Cytokeratin and vimentin expression in primary and recurrent carcinoma of the vulva: correlations with prognostic factors and the course of disease.

Radical vulvectomy for the treatment of a vulvar carcinoma inevitably entails severe psychosexual consequences for the patients. Thus, for such tumors, reliable histological prognostic parameters are needed to allow; when appropriate, the use of less radical operative measures. One possible approach to this problem might be to examine tumors immunohistochemically for the presence of cytoskeletal components. To assess the utility of this method, we applied a panel of antibodies directed against cytokeratins (CKs) and vimentin to a groups of vulvar carcinomas (62 primary and 35 recurrent tumors) and examined the results for possible correlations with the course of disease and various clinical parameters. all of the investigated CKs typical of squamous epithelia had no prognostic relevance. In contrast, the present of CKs typical of glandular differentiation as well as vimentin, suggesting early dedifferentiation, resulted in a less favorable prognosis. Thus, the procedures applied in the present study may have a role to play a decisions concerning the appropriate therapy for such tumors.