Morphologic and immunophenotypic properties of neoplastic cells in a case of mast cell sarcoma

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Andreas Chott - , University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna (Author)
  • Philipp Guenther - , TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Angela Huebner - , Department of Paediatrics, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Edgar Selzer - , University of Vienna (Author)
  • Reza M. Parwaresch - , Kiel University (Author)
  • Hans Peter Horny - , University of Lübeck (Author)
  • Peter Valent - , University of Vienna (Author)

Abstract

Mast cell sarcoma is an extremely rare and aggressive type of mast cell disease. Only a few cases have been described so far, and little is known about the biology and phenotype of afflicted cells. We describe morphologic and immunophenotypic properties of neoplastic mast cells in a case of an intracranial mast cell sarcoma. In Wright-Giemsa-stained cytospin preparations, the morphology of dispersed cells appeared to be highly atypical with a considerable percentage of metachromatic blasts and mast cells with bilobed or multilobed nuclei. Combined toluidine blue/immunofluorescence staining revealed expression of CD13, CD45, CD88, CD116, and CD117 (c-KIT) on neoplastic mast cells. As assessed by immunohistochemistry, mast cells were immunoreactive for tryptase and CD68R, In contrast, the CD2 antigen that is expressed in mast cells in patients with indolent systemic mastocytosis was not detectable. Mast cells also failed to display the c-KIT mutation Asp-816-Val, which is typically found in systemic mast cell disorders. Together, neoplastic mast cells in a case of mast cell sarcoma were found to exhibit unique morphologic, phenotypical, and molecular features when compared with mast cells in indolent mastocytosis or normal tissue mast cells.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1013-1019
Number of pages7
JournalAmerican Journal of Surgical Pathology
Volume27
Issue number7
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2003
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 12826896

Keywords

Keywords

  • C-KIT, CD 117, Mast cell sarcoma, Mast cells, Mastocytosis, Tryptase