ALK-positive Histiocytosis of the Breast: A Clinicopathologic Study Highlighting Spindle Cell Histology

Originally described as a systemic self-limiting disease in infancy, the spectrum of ALK-positive histiocytosis has recently been broadened to include localized diseases in older children and young adults. Despite different manifestations, these tumors share histologic characteristics and a highly recurrent KIF5B-ALK fusion. ALK-positive histiocytosis is poorly characterized in the breast. In this study, we report 3 cases of ALK-positive histiocytosis of the breast. The patients were Asian women, aged 16 to 45 years. Two patients presented with an isolated breast mass, while 1 exhibited multiorgan involvement. The latter patient received ALK inhibitor after surgery, which led to complete remission. Histologically, well-circumscribed tumors displayed fascicular and storiform growth of uniform, nonatypical spindle cells admixed with lymphocytic infiltrates. Fewer conventional epithelioid histiocytes with lobulated or clefted nuclei were observed within the same breast tumors in 2 cases or within a concomitant brain tumor in the third case. Touton-type giant cells were focally present in 2 cases. Immunohistochemically, tumor spindle, and epithelioid cells were diffusely positive for CD163 and ALK in all cases and focally positive for S100 protein in 1 of the cases. CD1a and langerin were negative. Actin-positive myofibroblasts were admixed within the tumor in 2 cases, and their reactive nature was highlighted using double immunostaining. Break-apart fluorescence in situ hybridization assay demonstrated gene rearrangements involving KIF5B and ALK in all the 3 cases. ALK-positive histiocytosis rarely occurs as a spindle cell breast tumor, and should be distinguished from other diseases such as inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors and spindled histiocytic reaction.