Primary sarcomas of the liver are rare. A case of primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the liver is reported. A 55-year-old male was admitted with epigastric pain. An abdominal computed tomographic scan disclosed a 10cm, low-density area in the left lobe of the liver. Histological examination of the resected tumor showed bundles of spindle cells arranged in a storiform pattern. In some areas, many bizarre giant cells were scattered. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and weakly positive for vimentin. The tumor cells did not express cytokeratin, desmin or alpha fetoprotein.
This experiment was performed to elucidate the cytologic origin of chemically induced MFH in Wistar rats. The tumor was produced by injections of DMBA(9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene). With the produced MFH, cell culture and cloning were performed, followed by establishment of a cell strain, which was investigated by immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies. The results were as follows. A) By immunohistochemistry of the tumor tissue, fibroblastic cells were positive for MEP-1(specific antibody for fibroblastlike cell of MFH, Takeya, 1993) and Anti-hPH(beta)(Anti-prolyl 4-hydroxylase beta), but negative for TRPM-3 and F4/80. Histiocytelike cells were positive for TRPM-3 and F4/80, but negative for MEP-1 and Anti-hPH(beta). In immunoelectron microscopy, normal spleen macrophage showed linear reactivity in cell membrane for TRPM-3, whereas histiocytelike cells of the tumor disclosed negative reaction. B) At 5 weeks of the primary tumor cell culture, the cells exhibited typical storiform pattern of MFH. C) The established cell strain revealed immunoreactivity for MEP-1 and Anti-hPH(beta), but negative for TRPM-3. The cloned tumor cells showed morphologic characteristics of undifferentiated fibroblastic cell. Latex particle (0.80 micrometer size) phagocytosis was negative in the cloned cell strain. The results of the current study support the concept that principal component cells of MFH is of fibroblastic cell origin.
A 52-year-old woman was admitted with a palpable mass on the abdominal wall. This tumor had developed at the same site of a previously resected dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. The biopsy specimen from the recurrent tumor revealed malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Immunohistochemistry with anti-CD34 antibody revealed diffuse linear positivity on the tumor cells of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and negativity on malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Anti CD34 antibody was valuable for a differential diagnosis of these two lesions.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the liver is uncommon, representing less than 1% of the primary malignant lesions of the liver. We report primary MFH of the liver in a 59-year-old woman. The tumor, measuring 9.0 9.0 6.0 cm, was located in the left lobe of the liver. It showed multiple areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of plump spindle cells haphazardly arranged in short fascicle and focal storiform pattern.
Multiple bizarre giant cells were also noted.
Immunohistochemically, many of the tumor cells were positive for vimentin and alpha1-antitrypsin but negative for epithelial markers. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells showed fibroblastic and histiocytic features.
Telomerase is an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase that synthesizes TTAGGG telomeric DNA onto chromosomal ends to compensate for sequence loss during replication. It has been detected in a variety of human malignancies, suggesting that such activity may play a role in the tumorigenic process. To determine whether telomerase is reactivated in malignant fibrous histiocytoma, 12 tissue samples with this tumor were analyzed for the telomerase activity by a radioactive PCR-based TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol) assay. All of the tumors were further investigated for the expression of human telomerase RNA (hTR) by an in situ hybridization (ISH). Telomerase activity was detected in one (8.3%) sample. Expression of hTR was demonstrated in 7 (58.3%): one telomerase-positive and six telomerase-negatives. These data indicate that the reactivation of telomerase is an uncommon event and not an important factor involved in tumorigenesis in malignant fibrous histiocytoma. It is noteworthy that 50% of the patients with grade 2 tumors expressed hTR, suggesting that telomerase RNA may be useful as a marker for identifying tumor aggressiveness earlier than the conventional histopathologic grading scale.
