Diagnostic Pathology volume 3 , Article number: 29 Cite this article. Metrics details. Adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary GCTs are sex cord stromal tumors of unpredictable behaviour. However, the expression of its isoforms was not examined. The reaction was assessed with respect to percentage of positive cells and intensity of staining.
Expression of CD56 is an additional sensitive and helpful immunohistochemical tool for histopathologists diagnosing a GCT. It does not seem possible to provide a validly individual risk assessement.
However, the different expression of CD56 isoforms might indicate important changes in the course to a more malignant behaviour. Adult granulosa cell tumors GCTs of the ovary common are sex cord stromal tumors of unpredictable clinical behavior. An important problem for therapeutic decisions apart from surgery is the unpredictable course of disease. Considerable efforts have been undertaken to predict the risk of relapse or metastasizing.
Correlations between more malignant behavior and patients' age, menstrual status, incomplete surgery, mitotic count, or proliferative activity have been reported [ 3 — 6 ]. The influence of mutated cell cycle regulatory proteins like p53 or other molecular changes remained unclear [ 7 — 11 ]. So far, reliable parameters are not defined.
CD56 is expressed in adult neural, neuroectodermal, and neuroendocrine tissue and different tumors [ 12 ] as neuroendocrine tumors, plasmocytomas, or melanomas. Its expression identifies a subgroup of tumors with an unfavorable prognosis e.
