Acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma: Pathological study of three cases in Ecuador

Abstract

Adenoid squamous cell carcinoma is an uncommon histopathological variant of squamous cell carcinoma characterized by acantholysis of tumor cells creating pseudolumina and the appearance of glandular differentiation. It is also known as pseudoglandular, pseudoangiosarcomatous, adenoid, epithelioma dyskeratoticum, or adenoacanthoma. In this article, we describe and analyze three cases of acantholytic cell carcinoma. The purpose is to verify if the data of our cases can be validated with scientific information. All our cases presented lesions in the face, and in one of them the developed tumor on the skin showed actinic keratosis. The other two tumors were located in the right side of the face, and both were big: the bigger tumor was approximately 8 × 4 cm and the other one with a size of 6 × 2.5 cm. Due to the size and location, they were both send to the oncologist for treatment. One of our cases showed metatypical carcinomas accompanied by acantholytic variant of squamous cell carcinoma. None of our cases presented metastasis. The histopathological finding were keratinized squamous tumor cell type, adenoid structures with round spaces with a defined wall of at least one-cell width, and spaces with isolated or group of dyskeratotic cells.