Granulocytic sarcoma (leukaemia cutis) in association with basal cell carcinoma

Leukemia cutis in association with cutaneous epidermal malignancies

BACKGROUND

Epidermal malignancies developing in association with hematolymphoid malignancies are exceptional. Only one prior case of myeloid leukemia cutis with a cutaneous epidermal malignancy has been reported.

METHODS

We report two cases; one occurred in association with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and another with basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

RESULTS

Both patients were 83-year-old males without established histories of systemic hematopoietic disorders; one presented with an erythematous papule on the right upper back and the other with a nodule on the left wrist. One biopsy revealed nodular BCC with an associated perivascular myeloid leukemic infiltrate showing immunohistochemical positivity for CD43 and CD45. The other biopsy showed SCC associated with a leukemic infiltrate in sheets with myeloid blasts, eosinophilic myelocytes and maturing myeloid precursors. The myeloid cells showed immunohistochemical expression of CD43, CD68, CD33, CD117 and myeloperoxidase. Both patients had myeloblasts on peripheral blood smear. One patient declined further treatment and died of disease 5 weeks after the initial biopsy. The other patient underwent chemotherapy and is alive after 6 months.

CONCLUSION

Although most inflammatory infiltrates associated with cutaneous epidermal malignancies are reactive, careful examination is necessary to exclude systemic hematopoietic disease, especially in elderly patients.

Cytophagic and S-100 protein immunoreactive myeloid leukemia cutis

Myeloid leukemia cutis (LC) is the cutaneous involvement by neoplastic leukocytes of the myeloid series. Myeloid LC may occur de novo or concurrently with acute myeloid leukemias, chronic myeloid leukemias, other myeloproliferative disorders or myelodysplastic syndromes. We describe an unusual case of cytophagic S-100 protein immunoreactive leukemia cutis presenting in an 87-year-old woman without prior history of myeloid leukemia or other hematologic disorders. We outline key histologic and immunohistochemical features that aide in the diagnosis of LC. The presence of cytophagocytosis on histologic examination, a phenomenon more commonly associated with lymphoid rather than myeloid malignancies, provided a clue to the possibility of a malignant process. The atypical myeloid infiltrate showed S-100 protein positivity, an unusual finding that may be seen in LC. Although not commonly reported in LC, the presence of S-100 protein positivity and cytophagocytosis should not lead to the premature exclusion of LC as a possible diagnosis until a thorough clinical, histologic and immunohistochemical evaluation is performed. In addition, the presence of cytophagocytosis has been shown to have prognostic significance for patients with myeloid leukemia.

Tumor invasion of the skin

This article discusses several solid organ and hematologic neoplasms that can metastasize to the skin. Special emphasis is placed on the most frequent solid and hematological malignancies that have cutaneous metastases, including breast cancer, melanoma, lung cancer, colon cancer, and leukemia. In addition, mammary and extramammary Paget's disease are further discussed as examples of direct extension of primary tumors to the skin.