Orbital Cavernous Haemangiomas: Immunohistochemical Study of Proliferative Capacity, Vascular Differentiation and Hormonal Receptor Status

• Published in: Orbit (Amsterdam) 2012-12, Vol.31 (6), p.386-389
• Main Authors: Gupta, Aanchal, Prabhakaran, Venkatesh C., Dodd, Tom, Davis, Garry, Selva, Dinesh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived - metabolism; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Cavernous haemangioma; Cell Differentiation; Cell Proliferation; Differentiation; Hemangioma, Cavernous - metabolism; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Orbital Neoplasms - metabolism; Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - metabolism; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen - metabolism; Proliferation; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Receptors, Progesterone - metabolism; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - metabolism
• ISSN: 0167-6830; 1744-5108
• DOI: 10.3109/01676830.2012.711887

Background/Aims: Immunohistochemical characterisation of orbital cavernous haemangiomas (CHs) with respect to proliferative capacity, hormone receptor status and vascular differentiation. Methods: Eleven cases of orbital CHs were reviewed. Immunohistochemical stains for Mib-1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Bcl-2, estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER & PR), CD31, D2-40, and VEGF were investigated in 11 specimens. Results: Immunohistochemical staining revealed positivity for PCNA in ten of the 11 cases (91%). Bcl-2 was positive in 8 cases (73%). VEGF and PR were each weakly positive in 3 cases. All cases were negative for Mib-1, ER and D2-40. The staining was localized around the endothelium. Conclusion: This is the first study to characterise in detail the immunohistochemical features of orbital CHs. The proliferative markers PCNA and Mib-1 show discordant expression in these lesions and the expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 in the absence of Mib-1 is indicative of low proliferative potential. Small subsets of these tumors express PR and VEGF, which may partly explain the proliferative capacity of some orbital CHs.