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

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.