Immunohistochemical localization of carcinoembryonic antigen in microglandular hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of the endocervix.

Immunoperoxidase localization of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was performed on tissue sections of microglandular hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of endocervical origin to see if CEA would be a marker of malignancy in this context. Twenty (95%) of 21 of the benign lesions were negative and one was focally positive. Nine (64%) of 14 adenocarcinomas were widely positive, four were focally positive, and one was negative. These results suggest that extensive immunohistochemical positivity for CEA in endocervical glandular lesions is indicative of malignancy.