Abstract
We present a hitherto unique case of haemangiopericytoma (HP) of the thyroid gland in a 15-year-old female patient suffering from Hashimoto’s disease for several months. Since angiogenesis has been discussed to play a major role in both diseases, we examined the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptors (VEGFRs) and platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFRs). Most interestingly, strong expression of PDGFR α and β was found in spindle-shaped tumour cells and tumour vessels in HP, while VEGF and VEGFR type I and -II were negative in these regions. In contrast, VEGF was expressed in the lymphoid infiltrate of Hashimoto’s disease. Since PDGFR-β is commonly expressed in pericytes, we suggest that the strong expression discovered in this study further supports the view that HP is derived from pericytes. The combination of HP and Hashimoto’s disease is most probably a coincidental event. However, this case confirms previous reports demonstrating that in patients with Hashimoto’s disease different neoplasias can occur.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abramsson A, Lindblom P, Betsholtz C (2003) Endothelial and nonendothelial sources of PDGF-B regulate pericyte recruitment and influence vascular pattern formation in tumors. J Clin Invest 112:1142–1151
Brandwein MS, Kapadia SB, Gnepp DR (2001) Nonsquamous pathology of the larynx, hypopharynx, and trachea. In: Gnepp DR (ed) Diagnostic surgical pathology of the head and neck. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 304–305
Cameselle-Teijero J, Lopes JM, Villanueva JP, Gil-Gil P, Sobrinho-Simoes M (2003) Lipomatous haemangiopericytoma (adipocytic variant of solitary fibrous tumour) of the thyroid. Histopathology 43:406–408
Cao R, Bråkenheim E, Li X, Pietras K, Widenfalk J, Östman A, Eriksson U, Cao Y (2002) Angiogenesis stimulated by PDGF-CC, a novel member in the PDGF family, involves activation of PDGFR-αα and -αβ receptors. FASEB J 16:1575–1583
Dietzmann K, von Bossanyi P, Warich-Kirches M, Kirches E, Synowitz HJ, Firsching R (1997) Immunohistochemical detection of vascular growth factors in angiomatous and atypical meningiomas, as well as hemangiopericytomas. Pathol Res Pract 193:503-510.
Dictor M, Elner A, Andersson T, Ferno M (1992) Myofibromatosis-like hemangiopericytoma metastasizing as differentiated vascular smooth-muscle and myosarcoma. Myopericytes as a subset of “myofibroblasts”. Am J Surg Pathol 16:1239–1247
El-Obeid A, Sunnuqrut N, Hussain A, Al-Hussein K, Gutierrez MI, Bhatia K (2004) Immature B cell malignancies synthesize VEGF, VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (KDR). Leuk Res 28:133–137
Fletcher DM, Unni K, Mertens F (eds) (2002) World Health Organization classification of tumours. Tumours of soft tissue and bone. IARC Press, Lyon
Foss HD, Araujo I, Demel G, Klotzbach H, Hummel M, Stein H (1997) Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in lymphomas and Castleman’s disease. J Pathol 183:44–50
Geisinger KR, Silverman JF, Cappellari JO, Dabbs DJ (1990) Fine-needle aspiration cytology of malignant hemangiopericytomas with ultrastructural and flow cytometric analyses. Arch Pathol Lab Med 114:705–710
Guyetant S, Wion-Barbot N, Rousselet MC, Franc B, Bigorgne JC, Saint-Andre JP (1994) C-cell hyperplasia associated with chronic thyroiditis: a retrospective quantitative study of 112 cases. Hum Pathol 25:514–521
Hatva E, Bohling T, Jaaskelainen J, Persico MG, Haltia M, Alitalo K (1996) Vascular growth factors and receptors in capillary hemangioblastomas and hemangiopericytomas.Am J Pathol 148:763-775
Hellström M, Kalén M, Lindahl P, Abramsson A, Betsholtz C (1999) Role of PDGF-B and PDGFR-β in recruitment of vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes during embryonic blood vessel formation in the mouse. Development 126:3047–3055
Iitaka M, Miura S, Yamanaka K, Kawasaki S, Kitahama S, Kawakami Y, Kakinuma S, Oosuga I, Wada S, Katayama S (1998) Increased serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels and intrathyroidal vascular area in patients with Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 83:3908–3912
Justrabo E, Michiels JF, Maire J, Jacquot JP, Levillain P (1989) Hémangiopéricytome de la gland thyroide. Ann Endocrinol 50:26–30
Kallenberg F, Anagnostaki L (1979) Hemangiopericytoma. Report of a case in the thyroid gland. Ugeskr Laeg 141:3530–3531
Konerding MA, Fait E, Gaumann A (2001) 3D microvascular architecture of pre-cancerous lesions and invasive carcinomas of the colon. Br J Cancer 18:1354–1362
Miettinen M, Sarlomo-Rikala M, Kovatich AJ (1998) Cell-type- and tumour-type-related patterns of bcl-2 reactivity in mesenchymal cells and soft tissue tumours. Virchows Arch 433:255–260
Nemes Z (1992) Differentiation markers in hemangiopericytoma. Cancer 69:133–140
Prokš (1961) Generalized hemangiopericytoma of the thyroid gland (report of a case). Neoplasma 8:219–224
Segal K, Ben-Bassat M, Avraham A, Har-El G, Sidi J (1985) Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Int Surg 70:205–209
Stout P, Murray M (1942) Hemangiopericytoma. A vascular tumor featuring Zimmerman’s pericytes. Ann Surg 116:26–33
Tano-Assini MT, Oliva Otero G, Gomez SC (1968) Hemangiopericytoma visceral. Pren Med Argent 55:997–1000
Tytor M, Olofsson J (1986) Thyroid tumors invading the larynx and trachea. J Otolaryngol 15:74–79
Unger P, Ewart M, Wang BY, Gan L, Kohtz DS, Burnstein DE (2003) Expression of p63 in papillary thyroid carcinoma and in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: a pathobiologic link? Hum Pathol 34:764–769
Weis SW, Goldblum JR (eds) (2001) Soft tissue tumors. Mosby, St. Louis
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hansen, T., Gaumann, A., Ghalibafian, M. et al. Haemangiopericytoma of the thyroid gland in combination with Hashimoto’s disease. Virchows Arch 445, 315–319 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-004-1066-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-004-1066-5