[Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies of thyroid cancer]

The results of immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies have improved our understanding and provide a better method of classifying thyroid carcinoma. These techniques have also enabled identification of tumours with composite cell populations. These tumours pose clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic problems, and pose fundamental questions such as the relationship between vesicular and C cells. In addition, these techniques are the only available method of determining in situ within the tumour tissue the exact location of different antigens. This information may contribute to the study of the function of the molecules in question and of their accessibility to antibodies in vitro or in vivo.