Intracerebral Metastasis of Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma: A case report and study on its histogenesis

Chu, Young Chae; Kim, Joon Mee; Kim, Young Bae; Hwang, Tae Sook

Abstract

We describe a case metastatic alveolar soft part sarcoma of the brain in a 20-year old man. Alveolar soft part sarcoma is slowly growing tumor which almost shows conspicuous vascular invasion and have a high incidence of blood-borne metastasis. The principal metastatic sites are the lungs, followed by the skeleton and brain. Cerebral metastases may be the first manifestation of the disease and are more common with alveolar soft part sarcoma than with any other type of soft tissue sarcoma. The light-and electron-microscopic and immunohistochemical findings are described. Periodic acid-Schiff-positive, diastase resistant, intracytoplasmic crystals, pathognomonic for alveolar soft part sarcoma, are present. The cells expressed immunoreactivity for vimentin, desmin, neuron-specific enolase, S-100 protein and renin. The results of our own immunohistochemical examinations is suggestive of myoendocrine origin.