Desmoplastic spindle cell squamous cell carcinoma of skin

Desmoplastic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and spindle cell SCC is very rare in skin. An 86-year-old woman presented a skin tumor of face. The tumor measured 1.8 cm × 1.6 cm × 0.6 cm. An excisional biopsy was performed. Histologically, malignant spindle cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and nucleoli were seen to proliferate together with marked solar elastosis and desmoplasia. Mitotic figures were scattered. Immunohistochemically, the malignant cells were positive for pancytokeratin AE1/3, pancytokeratin WSS, cytokeratin (CK) 5/6, CK34BE12, CK14, vimentin, S100 protein, α-smooth muscle actin, p53, p63, and Ki-67 (labeling = 70%). They were negative for EMA, pancytokeratin CAM5.2, CK7, CK8, CK18, CK19, CK20, desmin, HMB45, Melan-A, SOX10, MITF, myoglobin, CEA, CA19-9 and CD34. The lesion recurred two times and showed neck lymph node metastasis during the following 2 years. The patient died of other diseases 3 years after the first presentation.