Extraadrenal paragangliomas. An immunocytochemical and ultrastructural report

Paragangliomas: classification, pathology, and differential diagnosis

This article discusses the paraganglion system and extra-adrenal paragangliomas. In particular, the clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features of paragangliomas and neuroendocrine neoplasms of the larynx are presented with a discussion of the differential diagnosis.

Nonfunctioning malignant paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum with spinal cord compression. A case report

STUDY DESIGN

Case report and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE

To present a case with an uncommon nonfunctioning malignant paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum with compression of the spinal cord. An update survey is given with respect to diagnostic, histopathologic, and therapeutic aspects of paragangliomas.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Paragangliomas in the posterior mediastinum are uncommon and rarely may produce spinal cord compression. To illustrate the low incidence, only two cases of paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum were reported by the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, during a 40-year period.

METHOD

Case report and review of the literature.

RESULT

The diagnosis was made by modern imaging techniques (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and metaiodobenzylguanidine scan) and verified by computed tomography guided per thoracic puncture. A wide local resection was performed; the patient is disease-free 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSION

The uncertainty of prognosis and possibility of local recurrence of paragangliomas even after a long period emphasizes the importance of wide local surgical resection with or without adjuvant therapy and makes long-term follow-up and continued surveillance of the patient mandatory.

Cauda equina paraganglioma with subsequent intracranial and intraspinal metastases

A case of cauda equina paraganglioma is described; subsequent intracranial and intraspinal metastases occurred after partial resection and adjunctive radiotherapy. Cerebrospinal fluid dissemination is a rare complication of spinal paragangliomas. Factors predictive of this unusual biological behaviour are discussed.

Multiple neuropeptide immunoreactivities in a renin-producing human paraganglioma

BACKGROUND

A case of a renin-producing paraganglioma of adrenal origin with metastases to the retroperitoneal area, paravaginal area, and the ovary is reported with immunohistochemical findings indicating expression of multiple neuropeptide immunoreactivities. The patient was 23 years old at the time of diagnosis, and died from metastatic spread of the tumor 7 years later.

METHODS

Tumor tissue was examined by light microscopy, indirect immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The tumor tissue investigated contained several cells exhibiting opioid peptide-like immunoreactivities (i.e., enkephalin and dynorphin-like immunoreactivity [LI]). A lower number of cells displayed neuropeptide Y-, galanin-, somatostatin-, neurotensin-, substance P-, peptide histidine-isoleucine-, cholecystokinin-, renin-, and calbindin-LI.

CONCLUSION

To the authors' knowledge, galanin, dynorphin, peptide histidine-isoleucine, cholecystokinin, and calbindin have not been reported previously to occur in paraganglioma, and renin has been reported to occur very rarely. A review of recent literature suggest that enkephalin-, neuropeptide Y-, and somatostatin-like immunoreactivities may be useful as diagnostic markers for paragangliomas.

Peripheral carcinoid tumor of the lung with focal melanin production

A case of carcinoid tumor of the lung with focal melanin production was encountered in a 56 year old Japanese woman. The tumor was found 16 years previously by mass survey chest X-ray and had enlarged two-fold in the intervening period. The tumor consisted of a variety of tumor cells showing a spindle, polygonal and pleomorphic appearance with abundant vasculature in the stroma. All tumor cells showed argyrophilia, together with a few showing argentaffinity. Melanin-containing tumor cells were also present in parts. Ultrastructurally, most tumor cells possessed various numbers of neurosecretory granules and a few of them contained granular type melanosomes. Tumor cells were connected with desmosomes and a few of them contained tonofilament-like microfilaments. Only a few contained both neurosecretory granules and melanin. By immunohistochemistry, serotonin, met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin positive cells were observed scattered throughout the tumor. A few tumor cells positive for tyrosine hydroxylase were also detected. Additionally, most tumor cells were positive for keratin. On the basis of these findings, the tumor of the current case is a pulmonary carcinoid tumor with focal melanin production.

