[Value of cytokeratin 7 and 20 for the diagnosis of cerebral metastases of adenocarcinoma: study of 78 cases].
OBJECTIVE
histological features of metastasis are not always specific of the origin. The usefulness of cytokeratin 7 and 20 (CK7 and CK20) in cerebral metastases from an adenocarcinoma was studied in a series of 78 patients.


RESULTS
metastases from lung adenocarcinoma showed a CK7+/CK20- pattern in 79% of cases, CK7+/CK20+ in 19% and CK7-/CK20- in 2%. When observed, positivity for cytokeratin 20 was generally focal or weak. Breast adenocarcinoma metastases were CK7+/CK20- in 71% of cases and CK7-/CK20- in 29%. Less differentiated tumours were usually negative for both cytokeratins. Metastases by colonic adenocarcinoma were CK7-/CK20+ in 100% of cases. Cytokeratins 7 and 20 are useful to distinguish lung from colonic metastatic carcinoma. In case of double positivity, a more intense CK7 expression is rather suggestive of a lung origin.


CONCLUSIONS
these results might modify paraclinic investigations in search of the primitive tumor.
Fernandez
C
C
Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, CHU Timone, 264 rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille cédex 05.
Liprandi
A
A
Bouvier-Labit
C
C
Figarella-Branger
D
D
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D053554:Keratin-20; D053552:Keratin-7; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology
D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C507499:KRT20 protein, human; C507497:KRT7 protein, human; D053554:Keratin-20; D053552:Keratin-7; D007633:Keratins