STAINING OF ECCRINE AND APOCRINE NEOPLASMS AND METASTATIC ADENOCARCINOMA WITH IKH-4, A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY SPECIFIC FOR THE ECCRINE GLAND

The histogenesis of apocrine and eccrine neoplasms has always interest ed dermatopathologists. In addition, the histologic differential diagn osis of eccrine carcinoma from metastatic adenocarcinoma is of practic al importance. We describe a novel monoclonal antibody IKH-4 which sta ins the eccrine secretory coil, but not the apocrine secretory segment . Positive staining was observed in eccrine hidradenoma, eccrine porom a, eccrine spiradenoma, papillary eccrine adenoma, eccrine hidrocystom a, springoma, eccrine carcinoma, and in I case of syringocystadenoma p apilliferum. Negative staining was observed in apocrine adenocarcinoma , hidradenoma papilliferum, erosive adenomatosis of the nipple, and pr imary and metastatic adenocarcinomas. IKH-4 antibody was useful in dif ferentiating eccrine from apocrine neoplasms and in differentiating ec crine carcinoma from metastatic adenocarcinomas.