RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To explore the immunohistochemistry of elastofibromas and to evaluate four elastic strain methods for the histological diagnosis of elastofibroma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four elastofibromas were obtained from the surgical pathology files of the ABC Medical Center. All patients were women whose lesions were present in the subescapular region. Immunohistochemistry was performed for CD34, actin, desmin, vimentin, S-100 protein and bcl-2 and four elastic stain methods were evaluated (Verhoff, Gallego's, Reyes-Mota and Russel-Movat). RESULTS: In the four cases there were numerous miofibroblasts (vimentin/actin/desmin positive). An unpreviously reported positive CD34 dendritic cells, were present diffusely in all four cases. Verhoff and Reyes-Mota stains remains the most useful methods to reveal the elastic fibers. Russel-Movat method may be use to contrast different connective tissue components. CONCLUSION: The cell of elastofibromas were originally considered fibroblasts. The presence of actin/desmin/vimentin suggests that they are miofibroblasts. We describe for the first time, variable numbers of CD34(QBend/10) positive spindle shaped and dendritic cells in all elastofibromas. These cells may be a reactive population of cells of the "dendritic cell system". There was no immunoreactivity for bcl-2 in these cells.