Characteristic Morphology of Invasive Micropapillary Carcinoma of the Breast: An Immunohistochemical Analysis

Abstract

Nuclear expression of p63, involucrin and 34betaE12 were detected indicating squamous differentiation. Cytoplasmic p63 expression was also identified. The fact that the Ki-67 labeling index was significantly higher in such cases may have been associated with the aggressive behavior of these tumors. Our findings suggest that the characteristic morphology of invasive micropapillary carcinomas may be due to immunophenotypical and oncogenic changes.