Gastric leiomyoblastoma associated with extraadrenal paraganglioma and pulmonary chondroma: a new case of Carney's triad

Carney's triad is extremely rare. The authors report on a 12-year-old patient who had gastric epithelioid leiomyosarcoma, multiple pulmonary chondroma, and mediastinal paraganglioma. Thirty-five other cases are reviewed and analyzed.

Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder: an immunohistochemical study and report of an unusual association with intestinal carcinoid

Two cases of paraganglioma of the urinary bladder are reported. Their immunohistochemical profiles and the clinical features are compared with other cases in the literature. The three pan-endocrine markers (neuron-specific enolase, synaptophysin and chromogrannin) were positive in both cases. Positivity to other neuropeptides (including the present two cases and those in literature) includes adrenocorticotropic hormone (three out of five cases), calcitonin (two out of nine cases), gastrin (two out of six cases), glial fibrillary acidic protein (one out of five cases), glucagon (two out of six cases), serotonin (five out of nine cases), and somatostatin (four out of eight cases). A previously unmentioned association between paraganglioma of the urinary bladder and carcinoid in the gastrointestinal tract is noted in one of the present cases. This peculiar association highlights the importance of multiplicity of tumours of the neuroendocrine system other than the classical multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes.

Immunocytochemical characterization of neuroendocrine tumours of the larynx

Twenty-two neuroendocrine tumours of the larynx were investigated using a panel of immunocytochemical markers. Three were small cell carcinomas, eight were large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and 11 were paragangliomas. Twenty were positive for protein gene product 9.5, 19 for neuron-specific enolase, 15 for chromogranin A, nine for bombesin, eight for substance P, eight for neuropeptide Y, eight for metenkephalin, seven for somatostatin, five for calcitonin, eight for calcitonin gene-related peptide and one for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. Bombesin immunoreactivity was largely restricted to the small cell carcinomas and large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and neuropeptide Y, metenkephalin and substance P to the paragangliomas. This comprehensive immunocytochemical analysis of neuroendocrine tumours of the larynx demonstrates that these tumours represent special entities but have similar patterns of immunostaining to those of neuroendocrine tumours in other sites.

Malignant paraganglioma of the uterus

We report a malignant uterine paraganglioma in a 40-year-old female, who died 7 months after the initial diagnosis. On light microscopy the tumour showed a typical zellballen pattern as well as a pronounced cellular pleomorphism. In many tumour cells hyaline globules were demonstrated within the cytoplasm. Immunohistochemically the lesion was characterized by the presence of neuron-specific enolase, protein gene product 9.5 and synaptophysin, and electron microscopically by the occurrence of neurosecretory granules.

Gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumours: a case report with ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies

A case of gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumour with light microscopic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural examination is reported. The tumour was composed of spindle cells or large cells with clear cytoplasm and showed intense staining for vimentin and focal staining for neuron-specific enolase, chromogranin, synaptophysin, gastrin, P substance and S-100 protein. Ultrastructural examination showed long processes with dense core granules and the absence of features characteristic of other gastrointestinal stromal tumours. In addition we noted small traces of basal lamina and the absence of synaptic vesicles. It seems that the biological behaviour of gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumours is aggressive but there are too few reports on which to conclude anything about their prognosis. Our findings suggest that tumour has a neuroectodermal differentiation.

Paragangliomas: neuroendocrine features and cytometric DNA distribution patterns. A clinico-pathological study of 22 cases

Paragangliomas from 22 patients with extraadrenal tumours of this type were studied. Neuroendocrine features were examined using immunohistochemical techniques. Twenty-two antisera raised against neuroendocrine "markers", regulatory peptides, serotonin and intermediate filament proteins were studied in this group and cytometric DNA assessments were made by means of image cytometry. One normal and 5 hyperplastic carotid bodies were used as controls in the DNA cytometric investigations. Clinical and/or histopathological evidence of "malignancy" was present in 5 cases. The tumour cells showed heterogeneity with regard to their expression of different peptides, and the immunohistochemical analyses did not permit differentiation between benign and malignant paragangliomas. An euploid nuclear DNA distribution pattern was found in all controls and in 17 of the tumours; all except 1 were clinico-pathologically benign. An aneuploid DNA pattern was observed in 5 of the cases and some malignant features were present in 4 of these cases. DNA data may give further information apart from that obtained from the histopathological findings which may be of value in predicting the biological behaviour of this tumour type.

