Cytokeratin expression patterns in multiple infundibulocystic basal cell carcinoma

Abstract

Infundibulocystic basal cell carcinoma (IBCC) is a variant of basal cell carcinoma. Sporadic cases usually represent a solitary tumor and multiple IBCC is rare. There have been no reports in which the tumor differentiation is characterized immunohistochemically. We report a case of multiple IBCC which developed on a patient's scalp by performing histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations, using monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratins (CKs). A 76-year-old female had noticed multiple small papules on her scalp. She noticed that the tumors were growing when she underwent systemic chemotherapy for metastatic lung cancer. Routine histopathological specimens from skin biopsies revealed findings typical of IBCC. The tumor cells expressed CK14 and CK17. However, CK1 and CK10 were expressed only in a few cells in the inner area of the tumors. The present case is unique in two points. First, multiple tumors developed on the patient's scalp during the systemic chemotherapy for the lung cancer. Second, the tumor showed CK expression patterns characteristic to infundibular and trichilemmal epithelia.

Comparative analysis of cytokeratin 15, TDAG51, cytokeratin 20 and androgen receptor in sclerosing adnexal neoplasms and variants of basal cell carcinoma

“…Few studies have documented the immunostaining pattern of infundibulocystic BCC, and none of these have determined the CK15 and CK20 staining of these tumors. We found a greater degree of CK15 and TDAG51 positivity in infundibulocystic BCC compared with other BCC variants.…”

Cytokeratin Profile of Basal Cell Carcinomas According to the Degree of Sun Exposure and to the Anatomical Localization

“… 11 Several studies have been performed to evaluate CK expression in BCC. 12 – 16 However, in large series of tumors, no clear-cut differences regarding the expression pattern in different clinical and histopathological variants of BCC have been detected. However, as far as we are concerned, no previous studies have evaluated the CK expression profile in BCC in relation to both the exposure to sunlight and anatomic location.…”