinoma
Bladder: mixed small cell / urothelial carcinoma
Bladder: small cell carcinoma (cytology)
Merkel cell carcinoma metastatic to heart
Positive staining - normal
- Adrenal medulla, neuronal cells, neuroendocrine cells, pineal gland
Positive staining - disease
- Neuroendocrine cells / tumors at all sites (carcinoid tumor, neuroendocrine carcinoma, paraganglioma, small cell carcinoma)
- Adrenal gland: adrenocortical adenoma and carcinoma, neuroblastoma, oncocytoma, pheochromocytoma
- CNS: central neurocytoma, gangliocytic paraganglioma, ganglioneuroma and other ganglion cell tumors (Hum Pathol 1990;21:271), medulloblastoma/central PNET, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (variable), retinoblastoma
- Lung: adenocarcinoma-well differentiated fetal type
- Other: desmopslastic small cell tumor, glomus tumor, medullary thyroid carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma (Am J Clin Pathol 2011;135:831), myxoid chondrosarcoma (variable), parathyroid carcinoma of thymus (variable)
Negative staining
- Urothelial carcinoma
