Primary monophasic synovial sarcoma of the tonsil: immunohistochemical and molecular study of a case and review of the literature

Head Neck Pathol. 2013 Dec;7(4):400-3. doi: 10.1007/s12105-013-0440-5. Epub 2013 Apr 7.

Abstract

Synovial sarcoma (SS) arises primarily in the lower extremities with a predilection for sites in proximity to large joints, such as the knee. It rarely occurs in the head and neck region, and the tonsil is an unusual site for the tumor, with only eight previously published cases in this anatomical site. We present a case of a primary monophasic SS arising in the right tonsil in a 63-year-old male. His medical history was noncontributory. Immunohistochemistry showed that cytokeratin OSCAR, EMA, Bcl-2, vimentin, PGP 9.5, and TLE1 were diffusely positive. A molecular analysis using RT-PCR indicated that the patient was positive for the SYT/SSX1 fusion transcript. A diagnosis of monophasic synovial sarcoma of the tonsil was made.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / genetics*
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Sarcoma, Synovial / genetics*
  • Sarcoma, Synovial / metabolism*
  • Sarcoma, Synovial / pathology
  • Tonsillar Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Tonsillar Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Tonsillar Neoplasms / pathology

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • SYT-SSX fusion protein