Objective: To determine the effect of double immunostaining in the differential diagnosis of the benign vs. malignant nature of breast lesions with fine needle aspiration results.
Study design: The study group consisted of 26 samples aspirated from patients with borderline breast lesions.
Results: Direct immunostaining by means of monoclonal antibodies directed against individual intermediate filament proteins keratin 8 and 17 revealed that the percentage of K8+K17+ cells in material from patients with fibrocystic disease and fibroadenoma significantly exceeded that found in carcinoma specimens. The diagnoses were confirmed histologically.
Conclusion: The quantitative method applied in the analysis of double-immunostained cytologic aspirates is recommended for the differential diagnosis of the benign vs. malignant nature of breast lesions in borderline cases.