Myoepithelioma of the cerebellopontine angle: a previously not documented benign salivary gland-type neoplasm within the cranium

Vajtai, Istvan; Hewer, Ekkehard; Neuenschwander, Maja; Schäfer, Stephan; Kappeler, Andreas; Lukes, Anton (2013). Myoepithelioma of the cerebellopontine angle: a previously not documented benign salivary gland-type neoplasm within the cranium. Clinical neuropathology, 32(3), pp. 176-182. Dustri-Verlag 10.5414/NP300596

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Myoepithelioma is a dimorphic neoplasm with contractile-epithelial phenotype, originally interpreted as deriving from, but not actually restricted to the salivary glands. As a novel addition to the list of exquisitely rare intracranial salivary gland-type tumors and tumor-like lesions, we report on an example of myoepithelioma encountered in the left cerebellopontine angle of a 32-year-old male. Clinically presenting with ataxia and dizziness, this extraaxial mass of 4 × 3.5 × 3 cm was surgically resected, and the patient is alive 6 years postoperatively. Histologically, the tumor exhibited a continuum ranging from compact fascicles of spindle cells to epithelial nests and trabeculae partitioned by hyalinized septa, while lacking tubular differentiation. Regardless of architectural variations, there was robust immunoexpression of S100 protein, smooth muscle actin, GFAP, cytokeratin, and vimentin. Cytologic atypia tended to be modest throughout, and the MIB1 labeling index averaged less than 1%. Fluorescent in situ hybridization indicated no rearrangement of the EWSR1 locus. We interpret these results to suggest that myoepithelioma of the posterior fossa - along with related salivary epithelial tumors in this ostensibly incongruous locale - may possibly represent analogous neoplasms to their orthotopic counterparts, ones arising within aberrant salivary anlagen. The presence of the latter lends itself to being mechanistically accounted for by either postulating placodal remnants in the wake of branchial arch development, or linking them to exocrine glandular nests within endodermal cysts. Alternatively, myoepithelioma at this site could be regarded as a non tissue-specific lesion similar to its relatives ubiquitously occurring in the soft parts.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Further Contribution)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute of Pathology

UniBE Contributor:

Vajtai, Istvan, Hewer, Ekkehard Walter, Neuenschwander, Maja, Schäfer, Stephan, Kappeler, Andreas

Subjects:

500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0722-5091

Publisher:

Dustri-Verlag

Language:

English

Submitter:

Andrea Arnold

Date Deposited:

11 Jun 2014 12:57

Last Modified:

02 Mar 2023 23:24

Publisher DOI:

10.5414/NP300596

PubMed ID:

23557904

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/52056

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