Distinction between endometrial and endocervical adenocarcinoma: an immunohistochemical study

Int J Gynecol Pathol. 2002 Jan;21(1):4-10. doi: 10.1097/00004347-200201000-00002.

Abstract

We investigated the possibility of distinguishing between primary endometrial and endocervical adenocarcinomas by using a panel of immunohistochemical stains, which included vimentin (VIM), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and cytokeratins 7 and 20 (CK7 and CK20). Twenty-nine endocervical adenocarcinomas (CCAs) and 30 endometrial adenocarcinomas (EMCAs) including cases with overlapping histologic features (CCAs with endometrioid differentiation [15/29] and EMCAs with mucinous differentiation [16/30]) were evaluated. Most EMCAs (29/30, 97%) were VIM positive, whereas only 2/29 (7%) CCAs were VIM positive. The great majority of EMCAs (28/30) and all 29 CCAs were CK7 positive, whereas all 30 EMCAs and 27/29 CCAs were negative for CK20. CEA positivity was more common in CCAs (18/29, 62%) than in EMCAs (8/30, 27%). EMA positivity was present in all 30 EMCAs and in 26 of 29 (90%) CCAs. We conclude that VIM and CEA are useful immunohistochemical markers in distinguishing EMCAs and CCAs, but CK7, CK20, and EMA are not useful in this distinction.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / diagnosis
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism*
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / biosynthesis*
  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen / biosynthesis
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Intermediate Filament Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Keratin-20
  • Keratin-7
  • Keratins / biosynthesis
  • Mucin-1 / biosynthesis
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology
  • Vimentin / biosynthesis

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen
  • Intermediate Filament Proteins
  • KRT20 protein, human
  • KRT7 protein, human
  • Keratin-20
  • Keratin-7
  • Mucin-1
  • Vimentin
  • Keratins