DESMOGLEIN IN MULTIPLE SELF-HEALING SQUAMOUS EPITHELIOMA OF FERGUSON-SMITH - COMPARISON OF STAINING PATTERNS WITH ACTINIC KERATOACANTHOMA AND SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE SKIN

Background: Multiple self-healing squamous cell epithelioma of the ski n (MSSE) is the most common variant of multiple keratoacanthoma, Altho ugh the morphology of the lesions in MSSE is similar to classical acti nic keratoacanthoma (KA), several distinctive features in clinical pre sentation and histology have been emphasized. Desmosomes have been sho wn to he downregulated in certain types of carcinoma. Desmogleins (Dsg ) are transmembrane desmosomal glycoproteins that exist as three isofo rms, Dsg markers have been found to be reduced or absent in squamous c ell carcinoma (SCC) but preserved in KA, Objective: This study was des igned to determine the pattern of Dsg staining in MSSE, Methods: Eight tumors from two female patients with MSSE were stained with the anti- desmoglein monoclonal antibody 32-2B, which recognizes Dsg1 and Dsg3, Results: All eight tumors showed uniform pericellular Dsg staining thr oughout the nonkeratinized layers of the neoplastic epithelium. This p attern is entirely similar to that observed in actinic KA, normal epid ermis or follicular epithelium. Conclusion: Despite the differences, u niform preservation of Dsg seems to be the invariable feature of both MSSE and KA. Further studies are necessary to evaluate this antibody i n routine dermatopathology of MSSE and SCC.