Eruptive dermal clear cell desmo-plastic mesenchymal tumors with perivascular myoid differentiation in a young boy. A clinical, histopathologic, immunohistochemical and electron microscopy study of 17 lesions

Abstract

Clear cell tumors of the skin are observed in a wide variety of benign and malignant conditions with different histogenesis, sharing the presence of cells with abundant clear cytoplasm. Herein, we report the clinicopathologic features of a healthy young patient affected by asymptomatic, eruptive and disseminated, benign clear cell dermal tumors since early infancy. Neither family history nor genetic testing and counseling provided further useful information. The lesions were mostly confined to the face and lower left extremity with pink teleangiectatic papules and small nodules. Over a 4-year period, a total of 16 different cutaneous lesions were biopsied and histopathologic and immunohistochemical studies carried out; an additional lesion was also removed for electron microscopy examination. Histopathology evidenced multiple perivascular growths of spindle to oval and round cells intermingled with clear/granular cells throughout the dermis, with prominent desmoplasia and numerous capillary-like vessels with focal hemangiopericytoma-like features. Immunohistochemical neoplastic cells were uniformly positive for h-caldesmon and focally smooth muscle α-actin and CD13 indicating myoid differentiation whereas the consistent diffuse cytoplasmic staining for lysosome antigen, such as CD68PG-M1 and NKI/C3 along with the ultrastructural findings supported the view of a lysosome-mediated apoptotic process. The differential diagnosis with other clear cell cutaneous neoplasms is discussed.

Keywords: clear cell tumors; electron microscopy; immunohistochemistry; mesenchymal tumors; perivascular myoid cells.