Evaluation of Safe Margins Using Immunohistochemistry in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Hematoxylin & Eosin (H & E) stains have been conventionally used to establish the status of safe margins following resection of primary Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Due to non-specificity of this stain, there is a possibility of false negative results. In this study, we have assessed the role of Immunohistochemistry (IHC) in establishing the status of safe margins.

Aim: To compare Hematoxylin & Eosin (H & E) and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in identification of tumor cells in establishing the status of safe margins.

Methodology: This study included 14 cases diagnosed with OSCC. Following resection, the primary lesion was subjected to Histopathological analysis. 2 sets of HP slides were prepared from serial sectioning of the wax block prepared for each of the four margins. Both sets of slides were stained with H &E stain. One set of these slides was further stained with Pan CK marker (IHC) which is a cytokeratin marker to identify tumour cells.

Results: All the slides with H & E staining reported negative for tumor infiltration and 4 slides (3 patients) out of 56 were reported positive with PanCK marker. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of patients with positive margins using IHC as compared to H & E stain.

Conclusion: Immunohistochemistry using PanCK marker proved to be more efficient in the determination of status of safe margins than routine H & E staining.