In situ adenocarcinoma and squamous carcinoma of uterine cervix: Pathological and immunohistochemical analysis with cytokeratin 13

Abstract

Objectives The aim of the study was the pathological and immunohistochemical analysis of cytokeratin 13 (CK13) in intraepithelial cervical tumors. Study design We studied 415 in situ squamous carcinomas and 13 in situ mucinous cervical type adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix. All patients underwent laser cervical conization and had a follow-up ranging 12–135 months. Results 3% of the squamous carcinoma patients recurred during the follow-up period, while the percentage of recurrence of in situ adenocarcinoma patients was 7.6%. We observed positive surgical edges in 46.1% of glandular tumors, and in 5% of squamous tumors. The percentage of recurrence was high among the cases with positive borders independently from their histopathologic type (14.3% in the squamous carcinomas versus 50% in the adenocarcinomas), compared to cases with negative edges (2.3% in the squamous carcinomas versus 0% in the adenocarcinomas). We observed CK13 positive staining in cervical squamous tumors and in mucinous cervical type adenocarcinomas, while there was no positive staining in non-neoplastic cervical glandular elements. Conclusion CK13 positive immunostaining among in situ squamous and in situ mucinous cervical type adenocarcinoma cases adds additional evidence to data supporting a common origin of the two lesions.