Contributions From University of Michigan 2016 New Frontiers in Pathology Conference.

Abstract

Every autumn the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan (UM; Ann Arbor, Michigan) organizes a case-based continuing medical education conference directed toward an audience of community and academic pathologists and trainees with the intent of providing up-to-date and cutting-edge information for the practicing pathologist. Last year the conference was held in Ann Arbor on October 19–21, 2016. Although we invited 3 excellent outside speakers, the meeting was primarily “homegrown,” with the majority of case studies and interactive breakout sessions presented by UM faculty. With gracious support from the editorial staff of Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, we publish 11 review articles based on topics presented at the conference. The manuscripts are published in 2 separate issues: part I in this issue and part II in the November issue.This issue (part I) contains 5 review articles that focus on surgical pathology. Reena Singh, MD, and Kathleen R. Cho, MD, present compelling evidence with molecular confirmation that the fallopian tubal epithelium can be a site of metastasis and not simply a site of origin for gynecologic cancers, especially in the face of widespread disease. Avneesh Gupta, MD, Nathan Shaller, MD, and Kathryn A. McFadden, MD, review the clinicopathologic features of pediatric thalamic brain tumors. Based upon their review of the literature, diffuse and pilocytic astrocytomas account for the vast majority of cases (80%). The authors emphasize the importance of tissue diagnosis for prognostication, therapeutic molecular targeting, and identifying tumors for which resection is likely to be beneficial. Julie M. Jorns, MD, and her colleagues from radiology and oncologic surgery, Deborah O. Jeffries, MD, and Lesly A. Dossett, MD, MPH, highlight next-generation technologies in localization for breast surgery, notably nonradioactive, nonwire localization techniques such as SAVI SCOUT (Cianna Medical, Inc, Aliso Viejo, California), which uses infrared light and microimpulse laser, and Magseed (Endomagnetics, Inc, Austin, Texas), which uses a magnetic seed for localization, both of which are also being tested and deployed at other institutions. Shula Schechter, MD, and Jiaqi Shi, MD, PhD, review the clinicopathologic and molecular features of the pancreatic simple mucinous cyst, an underrecognized lesion, which they compare and contrast with other pancreatic mucinous cysts, notably intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and mucinous cystic neoplasm, tumors that differ from simple mucinous cysts in that they are associated with malignant potential. Finally, in this issue Angela Wu, MD, details UM's approach to the very challenging diagnosis of oncocytic renal cell neoplasia in core biopsy and resection specimens using morphologic and immunohistochemical criteria.In next month's issue (part II), review articles will appear on additional topics presented at the UM New Frontiers Conference in hematopathology, dermatopathology, and perinatal and soft tissue pathology. There are 3 hematopathology papers. In one, Nathan J. Charles, MD, PhD, and Daniel F. Boyer, MD, PhD, review mixed-phenotype acute leukemia, an underrecognized, heterogeneous category that comprises acute leukemias with discrete admixed populations of myeloid and lymphoid blasts and ones with extensive coexpression of lymphoid and myeloid markers in a single blast population. In the second hematopathology paper, Vivian M. Hathuc, DO, Alexandra C. Hristov, MD, and Lauren B. Smith, MD, review primary cutaneous acral CD8+ T-cell lymphoma, a newly classified cutaneous lymphoma with an indolent clinical course, and compare and contrast it with other more aggressive cutaneous T-cell diseases. Steven Weindorf, MD, and John Frederiksen, MD, PhD, present a thorough yet concise review of IgG4-related disease for the practicing pathologist in the third hematopathology paper. Also in the November issue, Amer Heider, MD, reviews placental pathology of fetal vascular malperfusion in a very well-written and accessible paper; Lauren M. Stanoszek, MD, PhD, Grace Y. Wang, MD, and Paul W. Harms, MD, PhD, address diagnostic mimics of cutaneous basal cell carcinoma in their beautifully illustrated manuscript; and David R. Lucas, MD, reviews and updates myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma, a challenging soft tissue tumor that is frequently misdiagnosed by pathologists unaware of its clinicopathologic manifestations.We hope you enjoy reading these articles.