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Malignant myoepithelioma of the breast: An immunohistochemical study by light and electron microscopy
Author(s) -
Thorner Paul S.,
Kahn Harriette J.,
Baumal Reuben,
Lee King,
Moffatt William
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19860215)57:4<745::aid-cncr2820570411>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - myoepithelial cell , myoepithelioma , cytokeratin , pathology , immunohistochemistry , electron microscope , medicine , axilla , lymph node , intermediate filament , breast cancer , cell , biology , cytoskeleton , cancer , physics , genetics , optics
Myoepitheliomas of the breast are extremely rare; only four cases have been reported to date. It is not clear whether these tumors behave in a benign or malignant fashion, and no metastatic spread has been documented. We report a myoepithelioma of the breast with metastatic spread to an axillary lymph node. Myoepithelial cell (MEC) differentiation in the tumor was characterized using electron microscopic (EM) criteria. Immunologic investigations at the LM and EM levels showed that the tumor cells were positive for S100 protein, actin, and epidermal cytokeratin; these findings are indicative of MEC differentiation. By immuno‐EM, cytokeratin filaments were present in a perinuclear location, while actin filaments were concentrated along the cell periphery. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a breast myoepithelioma that has metastasized and also the first report of the immunologic characterization of a myoepithelioma at the light and electron microscopic levels.