CD30 and CD117 (c-kit) used in combination are useful for distinguishing embryonal carcinoma from seminoma

Germ-cell tumors are the most common malignant neoplasms of the testis. Seminomatous and non-seminomatous tumors must be differentiated because the treatment and the prognosis are different. In light microscopic examination, seminoma may sometimes be difficult to distinguish from the solid pattern of embryonal carcinoma (EC). Although studies have shown that CD30 was a good marker of embryonal carcinoma and that c-kit was regularly expressed in seminoma, none has described the value of CD30 and CD117 (c-kit) in combination for the differential diagnosis between EC and seminoma. We selected 25 pure seminomas, seven pure ECs, and seven mixed germ-cell tumors composed of seminoma and EC from our archives and studied their immunoreactivity for CD30 and CD117. We observed that 27/35 seminomas were CD117+/CD30-; none of the seminoma was CD117-/CD30+. Conversely, 11/14 ECs were CD30+/CD117- and none was CD30-/CD117+. Our findings suggest that CD117 and CD30 immunohistochemistry used in combination represents a valuable tool for distinguishing seminoma from EC.