Squamous differentiation and cytokeratin expression in an osteosarcoma: a case report and review of the literature

Clin Med Pathol. 2008:1:55-9. doi: 10.4137/cpath.s582. Epub 2008 Mar 18.

Abstract

Cytokeratin expression has been documented in a variety of sarcomas including synovial sarcomas, epithelioid sarcomas, Ewing's sarcomas and, rarely, osteosarcomas. In osteosarcomas immunohistochemically shown to expression cytokeratins, a component of epithelioid cells is generally present. These epithelioid cytokeratin positive cells raise the possibility of metastatic disease with prognostic and therapeutic implications differing from primary osteosarcoma. The cytokeratin-expressing cells of the cases reported in the literature have not shown definitive squamous differentiation with keratin pearl formation. We report a case of osteosarcoma in which islands of malignant squamous cells were present showing keratin pearl formation and expression of cytokeratins.

Keywords: cytokeratin; osteosarcoma; squamous differentiation.