Immunohistochemistry ; an important diagnostic aid in the evaluation of ovarian cancer

Abstract EN

Background Ovarian cancer is a heterogeneous disease representing variable tumors of different biological behavior, the origin of most of them is poorly understood.

This fact makes the definite diagnosis of some ovarian tumors, including secondary tumors, a difficult challenging task.

Aim: Apply immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the diagnosis of different ovarian cancer types, especially those with similar histopathologic (H.P) morphology or poor differentiation.

Methods: This study included 61cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed and reviewed histopathologically in the central lab of Duhok/ Iraq, from July 2008 to November 2011.

Different immunohistochemical markers were used for different cases to identify the type and the origin of the tumor.

The selection of these combinations based mainly on preliminary histopathological findings .

Results: With the aid of IHC the provisional diagnosis of ovarian cancer was changed in 18 cases (29.5%).

Sixteen of them proved to be metastatic cancers from different parts of the body.

The colon possessed the commonest site of origin (14.8%).

In two cases the IHC changed the diagnosis from one primary type to another.

Conclusion :Histopathologically, ovarian cancer is among the most complex of all human malignancies.

The IHC technique affirmed to be an important diagnostic aid to differentiate the primary and secondary ovarian cancer and to verify the specific type of the tumor in the poorly differentiated malignancies.