Undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells of the pancreas diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound guided biopsy.

We present the case of a patient with obstructive jaundice and a mixed cystic and solid pancreatic mass, accompanied by multiple hepatic lesions. The histological study of the material obtained by endoscopic ultrasound guided biopsy demonstrated a proliferation of atypical epithelioid cells, accompanied by a spindle cell component with marked pleomorphism and numerous osteoclast-like giant cells. The epithelioid component showed positive immunostaining with cytokeratin cocktail and cytokeratin 7. The spindle cell component showed coexpression of cytokeratins and vimentin. The osteoclast-like giant cells were positive for CD68. Protein p53 was overexpressed in both epithelial and spindle cell neoplastic components, and was negative in the giant cells. These findings permitted the diagnosis of undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas with osteoclast-like giant cells. This case outlines the effectiveness of endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsy and the importance of morphological and immunohistochemical examination in the diagnosis of different types of pancreatic tumours, especially when they are in advanced stages and are not suitable for surgical treatment. PMID: 32863866 [PubMed]
Source: Ecancermedicalscience - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Ecancermedicalscience Source Type: research