Clinical Morphological Features Research Articles

Serum visfatin as predictive marker of cardiometabolic risk in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract Background Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Visfatin is an adipocytokine with insulin-like action and it’s closely related to the amount of visceral fats. The objective of our study was to evaluate serum visfatin levels among women with PCOS. Also, to evaluate the association between serum visfatin and cardio-metabolic risk factors as well as clinic-morphological features of PCOS. Methods Case control study enrolled 120 women diagnosed with PCOS and 80 healthy control women. PCOS cases were stratified according to their fasting plasma glucose (FPG) into three subgroups: those with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Serum visfatin levels (ng/ml) were assessed by ELISA. Results Our results revealed higher values of cardio-metabolic risks; total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), fasting serum insulin (FSI), HbA1c, HOMA-IR, and FPG in PCOS compared to healthy women. In addition, compared with healthy women (28.66 ± 10.63), PCOS patients (87.98 ± 17.96) had significantly higher levels of serum visfatin. Among PCOS group, T2DM patients (119.59 ± 14.52) had significantly higher levels of serum visfatin compared to IGT (81.03 ± 15.81) and NGT (85.09 ± 11.01). Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed that serum visfatin was a useful biomarker discriminating PCOS from control, the AUC was 0.989 with sensitivity = 99.2%, specificity = 99.8%, Additionally, the sensitivities and the specificities of visfatin in differentiating T2DM from NGT were (93.3% and 98.2%). Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that androstenedione, LH, free androgen index and ovarian volume were the main predictors of visfatin levels among PCOS. Conclusion Serum visfatin levels could discriminate PCOS from healthy control and T2DM from NGT PCOS women. Moreover, vesfatin was positive correlated to cardio-metabolic risk factors. Interestingly, the sensitivity and specificity power of vesfatin were high. Thus, it could be early predicting of cardio-metabolic risks among PCOS women and might be useful in therapeutic intervention in future.

Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spinal Decompression in Elderly Patients with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Morphological Analysis.

Study DesignCase-control study.PurposeIn this study, we aimed to investigate clinical outcomes and morphological features in elderly patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) who were treated by minimally invasive surgery (MIS) unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) using a tubular retractor.Overview of LiteratureNumerous methods using imaging have been attempted to describe the severity of spinal stenosis. But the relationship between clinical symptoms and radiological features remains debatable.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to investigate clinical outcomes and morphological features in elderly patients with LSS who were treated by MIS-ULBD.MethodsWe methodically assessed 85 consecutive patients aged >65 years who were treated for LSS. The patients were retrospectively analyzed in two age groups: 66–75 years (group 1) and >75 years (group 2). Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the modified MacNab criteria. Outcome parameters were compared between the groups at the 1-year follow-up. Core radiologic parameters for central and lateral stenosis were analyzed and clinical findings of the groups were compared.ResultsAt the 1-year follow-up, patients in both groups 1 and 2 demonstrated significant improvement in their VAS and ODI scores. All clinical outcomes, except postoperative ODI, were not significantly difference between the groups. In addition, no significant difference was noted in the preoperative radiological parameters between the groups. There was no statistically significant correlation between radiological parameters and clinical symptoms or their outcomes. Moreover, no differences were noted in perioperative adverse events and in the need for repeat surgery at follow-ups between the groups.ConclusionsMIS-ULBD by tubular approach is a safe and effective treatment option for elderly patients with LSS. Clinical outcomes in patients with LSS and aged >75 years were comparable with those in patients with LSS and aged 66–75 years. Moreover, we did not find any correlation between radiological parameters and clinical outcomes in either of the two patient groups.

