Skip to main content
Log in

Immunohistochemical and electron microscopical characterization of stromal cells in nasopharyngeal angiofibromas

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Twenty-eight cases of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma were studied immunohistochemically for cytoskeletal phenotyping of stromal cells. Electron microscopy was also used to study the ultrastructure of five of the tumors. All typical stromal cells showed intensive immunostaining for vimentin, but were negative for smooth muscle actin and desmin. Ultrastructurally, most of these cells appeared to be exclusively fibroblasts. However, in some areas stromal cells were seen that morphologically resembled myofibroblasts by their shapes and arrangement, and were characterized by the coexpression of vimentin and smooth muscle actin. Electron microscopy confirmed their myofibroblastic nature. The present study showed that the typical stromal cells in nasopharyngeal angiofibromas were fibroblasts and not myofibroblasts. In these tumors myofibroblasts occurred only focally, in connection with fibrotic areas and exclusively as a vimentin+/actin+ cytoskeletal phenotype. This indicates that myofibroblasts are not primary stromal tumor cells in nasopharyngeal angiofibromas, but occur due to regressive changes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Beham A, Fletcher CDM, Kainz J, Schmid C, Humer U (1993) Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma: an immunohistochemical study of 32 cases. Virchows Arch A 423:281–285

    Google Scholar 

  2. Gabbiani G, Majno G (1972) Dupuytren's contracture: fibroblast contraction. Am J Pathol 66:131–146

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kapadia SB, Popek EJ, Barnes L (1994) Pediatric otorhinolaryngic pathology: diagnoses of selected lesions. Pathol Ann (Part 1) 29:159–209

    Google Scholar 

  4. Michaels L (1987) Ear, nose and throat histopathology. Springer, London Berlin Heidelberg, p 256

    Google Scholar 

  5. Schürch W, Seemayer TA, Lagace R, Gabbiani G (1984) The intermediate filament cytoskeleton of myofibroblasts: an immunofluorescence and ultrastructural study. Virchows Arch A 403:323–335

    Google Scholar 

  6. Schürch W, Seemayer TA, Gabbiani G (1992) Myofibroblast. In: Sternberg SS (ed) Histopathology for pathologists. Raven Press, New York, pp 118–137

    Google Scholar 

  7. Skalli O, Schürch W, Seemayer T, Lagace R, Montandon D, Pittet B, Gabbiani G (1989) Myofibroblasts from diverse pathological settings are heterogeneous in their content of actin isoforms and intermediate filament proteins. Lab Invest 60:275–285

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Stiller D, Küttner K (1988) Wachstumsmuster juveniler Nasenrachenfibrome. Eine histologische Analyse an Hand von 40 Fällen. Zentralbl Allg Pathol 134:409–422

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Stiller D, Katenkamp D, Küttner K (1976) Cellular differentiation and structural characteristics in nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. Virchows Arch A 371:273–282

    Google Scholar 

  10. Taxy JB (1977) Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. An ultrastructural study. Cancer 39:1044–1054

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beham, A., Kainz, J., Stammberger, H. et al. Immunohistochemical and electron microscopical characterization of stromal cells in nasopharyngeal angiofibromas. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 254, 196–199 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00879273

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00879273

Key words

Navigation