PEComas represent a family of uncommon mesenchymal tumors composed of "perivascular epithelioid cells" with a distinct immunophenotype that typically shows both myogenic and melanocytic differentiation. The PEComa family includes angiomyolipoma (AML), clear cell They also often express strong diffuse CD10, leading to potential confusion with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Most cases behave indolently. We report 5 additional cases of this rare entity. All showed classic histologic features and expression of either HMB-45 and/or Melan-A/MART-1. Four cases were tested for myogenic markers (2 were positive & 2 were negative).
Granular cell tumor (GrCT) is a benign nerve sheath tumor. Atypical and malignant variants of GrCT are rare but have been well described. We report a case of multifocal symmetric atypical GrCT in the bilateral hand/wrists of a 15-year-old African-American female. The initial clinical impression for both masses was favored to be ganglion cysts. Ultrasound findings of both masses revealed hypoechoic soft tissue lesions with some internal echogenicity favoring complex cysts. On excision, both masses were histologically circumscribed, lobulated and attached to tendon. Large epithelioid cells with abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm arranged in syncytial cords and trabeculae percolated through collagen. Many cells had pleomorphism and/or prominent nucleoli. Mitotic figures, spindling, high nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio and necrosis were absent. Both masses showed diffuse S100 protein but negative desmin and pancytokeratin expression. Ki-67 index was 1% to 2%. p53 was positive in 5% to 10% of nuclei. Both masses met criteria for atypical (but not malignant) GrCT. Our case shows that atypical GrCT may be not only multifocal but also symmetric. We speculate that migration of defective neural crest stem cells along both upper limb buds during embryogenesis may have allowed these essentially identical tumors to arise in similar locations bilaterally simultaneously.
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