Department of Pathology, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
© The Korean Society of Pathologists/The Korean Society for Cytopathology
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| Immunostain | Approximate frequency (%) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Fusion-related marker | ||
| STAT6 | >95 | Strong, diffuse nuclear staining; highly sensitive and specific surrogate for NAB2::STAT6 gene fusion, although rare exceptions have been reported in other tumorsa |
| Markers discovered by gene expression profiling | ||
| ALDH1 | 75–95 | Stem cell marker; not entirely specific |
| GRIA2 | 60–80 | Relatively specific; limited commercial availability |
| TLE1 | <10 | Rarely positive; not diagnostically useful |
| Endothelial marker | ||
| CD34 | 90–95 | Commonly positive; may be lost in dedifferentiated SFT |
| Neuroectodermal marker | ||
| CD99 | ~70 | Nonspecific; also positive in other tumors |
| Muscle markers | ||
| SMA | 20–35 | Nonspecific; focal expression |
| Desmin | <5 | Usually negative |
| Nerve sheath marker | ||
| S100 protein | ~15 | Focal expression; may mimic nerve sheath tumors; potential diagnostic pitfall |
| Epithelial markers | ||
| EMA | 20–35 | Focal expression; potential diagnostic pitfall |
| Cytokeratins | <10 | Rare focal expression; may be confused with carcinoma |
| PAX8 | ~40 | Relatively frequent expression; not a specific marker of SFT; potential diagnostic pitfall |
| Prognostic markers | ||
| p53 | Variable | Aberrant expression associated with malignant/dedifferentiated SFTb |
| p16 | Variable | Overexpression may be associated with aggressive behavior |
| Others | ||
| BCL2 | ~30 | Frequently expressed but nonspecific; limited diagnostic value |
STAT6, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6; ALDH1, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1; GRIA2, glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 2; TLE1, transducin-like enhancer of split 1; SMA, smooth muscle actin; EMA, epithelial membrane antigen; PAX8, paired box gene 8; SFT, solitary fibrous tumor; BCL2, B-cell lymphoma 2.
aSTAT6 is rarely expressed in dedifferentiated liposarcoma and GLI1-altered soft tissue tumor;
bTP53 mutation in approximately 40% of malignant SFTs.
| Tumor type | Clinical feature | Histological feature | Immunohistochemistry | Molecular feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spindle cell lipoma | Men aged 45–60 years; posterior neck, back, shoulders | Bland spindle cells, mature adipose tissue, myxoid stroma, ropy collagen | CD34 (+); loss of RB1 protein expression | Loss of chromosome 13q14, including RB1 |
| Nodular fasciitis | Young adults; subcutaneous tissue of extremities; usually <3 cm in size | Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in tissue culture-like growth pattern, myxoid, microcystic changes | SMA (+), often diffuse; desmin (±) | USP6 rearrangement |
| Desmoid fibromatosis | Young to middle-aged adult; female predominance; abdominal wall, extremities, mesentery | Uniform fibroblasts arranged in long sweeping fascicles, collagen deposition | SMA (+); desmin (±); nuclear β-catenin (+) in the majority of cases | Somatic mutations in CTNNB1; inactivating germline mutations in APC |
| Cellular angiofibroma | Women (5th decade) and men (7th decade); vulvar and inguinoscrotal sites | Bland spindle cells with delicate collagen fibers, small- to medium-sized thick-walled vessels | CD34 (+); SMA (±); desmin (±); loss of RB1 protein expression | Loss of chromosome 13q14, including RB1 |
| Angiofibroma of soft tissue | Middle-aged adults (6th decade); extremities, most commonly legs | Bland spindle cells in myxoid or collagenous stroma with small thin-walled branching blood vessels | SMA (+); desmin (±) | t(5;8)(p15;q13); AHRR::NCOA2 |
| Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans | Young to middle-aged adults; trunk, proximal extremities, head and neck region | Uniform spindle cells arranged in a storiform pattern with fat infiltration showing a honeycomb pattern | CD34 (+) | COL1A1::PDGFB |
| Deep fibrous histiocytoma | Broad age range (median 37 years); most commonly subcutaneous; extremities, head and neck | Monomorphic spindle or histiocytoid cells in storiform or fascicular pattern | CD34 (+) in approximately 40% of cases | PRKCB or PRKCD rearrangements |
| Myopericytoma | Any age, most often adults; extremities, neck, trunk, oral cavity | Bland, myoid-appearing spindle cells in a concentric perivascular growth pattern | SMA (+); caldesmon (+); desmin (±); CD34 (±) | PDGFRB mutations; SRF::RELA (cellular/atypical myofibromas) |
| Sinonasal glomangiopericytoma | Any age, most common in adults; sinonasal tract, particularly turbinate and septum | Ovoid to spindle cells, syncytial arrangement, thin-walled staghorn-shaped vessels | SMA (+); nuclear β-catenin (+) | Mutations in CTNNB1 exon 3 |
| Dedifferentiated liposarcoma | Middle-aged adults; retroperitoneum, spermatic cord, mediastinum | Abrupt transition from WDLPS to spindle cell or pleomorphic non-lipogenic sarcoma | MDM2 (+); CDK4 (+) | MDM2 and CDK4 amplification |
| Gastrointestinal stromal tumor | Any age (peak in the 6th decade); gastrointestinal tract, mesentery, omentum | Relatively monomorphic spindle cells, epithelioid cells, or mixture of both | CD117 (+), DOG1 (+); PDGFRA (+)a; loss of SDHB expressionb | KIT or PDGFRA mutations |
| Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor | Older adults, but can occur across a wide age range; trunk, extremities, head and neck | Spindle cells arranged in fascicles with alternating hypocellular and hypercellular areas, often with necrosis | S100 protein (+)c, SOX10 (+); loss of H3K27me3 expression | Mutations in NF1, CDKN2A/CDKN2B, PRC2 core components (EED or SUZ12) |
| Synovial sarcoma | Adolescents and young adults; extremities, trunk, head and neck | Monophasic (monomorphic spindle cells), biphasic, poorly differentiated patterns | SS18::SSX fusion–specific antibody (+), SSX-specific antibody (+); TLE1 (+) | SS18::SSX1, SS18::SSX2, or SS18::SSX4 |
| Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor | Middle‑aged adults; any site; typically associated with hypophosphatemia and osteomalacia | Bland spindle-shaped cells with grungy calcification and a prominent vascular network | ERG (+); SATB2 (+); CD56 (+); FGF23 (+) | FN1::FGFR1, FN1::FGF |
| Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma | Adolescents and young adults; bone, soft tissue, and meninges | Undifferentiated round tumor cells with islands of cartilage and staghorn-shaped vascular pattern | CD99 (+); SOX9 (+); NKX2.2 (+); desmin (±); myogenin (±) | HEY1::NCOA2 |
+, positive staining; RB1, retinoblastoma 1; SMA, smooth muscle actin; ±, variable staining; WDLPS, well-differentiated liposarcoma; MDM2, mouse double minute 2; CDK4, cyclin-dependent kinase 4; DOG1, discovered on GIST-1; PDGFRA, platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha; SDHB, succinate dehydrogenase subunit B; SOX10, SRY-box transcription factor 10; PRC2, polycomb repressive complex 2; H3K27me3, trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27; TLE1, transducin-like enhancer of split 1; ERG, ETS-related gene; SATB2, special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2; FGF23, fibroblast growth factor 23; NKX2.2, NK2 homeobox 2.
aPDGFRA-mutant gastrointestinal stromal tumors typically demonstrate strong, diffuse expression of PDGFRA;
bSuccinate dehydrogenase-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors show complete loss of SDHB staining;
cS100 protein is focally positive in 50%–60% of cases.
