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 March 7th, 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
Contributed by Jijgee Munkhdelger, M.D., Ph.D. and Andrey Bychkov, M.D., Ph.D.
Images hosted on other servers:
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