Lobular capillary hemangioma. An immunohistochemical study including steroid hormone receptor status

Twenty-one lobular capillary hemangiomas (LCH), including lesions from six pregnant patients, were examined by immunohistochemical analysis. Antibodies to estrogen and progesterone receptor proteins were used to determine whether these steroid hormones play a direct role in LCH development and growth. All 21 LCHs were negative for both receptor proteins. Contrary to the association of LCH with pregnancy and oral contraceptive use, the absence of these steroid receptors strongly suggests that estrogen or progesterone are not directly involved in the formation of these lesions. All 21 LCHs were stained with Ulex europaeus lectin and with a panel of antibodies directed against cytokeratin, vimentin, Factor VIII, collagen Type IV, and muscle-specific actin. Endothelial cells in LCH, both in cellular proliferations with poorly formed lumens and in well-formed capillaries, were labeled by Factor VIII, Ulex europaeus lectin, and vimentin. A population of concentrically arranged, perivascular spindle-shaped cells was highlighted by positive staining for muscle-specific actin, collagen Type IV, and vimentin. The spindled cells were associated with both well-developed and immature vessels in all lesions. The appearance, immunophenotype, and location of these cells is consistent with a pericytic origin. Although the intimate association of both endothelial cells and pericytes suggests a reactive, as opposed to neoplastic, origin, other benign vascular tumors traditionally considered neoplastic have a similar bicellular composition. Accordingly, the findings neither support nor refute a neoplastic origin for LCH.