| Risk factor | Cut-off | Points (3-variable model) | Points (4-variable model) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient age (yr) | <55 | 0 | 0 |
| ≥55 | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitoses per mm2 (mitoses per 10 HPFs) | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 |
| 0.5−1.5 (1−3) | 1 | 1 | |
| ≥2 (≥4) | 2 | 2 | |
| Tumor size (cm) | 0−4.9 | 0 | 0 |
| 5−9.9 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10−14.9 | 2 | 2 | |
| ≥15 | 3 | 3 | |
| Tumor necrosis | <10% | N/A | 0 |
| ≥10% | N/A | 1 | |
| Risk category (total points)a | Low risk | 0−2 | 0−3 |
| Intermediate risk | 3−4 | 4−5 | |
| High risk | 5−6 | 6−7 |
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| Tumor type | Updated concept | Line of differentiation |
|---|---|---|
| Adult hemangiopericytoma | Reclassified as solitary fibrous tumor (cellular subtype) | Fibroblastic differentiation |
| Infantile hemangiopericytoma | Considered within the spectrum of infantile myofibromatosis | Pericytic (perivascular myoid) differentiation |
| Meningeal hemangiopericytoma | Reclassified as cellular/malignant solitary fibrous tumor | Fibroblastic differentiation |
| Sinonasal hemangiopericytoma | Reclassified as sinonasal glomangiopericytoma | Pericytic (perivascular myoid) differentiation |
| Immunostain | Approximate frequency (%) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Fusion-related marker | ||
| STAT6 | >95 | Strong, diffuse nuclear staining; highly sensitive and specific surrogate for NAB2::STAT6 gene fusion, although rare exceptions have been reported in other tumors |
| Markers discovered by gene expression profiling | ||
| ALDH1 | 75–95 | Stem cell marker; not entirely specific |
| GRIA2 | 60–80 | Relatively specific; limited commercial availability |
| TLE1 | <10 | Rarely positive; not diagnostically useful |
| Endothelial marker | ||
| CD34 | 90–95 | Commonly positive; may be lost in dedifferentiated SFT |
| Neuroectodermal marker | ||
| CD99 | ~70 | Nonspecific; also positive in other tumors |
| Muscle markers | ||
| SMA | 20–35 | Nonspecific; focal expression |
| Desmin | <5 | Usually negative |
| Nerve sheath marker | ||
| S100 protein | ~15 | Focal expression; may mimic nerve sheath tumors; potential diagnostic pitfall |
| Epithelial markers | ||
| EMA | 20–35 | Focal expression; potential diagnostic pitfall |
| Cytokeratins | <10 | Rare focal expression; may be confused with carcinoma |
| PAX8 | ~40 | Relatively frequent expression; not a specific marker of SFT; potential diagnostic pitfall |
| Prognostic markers | ||
| p53 | Variable | Aberrant expression associated with malignant/dedifferentiated SFT |
| p16 | Variable | Overexpression may be associated with aggressive behavior |
| Others | ||
| BCL2 | ~30 | Frequently expressed but nonspecific; limited diagnostic value |
| Tumor type | Clinical feature | Histological feature | Immunohistochemistry | Molecular feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spindle cell lipoma | Men aged 45–60 years; posterior neck, back, shoulders | Bland spindle cells, mature adipose tissue, myxoid stroma, ropy collagen | CD34 (+); loss of RB1 protein expression | Loss of chromosome 13q14, including RB1 |
| Nodular fasciitis | Young adults; subcutaneous tissue of extremities; usually <3 cm in size | Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in tissue culture-like growth pattern, myxoid, microcystic changes | SMA (+), often diffuse; desmin (±) | USP6 rearrangement |
| Desmoid fibromatosis | Young to middle-aged adult; female predominance; abdominal wall, extremities, mesentery | Uniform fibroblasts arranged in long sweeping fascicles, collagen deposition | SMA (+); desmin (±); nuclear β-catenin (+) in the majority of cases | Somatic mutations in CTNNB1; inactivating germline mutations in APC |
| Cellular angiofibroma | Women (5th decade) and men (7th decade); vulvar and inguinoscrotal sites | Bland spindle cells with delicate collagen fibers, small- to medium-sized thick-walled vessels | CD34 (+); SMA (±); desmin (±); loss of RB1 protein expression | Loss of chromosome 13q14, including RB1 |
| Angiofibroma of soft tissue | Middle-aged adults (6th decade); extremities, most commonly legs | Bland spindle cells in myxoid or collagenous stroma with small thin-walled branching blood vessels | SMA (+); desmin (±) | t(5;8)(p15;q13); AHRR::NCOA2 |
| Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans | Young to middle-aged adults; trunk, proximal extremities, head and neck region | Uniform spindle cells arranged in a storiform pattern with fat infiltration showing a honeycomb pattern | CD34 (+) | COL1A1::PDGFB |
