Distinguishing grade 3 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) from neuroendocrine carcinomas (PanNECs) is sometimes challenging. Recently, a diffuse p16-positive pattern was reported in PanNECs but not in grade 3 PanNETs, suggesting that p16 could help differentiate these entities. This study aimed to investigate p16 expression in PanNETs of various grades and its association with clinicopathologic features. A total of 114 PanNETs were selected, and their H&E resection slides were reviewed for pathologic features, with a focus on morphologic variants. Tissue microarrays were constructed, and p16 immunohistochemistry was performed. The results were categorized as diffuse positive, partial positive, or negative. Patient electronic health records were reviewed for follow-up data. Among the 114 PanNETs reviewed, 13 (11.4%) exhibited diffuse p16 expression, 40 (35.1%) were negative, and 61 (53.5%) had partial expression. Diffuse p16 expression occurred in 6 of 38 (15.8%) grade 1, 6 of 60 (10.0%) grade 2, and 1 of 16 (6.3%) grade 3 tumors. Expression did not differ substantially with patient demographics, tumor size, grading, staging, or survival, but diffuse p16 expression was more frequent in body/tail tumors (12/65 [18.5%], P = .019) and in stromal-rich tumors (10/23 [43.5%], P < .001). Diffuse p16 expression is not uncommon in PanNETs and may be associated with stroma-rich variants.

The highly specialized language used in prostate biopsy pathology reports coupled with low rates of health literacy leave some patients unable to comprehend their medical information. Patients' use of online search engines can lead to misinterpretation of results and emotional distress. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT (OpenAI) could simplify complex texts and help patients. This study evaluates patient-centered prostate biopsy reports generated by ChatGPT. Thirty-five self-generated prostate biopsy reports were synthesized using National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Each report was entered into ChatGPT, version 4, with the same instructions, and the explanations were evaluated by 5 urologists and 5 pathologists. Respondents rated the AI-generated reports as mostly accurate and complete. All but 1 report was rated complete and grammatically correct by the majority of physicians. Pathologists did not rate any reports as having severe potential for harm, but 1 or more urologists rated severe concern in 20% of the reports. For 80% of the reports, all 5 pathologists felt comfortable sharing them with a patient or another clinician, but all 5 urologists reached the same consensus for only 40% of reports. Although every report required edits, all physicians agreed that they could modify the ChatGPT report faster than they could write an original report. ChatGPT can save physicians substantial time by generating patient-centered reports appropriate for patient and physician audiences with low potential to cause harm. Surveyed physicians have confidence in the overall utility of ChatGPT, supporting further investigation of how AI could be integrated into physicians' workflows.

Diagnoses rendered using the frozen section (FS) technique during surgical procedures are used to guide intraoperative decisions. Therefore, diagnostic FS errors have the potential to affect patient safety and quality of care. Diagnostic FS errors arise due to both technical and interpretative factors and present a challenge to surgical pathology laboratories to recognize, document, and manage in a timely fashion. Thus, there is a need to monitor discrepancies between FS and permanent diagnoses and effectively communicate with the clinical teams when an error is discovered to ensure an opportunity for timely interventions, if clinically indicated. Our FS practice is complex, with many contributing variables, such as a partially generalized FS pathology practice model among pathology faculty and/or surgeons with specific subspecialty expertise and different physical locations of FS facilities. We implemented a comprehensive frozen section quality assurance (FSQA) program using custom software solutions aimed at improving patient safety by monitoring recognition, increasing documentation, and facilitating communication in cases where there is a discordance between intraoperative and permanent diagnoses. Our FSQA program allows for categorizing frozen section discrepancies according to the source of error, such as interpretive vs technical errors, to understand how errors arise and todevelop appropriate mitigation strategies for reducing errors. Overall, our intervention to improve FSQA has engaged pathology faculty in a uniform and systematic manner, and our data show that our new FSQA program led to a markedly shortened time interval of FSQA, allowing for timely management and resolution of errors.

