Testicular germ cell tumours

Immunohistochemistry

 

intratubular germ cell neoplasia

classical seminoma

spermatocytic seminoma

embryonal carcinoma

yolk sac tumour

teratoma

choriocarcinoma

cytokeratin

-

syncytiotrophoblastic cells only +

occasionally

+

 

+

 

PLAP

+

+

occasionally

+

 

-

 

NSE

+

+

   

-

+

 

ferritin

+

           

AFP

-

   

variable

+

-

 

hCG

-

syncytiotrophoblastic cells only +

 

syncytiotrophoblastic cells only +

-

var

 

vimentin

       

-

var

 

EMA

       

-

+

 

CD30

     

+

-

-

 

CD15

     

usually negative

-

var

 

CEA

     

usually negative

-

var

 
               

 CD117 staining is membranous in intratubular germ cell neoplasia and seminoma, but cytoplasmic in non-seminomatous germ cell neoplasms2.

References

Diagnostic histopathology of tumors. Edited by CDM Fletcher. 2nd edition. Churchill Livingstone. Pages 783-795.

2Gibson, P. C., Cooper, K. CD117 (KIT): a diverse protein with selective applications in surgical pathology. Adv Anat Pathol 2002;9:65-69.