Cutaneous myoepithelial neoplasms: clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 20 cases suggesting a continuous spectrum ranging from benign mixed tumor of the skin to cutaneous myoepithelioma and myoepithelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Myoepithelial neoplasms, both benign and malignant, are rare but well-established clinicopathologic entities in the salivary glands, the breast, and the lung. Despite similarities between cutaneous sweat glands and glandular structures in the above-mentioned organs as well as the presence of regular myoepithelial cells around cutaneous eccrine/apocrine glands, the concept of cutaneous myoepithelial neoplasms is still debatable and not commonly accepted.
METHODS: Twenty cutaneous myoepithelial neoplasms have been studied histologically and immunohistochemically.
RESULTS: Nine neoplasms showed features of benign mixed tumor of the skin (chondroid syringoma) (five females and four males, age range 19-65 years, all cases arose in the head and neck region). Two cases represented the eccrine and seven the apocrine subtype. Interestingly, in three cases of the apocrine subtype, solid areas composed predominantly of myoepithelial cells were detected; these neoplasms were designated as benign mixed tumors with prominent myoepithelial cells. Nine cutaneous neoplasms were composed of spindled, epithelioid, and plasmocytoid cells without ductal differentiation and immunohistochemically stained variably positive for vimentin, epithelial and myogenic markers, S-100 protein, calponin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (four females and five males, age range 3-71 years, four cases arose in the head and neck region and one case each on the finger, the thigh, the lower leg, the foot, and the breast, respectively); these neoplasms were designated as cutaneous myoepitheliomas. Two morphologically malignant neoplasms with cytologic and immunohistochemical features of myoepithelial cells arose on the face of a 70-year-old female and a 79-year-old male patient; these neoplasms were designated as malignant cutaneous myoepitheliomas (cutaneous myoepithelial carcinomas).
CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests a continuous spectrum of cutaneous myoepithelial neoplasms ranging from benign mixed tumor of the skin to cutaneous myoepithelioma and cutaneous myoepithelial carcinoma. Further studies with extended follow-up information are necessary to establish prognostic factors.