Mastocytosis in children: clinicopathological study based on 35 cases
A E Kiszewski1, A Alvarez-Mendoza, V A Ríos-Barrera
1Section of Pediatric Dermatology, Santo Antônio Children Hospital (ISCMPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil. kiszewski@yahoo.com.br
Histology and Histopathology
|March 3, 2007
Summary
Immunohistochemistry with c-kit aids cutaneous mastocytosis (CM) diagnosis, especially in macular cases with few mast cells. This method confirms CM in cases where Giemsa staining is inconclusive.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Histopathology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Immunohistochemical staining is established for diagnosing bone marrow involvement in systemic mastocytosis.
- Its utility in diagnosing cutaneous mastocytosis (CM) remains less clear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of antibody staining, specifically c-kit, in diagnosing pediatric cutaneous mastocytosis.
- To compare immunohistochemical staining with Giemsa staining in CM diagnosis, particularly in challenging cases.
Main Methods:
- Histological analysis of skin biopsies from 35 pediatric patients with CM, categorized into Urticaria Pigmentosa, Mastocytomas, and Diffuse Cutaneous Mastocytosis.
- Comparison of mast cell counts using Giemsa and c-kit immunohistochemical stains.
- Statistical analysis using intraclass correlation to assess concordance between staining methods.
Main Results:
- Immunohistochemistry with c-kit confirmed CM diagnosis in 9 cases initially deemed doubtful by Giemsa staining.
- A good correlation (0.7) was observed between Giemsa and c-kit staining when mast cell counts were high.
- No correlation was found between the two staining methods in cases with low mast cell counts.
Conclusions:
- C-kit immunohistochemistry can simplify CM diagnosis, particularly for macular lesions with sparse mast cells.
- Antibody staining offers a valuable tool for confirming CM when traditional methods yield ambiguous results.
