Journal Information
Vol. 108. Issue 2.
Pages 174-175 (March 2017)
Vol. 108. Issue 2.
Pages 174-175 (March 2017)
Letter to the Editor
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Comment on “Distant Cutaneous Metastases of Prostate Cancer: A Report of 2 Cases”
Comentario a «Metástasis cutáneas a distancia de cáncer de próstata: 2 casos»
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J. Santos-Juanesa,
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jorgesantosjuanes@gmail.com

Corresponding author.
, I. Fernández-Vegab, B. Vivancob
a Servicio de Dermatología II, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
b Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
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To the Editor:

We read with interest the article entitled “Distant cutaneous metastases of prostate cancer: a report of 2 cases”1 in which an exhaustive immunohistochemical study left no doubt about the diagnosis. These cases remind us of usefulness of avian erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog (ERG) in the cutaneous diagnosis of prostate cancer metastasis.

ERG is a member of the erythroblast transformation-specific family of transcription factors. It is expressed in normal and neoplastic endothelial cells of blood and lymph vessels and is a highly specific marker of vascular endothelium. ERG is very useful in the diagnosis of angiosarcomas, hemangioendotheliomas, and Kaposi's sarcoma. However, it is also positive in the following cell types: 1) neoplastic epithelial cells of 50% of primary and metastatic prostate carcinomas (Figure 1), but not in normal prostate tissue; 2) immature myeloid cells in bone marrow; 3) chronic myeloid leukemia cells; and 4) Ewing sarcoma cells.2 The fact that it is positive in prostate carcinoma but negative in almost all other carcinomas makes ERG a very valuable in immunohistochemical panels used to investigate cutaneous metastases of unknown origin.3

Figure 1.

Subcutaneous nodule in right paravertebral back (ERG×200, nuclear staining).

(0.21MB).
References
[1]
R. Rodríguez-Lojo, I. Castiñeiras, J.L. Rey-Sanjurjo, M.L. Fernández-Díaz.
Metástasis cutáneas a distancia de cáncer de próstata: 2 casos.
Actas Dermosifiliogr, 107 (2016), pp. e52-e56
[2]
M. Miettinen, Z.F. Wang, A. Paetau, S.H. Tan, A. Dobi, S. Srivastava, et al.
ERG transcription factor as an immunohistochemical marker for vascular endothelial tumors and prostatic carcinoma.
Am J Surg Pathol, 35 (2011), pp. 432-441
[3]
L. Fuertes, C. Santonja, H. Kutzner, L. Requena.
Inmunohistoquímica en dermatopatología: revisión de los anticuerpos utilizados con mayor frecuencia (parte I).
Actas Dermosifiliogr, 104 (2013), pp. 99-127

Please cite this article as: Santos-Juanes J, Fernández-Vega I, Vivanco B. Comentario a «Metástasis cutáneas a distancia de cáncer de próstata: 2 casos». Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2017;108:174–175.

Copyright © 2016. Elsevier España, S.L.U. and AEDV
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