Chondroid Syringoma: Clinical, Pathological, and Immunohistochemical Study of 23 Cases / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chondroid syringoma is a rare benign tumor composed of epithelial and stromal elements. Studies of chondroid syringoma are lacking in Korea and controversy still exists regarding the stromal cell origins. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of chondroid syringoma in Korea. METHODS: We included 23 patients who were diagnosed with chondroid syringoma. RESULTS: There was a predilection for males (M F=2.3 1), and the mean patient age was 50.4+/-15.4 years (range 22~78 years), peaking in the forties. Of the 23 cases, 22 (95.7%) had it on the head and neck. There were 21 apocrine type cases and 2 eccrine type cases. Apocrine type cases showed decapitation secretion as well as follicular and sebaceous differentiations. Myxohyaline matrix was present in all cases, and in some cases, chondroid, lipomatous, and osseous metaplasias were also observed. In apocrine type cases, inner cell layers displaying tubuloglandular structures expressed cytokeratin, carcino-embryonic antigen, and epithelial membrane antigen, while outer cell layers expressed vimentin, S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase, and smooth muscle actin. Stromal cell immunophenotypes were similar to those of the outer layer. CONCLUSION: Chondroid syringoma was most commonly observed on the head and neck in middle-aged males. The apocrine type was far more common than the eccrine type and showed various differentiating characteristics. The matrix may contain myxohyaline stroma with alterations, including chondroid, lipomatous, and osseous metaplasias. Our immunohistochemical study suggests that myoepithelial cells play an important role in the histogenesis of chondroid syringoma and matrix production.