Pulmonary v gastrointestinal carcinoid v pancreatic endocrine tumour

	CK7+ / CK20+	CK7+ / CK20-	CK7- / CK20+	CK7- / CK20-	TTF-1
pulmonary carcinoid	0/16 (15 typical carcinoids, 1 atypical carcinoid)1, 0/92	9/16 (15 typical carcinoids, 1 atypical carcinoid)1, 2/92	0/16 (15 typical carcinoids, 1 atypical carcinoid)1, 0/92	7/16 (15 typical carcinoids, 1 atypical carcinoid)1, 7/92	11/16 (15 typical carcinoids, 1 atypical carcinoid)1
gastric carcinoid	0/81	1/81	0/81	7/81	1/81
small intestinal carcinoid	0/191	0/191	4/191	15/191	0/191
large intestinal carcinoid	2/171	2/171	4/171	8/171	0/171
appendiceal carcinoid	0/21	0/21	1/21	1/21	0/21
gastrointestinal overall	2/461, 0/152	3/461, 2/152	9/461, 1/152	32/461, 12/152	1/461
pancreatic endocrine tumour	2/121	4/121	2/121	4/121	0/121

TTF-1 is highly specific for pulmonary carcinoids. CK20 positivity indicators a non-pulmonary primary site of a carcinoid. Combined negativity for TTF-1, CK7 and CK20 favours a gastrointestinal primary site.

References

¹Cai, Y. C., Banner, B., Glickman, J., Odze, R. D. Cytokeratin 7 and 20 and thyroid transcription factor 1 can help distinguish pulmonary from gastrointestinal carcinoid and pancreatic endocrine tumors. Human Pathol 2001;32:1087-1093

²Chu, P., Wu, E., Weiss, L. M. Cytokeratin 7 and cytokeratin 20 expression in epithelial neoplasms: a survey of 435 cases. Mod Pathol 2000;13:962-972

Data to be added:

³Wilander, E., Scheibenpflug, L. Cytokeratin expression in small intestinal and appendiceal carcinoids. A basis for classification. Acta Oncol 1993; 32:131-134

This page last revised 16.9.2003.