Invasive breast carcinoma - IARC
Invasive breast carcinoma - IARC
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