Hyalinizing spindle cell tumor with giant rosettes: report of a case showing remarkable myofibroblastic...

We examined the proliferative activity and the differentiation line of tumor cells in a case of "hyalinizing spindle cell tumor with giant rosettes" (HSCGR). A 6 cm tumor within the right deltoid muscle of a 58-year-old female was found by physical and radiographical examinations. A biopsy revealed the histological features of a spindle cell tumor with rosette-like structures. Wide excision was done under the diagnosis of HSCGR. The tumor presented as a gray-whitish, solid mass with focal pseudocystic degeneration. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were diffusely positive for vimentin and were also focally positive for S-100, but negative for desmin and alpha-smooth muscle actin. The cells stained positively for Ki-67 with even distribution, there being a correlation with the cellularity of the areas, with a labeling index ranging from 0.3 to 0.5%. In addition, flow cytometry revealed an almost normal diploid DNA pattern and 5.8% S-phase fraction, indicating low proliferative activity. Ultrastructurally, many tumor cells displayed discontinuous basal lamina, pinocytotic vesicles, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum, and microfilaments with focal dense bodies. The main component of the rosette was collagenous fibrils with normal diameter and normal periodic banding. We interpreted this case of HSCGR as a low grade fibrosarcoma with remarkable differentiation of myofibroblastic lineage, and with focally accumulated, morphologically normal collagenous fibrils.