MRI features of peripheral traumatic neuromas Ahlawat, Shivani; Belzberg, Allan J.; A. Montgomery, Elizabeth ...
European radiology,
04/2016, Letnik:
26, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Objectives
To describe the MRI appearance of traumatic neuromas on non-contrast and contrast-enhanced MRI sequences.
Methods
This IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant study retrospectively reviewed 13 ...subjects with 20 neuromas. Two observers reviewed pre-operative MRIs for imaging features of neuroma (size, margin, capsule, signal intensity, heterogeneity, enhancement, neurogenic features and denervation) and the nerve segment distal to the traumatic neuroma. Descriptive statistics were reported. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the relationship between size of neuroma and parent nerve.
Results
Of 20 neuromas, 13 were neuromas-in-continuity and seven were end-bulb neuromas. Neuromas had a mean size of 1.5 cm (range 0.6–4.8 cm), 100 % (20/20) had indistinct margins and 0 % (0/20) had a capsule. Eighty-eight percent (7/8) showed enhancement. All 100 % (20/20) had tail sign; 35 % (7/20) demonstrated discontinuity from the parent nerve. None showed a target sign. There was moderate positive correlation (r = 0.68, p = 0.001) with larger neuromas arising from larger parent nerves. MRI evaluation of the nerve segment distal to the neuroma showed increased size (mean size 0.5 cm ± 0.4 cm) compared to the parent nerve (mean size 0.3 cm ± 0.2 cm).
Conclusion
Since MRI features of neuromas include enhancement, intravenous contrast medium cannot be used to distinguish neuromas from peripheral nerve sheath tumours. The clinical history of trauma with the lack of a target sign are likely the most useful clues.
Key Points
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MRI features of neuromas include enhancement and lack of a target sign
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Contrast material cannot be used to distinguish traumatic neuromas from PNSTs
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Traumatic neuromas can simulate peripheral nerve neoplasms on imaging
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Summary The Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved potent regulator of cell growth, division, and apoptosis. Yes-associated protein (YAP), the nuclear effector of the Hippo pathway, is a ...highly conserved component of this pathway in mammalian systems. In humans, amplification of the chromosome region containing the YAP gene (11q22) has been reported in several tumor types. This study was performed to determine if YAP expression was present in 4 common types of malignant tumors that have the highest lifetime risk of causing cancer death among men and women in the United States. The YAP expression intensity and distribution were evaluated in normal tissues and compared to the most frequently occurring malignant tumors in these tissues (colonic adenocarcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, and ductal carcinoma of the breast). For each tissue, the nuclear and cytoplasmic YAP expression intensity was scored as negative, low, or high. We found focal expression of YAP in the progenitor and reparative cellular compartments of normal tissue. In contrast, there was strong and diffuse nuclear and cytoplasmic YAP expression in colonic adenocarcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma. We concluded that the potent Hippo growth regulatory pathway shows markedly different expression patterns in normal tissues of the colon, lung, and ovary compared to the 3 common malignant tumor types we examined in these tissues. Our findings suggest that activation of the Hippo signaling pathway may occur through YAP as part of cell proliferation in normal tissue homeostasis and also might be a frequently activated oncogenic pathway in 3 common malignant tumor types.
Clinical trials with immune checkpoint inhibition in sarcomas have demonstrated minimal response. Here, we interrogated the tumor microenvironment (TME) of two contrasting soft-tissue sarcomas (STS), ...rhabdomyosarcomas and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcomas (UPS), with differing genetic underpinnings and responses to immune checkpoint inhibition to understand the mechanisms that lead to response.
Utilizing fresh and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from patients diagnosed with UPS and rhabdomyosarcomas, we dissected the TME by using IHC, flow cytometry, and comparative transcriptomic studies.
Our results demonstrated both STS subtypes to be dominated by tumor-associated macrophages and infiltrated with immune cells that localized near the tumor vasculature. Both subtypes had similar T-cell densities, however, their
distribution diverged. UPS specimens demonstrated diffuse intratumoral infiltration of T cells, while rhabdomyosarcomas samples revealed intratumoral T cells that clustered with B cells near perivascular beds, forming tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). T cells in UPS specimens were comprised of abundant CD8
T cells exhibiting high PD-1 expression, which might represent the tumor reactive repertoire. In rhabdomyosarcomas, T cells were limited to TLS, but expressed immune checkpoints and immunomodulatory molecules which, if appropriately targeted, could help unleash T cells into the rest of the tumor tissue.
Our work in STS revealed an immunosuppressive TME dominated by myeloid cells, which may be overcome with activation of T cells that traffic into the tumor. In rhabdomyosarcomas, targeting T cells found within TLS may be key to achieve antitumor response.
BACKGROUNDFrailty increases early hospital readmission and mortality risk among kidney transplantation (KT) recipients. Although frailty represents a high-risk state for this population, the ...correlates of frailty, the patterns of the 5 frailty components, and the risk associated with these patterns are unclear.
METHODSSix hundred sixty-three KT recipients were enrolled in a cohort study of frailty in transplantation (12/2008-8/2015). Frailty, activities of daily living (ADL)/instrumental ADL (IADL) disability, Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale depression, education, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were measured. We used multinomial regression to identify frailty correlates. We identified which patterns of the 5 components were associated with mortality using adjusted Cox proportional hazards models.
