Immunohistochemical investigation of neurogenic tumors in the oral cavity

We experienced 5 cases of neurogenic tumors and 1 case of granular cell tumor in the 10-ear period from 1982 to 1991. It is well known that neurofibroma and neurilemmoma are neurogenic tumors. On the other hand, granular cell tumors were first described as ‘granular cell myoblastoma ’ by Abrikossoff in 1926. Recently, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical evidences in favor of a Schwann cell origin have been published. In this study, four neurilemmomas, one neurofibroma, and one granular cell tumor were examined with antisera directed against S-100 protein, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and vimentin.All of these tumors stained with antisera for S-100 protein and vimentin. NSE was absent from all of the tumors except for one case of neurilemmoma and the granular cell tumor. The immunohistochemical reaction pattern was heterogeneous, as follows;1. In the neurilemmomas, almost all tumor cells had a diffuse immunoreaction product indicating S-100 protein and vimentin in their cytoplasm and nuclei.2. In the neurofibroma, the staining pattern of S-100 protein and vimentin was similar to that of neurilemmoma: however, there were also a large number of S-100 protein-negative, spindle-shaped cells.3. In the granular cell tumor, cytoplasmic granules showed S-100 protein and NSE localization, and the peripheral cytoplasm showed the presence of vimentin. This staining pattern appears to be a characteristic feature of the granular cell tumor.

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