[Immunohistochemical identification of hormonally-inactive tumors of the adrenal gland].

An immunohistochemical study was carried out to differentiate between such neoplasms of the cortical and cerebral layers of the adrenal as adrenocortical tumor and pheochromocytoma. It used antibodies to chromogranin A, synaptophysin, vimentin, cytokeratin 8, pancytokeratin, carcinoembryonic antigen, epithelial membrane antigen, neurofilaments, alpha-fetoprotein, alpha-antitripsin and neuron-specific enolase. Chromogranin A and synaptophysin appeared to be immunohistochemical markers for pheochromocytoma since it responded negatively to vimentin and cytokeratin. Adenocortical tumors were associated with positive reaction to vimentin and a negative one to cytokeratin. These characteristics were used to differentiate adrenocortical tumors from adenomas which responded to cytokeratin and hardly to vimentin. A possibility of adrenal tumors consisting of endocrine and neurogenic cells is considered.