alcian-blue and Skin-Neoplasms

Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Alcian Blue; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Coloring Agents; Diagnosis, Differential; Eyelid Neoplasms; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; S100 Proteins; Skin Neoplasms; Staining and Labeling

Despite its occasional unavailability, alcian blue has long been the stain of choice for the pathognomonic mucin-secreting cells of extramammary Paget's disease. Zirconyl hematoxylin is a recently developed substitute for alcian blue, which is made from common laboratory materials.. We have stained sections from three different areas of the same case of extramammary Paget's disease with zirconyl hematoxylin, destained in 7% HCl in ethanol, restained with alcian blue at pH 2.5, destained in 2.5% trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane, and restained with zirconyl hematoxylin.. Each staining procedure stained the same cells.. Zirconyl hematoxylin is a useful alternative to alcian blue in the diagnosis of extramammary Paget's disease.

Topics: Aged; Alcian Blue; Hematoxylin; Humans; Male; Mucins; Paget Disease, Extramammary; Skin Neoplasms; Staining and Labeling; Zirconium

Epidermotropic lymphocytes in mycosis fungoides typically reside in clear lacunae. The material forming this space is unknown. Thirty specimens from 30 patients with mycosis fungoides were stained with alcian blue, modified Mowry's colloidal iron and mucicarmine to determine if some form of mucin could be identified. Using these stains, no form of mucin was noted in the lacunae surrounding the epidermotropic lymphocytes of mycosis fungoides. The cause of the clear spaces around epidermotropic lymphocytes in mycosis fungoides remains unexplained, but is unlikely to represent mucin deposition.

Topics: Alcian Blue; Coloring Agents; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Mucins; Mycosis Fungoides; Skin Neoplasms; T-Lymphocytes

Substantial myxoid change can occur in malignant melanoma, but its importance in primary disease has not been systematically evaluated. This report describes the clinical, microscopic, histochemical, and immunohistochemical findings in 12 patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma with myxoid features. The tumors presented as solitary lesions situated on the limbs (six lesions), trunk (four lesions), and head and neck (two lesions). The patients included six women and six men, whose ages ranged from 26 to 95 years, with a mean of 63 years. Breslow thickness varied from 0.48 mm to more than 12 mm, with a mean of more than 3.2 mm. Clinical follow-up for an average of 22 months showed one local recurrence, but no evidence of metastases yet. In all cases, there was a combination of myxoid and nonmyxoid areas. A minimum of 15% myxoid cross-sectional area was required for inclusion in the study, and up to 80% was observed. The pale blue mucin identified on hematoxylin and eosin staining was sensitive to hyaluronidase and positive for alcian blue in the 10 cases stained. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for S-100 in all 9 cases stained, positive for HMB-45 in 9 (90%) of 10, and negative for cytokeratin in all 9 cases in which myxoid melanoma remained in the block after previous sections. The presence of myxoid stroma did not define a biologically significant subgroup of melanoma. Only in cases with extensive (>50%) myxoid stromal effacement of the melanoma was there a major diagnostic hurdle. The diagnosis of primary cutaneous melanoma with myxoid features was seldom as problematic as metastatic myxoid melanoma. Positive S-100 stains, negative cytokeratin immunohistochemical stains, and hyaluronidase-sensitive alcian blue staining assisted in the diagnosis of this entity.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcian Blue; Antigens; Antigens, Neoplasm; Antigens, Surface; Biomarkers, Tumor; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lectins, C-Type; Male; Melanoma; Melanoma-Specific Antigens; Middle Aged; Mucins; Myxoma; Neoplasm Proteins; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily B; Proteins; S100 Proteins; Skin Neoplasms; Staining and Labeling

Microscopic evaluation of the margins of excised cutaneous neoplasms is of paramount importance for determining that neoplastic tissue does not extend to the excision borders. Dyes or pigments that indelibly mark the tissue should be more reliable than sectioning techniques or suture markers for identifying the surgical margins before and after tissue processing. We evaluated 5 pigments to select a material that could be rapidly applied by surgeons, and readily identified on histologic section by the pathologists. Twenty normal canine skin specimens were assigned to each of 5 groups. Each group was treated with artists' pigments in acetone, India ink in acetone, alcian blue, typists' correction fluid, or a commercially available marking kit. Ten specimens within each group were marked before formalin fixation, and 10 were marked after fixation. Application properties, fixation and processing properties, and microscopic characteristics were evaluated for each material. Application properties were acceptable for all marking materials on unfixed specimens, and for alcian blue, India ink in acetone, and correction fluid on fixed specimens. Fixation and processing properties were acceptable for all materials except correction fluid. All marking materials survived fixation and processing, and colors were readily visualized under the microscope. Microscopic characteristics were acceptable for alcian blue, India ink in acetone, and the commercial kit. Overall, alcian blue was the best marking material, with India ink in acetone and the commercial kit also acceptable. Correction fluid and artist' pigments in acetone were not acceptable because pigment fragmentation and incomplete tissue coverage hindered microscopic evaluation of resection margins.

Topics: Alcian Blue; Animals; Carbon; Coloring Agents; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Histological Techniques; Skin; Skin Neoplasms; Staining and Labeling

Histochemical and routine light microscopic studies were performed in nodular skin lesions excised from one patient with juvenile hyaline fibromatosis. The lesions had different times of evolution. Recent lesions showed a high density of fibroblastlike cells embedded in an amorphous matrix of glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, and small amounts of chondroitin sulfates A and C and of dermatan sulfate. The progressive enlargement of the lesions was due to an increase in the amount of intercellular matrix produced by the cells that progressively displayed a pattern of peripheral stratification. In the older lesions, the matrix was mainly composed by chondroitin sulfates A and C. We suggest that juvenile hyaline fibromatosis represents a disease of the connective tissue with progressive abnormal differentiation to chondroid tissue.

Topics: Alcian Blue; Child, Preschool; Extracellular Matrix; Fibroma; Glycosaminoglycans; Humans; Hyalin; Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; Skin Neoplasms

The cytoplasmic mucin in the Paget cells of extramammary Paget's disease was examined with a battery of histochemical techniques. The staining methods used were alcian blue, azure A and periodic acid-Schiff. In a further attempt to identify various polyanions, staining was carried out with alcian blue containing various concentrations of electrolyte. Methylation, saponification, borohydride reduction, acid hydrolysis, and digestion with diastase, sialidase, chondroitinase ABC, or nucleases were also employed. The results obtained suggest that the cytoplasmic mucin in the Paget cells is sialomucin without side-chain substituent.

Topics: Alcian Blue; Cytoplasm; Epidermis; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Mucins; Paget Disease, Extramammary; Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; Sialomucins; Skin Neoplasms