Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma displaying cd34 positivity: a potential diagnostic pitfall; report of two pediatric cases

Abstract

Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare subtype of rhabdomyosarcoma mainly seen in children. Occasional aberrant staining with a variety of immunohistochemical markers has been noted. The aberrantly expressed markers include alpha-smooth muscle actin, cytokeratin, S100, neurofilaments, CD20, immunoglobins, and CD117. We report herein two pediatric cases displaying strong CD34 positivity and one with additional focal CD117 positivity, causing considerable difficulty in distinction from solitary fibrous tumor and extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumor. To our knowledge, CD34 staining has been merely reported in rhabdomyosarcoma. Spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma has to be considered in the differential diagnosis of childhood spindle cell tumors. Post-chemotherapy specimens should be evaluated in caution, since chemotherapy can cause considerable changes in tumor antigen expression. Since CD117 and CD34 are stem cell markers, their positivity in pediatric tumors should be interpreted with caution. Even if the morphology is not supportive, a wide immunohistochemical panel should be applied in childhood malignant solid tumors.