Skene's Gland Derivatives in the Female Genital Tract and Cervical Adenoid Basal Carcinoma are Consistently Positive With Prostatic Marker NKX3.1.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Case series evaluating immunohistochemical staining in pathology specimens
PubMed 33021555 · doi:10.1097/PGP.0000000000000717
What was done
Nineteen tissue specimens were stained for the prostatic marker NKX3.1, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and prostatic acid phosphatase (PSAP). The cohort included cervical ectopic prostatic tissue (n=11), cervical adenoid basal carcinoma (n=6), and vaginal tubulosquamous polyps (n=3), with 1 case containing both adenoid basal carcinoma and ectopic prostatic tissue. Normal endocervical glands served as internal negative controls.
What was found
NKX3.1 was diffusely positive in the glandular component of all 19 cases, while normal endocervical glands were negative. PSA was positive in 4 of 9 cases of ectopic prostatic tissue, 0 of 3 tubulosquamous polyps, and 0 of 5 adenoid basal carcinomas tested. PSAP was positive in 3 of 4 ectopic prostatic tissue cases, 2 of 2 tubulosquamous polyps, and focally positive in 3 of 5 adenoid basal carcinomas.
Why it matters
NKX3.1 is a sensitive immunohistochemical marker for identifying Skene's gland derivatives in the female genital tract and demonstrates that cervical adenoid basal carcinomas exhibit prostatic differentiation.
Limits
The sample size is very small (19 cases across three distinct entities), with incomplete testing across all comparative markers. The study did not test a wider panel of differential diagnostic mimics to fully determine diagnostic specificity.
Cited by
- supports Skene's glands are the embryological and anatomical homologue of the male prostate.