Journal article
Cytokeratin Expression in Plasmablastic Lymphoma - a Possible Diagnostic Pitfall in the Routine Work-Up of Tumors.
- Huettl KS Department of Clinical Pathology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Staiger AM Department of Clinical Pathology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Horn H Department of Clinical Pathology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Frontzek F Medical Department A, Hematology, Oncology and Pneumology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
- Goodlad JR Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
- Tapia G Pathology Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Rosenwald A Institute of Pathology, Universität Würzburg and Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken (CCCMF), Würzburg, Germany.
- Klapper W Institute of Pathology, Hematopathology Section and Lymph Node Registry, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
- Fend F Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology and Comprehensive Cancer Center Tübingen, University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany.
- Climent F Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona), Spain.
- Castellvi J Department of Pathology, Hospital de Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.
- Tzankov A Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland.
- Dirnhofer S Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland.
- Baptista MJ Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Badalona, Spain.
- Navarro JT Department of Hematology, ICO-Germans Trias I Pujol, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Badalona, Spain.
- Anagnostopoulos I Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, & Berlin Institute of Health; Medical Department of Hematology, Oncology & Tumor Immunology, Virchow Campus & Molekulares Krebsforschungszentrum, Berlin, Germany.
- Hartmann W Division of Translational Pathology, Gerhard-Domagk-Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
- Lenz G Medical Department A, Hematology, Oncology and Pneumology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
- Ott G Department of Clinical Pathology, Robert-Bosch-Krankenhaus, Stuttgart, Germany.
- 2020-11-09
Published in:
- Histopathology. - 2020
English
AIMS
Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare aggressive B-cell lymphoma frequently arising at extranodal sites in the setting of immunosuppression. The diagnosis of PBL is complex, owing to a frequent solid or cohesive growth pattern and often unusual immunophenotype. Several case reports have described the expression of cytokeratins (CK) in PBL introducing a diagnostic pitfall. In the largest series available to date, our goal was to determine the frequency of CK reactivity in PBL.
METHODS AND RESULTS
Using immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 72 PBL, we identified reactivity for CK8/18 in 11/72 cases (15%) and AE1/3 in 6/65 cases (9%), clearly contrasting with a control series of non-PBL aggressive B-cell lymphomas (1/96 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas), as well as with data in the literature describing only occasional CK expression in hematological neoplasms.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate reactivity for CK in a substantial number (15%) of PBL. In view of its particular morphological features and frequent negativity for the common leukocyte antigen and B-cell markers, this feature represents a pitfall in the routine diagnostic work-up of PBL and requires more extensive immunohistochemical and molecular characterization of cases entering the differential diagnosis.
Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare aggressive B-cell lymphoma frequently arising at extranodal sites in the setting of immunosuppression. The diagnosis of PBL is complex, owing to a frequent solid or cohesive growth pattern and often unusual immunophenotype. Several case reports have described the expression of cytokeratins (CK) in PBL introducing a diagnostic pitfall. In the largest series available to date, our goal was to determine the frequency of CK reactivity in PBL.
METHODS AND RESULTS
Using immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 72 PBL, we identified reactivity for CK8/18 in 11/72 cases (15%) and AE1/3 in 6/65 cases (9%), clearly contrasting with a control series of non-PBL aggressive B-cell lymphomas (1/96 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas), as well as with data in the literature describing only occasional CK expression in hematological neoplasms.
CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate reactivity for CK in a substantial number (15%) of PBL. In view of its particular morphological features and frequent negativity for the common leukocyte antigen and B-cell markers, this feature represents a pitfall in the routine diagnostic work-up of PBL and requires more extensive immunohistochemical and molecular characterization of cases entering the differential diagnosis.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- closed
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.1111/his.14300
- PMID 33165992
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/92563
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