Spindle-cell squamous carcinoma of head and neck region: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of eight cases.

Spindle cell squamous carcinoma is a highly malignant neoplasm, characterized by a biphasic appearance, due to the presence of a diffuse proliferative pattern of pleomorphic spindle cells with extremely rare foci of conventional squamous cell carcinoma. Epithelial markers in eight cases of spindle-cell squamous carcinoma of the head and neck region were studied by immunocytochemistry. Epithelial membrane antigen and cytokeratin resulted strongly positive in the spindle cells of the sarcoma-like areas demonstrating the epithelial nature of the neoplasm. In 6 of our patients who later died from widespread metastases, the neoplasm had poor prognosis with a mean survival rate of 14.7 months.