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01-03-2018 | Original Article

Expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in classical seminoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall

Authors: Alexander Brobeil, Florian Wagenlehner, Stefan Gattenlöhner

Published in: Virchows Archiv | Issue 3/2018

Abstract

Seminomas are the most frequent testicular tumors and in spite of specific markers some histological subtypes can be diagnostically challenging due to the potential overlap of morphologic features and a variant antigen expression. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is a DNA polymerase present in hematogones, thymic T cells, lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia (LBL), and in some cases of acute myeloid leukemia but so far has not been described to be expressed in seminomas. After observing a reactivity of TdT in one case of seminoma, we analyzed ten additional tumors by immunohistochemistry to determine their spectrum of reactivity for TdT. In all seminoma cases investigated (10/10) as well as in two tumor-associated germ cell neoplasias in situ (2/2) the TdT staining intensity was variable but was often moderate to strong and restricted to the nucleus. We conclude that TdT expression in seminomas could represent a diagnostic pitfall in the differential diagnosis of LBL, particularly because both may lack CD45 and/or CD20 expression and—concerning relapse in long-term survivors of testicular cancer—LBL is the most frequent secondary neoplasm in the patients.

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Title: Expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in classical seminoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall
Authors: Alexander Brobeil
Florian Wagenlehner
Stefan Gattenlöhner
Publication date: 01-03-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Virchows Archiv / Issue 3/2018
Print ISSN: 0945-6317
Electronic ISSN: 1432-2307
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-018-2313-5

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Expression of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) in classical seminoma: a potential diagnostic pitfall

Abstract

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