Tumour | Monomorphic | Distinguishing marker* |
Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma | − | Human papillomavirus20–22 |
Ewings/primitive neuroectodermal tumour | + | |
Extragonadal germ cell tumour | + | PLAP, Oct 3/4, β-HCG |
Lymphoma/leukaemia | + | Leucocyte common antigen |
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma | + | Epstein–Barr virus |
Non-NMC PDSQC | − | |
Olfactory neuroblastoma | + | Synaptophysin |
Poorly differentiated carcinoma | − | |
Small cell carcinoma | + | |
SNUC | + |
↵* All the markers are negative in NMCs (French CA et al3 and author's unpublished observations).
β-HCG, β human chorionic gonadotrophin; NMC, NUT midline carcinoma; PDSQC, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma; PLAP, placental-like alkaline phosphatase; SNUC, sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma.