Comparison of the diagnostic power of H&E staining method in evaluation of soft tissue undifferentiated sarcomas of head & neck region
Sarcomas are the cancers derived from mesenchymal tissues which involve the soft tissues and bones throughout the body and are seen in different forms and kinds. These tumours greatly vary with respect to tumour site, degree of malignancy, response to treatment and prognosis . A major problem in histopathological diagnosis of sarcomas by H & E staining method is the identification and classification of tumours based on morphological characteristics.In this study twenty-four paraffin embedded samples of head and neck tumours, previously labelled as ‘undifferentiated’ were selected and
stained with Immunohistochemistry (IHC) antigens (DAKO) using the standard Avidin-Biotin Complex (ABC) method. The diagnostic powers of H & E staining and IHC
method (gold-standard) were compared in distinguishing the undifferentiated sarcomas and carcinomas of head and neck region. IHC confirmed H & E diagnoses of sarcoma in 88 percent of the cases but only 50 percent of H & E diagnoses of carcinoma were confirmed by IHC. We conclude that the IHC should be utilized as a mandatory diagnostic tool in the assessment of undifferentiated tumours.