Low-Fat Plexiform Spindle Cell Lipoma With Prominent Myxoid Stroma: An Unusual Oral Presentation and Immunohistochemical Analysis

J Craniofac Surg. 2017 Mar;28(2):e158-e160. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000003348.

Abstract

Spindle cell lipoma (SCL) and pleomorphic lipoma constitute a spectrum of lipomatous lesions with distinctive clinicopathological features. Multiple variants of SCL have been reported including fibrous, plexiform, vascular, pseudoangiomatous, low-fat/fat-free, and myxoid changes. This paper describes an unusual patient with a 1-cm submucosal nodular lesion excised from the buccal mucosa of a 55-year-old woman with classic histopathological and immunohistochemical features of "low-fat" plexiform SCL with prominent myxoid stroma, which initially suggested a soft-tissue myxomatous lesion other than SCL. The current lesion exhibited microscopically few adipocytes supported by network-like myxoid proliferations with retraction artifacts from the surrounding stromal connective tissue. Immunohistochemistry was positive for vimentin, CD34, CD10, and S100, the latter only on adipocytes. The Ki-67 was <1%. Pan-cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), desmin, alpha-SMA, EMA, bcl-2, p53, and remarkably retinoblastoma protein (pRb) were negative. "Low-fat" plexiform SCL bear no significant prognostic significance, but this lesion may challenge the diagnosis even experienced pathologists.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adipocytes / metabolism
  • Adipocytes / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Lipoma / diagnosis
  • Lipoma / metabolism*
  • Lipoma / pathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Mucosa / pathology
  • Mouth Mucosa / surgery
  • Mouth Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / surgery