Comparison of the Clinical and Immunohistochemical Features, Including Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) and p53, in Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumours

Abstract

This retrospective study evaluated 15 cases of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours (IMTs) to determine histological atypicality, clinicopathological features, outcomes, and expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase-1 (ALK1) and p53, to assess potential pathological prognostic indicators. Nine patients with complete follow-up had no evidence of recurrence, including two with recurrent disease who were treated with additional surgery. Six patients had local recurrence and distant metastasis. Six (40.0%) tumours showed cellular atypicality. Significant correlations were found between histological atypicality and recurrence and metastasis. Recurrence was documented in 25.0% of ALK-positive and 63.6% ALK-negative IMTs, whereas metastasis was confined to the ALK-negative group. Recurrence and metastasis were documented in 50.0% and 25.0% of p53-positive IMTs, respectively, and in 57.1% and 57.1%, respectively, of the p53-negative IMTs. The IMT cases had high recurrence and metastasis and there were significant correlations between histological atypicality and recurrence and metastases, and between absence of ALK reactivity and recurrence. No correlation was found between p53 expression and any clinicopathological feature of IMT.