Epithelioid angiosarcoma of the parotid area: A case report with immunohistochemical features and cytological correlation

oleh: Hiroshi Harada, Takeharu Ono, Jun Akiba, Takanori Hirose, Akihiko Kawahara, Hideyuki Abe, Hirohito Umeno, Akira Kurose

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Elsevier 2021-06-01

Deskripsi

We describe a rare case of epithelioid angiosarcoma (AS) arising in the parotid area and discuss its immunohistochemical features and cytological correlation. The patient was a 55-year-old Japanese male, who was aware of increasing swelling in the left parotid to lateral cervical area for 1 month. Clinical diagnosis as a parotid gland cancer was made on basis of imaging study followed by fine needle aspiration cytology, which was interpreted as a high-grade adenocarcinoma. He underwent a radical surgical resection, but died of the residual tumor rapidly growing associated with distant metastases 3 months after surgery. Histologically, the tumor comprised round to ovoid or polygonal tumor cells exhibiting marked pleomorphism and a predominant sheet-like arrangement along with extensive soft tissue invasion. Tumor cells were immunoreactive for CD31 and factor VIII, but negative for CD34. In cytological specimens, tumor cells appeared as isolated single cells and in loosely attached groups or three-dimensional cohesive clusters in the necrotic background. The cells varied in size and shape, and had remarkably enlarged and eccentrically located nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Intracytoplasmic lumen was occasionally recognized. Based on the microscopic and immunohistochemical findings, the present tumor was diagnosed as an epithelioid AS. Epithelioid AS may occasionally arise in the maxillofacial areas and be confused with undifferentiated carcinoma or adenocarcinoma because of epithelioid cytology and unique immunohistochemical profiles such as possible expression of cytokeratins and a lack of CD34. Epithelioid AS should be included in differential diagnoses of high-grade epithelioid malignancies in this region.