Summary
We report on a 47-year-old man with a granular cell tumour of the appendix, discovered incidentally during surgery for a rectal adenocarcinoma that had been irradiated preoperatively. A detailed immunocytochemical analysis revealed positivity for S-100 and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Electron microscopically, the cytoplasm of the tumour cells contained numerous pleomorphic lysosomes. In the appendix tissue adjacent to the tumour a neuroma and the histological features of radiation injury were present. Our findings suggest that this granular cell tumour may have originated from a pre-existing appendix neuroma which underwent granular degeneration, possibly as a result of radiation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anniko M, Arndt J, Norén G (1981) The human acoustic neurinoma in organ culture. II. Tissue changes after gamma irradiation. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 91:223–235
Armin A, Connelly EM, Rowden G (1983) An immunoperoxidase investigation of S-100 protein in granular cell myoblastomas: evidence for Schwann cell derivation. Am J Clin Pathol 79:37–44
Bedetti CD, Martinez AJ, Beckford NS, May M (1983) Granular cell tumor arising in myelinated peripheral nerves. Light and electron microscopy and immunoperoxidase study. Virchows Arch [A] 402:175–183
Berthrong M, Fajardo LF (1981) Radiation injury in surgical pathology. II. Alimentary tract. Am J Surg Pathol 5:153–178
Churg J, Work J (1959) Granular cell nodules of the gastrointestinal tract. Am J Pathol 35:692–693
Domen RE, Tang P, Harshman KV (1979) Granular cell myoblastoma of the esophagus after irradiation for carcinoma. South Med J 72:1207–1209
Enzinger FM, Weiss SW (1983) In: Samuel E, Harsberger (ed) Soft tissue tumors, 1st edn. Mosby, St. Louis
Enzinger FM, Weiss SW (1988) In: George Stamathis (ed) Soft tissue tumors, 2nd edn. Mosby, St. Louis
Fisher ER, Wechsler H (1962) Granular cell myoblastoma — a misnomer. Cancer 15:936–954
Fried KS, Arden JL, Gouge TH, Balthazar EJ (1984) Multifocal granular cell tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. Am J Gastroenterol 79:751–755
Hajdu SI (1979) Pathology of soft tissue tumors. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia
Hausman R (1963) Granular cells in musculature of the appendix. Arch Pathol 75:32–44
Johnston J, Helwig EB (1981) Granular cell tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and perianal region. A study of 74 cases. Dig Dis Sci 26:807–816
Jones DB (1957) Nephrotic glomerulonephritis. Am J Pathol 33:313–330
Lack EE, Worsham GF, Callihan MD, Crawford BE, Klappenbach S, Rowden G, Chun B (1980) Granular cell tumor: a clinicopathologic study of 110 patients. J Surg Oncol 13:301–316
Lloyd RV, Warner TF (1984) Immunohistochemistry of neuronspecific enolase. In: DeLellis RA (ed) Advances in immunohistochemistry — Masson monographs in diagnostic pathology. Year Book Medical, Chicago
Masson P (1930) Contribution to the study of the sympathetic nerves of the appendix. The musculonervous complex of the submucosa. Am J Pathol 6:217–233
McSwain GR, Colpitts R, Kreutner A, O'Brien PH, Spicer S (1980) Granular cell myoblastoma. Surg Gynecol Obstet 150:703–710
Michalany J, Galindo W (1973) Classification of neuromas of the appendix. Beitr Pathol 150:213–228
Miettinen M, Lehtonen E, Lehtola H, Ekblom P, Lehto VP, Virtanen I (1984) Histogenesis of granular cell tumouran immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study. J Pathol 142:221–229
Mukai M (1983) Immunohistochemical localization of S-100 protein and peripheral nerve myelin proteins (P2 protein, PO protein) in granular cell tumors. Am J Pathol 112:139–146
Muller J (1836) Jahresbericht über die Fortschritte der anatomisch physiologischen Wissenschaften im Jahre 1835. 4. Pathologische Anatomie. Arch Anat Physiol Med 3:175
Nakazato Y, Ishizeki J, Takahashi K, Yamaguchi H (1982) Immunohistochemical localization of S-100 protein in granular cell myoblastoma. Cancer 49:1624–1628
Pour P, Althoff J, Cardesa A (1973) Granular cells in tumors and in nontumorous tissue. Arch Pathol 95:135–138
Rode J, Dhillon AP, Papadaki L (1982) Immunohistochemical staining of granular cell tumour for neurone specific enolase: evidence in support of a neural origin. Diagn Histopathol 5:205–211
Rosai J (1989) In: George Stamathis (ed) Ackerman's surgical pathology, 7th edn. Mosby, St. Louis
Sarma DP, Simmons GT, Rodriguez FH, Weilbaecher TG, Love GL (1984) Granular cell tumor of the appendix. J Surg Oncol 27:219–221
Sobel HJ, Churg J (1964) Granular cells and granular cell lesions. Arch Pathol 77:46–55
Sobel HJ, Marquet E, Schwarz R (1971) Granular degeneration of appendiceal smooth muscle. Arch Pathol 92:427–432
Sobel HJ, Schwarz R, Marquet E (1973) Light- and electron-microscope study of the origin of granular-cell myoblastoma. J Pathol 109:101–111
Spurr AR (1969) A low viscosity epoxy-resin embedding medium for electron microscopy. J Ultrastruct Res 26:31–43
Stanley MW, Cherwitz D, Hagen K, Snover DC (1986) Neuromas of the appendix. A light-microscopic, immunohistochemical and electron-microscopic study of 20 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 10:801–815
Sternberger LA, Hardy PH, Cuculus JJ, Meyer HG (1970) The unlabeled antibody enzyme method of immunohistochemistry: preparation and properties of soluble antigen-antibody complex (horseradish peroxidase anti-horseradish peroxidase) and its use in the identification of spirochetes. J Histochem Cytochem 18:315–333
Stout AP, Lattes R (1980) Tumors of the soft tissues. In: Harlan I, Firminger (ed) Atlas of tumor pathology. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pipeleers-Marichal, M., Goossens, A., De Waele, B. et al. Granular cell tumour of the appendix in a patient irradiated for a rectal carcinoma. Vichows Archiv A Pathol Anat 417, 177–180 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190537
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190537