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Invasive breast carcinoma - IARC

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A<br />

B<br />

Fig. 2.90 Yolk sac tumour. A The reticular pattern is characterized by a loose meshwork of communicating spaces. B Hyaline globules and amorphous basement<br />

membrane material are present. C An endodermal or Schiller-Duval sinus is characteristic.<br />

C<br />

A<br />

nar epithelium and surrounded by an<br />

oedematous, mesoblastic-type stro m a<br />

that exhibits the characteristic appearance<br />

of early endoderm in both early differentiated<br />

intestine and the pseudoglandular<br />

phase of the embryonal lung<br />

{2038}. Indeed, similar tumours are<br />

reported in the lung itself {1968}. This<br />

gland-like aspect coupled with the presence<br />

of subnuclear vacuolization in the<br />

columnar lining mimics early secretory<br />

endometrium and endometrioid <strong>carcinoma</strong><br />

of the ovary and, thus, was named<br />

the "endometrioid" variant {522}.<br />

Some endometroid yolk sac tumours are<br />

highly differentiated and difficult to distinguish<br />

from grade 1 endometrioid <strong>carcinoma</strong>.<br />

Another type of glandular yolk sac<br />

tumour is composed of typical small cribriform<br />

glands resembling early intestinal<br />

d i ff e rentiation. This type has been<br />

termed the intestinal-type of yolk sac<br />

tumour {533}.<br />

Extensive differentiation into hepatic tissue<br />

is another form of somatic differentiation<br />

{2515}. In some yolk sac tumours<br />

extensive solid nodular areas of liver tissue<br />

can be found {2284} and can be so<br />

well formed that they reproduce their<br />

laminar structure complete with sinusoids<br />

and even haematopoiesis. Finally,<br />

since any immature teratoid tissue is<br />

considered to be capable of undergoing<br />

fully accomplished differentiation, it is<br />

possible that pure endodermal immature<br />

teratoma composed solely of AFPsecreting<br />

endodermal glands and mesenchyme<br />

may be closely related to yolk<br />

Fig. 2.91 Yolk sac tumour, glandular pattern. A Its glands show subnuclear vacuolization characteristic of early<br />

differentiated endoderm. B Marked cytoplasmic positivity for alpha-fetoprotein is seen in glandular areas.<br />

A<br />

Fig. 2.92 A Yolk sac tumour, intestinal type. Note the cribriform pattern. B Yolk sac tumour with hepatic differentiation.<br />

The tumour is characterized by liver cell trabeculae and sinusoids.<br />

B<br />

B<br />

sac tumours {2042}.<br />

Predominance of mesenchymal, rather<br />

than epithelial, elements with differentiation<br />

into other components such as cartilage,<br />

bone or muscle may occur as a<br />

postchemotherapeutic conversion and<br />

be responsible for the occurrence of<br />

associated sarcomas in some cases<br />

{1854}. The haematopoietic capacity of<br />

the normal secondary yolk sac may have<br />

its neoplastic counterpart in yolk sac<br />

tumours, where isolated cases of haematological<br />

disorders have been reported<br />

associated with ovarian yolk sac tumours<br />

{1782} in a similar way to those occurring<br />

in extragonadal germ cell tumours.<br />

Immunoprofile<br />

AFP is the characteristic marker of the<br />

epithelial component of yolk sac<br />

tumours, although it is not exclusive to<br />

them, as it can also be found in some<br />

ovarian tumours that are not of germ cell<br />

type. AFP is found as a dense granular<br />

cytoplasmic deposit and is absent in<br />

hyaline globules, which are rare l y<br />

immunoreactive. A host of other substances<br />

can be found in yolk sac<br />

tumours recapitulating the complex functions<br />

of early endoderm, including those<br />

involved in haematopoiesis {1158,2011}.<br />

The usual positivity for cytokeratins may<br />

differentiate solid yolk sac tumour from<br />

dysgerminoma. CD30 is usually positive<br />

in embryonal <strong>carcinoma</strong> {736} but is only<br />

focally positive in yolk sac tumour. Leu<br />

M1, which is positive in clear cell <strong>carcinoma</strong>,<br />

is negative in yolk sac tumour. The<br />

absence of estrogen and progesterone<br />

receptors in yolk sac tumour differentiates<br />

areas of yolk sac epithelium from<br />

associated areas of true endometrioid<br />

tumour {533}.<br />

Prognosis and predictive factors<br />

Because numerous patterns of differenti-<br />

166 Tumours of the ovary and peritoneum

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