OCT-4 is a transcription factor that maintains and regulates pluripotency in embryonic stem and germ cells. It has a very high sensitivity and specificity in seminoma/dysgerminom
a and embryonal carcinoma and the germ cell component of gonadoblastomaby nuclear immunostaining. Clear cell carcinoma may enter the differential diagnosis of dysgerminoma as both may grow in nests or tubules, contain clear cells, and have a prominent inflammatory infiltrate (lymphocytes in dysgerminoma and plasma cells in clearcell carcinoma). In one study that looked at OCT-4 staining in clear cell carcinomas, 4 of 14 tumors were found to be focally positive. In another study, 49 endometrioid carcinomas were OCT-4 negative. Rarely dysgerminoma may have a morphologic appearance that overlaps with sex cord-stromal tumors, expecially poorly differentiated Sertoli cell tumors. In two studies, however, all sex cord-stromal tumors of the testis and granulose cell tumors of the ovary were OCT-4 negative.
OCT-4 is a transcription factor that maintains and regulates pluripotency in embryonic stem and germ cells. It has a very high sensitivity and specificity in seminoma/dysgerminoma and embryonal carcinoma and the germ cell component of gonadoblastomaby nuclear immunostaining. Clear cell carcinoma may enter the differential diagnosis of dysgerminoma as both may grow in nests or tubules, contain clear cells, and have a prominent inflammatory infiltrate (lymphocytes in dysgerminoma and plasma cells in clearcell carcinoma). In one study that looked at OCT-4 staining in clear cell carcinomas, 4 of 14 tumors were found to be focally positive. In another study, 49 endometrioid carcinomas were OCT-4 negative. Rarely dysgerminoma may have a morphologic appearance that overlaps with sex cord-stromal tumors, expecially poorly differentiated Sertoli cell tumors. In two studies, however, all sex cord-stromal tumors of the testis and granulose cell tumors of the ovary were OCT-4 negative.
