Distinctive morphological and molecular features of urothelial carcinoma with an inverted growth pattern

• Main Authors: Francesca Sanguedolce, Beppe Calò, Marco Chirico, Ugo Falagario, Gian Maria Busetto, Magda Zanelli, Alessandra Bisagni, Maurizio Zizzo, Stefano Ascani, Giuseppe Carrieri, Luigi Cormio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Pathologists & the Korean Society for Cytopathology 2021-07-01
• Series: Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine
• Subjects: urothelial carcinoma; inverted growth pattern; immunohistochemistry; molecular markers
• Online Access: http://www.jpatholtm.org/upload/pdf/jptm-2021-04-20.pdf

Urothelial carcinoma with an inverted growth pattern (UC-IGP) is a peculiar entity within the spectrum of urothelial lesions. While efforts have been made over the last few decades to unravel its carcinogenesis and relationship with conventional urothelial carcinoma, the exact classification of inverted urothelial lesions is a matter of debate. The morphological features of UC-IGP pose several issues in differential diagnosis with other mostly benign lesions. Various techniques, including immunohistochemistry, UroVysion, and many molecular methods, have been employed to study the exact nature of this lesion. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the morphological and immunophenotypical aspects of UC-IGP. Moreover, we present and discuss the immunohistochemical and molecular markers involved in diagnosis and prognosis of UC-IGP lesions.