Abdominal wall and intra-abdominal fibromatoses are locally aggressive, nonmetastasizing neoplasms. Surgery has been the mainstay of local control, but new forms of therapy have been developed that may influence the clinical course and morbidity. We studied the clinical features and outcomes of patients with abdominal and intra-abdominal fibromatoses over time. Ninety-one patients-46 with abdominal wall and 45 with intra-abdominal fibromatosis-treated in our hospital systems between 2009 and 2023 were included. The patients were allocated to 1 of 2 groups based on the year of their initial treatment: before and including 2016 vs 2017-2023. Medical records and available histologic slides were reviewed. Forty-six patients were treated between 2009 and 2016, and 45 patients were treated between 2017 and 2023. Patient ages ranged from 1 to 85 years (median, 39 years), and most patients (70%) were women (2:2 men to women). Patients self-reported as Hispanic (49%), followed by White (28%), Black (20%), and Asian (3%). A subset (21%) had familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)/Gardner syndrome. Individuals with intra-abdominal fibromatoses (37%) were more likely to have FAP than individuals with abdominal wall fibromatosis (4%) (P < .0001). The most common initial treatment before and during vs after 2016 was surgical excision (78% and 51% respectively; P = .02), followed by active surveillance with other medical intervention (9% and 18%, respectively; P = .28) and use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (0% and 18%, respectively; P = .014). The rate of multivisceral transplant in patients with FAP/Gardner syndrome was 47% vs 4% in patients with sporadic disease (P < .001); most transplants (92%) were performed before and during 2016. The overall tumor recurrence/persistence rate in patients who had undergone surgery was 31%. The recurrence/persistence rate in patients treated before and during 2016 was 39% (median follow-up, 24 months), which fell to 13% (median follow-up, 18 months) in individuals treated after 2016 (P = .032). The overall recurrence/persistence rate in patients with FAP/Gardner syndrome was 64% vs 21% in patients with sporadic disease (P = .002). In patients with sporadic disease, there were recurrences in 29% of patients treated before and during 2016 and in 9% of patients treated thereafter (P = .086). Intra-abdominal vs abdominal wall lesions in patients with FAP and in patients with sporadic disease were more likely to recur (26% vs 10% and 16% vs 5%), but this occurrence did not reach statistical significance (P = .15). Most recurrent tumors were treated by surgical re-excision in both groups. Our data suggest that a combination of less morbid surgical approaches and the addition of nonsurgical approaches (active disease surveillance, use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and other interventions) have resulted in substantially fewer surgical interventions over time for intra-abdominal and abdominal wall fibromatoses treated between 2009 and 2023. The overall probability of recurrences, however, in patients treated surgically remains similar.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs) and serrated polyps (SPs) of the appendix, both characterized by KRAS mutations and overlapping morphologic features. We analyzed 27 cases of LAMN and 24 cases of SP from archival records, reviewed pathology, and performed molecular analysis on select cases. Four cases initially diagnosed as LAMN were excluded for not meeting diagnostic criteria, and 1 SP case was reclassified as LAMN. Microscopic evaluation revealed serrated architecture in 8 (29.6%) of 27 LAMNs: 4 hyperplastic polyp-like, 2 sessile serrated lesion-like (SSL), and 1 traditional serrated adenoma-like (TSA). One case exhibited both SSL- and TSA-like areas. Among SPs, 3 (12.5%) of 24 cases showed morphologic overlap with LAMN due to cytoplasmic mucin, flattened mucosa, and conventional adenoma-like features; all were grossly visible. KRAS was the most common mutation in LAMNs with serrated architecture (4/4, 100%), 1 classic LAMN, and 1 SP with dysplasia and associated signet-ring cell carcinoma. Serrated polyps and LAMNs likely represent a biological continuum, sharing key features such as KRAS mutations and morphologic overlap. Our findings underscore the need for careful molecular and histopathologic evaluation in diagnosing these neoplasms.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs) and serrated polyps (SPs) of the appendix, both characterized by KRAS mutations and overlapping morphologic features. We analyzed 27 cases of LAMN and 24 cases of SP from archival records, reviewed pathology, and performed molecular analysis on select cases. Four cases initially diagnosed as LAMN were excluded for not meeting diagnostic criteria, and 1 SP case was reclassified as LAMN. Microscopic evaluation revealed serrated architecture in 8 (29.6%) of 27 LAMNs: 4 hyperplastic polyp-like, 2 sessile serrated lesion-like (SSL), and 1 traditional serrated adenoma-like (TSA). One case exhibited both SSL- and TSA-like areas. Among SPs, 3 (12.5%) of 24 cases showed morphologic overlap with LAMN due to cytoplasmic mucin, flattened mucosa, and conventional adenoma-like features; all were grossly visible. KRAS was the most common mutation in LAMNs with serrated architecture (4/4, 100%), 1 classic LAMN, and 1 SP with dysplasia and associated signet-ring cell carcinoma. Serrated polyps and LAMNs likely represent a biological continuum, sharing key features such as KRAS mutations and morphologic overlap. Our findings underscore the need for careful molecular and histopathologic evaluation in diagnosing these neoplasms.

