Sclerotic fibroma-like dermatofibroma: an uncommon distinctive variant of dermatofibroma
M.C. González-Vela1, J.F. Val-Bernal1, M. Martino1, M.A. González-López2, E. García-Alberdi1 and S. Hermana1
1Department of Anatomical Pathology and 2Service of Dermatology Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Medical Faculty, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Offprint requests to: J. Fernando Val-Bernal, MD, PhD, Departamento de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Avda. Valdecilla 1, Santander, Spain. e-mail address: apavbj@humv.es
Summary. Dermatofibroma (DF) is a common benign cutaneous tumor with many variants based on alterations in the morphology and composition of its diverse elements. One very infrequent type is sclerotic fibroma-like DF (SF-DF). We report 7 new cases of SF-DF. In addition, their main clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features were compared with 14 unselected common DFs and with 3 sclerotic fibromas (SFs).
Microscopically, the 7 cases of SF-DFs showed an unencapsulated, well-circumscribed, hypocellular central nodule with thick collagen bundles arranged in a storiform pattern with prominent clefts. The overlying epidermis was attenuated. The periphery of this nodule was more cellular with histopathologic features of common DF. The 7 SF-DFs patients were 4 women and 3 men with a mean (±SD) age of 44.8 (±15.5) years. These 7 patients were younger than those suffering from SFs [71.0 (±17.3) years; (p=0.04)] and older than those presenting common DFs [30.5 (±12.3) years; (p=0.03)]. Immunohistochemically, spindle cells in all 7 SF-DFs were negative for CD34 and CD99. On the contrary, the 3 cases of SF were positive for CD34 and CD99. All of the common DFs were negative for CD34 and only 4 (28.6%) of them were positive for CD99. In conclusion, SF-DF is an uncommon variant of DF with similar clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features. SF-DF shares certain histopathologic features with SF but they are immunophenotypically different. Therefore, both entities should be differentiated. Histol Histopathol 20, 801-806 (2005)
Key words: Sclerotic fibroma-like dermatofibroma, Common dermatofibroma, Sclerotic fibroma, Immunohistochemistry, Circumscribed storiform collagenoma
DOI: 10.14670/HH-20.801