Immunocytochemical differential diagnosis of adrenocortical neoplasms using the monoclonal antibody D11

The monoclonal antibody D11 is a valuable aid in the accurate typing of adrenal tumours as, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedding material, strong nuclear D11 positivity was observed only in adrenocortical cells in 190 neoplasms (including 100 adrenal tumours). This pattern was demonstrated for all zona glomerulosa cells in 27 normal adrenals and for the neoplastic cells of 15 adrenocortical adenomas derived from that zone, as judged from clinically evident hyperaldosteronism. Normal cells of zona fasciculata and reticularis also showed strong diffuse D11 immunostaining and the same nuclear plus cytoplasmic D11 reactivity was evident in 15 benign and malignant adrenocortical neoplasms derived from these zones, documented by hypercortisolism. Cytoplasmic and/or nuclear D11 staining made topohistogenetic typing possible in 15 non-functioning cortical tumours. D11 immunostaining gave negative results in 50 specimens containing normal, hyperplastic and neoplastic adrenomedullary cells. In addition, absence of D11 reactivity was recorded in 4 adrenal metastases of extra-adrenal carcinomas, 5 paragangliomas, 25 primary renal carcinomas and 59 of 60 primary thyroid carcinomas. D11 immunocytochemistry allows the accurate typing of benign and malignant adrenocortical neoplasms, irrespective of histology and function. With this method, primary adrenocortical tumours can be separated from carcinomas metastatic to the adrenal gland, including secondary tumours of similar phenotype (such as renal carcinomas). By exclusion, D11 negativity provides evidence of the medullary origin of primary adrenal tumours even in the absence of clinical, structural, histochemical and conventional immunohistochemical indicators of phaeochromocytoma.

Melanotic paraganglioma of the orbit: a case report

A paraganglioma of the orbit in a 21-year-old woman is presented, containing oculo-cutaneous melanin in many tumor cells, occasionally adjacent to neurosecretory granules, and in macrophages. This tumor expands the list of neuroectodermal tumors with potential melaninization.

Duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma with lymph node metastasis in a 17-year-old boy

A case of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma (DGP) in a 17-year-old boy is presented. In this case a lymph node in the peripancreatic region was involved by a metastatic tumor. A review of the literature on DGP indicates that this case represents the youngest patient and is the second case of DGP with metastasis. Immunohistochemical staining for neuron-specific enolase (NSE), neurofilament (NF), pancreatic polypeptide, and somatostatin showed positive results for epithelioid and ganglion-like cells, whereas spindle cells showed immunoreactivities for S-100 protein, NSE, and NF. The histogenesis of DGP is discussed.

[Glomus tumors of the temporal bone: a report of 6 cases]

The authors review the clinical, radiological and pathological features of 6 cases of glomus tumors of the temporal bone. Out of the 6 patients, 5 were female; age was distributed between 22 and 76 years (mean 48 years). The main clinical features were hypoacusia, tinnitus and otoscopic findings suggestive of the diagnosis. In one case was noted the concomitant presence of a neurinoma of the VIII cranial nerve with a ipsilateral glomus tumor, and in another case there was a concomitancy of carotid body tumor with temporal glomus jugularis tumor. Metastases were not observed in any case. Tumoral lesions were successfully ressected employing microsurgical techniques and a multidisciplinary staff involving neurosurgeons, head and neck surgeons and otolaryngologists. Radioteraphy was not employed, neither pre-operative embolization. Some aspects related to the nosology, embriology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of this interesting type of neoplasms are discussed.