External quality assessment (EQA) helps evaluate and improve the quality of laboratory testing by providing unbiased reviews. The study aimed to synthesize pooled EQA performance of clinical laboratories across the African region. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024562987) and reported based on the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. An extensive search was employed using the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Embase databases as well as gray literature. After duplicates were removed, the remaining articles were evaluated based on title, abstract, and full text. Methodologic quality was assessed using the JBI critical appraisal checklist. Random effects meta-analysis was used to estimate the pooled performance of EQA at 95% CIs. In addition, the I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity, and a funnel plot along with Egger regression were employed to evaluate publication bias. Trim and fill analysis was also performed to adjust the publication bias. From an electronic database search, a total of 622 articles were retrieved. Of these, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria, encompassing a total sample size of 4509 participating laboratories. In this study, the overall pooled performance of EQA in the African region was 71.25% (95% CI, 63.12-79.39). The result indicated statisticallysignificant heterogeneity (I2 = 96.36). The funnel plot displayed an asymmetrical distribution of the studies, and Egger regression revealed significant publication bias (P = .002). The findings revealed that the pooled EQA performance of laboratories in Africa did not meet the typical standard of 80%, indicating a need for continuous improvement. We suggest conducting further studies to gain better insights.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized treatment of platinum-refractory advanced bladder cancer, offering hope where options are limited. Response varies, however, influenced by factors such as the tumor's immune microenvironment and prior therapy. Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is stratified into molecular subtypes, with distinct clinicopathologic features affecting prognosis and treatment. This study assessed the expression of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) and other immune markers in MIBC, categorized by molecular phenotype. Using GATA3 and CK5/6 immunohistochemistry, 90 neoadjuvant chemotherapy-naive MIBC cases were classified into luminal andnon-luminalsubtypes. The immune microenvironment was characterized through immunostaining for PD-L1, CD4, and CD8. We applied PD-L1 positivity thresholds of 1% or greater for tumor cells and 5% or greater for immune cells. Tumors were examined for PD-L1 expression, histologic subtypes, and immune cell infiltration. Varied expression of PD-L1 and T-cell subtype densities were observed among MIBC subtypes. The double-negative subtype displayed the highest PD-L1 immune cell expression and stromal CD4 and CD8 T-cell densities, indicating an active immune profile. The basal subtype exhibited the highest PD-L1 positivity in tumor cells. In contrast, the luminal type showed the lowest PD-L1 tumor and immune cell expression, with high intratumoral CD4 T-cell density. Although PD-L1 expression in tumor or immune cells did not independently affect survival, patients with basal and double-negative tumors had poorer overall survival. This study highlighted the immune diversity of MIBC in the context of molecular subtypes. Distinct molecular and immune profiles could guide the development of predictive signatures for enhanced immunotherapy response in advanced bladder cancer.

Social media platforms like Facebook, X (formally Twitter), and Instagram bridge pathology programs with other health professionals, prospective students, and the public, but the extent of social media usage by residency programs remains unexplored. This study investigates the current landscape of social media utilization by pathology programs. Using the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) Match Data from 2022, 139 anatomic and clinical pathology residency programs were analyzed and categorized into 3 prestige tiers based on Doximity ratings. There were 32,067 posts examined between January 2018 and August 2022. Statistical analyses, including analysis of variance and Tukey honestly significant difference post hoc analysis, were performed to evaluate likes/views about post type. X emerged as the most used platform (68%), focusing on pathology education (27.02%). Instagram centered on resident life (25.84%), while Facebook showcased person-specific posts (35.61%). Notably, there was a correlation between program prestige and the number of posts on X and Instagram, with the most prestigious programs posting more frequently than those considered more intermediate or low in prestige rank. Social media is vital in connecting pathology programs with various stakeholders. Despite seasonal fluctuations, the overall utilization of social media continues to rise, underscoring its value as a long-term resource for pathology education and communication.