Granular Cell Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin. Report of a Case with Immunocytochemical Positivity for Lysozyme

Granular cell basal cell carcinoma

A 69-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of a slowly growing tumour on the nose. The clinical diagnosis was basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and a complete excision was performed. Histologically, the tumour had the general features of a BCC but with sheets and nests of cells with granular cytoplasmic changes in the centre of the lesion. A pathological diagnosis of granular cell BCC was made. On immunohistochemical examination, the tumour cells were Ber-EP4, cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and cytokeratin CAM 5.2 positive but S100 protein negative. Only the granular cells were CD68 antigen (monoclonal antibody KP1) positive.

COL1A1-PDGFB gene fusion demonstrates a common histogenetic origin for dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and its granular cell variant

Granular cell variant of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is very rare with only one report of two cases. We report a new case in which we demonstrated the presence of the dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans-specific COL1A1-PDGFB fusion from paraffin-embedded tissue. This case analysis demonstrated the utility of molecular genetics as a powerful tool for the diagnosis of atypical forms of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Ber-EP4 and MNF-116 in a previously undescribed morphologic pattern of granular basal cell carcinoma

Granular basal cell carcinoma (GBCC) is a rare subtype of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) with only seven previously described cases in the literature. A 65-year-old man presented with a papule on his cheek that was subsequently removed. Histopathologic examination revealed that the neoplasm had no connection to the overlying epidermis and that the neoplasm had two different morphologies; nodules composed solely of granular cells and other nodules with a rim of basaloid cells and central granular cells. The neoplasm stained for both Ber-EPF4 and MNF-116 thus confirming it as a subtype of BCC. GBCC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of nodular neoplasms containing granular cells.