Stains & CD markers
Carbonic anhydrase IX

Editorial Board Member: Maria Tretiakova, M.D., Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief: Debra L. Zynger, M.D.
Nick Baniak, M.D.

Last author update: 23 March 2021
Last staff update: 18 June 2021

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PubMed Search: stains carbonic anhydrase ix [TI]

Nick Baniak, M.D.
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Cite this page: Baniak N. Carbonic anhydrase IX. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainscarbonicanhydraseix.html. Accessed March 19th, 2024.
Definition / general
Essential features
Pathophysiology
Clinical features
  • CAIX is overexpressed in hypoxia; hypoxia inducible factor is controlled by the VHL gene (Nature 1999;399:271)
Interpretation
  • Membranous staining (box-like or cup-like [negative luminal border])
  • Disregard cytoplasmic staining
Uses by pathologists
Prognostic factors
Microscopic (histologic) images

Contributed by Nick Baniak, M.D.

Clear cell RCC

Clear cell papillary RCC

Papillary RCC

Negative renal parenchyma

Virtual slides

Images hosted on other servers:

Clear cell papillary RCC

Positive staining - normal
Positive staining - disease
Negative staining
Board review style question #1

A 68 year old man was found to have a 2.5 cm cystic kidney mass. The mass was positive for CK7 while negative for CD10 and AMACR. CAIX showed the staining pattern in the picture above. What is the diagnosis?

  1. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma
  2. Clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma
  3. Multilocular cystic renal neoplasm of low malignant potential
  4. Papillary renal cell carcinoma
Board review style answer #1
B. Clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma

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Reference: Carbonic anhydrase IX
Board review style question #2

Which of the following kidney tumors is most often diffusely positive for CAIX (shown in the images above)?

  1. Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma
  2. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma
  3. Oncocytoma
  4. Papillary renal cell carcinoma
Board review style answer #2
B. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma

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Reference: Carbonic anhydrase IX
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