CHONDROID LIPOMA, A TUMOR OF WHITE FAT-CELLS - A BRIEF REPORT OF 2 CASES WITH ULTRASTRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Chondroid lipoma is a recently described variant of lipoma with unusua l morphologic features, Although classified as a fatty neoplasm, its p henotype is uncertain because it has not been determined whether carti lage is a real component or only simulated by light microscopy and whe ther the adipocytes demonstrate white or brown fat differentiation, is sues that can be resolved only by electron microscopy. We present two cases of chondroid lipoma that ultrastructurally showed abundant intra cytoplasmic lipid and glycogen and numerous pinocytotic vesicles, char acteristic of white adipocytes. These findings support the conclusion that these tumors are composed solely of fat without true cartilage di fferentiation.