The Clinical Significance of Cytokeratin-Positive Cells in Lymph Nodes at the Time of Mastectomy From Patients With Ductal Carcinoma-In-Situ Rohit Tamhane, MB, BS, Jane E. Dahlstrom, MB, BS, PhD, FRCPA, Dugald D. McCallum, BSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCP, FRCPath, FRCPA and John M. Buckingham, MB, BS, MS, FRACS, FACS From The Canberra Hospital (RT), Canberra, ACT, Australia; ACT Pathology (JED), The Canberra Hospital and the Canberra Clinical School, University of Sydney, ACT, Australia; Capital Pathology (DDM), Canberra, ACT, Australia; and Department of Surgery (JMB), Calvary Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia. Address correspondence and reprint requests to: John M. Buckingham, MB, BS, MS, FRACS, FACS, Calvary Clinic, Mary Potter Cct., Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia; Fax: 61-2-6251-7440; E-mail: jm_buckingham@hotmail.com. Background: We determined the presence or absence of and clinical significance of cytokeratin-positive cells in the lymph nodes of patients who had had mastectomies for ductal carcinoma-in-situ. Methods: Two pathologists independently assessed the axillary lymph nodes found. All patients had either a core or open biopsy performed before the time of mastectomy. The lymph nodes were assessed with hematoxylin and eosin stain and immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin marker AE1/AE3. The slides were assessed for the presence or absence of epithelial cells. As a control, axillary lymph nodes found in prophylactic mastectomies were assessed. None of these had had a previous biopsy performed. Results: Lymph nodes from all patients demonstrated no obvious epithelial cells on hematoxylin and eosin stain. Peripheral sinuses of lymph nodes from six patients (23%) who had mastectomies for ductal carcinoma-in-situ contained a few cytokeratin-positive cells on immunohistochemistry. The lymph nodes of the control group demonstrated no cytokeratin-positive cells. The mean follow-up of patients was 5 years, and all patients were alive without recurrence at the time of the study. Conclusions: Epithelial cells may be present in the lymph nodes draining a site of recent breast biopsy in the absence of invasive carcinoma, indicating that these are an artifact of recent surgery and not of micrometastatic disease. Annals of Surgical Oncology 9:999-1003 (2002) Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.