TY - JOUR
T1 - Morphologic Features of Conventional Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx
T2 - 'Keratinizing' and 'Nonkeratinizing' Histologic Types as the Basis for a Consistent Classification System
AU - Chernock, Rebecca D.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Morphologic assessment is one of the most basic tools that pathologists use to classify tumors. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx has unique morphologic features that can be readily recognized under the microscope. Yet, these features are not widely recognized or uniformly reported. In our practice, we group oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas into 'nonkeratinizing', 'nonkeratinizing with maturation', and 'keratinizing' histologic types. The 'nonkeratinizing' type has a very strong association with HPV, while the 'keratinizing' type has a weaker association with the virus. 'Nonkeratinizing with maturation' is intermediate but much more closely related to the 'nonkeratinizing' type. This classification system parallels that of sinonasal and nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas where nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinomas are widely recognized histologic variants. This review will discuss this classification system and its utility in routine clinical practice.
AB - Morphologic assessment is one of the most basic tools that pathologists use to classify tumors. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx has unique morphologic features that can be readily recognized under the microscope. Yet, these features are not widely recognized or uniformly reported. In our practice, we group oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas into 'nonkeratinizing', 'nonkeratinizing with maturation', and 'keratinizing' histologic types. The 'nonkeratinizing' type has a very strong association with HPV, while the 'keratinizing' type has a weaker association with the virus. 'Nonkeratinizing with maturation' is intermediate but much more closely related to the 'nonkeratinizing' type. This classification system parallels that of sinonasal and nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas where nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinomas are widely recognized histologic variants. This review will discuss this classification system and its utility in routine clinical practice.
KW - Human papillomavirus
KW - Morphology
KW - Nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma
KW - Oropharynx
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84864120150&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12105-012-0373-4
DO - 10.1007/s12105-012-0373-4
M3 - Review article
C2 - 22782222
AN - SCOPUS:84864120150
SN - 1936-055X
VL - 6
SP - 41
EP - 47
JO - Head and Neck Pathology
JF - Head and Neck Pathology
IS - SUPPL. 1
ER -