RESULTSFrailty prevalence was 19.5%. Older recipients (adjusted prevalence ratio PR, 2.22; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.21-4.07) were more likely to be frail. The only other factors that were independently associated with frailty were IADL disability (PR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.72-6.06), depressive symptoms (PR, 11.31; 95% CI, 4.02-31.82), less than a high school education (PR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.30-7.36), and low HRQOL (fair/poorPR, 3.71; 95% CI, 1.48-9.31). The most common pattern was poor grip strength, low physical activity, and slowed walk speed (19.4%). Only 2 patterns of the 5 components emerged as having an association with post-KT mortality. KT recipients with exhaustion and slowed walking speed (hazards ratio = 2.43; 95% CI, 1.17-5.03) and poor grip strength, exhaustion, and slowed walking speed (hazard ratio, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.14-5.97) were at increased mortality risk.
CONCLUSIONSAge was the only conventional factor associated with frailty among KT recipients; however, factors rarely measured as part of clinical practice, namely, HRQOL, IADL disability, and depressive symptoms, were significant correlates of frailty. Redefining the frailty phenotype may be needed to improve risk stratification for KT recipients.
Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) is a variant of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma characterized by a prominent and sometimes exclusive spindle cell component. Distinction from a sarcoma or reactive ...stroma can be problematic, particularly in cases in which the conventional component is not obvious. The value of immunohistochemistry is limited because of the loss of cytokeratin expression in a sizable percentage of cases. Staining for p63 can enhance detection of epithelial differentiation, but its usefulness is offset by expression in various soft tissue proliferations. Staining for p40—a squamous-specific isoform of p63—could potentially improve diagnostic accuracy. Immunohistochemistry for pancytokeratin, p63, and p40 was performed on 37 head and neck SCs, 201 soft tissue neoplasms, and 40 reactive stromal proliferations. The SCs were also stained for p16 in the event that some of the tumors were human papillomavirus (HPV) related. HPV in situ hybridization was performed on p16-positive cases. Twenty-three of 37 (62%) SCs were positive for pancytokeratin, 23 of 37 (62%) were positive for p63, and 20 of 37 (54%) were positive for p40. Compared with p63, p40 staining was less likely to be observed in soft tissue tumors (5% vs. 30%) and reactive stromal proliferations (0% vs. 30%). HPV16 was detected in 3 of 10 (30%) SCs of the oropharynx but in none of the nonoropharyngeal SCs. p40 staining does not improve the sensitivity for diagnosing SC, but it does diminish the risk of misdiagnosing a sarcoma or reactive stroma as SC. The presence of a sarcomatoid variant of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer points to HPV testing as a useful diagnostic tool for atypical spindle cell proliferations of the oropharynx.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) accounts for over 8% of all deaths annually worldwide. Between 2 and 5% of all CRCs occur due to inherited syndromes, including Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, ...MUTYH-associated polyposis, Peutz–Jeghers syndrome, juvenile polyposis and Cowden/PTEN hamartoma syndrome. In addition, serrated polyposis is a clinically defined condition characterised by multiple colorectal serrated polyps and an increased risk of CRC but the genetics are not known. In most hereditary CRC syndromes, polyps undergo carcinogenesis, but the exact route to carcinoma seems to differ between the conditions. Discovery of the key germline mutations in these syndromes has been instrumental to our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of colorectal carcinogenesis. This review summarises the genetic and pathological alterations in hereditary CRC syndromes.
Neurofibromatosis 1 is a hereditary syndrome characterized by the development of numerous benign neurofibromas, a small subset of which progress to malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). ...To better understand the genetic basis for MPNSTs, we performed genome-wide or targeted sequencing on 50 cases. Sixteen MPNSTs but none of the neurofibromas tested were found to have somatic mutations in SUZ12, implicating it as having a central role in malignant transformation.
OBJECTIVE:To test whether frailty, a novel measure of physiologic reserve, is associated with longer kidney transplant (KT) length of stay (LOS), and modifies the association between LOS and ...mortality.
BACKGROUND:Better understanding of LOS is necessary for informed consent and discharge planning. Mortality resulting from longer LOS has important regulatory implications for hospital and transplant programs. Which recipients are at risk of prolonged LOS and its effect on mortality are unclear. Frailty is a novel preoperative predictor of poor KT outcomes including delayed graft function, early hospital readmission, immunosuppression intolerance, and mortality.
METHODS:We used registry-augmented hybrid methods, a novel approach to risk adjustment, to adjust for LOS risk factors from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (n = 74,859) and tested whether (1) frailty, measured immediately before KT in a novel cohort (n = 589), was associated with LOS (LOSnegative binomial regression; LOS ≥2 weekslogistic regression) and (2) whether frailty modified the association between LOS and mortality (interaction term analysis).
RESULTS:Frailty was independently associated with longer LOS relative risk = 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI)1.03–1.29; P = 0.01 and LOS ≥2 weeks (odds ratio = 1.57, 95% CI1.06–2.33; P = 0.03) after accounting for registry-based risk factors, including delayed graft function. Frailty also attenuated the association between LOS and mortality (nonfrail hazard rate = 1.55 95% CI1.30–1.86; P < 0.001; frail hazard rate = 0.97, 95% CI0.79–1.19, P = 0.80; P for interaction = 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:Frail KT recipients are more likely to experience a longer LOS. Longer LOS among nonfrail recipients may be a marker of increased mortality risk. Frailty is a measure of physiologic reserve that may be an important clinical marker of longer surgical LOS.