Emerging applications of immunohistochemistry in head and neck pathology

Abstract

Immunohistochemistry is important in diagnosis, investigation, and determining the behavior and pathogenesis of oral tumors. Immunohistochemistry protocols were developed using antibodies tagged with chromogens to identify specific markers. In these protocols, antigen-antibody reactions using nonfluorescent chromogens are analyzed in an optical microscope. Specific diagnostic markers appear extensively in cells of a particular neoplasm and not in other tumors. These markers can be used to assess the cellular lineage and histogenic origin of various neoplasms. This paper reviews the literature on Emerging Applications of Immunohistochemistry in Head and Neck Pathology.

Keywords

• Head and neck pathology
• immunohistochemistry
• tumor markers