Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Pages: 433-440

Journal: Virchows Archiv

Volume number: 472

Issue number: 3

ISSN: 0945-6317

eISSN: 1432-2307

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-018-2313-5

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 
Seminomas are the most frequent testicular tumors and in spite of specific markers some histological subtypes can be diagnostically challenging due to the potential overlap of morphologic features and a variant antigen expression. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a DNA polymerase present in hematogones, thymic T cells, lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia (LBL), and in some cases of acute myeloid leukemia but so far has not been described to be expressed in seminomas. After observing a reactivity of TdT in one case of seminoma, we analyzed ten additional tumors by immunohistochemistry to determine their spectrum of reactivity for TdT. In all seminoma cases investigated (10/10) as well as in two tumor-associated germ cell neoplasias in situ (2/2) the TdT staining intensity was variable but was often moderate to strong and restricted to the nucleus. We conclude that TdT expression in seminomas could represent a diagnostic pitfall in the differential diagnosis of LBL, particularly because both may lack CD45 and/or CD20 expression and-concerning relapse in long-term survivors of testicular cancer-LBL is the most frequent secondary neoplasm in the patients.

Harvard Citation style: Brobeil, A., Wagenlehner, F. and Gattenloehner, S. (2018) Expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in classical seminoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall, Virchows Archiv, 472(3), pp. 433-440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-018-2313-5

APA Citation style: Brobeil, A., Wagenlehner, F., & Gattenloehner, S. (2018). Expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in classical seminoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall. Virchows Archiv. 472(3), 433-440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-018-2313-5