Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Apr 26, 2021; 9(12): 2739-2750
Published online Apr 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i12.2739
Clinicopathological features of superficial CD34-positive fibroblastic tumor
Li Ding, Wen-Jing Xu, Xiao-Ying Tao, Liang Zhang, Zhao-Gen Cai
Li Ding, Wen-Jing Xu, Zhao-Gen Cai, Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233000, Anhui Province, China
Xiao-Ying Tao, Department of Pathology, Hangzhou People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
Liang Zhang, Department of Pathology, Huaiyuan County People's Hospital, Bengbu 233000, Anhui Province, China
Author contributions: Ding L, Xu WJ, and Tao XY collected the data and wrote the paper; Cai ZG analyzed the data and directed the writing; Zhang L checked the article for errors.
Supported by Key Projects of Natural Science Research in Colleges and University of Anhui Province, No. 2017A236.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of Bengbu Medical College and the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College (2020KY036).
Conflict-of-interest statement: None.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhao-Gen Cai, MD, Professor, Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, No. 287 Changhuai Road, Bengbu 233000, AnHui Province, China. chzgen@163.com
Received: November 11, 2020
Peer-review started: November 11, 2020
First decision: December 31, 2020
Revised: January 13, 2021
Accepted: February 24, 2021
Article in press: February 24, 2021
Published online: April 26, 2021
Processing time: 154 Days and 15.8 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Superficial CD34-positive fibroblastoma (SCPFT) is a newly discovered mesenchymal tumor characterized by high polymorphism, low mitotic rate, and diffuse CD34-positive reactions.

AIM

To further determine the clinicopathological features of SCPFT.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data, immunohistochemistry results, and differential diagnoses of four patients with SCPFT and performed a literature review. Relevant fusion genes were also detected.

RESULTS

The tumors were all located in the lower extremities and presented as slow-growing painless masses located in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Microscopically, the tumors were composed of spindle-shaped to epithelioid cells with scattered abnormal and pleomorphic nuclei on a fibrous or fibromyxoid background. Necrosis was not found in the tumor tissues, and mitotic figures were rare. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were strongly positive for vimentin and CD34, and CKpan showed focal positivity in two tumors. All four patients were followed (13-57 mo, mean 35 mo), and one patient experienced local recurrence.

CONCLUSION

SCPFT is a newly discovered borderline mesenchymal tumor that can locally recur or even metastasize. Familiarity with its clinicopathological features will help avoid confusion with skin mesenchymal tumors with similar features.

Keywords: Superficial; Fibroblastoma; CD34; Immunohistochemistry; Fluorescence in situ hybridization; Clinicopathology

Core Tip: Superficial CD34-positive fibroblastoma is a newly discovered mesenchymal tumor characterized by high polymorphism, low mitotic rate, and diffuse CD34-positive reactions. Microscopically, the tumors were composed of spindle-shaped to epithelioid cells with scattered bizarre and pleomorphic nuclei on a fibrous or fibromyxoid background.