Sclerosing haemangioma of the lung. A histochemical, electron microscopical, tissue culture and time‐lapse cinematographic study

Abstract

A case of pulmonary sclerosing haemangioma was studied by electron microscopy, tissue culture, time-lapse cinematography and enzyme histochemistry. The cells bordering the spaces and forming solid sheets showed abundant surface microvilli, desmosomes and osmiophilic inclusions some of which had a lamellar structure. No Weibel-Palade bodies were found. The cells showed a negative reaction to ATP-ase and stained focally for alkaline phosphatase. Normal cells inside the tumour showed positive reactions for both enzymes. In tissue culture, both conventional studies and time-lapse cinematography showed a rather characteristic behaviour unrelated to that previously described in other neoplasms or in cultures of normal lung. The findings contradict the view that pulmonary sclerosing haemangiomas are proliferations of immature respiratory epithelial cells.

Sclerosing Hemangioma of the Lung

“…6,14Y16 Although the surface cells stain strongly positive for cytokeratins AE1/AE3, the round cells are negative. 18,19 In addition, the cytoplasm is packed with rough endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. 6 Surface cells (but not round cells) stain for surfactant proteins A and B, which also stain the giant lamellar bodies.…”

“…6 Surface cells (but not round cells) stain for surfactant proteins A and B, which also stain the giant lamellar bodies. 5,18 Adjacent tumor cells are connected by desmosome-type junctions. 6 In some cases, the round cells stain positive for progesterone receptor but only rarely for estrogen receptor.…”

“…6,14,15 Round cells also stain positive for vimentin and surface cells stain positive for carcinoembryonic antigen. 6,18,9 Some observers have interpreted the granules within round cells as different stages of maturation of lamellar bodies. This immunohistochemical profile is consistent with a primitive respiratory epithelial cell origin.…”

Sclerosing hemangioma of the lung. Immunohistochemical demonstration of mesenchymal origin using antibodies to tissue-specific intermediate filaments

“…Different methods have been applied in the past to approach this problem including electron microscopy,1~.12.14-~7 h i s t o~h e m i s t r y ,~~~~ immunocytochemisinstances, contradictory results have been obtained by different investigators even when the same method of study was employed. Electron microscopic examination for example has yielded conflicting interpretations with opinions divided between those who favor an epithelial origin12, 15,17,19,20 may thus allow the positive identification of the specific line of differentiation along these broad categories expressed by the tissues examined.…”