MARJOLINS ULCER - IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF 17 CASES AND COMPARISON WITH COMMON SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA AND BASAL-CELL CARCINOMA

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens of 17 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of Marjolin's ulcer (SCC-MU), 6 cases of common SCC (SCC), and 5 cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) were stained with three monoclonal antikeratin antibodies (CAM 5.2, MAK-6, and MA-903), a monoclonal antivimentin antibody (V9), and a polyclonal anticarcinoembryonic antigen antiserum (A115). Neoplastic cells of SCC-MU, SCC, and BCC showed consistently negative staining for CAM 5.2. A wide range of reactivity, from negative to diffuse strong positivity, among neoplastic cells of SCC-MU and SCC was noted with MAK-6. Alternatively, neoplastic cells of SCC-MU, SCC, and BCC consistently showed diffuse moderate to strong reactivity with MA-903. These findings imply that SCC-MU has largely high-molecular-weight keratins. They also showed a wide range of reactivity with V9. However, neoplastic cells of five of the six SCC and five cases of BCC were negative for V9. These findings suggest that neoplastic cells of SCC-MU contain vimentin in higher frequency than in the more usual SCC.