Desmoplastic small cell tumor in the pancreas. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Desmoplastic small cell tumor (DSCT) is a distinct type of small blue cell tumors and is characterized by the unique karyotypic aberration involving the fusion of the Ewing's sarcoma (EWS) gene and Wilms' tumor (WT1) gene. Typically, it grows along serosal surfaces; however, in some cases, the tumor presents as a dominant mass in an internal organ. Examples of DSCT forming a primary mass in ovary, testes, and brain have been described, but its presentation as a primary pancreatic mass has not been reported previously. The case reported here is a 31-year-old woman who presented with a 14-cm mass in the pancreas. There were smaller nodules on the peritoneal surfaces that were regarded clinically as metastasis from a primary pancreatic tumor. During the frozen section, the diagnosis of a poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma of pancreatic origin was rendered and patient underwent subtotal pancreatectomy. On microscopic examination, the tumor was composed of large nests and broad bands of small blue cells, separated by fibrous stroma. Immunohistochemical stains showed positivity of the tumor cells for cytokeratins (AE1:AE3 and CAM5.2), neuron specific enolase, desmin and WT1, whereas chromogranin, S-100, and CD99 were negative. Since this immunoprofile is characteristic of DSCT, molecular analysis was performed which revealed the presence of EWS-WT1 gene fusion characteristic of DSCT. This case shows that in addition to primary pancreatic tumors characterized by prominent cellularity such as solid pseudopapillary tumors, acinar cell carcinoma, pancreatoblastoma, endocrine tumors, and other small blue cell tumors, the differential diagnosis of cellular, stroma-poor neoplasia in the pancreas also includes DSCT. This case is also another demonstrative example of how DSCT may form a dominant mass in intraabdominal organs.

publication date

  • June 1, 2004

Research

keywords

  • Pancreatic Neoplasms
  • Sarcoma, Ewing
  • Sarcoma, Small Cell

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 2542482846

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/01.pas.0000126782.94781.dc

PubMed ID

  • 15166674

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 28

issue

  • 6