Granular cell tumour

Clinical features

Granular cell tumours are commonly found in the tongue and skin, but have also been reported in the breast, respiratory tract, biliary tree, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract⁴.

Histopathology

Cutaneous and oesophageal⁴ granular cell tumours may be overlain by squamous epithelium showing pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia.

Immunohistochemistry

S-100	positive (nuclear and cytoplasmic)2
NSE	positive2
vimentin	positive2
laminin	positive
myelin basic protein	some cases2
CD57 (Leu7)	some cases
CD68	positive2
calretinin	+1
neurofilament	negative
GFAP	negative
CD99	1/20 (positivity in the one case was limited to a few tumour cells)3
Melan-A	0/203
oestrogen receptor	0/203
progesterone receptor	0/203

Variant

Congenital granular cell tumour occurs in female newborn infants and is negative for S-100 and NSE².

Differential diagnosis

Granular cell change has been reported in ameloblastoma, dermatofibroma, leiomyoma, leiomyosarcoma, angiosarcoma, MFH and melanoma.

•  renal cell carcinoma with granular change

References

¹ Doglioni, C., Tos, A. P., Laurino, L., Iuzzolino, P., Chiarelli, C., Celio, M. R., Viale, G. Calretinin: a novel immunocytochemical marker for mesothelioma. Am J Surg Pathol 1996;20:1037-46.

² Diagnostic Immunohistochemistry edited by Professor D. J. Dabbs, page 74.

³ Zamecnik, M., Michal, M. and Mukensnabl, P. Reactivity of granular cell tumors for inhibin and other markers of sex cord and steroid cell differentiation. Am J Surg Pathol 2003;27:413-4.

This page last revised 24.3.2006.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop