Abstract
Purpose::
To use specific immunohistochemical markers to characterize various vascular malformations and benign vascular neoplasms of the ocular adnexa. Although these lesions typically have distinct clinical and morphologic features, at times there is overlap. It has been proposed that these lesions are not distinct clinical entities but rather a part of a continuum. Our purpose is to use recently discovered lymphatic endothelium specific antibodies LYVE-1, D2-40 and podoplanin as well as general vascular endothelial markers to develop an immunohistochemical profile that may be useful in understanding the nature and classification of these vascular lesions.
Methods::
Vascular lesions that have been archived in the F. C. Blodi Ocular Pathology laboratory between the years 1996 to 2006 with the histopathologic diagnoses of cavernous hemangioma (n=19), capillary hemangioma (n=16), orbital varix (n=8), pyogenic granuloma (n=14) and lymphangioma (n=18) were used in this study. Immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed, deparaffinized tissues using the avidin-biotin complex peroxidase method. The antibodies used in this study include the lymphatic endothelial specific antibodies LYVE-1(lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor), D2-40 and podoplanin and the panendothelial vascular markers UEA-1 (Ulex Europaeus Agglutinin I), CD31and CD34.
Results::
The results show that both cavernous hemangioma and orbital varices demonstrated consistently negative expression of D2-40 and LYVE-1, but had variable expression of podoplanin. Cavernous hemangioma showed consistent positive expression of all the panendothelial vascular markers while orbital varices had some variable expression of CD34. Capillary hemangioma had negative expression of all lymphatic markers and showed positive expression of all panendothelial vascular markers. Lymphangiomas demonstrated positive expression of D2-40, variable expression of podoplanin and negative expression of LYVE-1, but consistently positive expression for CD34, CD31 and UEA-1.
Conclusions::
These immunohistochemical profiles are consistent with the histologic and morphologic differences found between blood vessel versus lymphatic vessel lesions suggesting that these lesions are actually distinct clinical entities with unique origins.
Keywords: immunohistochemistry • orbit • tumors