Molecularly confirmed primary prostatic synovial sarcoma

We report the second molecularly-confirmed primary prostatic synovial sarcoma. The diagnosis was particularly elusive at the light microscopic level in that the tumor failed to show epithelial differentiation, but it did show combined spindle-cell and poorly differentiated (round-cell) morphologies. The immunohistochemical staining profile was nonspecific and potentially misleading Only by demonstration of the characteristic SYT-SSX gene fusion of synovial sarcoma by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of RNA extracted from archival material could the diagnosis be con firmed. This case further illustrates the use of this technique in diagnostic pathology Copyright (C) 2000 by WR. Saunders Company.