Institutional members access full text with Ovid®

Share this article on:

p63 Immunohistochemistry Is a Useful Adjunct in Distinguishing Sclerosing Cutaneous Tumors

Vidal, Claudia I MD, PhD*; Goldberg, Matthew BA*; Burstein, David E MD†‡; Emanuel, Henry J BDS; Emanuel, Patrick O MD*

American Journal of Dermatopathology: May 2010 - Volume 32 - Issue 3 - pp 257-261
doi: 10.1097/DAD.0b013e3181b7fc76
Original Study

Cutaneous sclerosing epithelial neoplasms are often difficult to diagnose. Though various immunohistochemical markers have proved useful, some cases remain a diagnostic challenge. We aimed to assess the utility of p63 immunohistochemical staining in distinguishing microcystic adnexal carcinoma (MAC) from sclerosing basal cell carcinoma (SBCC) and desmoplastic trichoepithelioma (DTE). Biopsy samples from 20 SBCC, 10 DTE, and 5 MAC were examined after immunohistochemical staining with p63. Although all adnexal tumors examined demonstrated p63 expression, the pattern of staining was strikingly different in MAC when compared with other tumor types. MAC exhibited a scattered pattern with p63-positive cells around the periphery of tumor nests and minimal staining within the center of the tumor islands. This pattern was more pronounced at increased depth of infiltration into the dermis. A robust and consistent diffuse pattern of staining with p63 was observed in all SBCCs and DTEs. We believe this pattern reflects the multidifferentiation pathway of MAC, with eccrine/sebaceous differentiation occurring at deeper levels of the dermis. The different staining patterns of MACs compared with DTEs and SBCCs can thus serve as a useful diagnostic adjunct in difficult lesions.

From the *Division of Dermatopathology; †Departments of Pathology; and ‡Oncologic Sciences, Mount Sinai Medical Center, NY.

Reprints: Patrick Emanuel, MD, Division of Dermatopathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, NY 10029 (e-mail: Patrick.emanuel@mssm.edu).

© 2010 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.