Glucose transporter-1 protein is immunohistochemically expressed in subglottic infantile haemangioma

Abstract

Conflicts of interest: none declared. Sir, We read with scepticism the recent report by Purvis et al.1 of negative glucose transporter‐1 protein (GLUT1) immunostaining in 11 of 14 subglottic haemangiomas and only focal positivity in the other three specimens. The authors concluded that subglottic haemangiomas are not the ‘classic’ infantile tumours and are an immunohistochemically distinct entity. They also stated that GLUT1 immunostaining was of limited value in the assessment of subglottic vascular lesions. Why would haemangioma in the trachea not be immunopositive for GLUT1? These subglottic lesions appear at the same time and look the same as cutaneous and submucosal infantile haemangiomas. They also regress in the same fashion. Furthermore, 50% of subglottic haemangiomas are associated with cutaneous lesions. Subglottic haemangiomas also respond to systemic or intralesional corticosteroid, interferon and vincristine. Following internal review board approval, we reviewed seven specimens of subglottic haemangioma taken from infants between 2 and 7 months of age from 1972 to 2007. Specimens were defined as GLUT1‐positive if there was >50% staining of the endothelial cells in lesional microvessels. All seven specimens were GLUT1‐positive.