We report a case of diffuse myomelanocytic tumor of the peritoneum that simulates, clinically and instrumentally, a malignant mesothelioma. The patient was a 70-year-old woman with a history of ...ancient hysterectomy for fibroids, who presented with abdominal discomfort. Exploratory laparotomy revealed diffuse encasing of the peritonealized organs by a thin, fleshy, gray-white tissue rind. Scattered tumor masses were present as well. A dominant lesion measuring 6 cm in larger size was resected from the pelvis. Histological examination revealed a tumor composed of epithelioid and spindle cells, exhibiting either a clear or slightly eosinophilic cytoplasm and a mild to moderate nuclear pleomorphism. Focal areas of necrosis could be documented. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for HMB45, melan-A, and smooth muscle actin, but negative for other antibodies, including epithelial markers, desmin, and S100 protein. We believe that this case represents an example of myomelanocytic tumor of uncertain biologic potential, a member of the recently devised perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComa), with an unusual presentation simulating a diffuse mesothelial neoplasm. The origin of this particular lesion is briefly discussed in light of the recent literature published on the subject.
The aim of our study was to verify the impact of benign and malignant residual glandular tissue on surgical bed after radical prostatectomy, in terms of both biochemical and clinical disease ...progression, in a group of patients with pathologically organ-confined cancer of the prostate (PCa).
Files from 70 consecutive patients who undergone radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for organ-confined PCa were retrospectively evaluated. During each intervention, after prostate removal, biopsies of the surgical bed were obtained from the following sites: urethral/periapical section margin, basal, left and right postero-lateral and under/retrotrigonal regions. No patient was been previously treated with either radiation or hormone therapy. We evaluated the relationship between the presence of either benign or malignant prostatic cells at surgical bed biopsies and the following parameters: postoperative serum PSA levels, definitive Gleason score, tumour staging, margin status.
In all cases pathological stage was pT2NOMO, an immediate postoperative PSA zeroing occurred and surgical margins were negative. Surgical bed biopsies after prostate removal were positive for malignant cells in 5/70 cases (7.1%) and for benign prostatic cells in 16/70 patients (22.9%). Overall a biochemical disease progression was observed in 13/70 cases (18.6%): 1 case with surgical bed biopsies positive for cancer; 3 cases with biopsies positive for benign prostatic tissue; 9 patients with biopsies negative for prostatic tissue residuals. In this latter group 2 cases of disease progression were observed. Stratifying patients according to biopsy features, we did not find any significant difference between groups concerning preoperative PSA (p = 0.319), prostate weight (p = 0.158), pathological staging (p = 0.371), Gleason score (p = 0.457), follow-up (p = 0.144), biochemical progression rates (p = 0.553). At logistic regression model the only statistically significant association was between disease progression and preoperative PSA (p = 0.026). Stratifying patients with no malignant biopsies in two subgroups (presence and absence of residual benign prostate tissue) no statistically significant differences were detected in terms of disease relapse (p = 0.158).
In patients with pathologically organ-confined PCa, minimal neoplastic tissue residuals might not significantly affect medium-long-term prognosis: 80% of patients with positive biopsy showed undetectable serum PSA levels after a median follow-up over 5 years. In contrast, surgical margins positive for benign prostatic glands was not significantly related to a possible disease relapse/progression.
A number of studies on the putative relation between Polycomb-Group (PcG) proteins overexpression and carcinogenesis have been published recently. BMI1, the prototype PcG gene, is critically involved ...in cell cycle control and differentiation, and despite the regulatory role demonstrated in central nervous system (CNS) development, its implication in brain tumorigenesis is scarcely known. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, large studies on human brain tumors tissue are lacking. To gain a new insight, we tested 80 primary brain astrocytomas for BMI1 expression using immunohistochemistry and established a correlation with the expression of p16, a negatively regulated target of BMI1 function. Fifty-four cases (72.5%) were BMI1+/p16−, and 22 cases (27.5%) were BMI1+/p16+. Slight non-significant differences were noted in the expression profile between grades II, III, and IV astrocytomas. However, when the 22 BMI1+/p16+ tumors were examined cytologically, a substantial proportion contained a significant gemistocytic component, which is thought to be an adverse prognostic factor or to display a high degree of anaplasia, suggesting a common molecular mechanism of BMI1/p16 pathway disruption, which may have prognostic implications.
A review of the pathological features of Hodgkin lymphoma manifesting with exclusive or preponderant lung involvement is given for 5 patients. Three patients were men and 2 were women, with an age ...range 17 to 48 years (median, 42 years). They presented with nonspecific symptoms including dry cough, fever, or chest pain. Initial clinical assessment suggested a lung tumor. Pathological evaluation was carried out on lung biopsy, wedge resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy specimens. All the cases showed diagnostic Reed Sternberg cells within the proper background. Immunopositivity for CD15 and CD30 was documented as well. Nodular sclerosing and mixed cellularity were the documented subtypes. Additional histologic features were a pronounced nodular growth pattern with or without necrosis, a diffuse hypersensitivity pneumonia-like picture, or acute pneumonia-like changes. Our study confirms that the recognition of Hodgkin lymphoma in lung, although based on well-established morphologic criteria, may represent a source of interpretative problems because of the unusual clinical presentation as well as the peculiar histologic changes induced within the pulmonary microenvironment.