BACKGROUND ras gene mutations have been described in various human malignancies, suggesting that their activation may play a role in oncogenesis. However, there are few reports concerning ras gene alterations in malignant fibrous histiocytomas. We therefore designed a study to determine the prevalence and type of mutations in the first exons of H-ras and K-ras genes in these tumors. METHODS Twenty-seven malignant fibrous histiocytomas were investigated by direct sequencing analysis with the automated DNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction-amplified ras sequences. RESULTS Twenty-four mutations were found in 18 (67%) of the tumors: GGC to GAC transition mutations at codon 13 of K-ras (coding for aspartic acid instead of glycine) in 18 of the samples and GGC to GTC transversions at codon 12 of H-ras (coding for valine instead of glycine) in six of the lesions. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest an involvement of the ras gene mutation in conjunction with other yet unknown events in the tumorigenesis and/or progression of malignant fibrous histiocytomas. The K-ras gene activation predominated in these tumors by a mutation at codon 13. It is noteworthy that H-ras mutations were detected only in association with the lesions containing K-ras mutated genes, the significance of which remains to be determined.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of late adult life, but it is rare in the pleura. We recently experienced a case of cytology of malignant fibrous histiocytoma in pleural fluid. The smear revealed histiocytic malignant cells, spindle malignant cells and inflammatory cells. The histiocytic cells showed abundant, pale cytoplasm and ovoid, irregular, eccentrically placed nuclei. The spindle cells showed elongated nuclei.
Intercellular collagen was also present.
A case of primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma(MFH) of the lung occurring in a 62-year-old man is presented. After preoperative bronchial brushing and washing cytologic diagnosis of poorly differentiated carcinoma, surgical resection and lymph nodes dissection were performed.
Subsequent histologic examination revealed a primary MFH.
The diagnosis was confirmed by electron microscopic and immunohistochemical examinations. The review of the bronchial brushing and washing cytologic features disclosed many bipolar and a few unipolar spindle tumor cells with a "comet" configuration, mainly single cells, but also forming loose clusters. The nuclei were elongated and hyperchromatic and contained one or more irregular nucleoli. Scattered bizarre, multinucleated tumor giant cells were also present.
To fine out the changes of DNA ploidy and cellular proliferation activity during carcinogenesis and evaluate correlation between flow cytometrically determined S-phase fraction and proportion of proliferation cell nuclear antigen(PCNA, PC10) immunoreactive cells, the authors studied on malignant fibrous histocytoma induced by intra-articular injection of 9, 10-dimethy1-1, 2-benzanthracene(DMBA) in the rats. Forty Wistar rats were used. The results obtained were as follows. 1) Firstly, tumors were palpated 5 weeks after the last injection of DMBA and formed in 27 rats at sacrificed. Histologically, these lesions showed storiform, indicative of malignant fibrous histiocytoma. 2) Three cases of DNA aneuploidy were observed at 4 and 5 months after the last injection of DBMA and one of them, which was DNA diploidy at main mass, was found at daughter mass. 3) Flow cytometrically determined S-phase fraction and proportion of PCNA(PC10) immunoreactive cells in malignant fibrous histiocytoma induced by DMBA were much higher than in control groups and slightly increased according to sequential changes after formation of mass. The comparison of flow cytometrically determined S-phase fraction and proportion of PCNA(PC10) immunoreactive cells showed significant correlation(r=0.6092, p<0.001). Above results strongly suggest that ploidy pattern may evolve into aneuploid type during the development of tumor and proliferation activity increases during the carcinogenesis.
A case of a 58-year-old man with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the right ventricle is reported light and electron microscopically. This is the first case of MFH of the heart in the Korean literature. A tendency for malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the heart to occur in the left atrium of young women is suggested; this sarcoma's usual location is in the soft tissue of elderly men. The tumor consisted of spindle cells arranged in a focal storiform patterns, clusters or sheets of histocyte-like cells, benign and malignant giant cells, inflammatory cells, scattered mitotic figures and anaplasia of stromal cells. In ultrastructure the constituent of cells of the tumor are primitive mesenchymal cells, histiocytoid cells and fibroblast like cells including giant cells.