[A pleomorphic lipoma of the palm--comparison to spindle cell lipoma]

A pleomorphic lipoma usually occurs in the neck, the shoulder, and/or on the backs of men over the age of 50. This tumor displays a mixture of fat cells, pleomorphic cells, floret cells, and bundles of mature collagen fiber. Herein we report on a pleomorphic lipoma that occurred on the palm of a 56-year-old woman. An immunohistochemical study, performed to compare the characteristics of a pleomorphic lipoma with those of a spindle cell lipoma, has suggested that the pleomorphic and floret cells of a pleomorphic lipoma are similar to the spindle cells of a spindle cell lipoma and not to fat cells. Our result seems to indicate that these two tumors are on the same spectrum and only the quantity of the pleomorphism keeps them distinct.