Synaptophysin

Stains
Synaptophysin

Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.

Topic Completed: 1 November 2011

Revised: 14 June 2019

Copyright: 2002-2019, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: Synaptophysin[TI] free full text[sb]

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Table of Contents

Cite this page: Pernick N. Synaptophysin. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainssynaptophysin.html. Accessed February 21st, 2020.

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

Images hosted on PathOut server:

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

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)

Breast: neuroendocrine carcinoma

Colon: small cell carcinoma (fig D)

Merkel cell carcinoma metastatic to heart

Stomach: carcinoid tumor (left side-fig 4B)

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