Ce. Keen et al., CA125 and thyroglobulin staining in papillary carcinomas of thyroid and ovarian origin is not completely specific for site of origin, HISTOPATHOL, 34(2), 1999, pp. 113-117
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Research/Laboratory Medicine & Medical Tecnology","Medical Research Diagnosis & Treatment
Aims: A 70-year-old woman presented with metastatic psammoma body-rich papi
llary carcinoma in a supraclavicular lymph node. No primary site was eviden
t. The tumour showed strong staining for CA125 and weak staining for thyrog
lobulin. Prompted by this case we aimed to assess the reliability of immuno
staining for CA125 and thyroglobulin in making the distinction between thyr
oid and ovarian papillary carcinoma.
Methods and results: Nine papillary carcinomas of the thyroid and 17 serous
papillary carcinomas of the ovary were stained for CA125 and thyroglobulin
, as well as CAM 5.2, LP 34, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), S100 and diast
ase/periodic acid-Schiff. Nine of nine thyroid carcinomas stained for thyro
globulin; in addition CA125 was positive in four of nine. Normal surroundin
g thyroid also showed some reaction. Seventeen of 17 ovarian serous carcino
mas were positive for CA125; in addition one case showed moderately strong
staining for thyroglobulin. Mucin stains were positive in 14/17 ovarian ser
ous carcinomas, but negative in all thyroid carcinomas. The other antibodie
s assessed showed no useful differences in staining frequency.
Conclusion: Many cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid show CA125 sta
ining, and this feature therefore has little positive predictive value for
an ovarian origin. Occasional cases of ovarian papillary carcinoma may show
staining for thyroglobulin, and this result should therefore be interprete
d cautiously.