Morphologic and immunohistochemical observations on the mammary and extramammary Paget's disease: implications for...

Using a panel of three anti-CK MoAbs, belonging to Gown's Classes II, III and IV, the Paget's cells shown a variable reactivity to such antibodies indicating a more frequent immunocytochemical similarity to the cells of the epidermal basal-ductal system than to the cells of the glandular secreting section of the epidermal derivatives. According these findings the P.C. not necessarily is the result of a cellular migration from ductal section toward the epidermis, but may arise from a epidermal basal-stem cell, from a ductal or more rarely from glandular secreting cell. This assumption is enforced also by the expression of the CEA from morphologically bonafide basal epidermal cells in proximity of the pagetic lesion.