Carcinoma showing thymus-like elements (CASTLE) with amyloid deposition in the parotid gland

Pathol Int. 2024 Apr;74(4):227-233. doi: 10.1111/pin.13420. Epub 2024 Mar 15.

Abstract

Carcinoma showing thymus-like elements (CASTLE) is a rare tumor that commonly occurs in the thyroid gland. Extrathyroidal CASTLE is rarer, and only 11 cases of CASTLE of major salivary glands have been reported to date. We report the first case of amyloid deposition in parotid CASTLE. A 63-year-old man presented with a slowly growing mass in the left parotid region. Computed tomography revealed an approximately 28 × 23 mm mass lesion in the left parotid gland, and squamous cell carcinoma was suspected on biopsy. The patient underwent a parotidectomy with neck dissection. Morphologically, the tumor cells were squamoid and formed nests with lymphoid infiltration. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells exhibited immunoreactivity for CD5, CD117/c-kit and Bcl-2, p40, and CK5 but not for p16. We diagnosed the tumor as parotid CASTLE. Amyloid deposition was also observed in the primary tumor and metastatic lymph node lesions, which were immunoreactive for cytokeratin 5. Tumor cytokeratin-derived amyloid deposition may be one of characteristics of parotid CASTLE.

Keywords: CASTLE; PD‐L1; amyloid; carcinoma showing thymus‐like elements; parotid gland; squamous cell carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / pathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial*
  • Parotid Gland / pathology
  • Thymus Gland / pathology
  • Thymus Neoplasms*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms* / pathology

Supplementary concepts

  • Thymic epithelial tumor