The rational use of monoclonal antibodies in tumour diagnosis

Immunohistochemistry is now an established technique in larger diagnostic histopathology units, but its full potential is not always achieved due to irrational application and incorrect interpretation. This review attempts to place the use of monoclonal antibodies in relation to the wider aspects of morphological diagnosis. The necessity of obtaining familiarity with the techniques and reagents in order to recognise artefacts is emphasized, and the practical benefit of this technique in difficult diagnostic problems is discussed.