Adjunctive role of immunohistochemistry to traditional histomorphology in diagnosis and accurate typing of soft tissue sarcoma

Abstract

Background: Soft tissue sarcomas, compared with carcinomas and other neoplasms, are relatively rare and constitute less than 1% of all cancers. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) especially a panel approach is an important adjunct to histopathological morphology and plays an important role in Soft tissue sarcoma diagnosis and accurate typing. Aims & Objective: Current study is to evaluate the utility of histopathology and immunohistochemistry in soft tissue sarcoma diagnosis and accurate typing. Material and Methods: Total of 50 cases of soft tissue sarcoma studied from January 2010 to October 2012. All cases were reported using routine (H&E) Hematoxylin- eosin stain and other ancillary techniques including panel approach of immunohistochemistry. Results: Histomorphology confirmed diagnosis in 22 % cases. In 78 % cases it was contributory to IHC. IHC provide confirmative diagnosis (Single diagnosis) in 45 cases (90%), definitive diagnosis (with two possibilities) in 4 cases (8%) and noncontributory in 1case (2%). Conclusion: Despite the rapid development of molecular genetic techniques, IHC still remains the most important diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of soft tissue tumours aside from recognition of morphologic features and clinical correlation. One of its major utilities is to correctly identify a tumour as mesenchymal or nonmesenchymal origin and then accurate typing done according to specific cell lineage. IHC is specifically useful in tumours of uncertain cell lineage and primitive round cell tumours. Indeed IHC has brought Brown revolution in sarcoma diagnosis and accurate typing. But important not to forget histopathology which provide the basic platform for the panel approach of IHC.