We report a new case of urothelial lipoid carcinoma of the urinary bladder, occurring in a 71 year-old woman. The tumor presented with metastatic involvement of the left axillary and supraclavicular ...lymph nodes. Clinical work up revealed a large infiltrating bladder tumor microscopically featuring poorly differentiated, pleomorphic cells with nuclear pleomorphism and frequent mitoses. Large, optically clear intracytoplasmic vacuoles imparting an adipocytic or signet-ring cell appearance could be noticed. Areas of conventional urothelial carcinoma were present as well. Due to the extensive invasion of the bladder coat, distant metastases as well as poor performance status radical cystectomy was not performed. The patient was treated with multimodality conservative therapy and is alive 9 months after the diagnosis.
Previous studies on celiac patients demonstrated that exposure to gliadin alters the motility of the upper gastrointestinal tract, leading to increased acid reflux. No literature is available ...regarding the possible presence of specialized intestinal metaplasia of the esophagus as a consequence of chronic reflux in adult celiac patients. Our purpose was to evaluate endoscopically and histologically the esophagi of a group of untreated celiac patients. We studied 60 celiac patients, 13 men and 47 women (mean age, 40 +/- 14 SD years; range, 18-80 years), at their first endoscopy (following a normal diet). The distal esophagus was evaluated and multiple biopsies were taken. Hematoxylin-eosin and alcian blue stainings were performed. A group of nonceliac, age- and sex-matched patients was used as a control. We found intestinal metaplasia in the distal esophagus of 16 of 60 (26.6%) celiacs (mean age, 45 +/- 13 years; range, 27-75 years), in comparison with a control-group prevalence of 10.9% (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.4-11.2%). Among the celiac group with metaplasia, only one patient had reflux-like symptoms. None had esophagitis. In conclusion, we observed an increased prevalence of esophageal metaplasia in patients with celiac disease. This finding could be the result of motor abnormalities leading to chronic acid reflux, combined with a mucosa which is sensitive to gliadin.
Although several methods have been devised to examine sentinel lymph node (SLN) specimens in breast cancer, the extent of examination and whether it should routinely include multilevel sectioning to ...detect micrometastases (MM) (<2.0 mm) is still debated. In this study all "positive" SLN biopsies from 67 consecutive patients with breast carcinoma and evaluated by means of an extended protocol were reviewed. Abnormal findings included micrometastases (MM) between 0.2 and 1.0 mm (14 cases), (MM) between 1.0 and 2.0 mm (8 cases), metastases > 2.0 mm (22 cases), and isolated tumor cells (ITCs) (23 cases). The likelihood of finding metastatic deposits was comparable if sections were carried out at 100-, 150-, 200-, 250-, and 500-pm intervals. No metastatic foci > 2.0 mm would have been missed. 1 MM (1.1 mm focus) was missed within the 250-and 500-pm levels on hematoxylineosin, but not complementary cytokeratin staining. Our data show that SLN step sectioning does not add significant yield if compared to standard examination carried on initial levels, if the minimal target of 1.0 mm micrometastatic deposit is sought.
Schnabel cavernous degeneration is a histologic finding originally attributed to glaucoma; however, its cause and significance have been controversial.
To determine the basic cause of the formation ...of cavernous spaces in the proximal optic nerve and its clinical significance.
A retrospective analysis of 4500 autopsy eyes processed for histologic evaluation between 1967 and 1991.
Ninety-three (2.1% of eyes examined) cases of Schnabel cavernous optic atrophy were identified. The majority of the eyes were from women (81%). The mean age of the entire group was 88 years (reference range, 54-103 years). Severe vascular anomalies were present in 75% of the individuals. Cavernous degeneration was unilateral in 82% of the cases. Loss of ganglion cells and nerve fiber layer consistent with glaucoma was found in 23.7% of the individuals. Clinical information was available for 15 individuals (16%). Half of them were thought to have some clinical optic nerve damage; in the remainder, no specific optic disc abnormalities were noted. Histologic findings of arteriolosclerosis in the optic nerve circulation were common. The prevalence of glaucoma was low.
Schnabel cavernous optic atrophy appears to be a unilateral condition of elderly women with systemic vascular disease and few characteristic ocular features. Our data indicate that a chronic vascular occlusive disease of the proximal optic nerve is more involved in cavernous atrophic pathogenesis than is a sustained increase of intraocular pressure.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
We report a new case of mesothelioma that presented with an isolated lingual metastasis 14 months after initial diagnosis. The patient was a 71-year-old man with a history of pleural decortication ...and chemotherapy for epithelioid mesothelioma who recently complained of chronic bleeding from a nodular consolidation of tongue. There was no clinical or instrumental evidence of extrathoracic tumor spread. Microscopic examination of a lingual biopsy specimen revealed nests of atypical polygonal cells with moderate cytoplasm, immunopositive for keratins, epithelial membrane antigen, vimentin, thrombomodulin, and calretinin. This case provides additional evidence that mesothelioma could rarely, but not exceptionally, metastatize, to unusual sites such as the tongue. In that location it can mimic primary poorly differentiated squamous carcinoma or adenocarcinoma as well as a number of other metastatic malignancies. In addition to obvious medicolegal implication, metastatic mesothelioma should be correctly recognized so as to avoid useless radical treatment.
