Cutaneous Hemangioma With Epithelioid Features Harboring a <i>TPM4::ALK</i> Fusion
Vascular neoplasms comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors ranging from benign to malignant, increasingly defined by recurrent gene fusions. In this report we describe a cutaneous hemangioma with epithelioid features harboring a TPM4::ALK gene fusion in a 43-year-old female. On histology, this dermal-based lesion was composed of epithelioid endothelial cells with no overt cytologic atypia and abundant cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry showed the epithelioid cells were positive for ERG and showed diffuse intracytoplasmic ALK-1 expression. The fusion was detected via RNA sequencing, highlighting ALK as a potential oncogenic driver in this tumor. The morphology resembled epithelioid hemangioma, a benign vascular tumor known to harbor FOS gene rearrangements. This case represents the second known instance of a cutaneous hemangioma with epithelioid features and a TPM4::ALK fusion. Additional studies are needed to clarify the biological behavior and classification of these tumors within the spectrum of fusion-driven vascular neoplasms.
Authors
- Norman L. Lehman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8394-2607)
- Martin P. Fernandez
- Donn LaTour (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8325-9445)
Institutions
- Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple (US)
- Baylor Scott & White Health (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Cutaneous Pathology
- Published
- 2026-05-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/cup.70143
- Primary Topic
- Vascular Tumors and Angiosarcomas
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00