Agaimy, Abbas

With the first series of PRRX1 -rearranged tumors published in 2019, the spectrum of these so-called fibroblastic tumors has been expanded. Since then, several smaller case series have been published; however, our understanding of them continues to be quite limited given their rarity. We herein studied 18 additional cases, the largest series to date. Eighteen tumors present in 9 male, 8 female, and 1 nonbinary patient with a median age of 35 years (range: 11 to 70 y) and involved the neck (5), the chest region (4), thigh (3), back (1), shoulder (1), forehead (1), lower leg (1), axilla (1), and the parapharyngeal region (1). Clinical follow-up (9/18 tumors; 50%; median: 10 mo; range: 4 to 40 mo) showed consistent indolent behavior without local recurrences or distant metastases. On morphology, these tumors were characterized by well-circumscription and distinctive peripheral crescent-shaped vessels. They were composed of uniform spindle and round cells growing in short fascicles within often densely hyalinized collagen lacking significant mitotic activity, necrosis, or cytologic atypia. Immunohistochemically, about half of the tested tumors expressed focal to rarely diffuse S100 with occasional co-expression of SOX10. Interestingly, almost half of the tested cases also showed complete loss of RB expression. All but 1 tumor harbored a PRRX1::NCOA1 fusion, while 1 case harbored a novel PRRX1::EP300 fusion. We herein provide additional data on these exceptionally uncommon tumors, expand their molecular spectrum, and compare them to their close morphologic mimics to aid in accurate diagnosis and avoid confusion with potentially more aggressive neoplasms.

Adamantinoma-like Ewing sarcoma (ALES) is a rare malignancy currently considered a variant of Ewing sarcoma with most known cases harboring EWSR1 rearrangements. Herein we present a series of 6 cases of EWSR1-negative ALES. The tumors arose in the sinonasal tract (n=3), major salivary glands (submandibular gland=1; parotid=1), and anterior mediastinum (n=1) in patients ranging from 25 to 79 years of age. Most tumors were basaloid in appearance, growing in large nests separated by interlobular fibrosis without overt squamous pearls. However, 1 case closely resembled a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor with uniformly round nuclei, eosinophilic cytoplasm, and trabecular architecture. All cases were diffusely positive for pan-cytokeratin, p40 or p63, and CD99. A subset of cases showed diffuse reactivity for synaptophysin, including 1 sinonasal tumor which also demonstrated sustentacular S100 protein expression. Molecular testing showed FUS rearrangements in all cases. Gene partners included known ETS family members FEV (n=2) and FLI1 (n=1). Our results expand the molecular diagnostic considerations for ALES to include FUS rearrangements. We also show that ALES may harbor FUS::FLI1 fusion, which has not been previously reported in the Ewing family of tumors. Furthermore, ALES may show unusual histologic and immunophenotypic features that can overlap with olfactory carcinoma including S100-positive sustentacular cells. ALES should be considered in the diagnostic differential of small round cell tumors and tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation with immunohistochemical workup to include p40 and CD99/NKX2.2.

AimsPRRX1–NCOA1‐rearranged fibroblastic tumour is a recently described, rare mesenchymal tumour. Only four cases have been previously reported. The aim of this article is to report six additional cases of this unusual mesenchymal neoplasm, with an emphasis on its differential diagnosis.Methods and resultsThe six cases were from three females and three males (age, 20–49 years; median, 42 years). Three tumours were located on the abdominal wall; two from the shoulder/axillary areas, and one on the lateral hip. All presented as slow‐growing subcutaneous nodules, ranging from 26 to 55 mm (median, 40 mm). The tumours consisted of circumscribed, variably cellular nodules composed of relatively bland plump spindled to epithelioid cells arranged singly, in cords, and occasionally in nests, embedded in hyalinised and collagenous stroma. Small hypocellular myxoid zones with ropey collagen fibres were present, as were irregularly dilated, gaping, crescent‐shaped or staghorn‐like thin‐walled vessels, best appreciated at the periphery. Immunohistochemistry for CD34, S100, MUC4 and STAT6 was consistently negative. RNA‐sequencing revealed PRRX1–NCOA1 fusions in all cases. Of the four cases with limited follow‐up (1.5–4 months), none recurred following local surgical excision.ConclusionsThe morphological features of PRRX1–NCOA1‐rearranged fibroblastic tumour overlap with those of RB1‐deficient soft‐tissue tumours, solitary fibrous tumour, and low‐grade fibromyxoid sarcoma/sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma. This differential diagnosis can be resolved with a combination of careful morphological study and the application of a panel of immunostains, although molecular genetic study is most definitive. The natural history of PRRX1–NCOA1‐rearranged fibroblastic tumour appears to be quite favourable, although longer‐term study of a larger number of cases is warranted.

