Multinucleated giant stromal tumor of the omentum: report of a case with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural investigation.

ABSTRACT

Multinucleated giant stromal cells (MGSC) have been described in a variety of lesions of various anatomical sites. They are generally believed to be derived from fibroblasts or myofibroblasts. Their size and bizarre appearance may lead to an erroneous interpretation of infiltrating malignant cells, but they are regarded as reactive in nature. MGSC also seem to participate in a neoplastic process and form a part of tumors called giant cell fibroblastomas (GCF). In GCF, multinucleated giant cells are sparsely scattered throughout the tumor, which is composed of loosely arranged spindle cells. Thus far, no tumor composed of MGSC entirely, to the best of the authors' knowledge, has been reported. This study involved an 80-year-old female with an omental tumor, which is believed to represent the first case of tumor of MGSC. The patient developed abdominal pain; a large abdominal tumor measuring 18 x 15 x 5 cm by computerized tomography was found located between the left lobe of the liver, the transverse colon, and the greater curvature of the stomach. Although the tumor was adherent to the above organs and infiltrating the omentum, it was resectable. Grossly, the tumor was highly vascular and the surface was shaggy with no recognizable capsule. The cut surfaces were red to tan with frequent cystic spaces containing bloody material. Microscopically, the tumor cells were large and multinucleated (2-6 nuclei) with prominent nucleoli. The cytoplasm was abundant and stained amphophilic. These tumor cells formed moderately cellular sheets filling the spaces between the varying sized vessels. There was prominent vascularity throughout the tumor. DNA study by image analysis revealed aneuploidy peaks. On immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells were strongly positive for vimentin, moderately positive for actin along the periphery of the cytoplasm, and negative for cytokeratin, EMA, myoglobin, S-100, CEA, Factor XIIIa, HMB-45, and HAM56 and KP-1. Ultrastructurally, the cytoplasm contained rich profiles of RER with scattered lysosomes. The cell borders were slightly irregular with occasional subplasmalemmal densities facing loosely arranged collagenous stroma. The light microscopic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic features of tumor cells were remarkably similar to MGSC. The tumor size and gross appearance suggested a malignancy, but it was a diploid tumor and the patient remains disease free 5 years after a complete resection.