| Deep fibrous histiocytoma | Broad age range (median 37 years); most commonly subcutaneous; extremities, head and neck | Monomorphic spindle or histiocytoid cells in storiform or fascicular pattern | CD34 (+) in approximately 40% of cases | PRKCB or PRKCD rearrangements |
| Myopericytoma | Any age, most often adults; extremities, neck, trunk, oral cavity | Bland, myoid-appearing spindle cells in a concentric perivascular growth pattern | SMA (+); caldesmon (+); desmin (±); CD34 (±) | PDGFRB mutations; SRF::RELA (cellular/atypical myofibromas) |
| Sinonasal glomangiopericytoma | Any age, most common in adults; sinonasal tract, particularly turbinate and septum | Ovoid to spindle cells, syncytial arrangement, thin-walled staghorn-shaped vessels | SMA (+); nuclear β-catenin (+) | Mutations in CTNNB1 exon 3 |
| Dedifferentiated liposarcoma | Middle-aged adults; retroperitoneum, spermatic cord, mediastinum | Abrupt transition from WDLPS to spindle cell or pleomorphic non-lipogenic sarcoma | MDM2 (+); CDK4 (+) | MDM2 and CDK4 amplification |
| Gastrointestinal stromal tumor | Any age (peak in the 6th decade); gastrointestinal tract, mesentery, omentum | Relatively monomorphic spindle cells, epithelioid cells, or mixture of both | CD117 (+), DOG1 (+); PDGFRA (+) |
KIT or PDGFRA mutations |
| Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor | Older adults, but can occur across a wide age range; trunk, extremities, head and neck | Spindle cells arranged in fascicles with alternating hypocellular and hypercellular areas, often with necrosis | S100 protein (+) |
Mutations in NF1, CDKN2A/CDKN2B, PRC2 core components (EED or SUZ12) |
| Synovial sarcoma | Adolescents and young adults; extremities, trunk, head and neck | Monophasic (monomorphic spindle cells), biphasic, poorly differentiated patterns | SS18::SSX fusion–specific antibody (+), SSX-specific antibody (+); TLE1 (+) | SS18::SSX1, SS18::SSX2, or SS18::SSX4 |
| Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor | Middle‑aged adults; any site; typically associated with hypophosphatemia and osteomalacia | Bland spindle-shaped cells with grungy calcification and a prominent vascular network | ERG (+); SATB2 (+); CD56 (+); FGF23 (+) | FN1::FGFR1, FN1::FGF |
| Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma | Adolescents and young adults; bone, soft tissue, and meninges | Undifferentiated round tumor cells with islands of cartilage and staghorn-shaped vascular pattern | CD99 (+); SOX9 (+); NKX2.2 (+); desmin (±); myogenin (±) | HEY1::NCOA2 |
| Risk factor | Cut-off | Points (3-variable model) | Points (4-variable model) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient age (yr) | <55 | 0 | 0 |
| ≥55 | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitoses per mm2 (mitoses per 10 HPFs) | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 |
| 0.5−1.5 (1−3) | 1 | 1 | |
| ≥2 (≥4) | 2 | 2 | |
| Tumor size (cm) | 0−4.9 | 0 | 0 |
| 5−9.9 | 1 | 1 | |
| 10−14.9 | 2 | 2 | |
| ≥15 | 3 | 3 | |
| Tumor necrosis | <10% | N/A | 0 |
| ≥10% | N/A | 1 | |
| Risk category (total points) |
Low risk | 0−2 | 0−3 |
| Intermediate risk | 3−4 | 4−5 | |
| High risk | 5−6 | 6−7 |
STAT6, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6; ALDH1, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1; GRIA2, glutamate ionotropic receptor AMPA type subunit 2; TLE1, transducin-like enhancer of split 1; SMA, smooth muscle actin; EMA, epithelial membrane antigen; PAX8, paired box gene 8; SFT, solitary fibrous tumor; BCL2, B-cell lymphoma 2. STAT6 is rarely expressed in dedifferentiated liposarcoma and
+, positive staining; RB1, retinoblastoma 1; SMA, smooth muscle actin; ±, variable staining; WDLPS, well-differentiated liposarcoma; MDM2, mouse double minute 2; CDK4, cyclin-dependent kinase 4; DOG1, discovered on GIST-1; PDGFRA, platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha; SDHB, succinate dehydrogenase subunit B; SOX10, SRY-box transcription factor 10; PRC2, polycomb repressive complex 2; H3K27me3, trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27; TLE1, transducin-like enhancer of split 1; ERG, ETS-related gene; SATB2, special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2; FGF23, fibroblast growth factor 23; NKX2.2, NK2 homeobox 2. Succinate dehydrogenase-deficient gastrointestinal stromal tumors show complete loss of SDHB staining; S100 protein is focally positive in 50%–60% of cases.
HPF, high-power field; N/A, not applicable. Point ranges indicate cumulative risk scores.