High-grade transformation (HGT) or dedifferentiation has been described in a variety of salivary gland carcinomas, including acinic cell carcinoma, secretory carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma, polymorphous adenocarcinoma, low-grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma. High-grade (HG) transformed tumors are composed of a conventional low-grade component characterized by specific microscopic and immunohistochemical features for the given entity, intermingled with or juxtaposed to areas of HG morphology. This is usually either poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, carcinoma not otherwise specified, or undifferentiated carcinoma, in which the original line of differentiation is lost. The HG component is composed of solid nests of anaplastic cells with large vesicular pleomorphic nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and abundant cytoplasm. Frequent mitoses and extensive necrosis may be present. The Ki-67 labeling index is consistently higher in the HG component. The molecular genetic mechanisms responsible for HGT of salivary gland carcinomas are largely unknown, though p53 inactivation and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression and/or gene amplification have been demonstrated in the HG component in a few examples, the frequency varies for each histologic type. Salivary gland carcinomas with HGT are more aggressive than conventional carcinomas, with a higher local recurrence rate and a poorer prognosis. They have a high propensity for cervical lymph node metastasis suggesting a need for a wider resection and neck dissection. HGT of salivary gland carcinoma can occur either at initial presentation or less commonly at the time of recurrence, sometimes following postoperative radiotherapy. The potential for HGT in almost any type of salivary gland carcinoma warrants a thorough sampling of all salivary gland malignancies to prevent oversight of a HG component.

The term “idiopathic calcifying tenosynovitis” (ICT) refers to a clinically and radiologically defined syndrome of pain and tendinous calcifications, most often involving the shoulder joint. A distinctive subset of ICT cases, termed “tenosynovitis with psammomatous calcifications” (TPC), occurs in the distal extremities and shows characteristic morphology, in particular psammomatous calcifications. As only 14 cases have been reported to date, TPC remains poorly recognized by both pathologists and clinicians. Twenty-three well-characterized cases of TPC along with all available radiologic and clinical information, including follow-up, were collected. Cases occurred in 21 females and 1 male (1 patient of unknown sex), aged 16 to 75 years (mean: 41), and almost exclusively involved the fingers and toes, except for one case in the elbow and one in the knee joint. The lesions ranged from 2 to 30 mm in size (mean: 10 mm). Pain was the most common presenting symptom (12/16 patients). A history of trauma or repetitive activity was present in 6 of 15 patients. None of the individuals was known to have disorders in calcium or phosphate metabolism. Radiographic studies showed a nonspecific, calcified mass. Typical morphologic features of TPC were invariably present, with degenerating tendinous tissue containing psammomatous calcifications, surrounded by a variably cellular, CD68/CD163/CD4-positive histiocyte-rich granulomatous host reaction. HUMARA assay in one case showed a polyclonal pattern. Clinical follow-up (19 patients; mean: 5.2 y; range: 1 to 14 y) showed no local recurrences. In this, the largest study of TPC to date, we confirm striking predilection of this distinctive pseudoneoplasm for the fingers and toes of young to middle-aged women. TPC should be rigorously distinguished from other forms of ICT, which typically involve large, proximal joints, and show simply dystrophic calcification involving tendinous tissues, and from tumoral calcinosis, which also involves large joints and often is associated with calcium and/or phosphate abnormalities. TPC appears to be related to trauma and/or repetitive activity and is cured with simple excision.

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a highly malignant brain tumor predominantly encountered in infants. Mutations of the SMARCB1 gene are the characteristic genetic lesion. A small group of ATRT stands out clinically, because these tumors are located in the sellar region of adults. To investigate if sellar region ATRT in adults represents a molecular distinct entity, we characterized molecular alterations in 7 sellar region ATRTs in adults as compared with 150 pediatric ATRTs and 47 pituitary adenomas using SMARCB1 sequencing, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and fluorescence in situ hybridization as well as DNA methylation profiling. The median age of the 6 female and 1 male patients was 56 years. On histopathologic examination, all tumors were malignant rhabdoid tumors showing loss of SMARCB1/INI1 protein expression. Two cases displayed compound heterozygous SMARCB1 point mutations, 3 cases showed heterozygous SMARCB1 deletions with point mutations of the other allele and 1 case a homozygous SMARCB1 deletion; in 1 case, underlying SMARCB1 alterations could not be identified. On unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis of DNA methylation profiles, sellar region ATRTs did not form a distinct group, but clustered with ATRT-MYC, 1 of 3 recently described molecular subgroups of ATRT. On analysis of DNA methylation array intensity data, only 1 sellar region ATRT showed characteristic features of pediatric ATRT-MYC, that is, major copy number losses affecting the SMARCB1 region. In conclusion, these results suggest that sellar region ATRTs in adults form a clinically distinct entity with a different mutational spectrum, but epigenetic similarities with pediatric ATRTs of the ATRT-MYC subgroup.