Sclerosing hemangioma of the lung. An immunohistochemical study of intermediate filaments and endothelial markers.

Three cases of so-called pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma have been studied for endothelial markers (alkaline phosphatase, adenosine triphosphatase, factor VIII-related antigen, and Ulex europaeus I lectin), for intermediate filaments (keratin, vimentin), and for carcinoembryonic and epithelial membrane antigen. Not one of the neoplasms expressed endothelial markers, carcinoembryonic antigen, or keratin reactivity. The tumor cells showed a positive reaction for epithelial membrane antigen and vimentin. The findings exclude an endothelial origin for this group of tumors and favored an epithelial origin as the probable genesis of the neoplastic proliferation.