Assessment of cam morphology of the hip with ultra sound imaging by physical therapists is reliable and valid

BackgroundFemoroacetabular impingement syndrome is considered present when a combination of clinical symptoms, signs and morphological features of the hip co-exist. Imaging is increasingly popular in primary health care settings with physical therapists performing ultrasound (US). ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy and inter-rater reliability of ultrasound in determining presence of cam morphology. DesignA concurrent validity and inter-rater reliability study. MethodsThe presence of cam morphology of the hip was determined by α angle measures using Kinovea software. A cam was defined present when the α angle >60°. The index test was US and radiographs served as a gold standard. ResultsCorrelation between the radiographic α angle and ultrasound measures was r = 0.82 (p < 0.01). Inter-rater reliability was high with an ICC of 0.74 (95% CI 0.61–0.84).The predictive value for presence of cam morphology had a sensitivity of 79% and a specificity of 94%. The positive predictive value was 79% whereas the negative predictive value was 94%. Total accuracy was 90%. ConclusionsUltrasound conducted by trained physical therapists is a valid, reliable, specific and sensitive diagnostic tool to assess the presence of cam morphology.

Clinical-morphological features of hemodynamic strokes

Introduction. An important objective of neurology is to clarify the pathogenesis of ischemic strokes and the diagnostic distinction of their pathogenetic subtypes that determines the possibility of targeted treatment and adequate prevention of strokes. Objective: Definition of clinical and morphological features of the hemodynamic subtype of ischemic stroke. Materials and methods. A clinical-pathological comparison in 32 cases of hemodynamic strokes. Results. It was established that hemodynamic strokes were caused by the presence of factors reducing systemic and cerebral hemodynamics in combination with tandem atherostenosis of carotid arteries (40% of strokes) and vertebrobasilar arteries (43%), and, occasionally, stenosis of both brain arterial systems or isolated cerebral arterial stenosis (10% and 7%, respectively). The severity of tandem stenosis on the side of the cerebral infarction ranged from 50% to 90%, and some strokes developed with minimal stenosis of each of the vessels. Eighty eight percent of strokes developed in patients having combination of stenosis on the side of the infarction with significant contralateral stenosis. In 43% of strokes, single or multiple small-sized cortical or medium-sized cortical-subcortical infarctions in areas of adjacent blood supply of cerebral hemispheres, as well as lacunar or medium-sized infarctions in the white matter of the hemispheres were seen. Thirty nine percent of strokes were associated with infarctions in the areas of adjacent blood supply of the cerebellar and the brainstem arteries. Eighty percent of cases were associated with atypical for this stroke subtype large-sized and medium-sized cortical-subcortical infarctions outside the areas of adjacent blood supply, resulting from inability to compensate cerebral blood supply deficiency through arterial anastomoses because of severe insi- and contralateral stenoses. Conclusions. Our clinical-pathological comparisons confirmed the previously established differential diagnostic criteria of hemodynamic strokes and, in addition, showed some specific features of their realization.

Pathogenicity of high risk HPV infection in pseudocondyloma of vulvae and its carcinogenicity in inducing cervical lesions.

To identify high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in pseudocondyloma of vulvae (PV) and the causal relationship between high-risk HPV infection and cervical cancer. The patients were divided into condyloma acuminatum group, PV groups and PV high-risk HPV infection group according to the clinical data and morphological features. Condyloma acuminatum group and PV group were two control groups. The exfoliated cells were detected and typed by human HPV nucleic acid typing kit. The gene fusion site of HPV and its potential gene integration mechanism were investigated using genome-wide sequencing and high-throughput virus integration screening techniques. The HPV integration frequencies of some key gene integration sites were calculated and some novel genes integration sites were identified. The samples from PV high-risk HPV infection group showed both the pathologic manifestations of PV and the koilocytes caused by the virus infection. Suspected HPV virus particles with a density different from chromatin were observed from the samples of PV high-risk HPV infection group under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The intercellular desmosomes were regularly connected, and autophagosomes can also be observed in some cases. HPV genome was not detected in PV groups and PV high-risk HPV infection group due to the low copy number. HPV genome was only detected in condyloma acuminatum group. PV high-risk HPV infection showed both the symptoms of PV and HPV infection with suspected HPV virus particles in cells.

Reappraisal of morphological and immunohistochemical spectrum of intracranial and spinal solitary fibrous tumors/hemangiopericytomas with impact on long-term follow-up.

Hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) and solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are unique entities in the central nervous system (CNS) and even rarer in the spine with propensity to recurrence and metastasis. Both these tumors were detected to share the NAB2-STAT6 fusion gene with frequent morphologic overlap that necessitated the need for the combined term SFT/HPC in the CNS by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016. This study aims to describe the clinical outcome of intracranial and spinal SFT/HPCs based on detailed histomorphologic and immunohistochemical features. A retrospective analysis of these tumors was conducted over a period of 10 years from January 2006 to January 2017 at our institute. Based on the elaborative assessment of morphology and immunohistochemistry, these tumors were categorized into three grades as per WHO criteria. A total of 13 cases were encountered involving mainly extra-axial and supratentorial regions. Among intracranial HPCs, anaplastic subtypes constituted significantly higher proportion (39%) when compared with peripheral HPCs. Peculiar morphological patterns like micropapillae and pseudoangiomatous arrangement of tumor cells were observed in high-grade tumors. A panel of immunomarkers were used to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other mimickers. Gross total resection was achieved in 54% (7/13) of the cases with local recurrence observed in 31% (4/13). Grade II tumors showed recurrence in 28% cases. No case showed distant metastasis. To conclude, not just clinical parameters but morphologic features such as unusual patterns, mitosis, and proliferative index also play a pivotal role in predicting the clinical behaviour of SFT/HPC.

Genetic association between 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a Chinese population.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a heterogeneous myocardial disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical presentation and morphologic features. Previous reports indicated that protein kinase C pathway as a major determinant of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Population-based analyses of the association between PRKCH gene (encoded PKCη) and HCM has not been performed yet. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association of the nonsynonymous SNP (1425G/A) in PRKCH gene and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a Chinese population. 323 patients with HCM and 326 controls were examined using a case-control methodology. The 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH was genotyped by allele-specific real-time PCR assay. The 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH increased the risk of HOCM (hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy) (OR=1.427, 95% confidence interval, 1.013 to 2.012, P=0.046) under a dominant model. After age- and sex-adjustment, the significant associations remained in HOCM (for GG +AG versus AA, OR= 2.497, 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 6.17; P=0.047). The 1425G/A SNP in PRKCH increases the risk of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy in the Chinese population.

Validation of Antibody-Based Strategies for Diagnosis of Pediatric Celiac Disease Without Biopsy

A diagnosis of celiac disease is made based on clinical, genetic, serologic, and duodenal morphology features. Recent pediatric guidelines, based largely on retrospective data, propose omitting biopsy analysis for patients with concentrations of IgA against tissue transglutaminase (IgA-TTG) >10-fold the upper limit of normal (ULN) and if further criteria are met. A retrospective study concluded that measurements of IgA-TTG and total IgA, or IgA-TTG and IgG against deamidated gliadin (IgG-DGL) could identify patients with and without celiac disease. Patients were assigned to categories of no celiac disease, celiac disease, or biopsy required, based entirely on antibody assays. We aimed to validate the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) of these diagnostic procedures. We performed a prospective study of 898 children undergoing duodenal biopsy analysis to confirm or rule out celiac disease at 13 centers in Europe. We compared findings from serologic analysis with findings from biopsy analyses, follow-up data, and diagnoses made by the pediatric gastroenterologists (celiac disease, no celiac disease, or no final diagnosis). Assays to measure IgA-TTG, IgG-DGL, and endomysium antibodies were performed by blinded researchers, and tissue sections were analyzed by local and blinded reference pathologists. We validated 2 procedures for diagnosis: total-IgA and IgA-TTG (the TTG-IgA procedure), as well as IgG-DGL with IgA-TTG (TTG-DGL procedure). Patients were assigned to categories of no celiac disease if all assays found antibody concentrations <1-fold the ULN, or celiac disease if at least 1 assay measured antibody concentrations >10-fold the ULN. All other cases were considered to require biopsy analysis. ULN values were calculated using the cutoff levels suggested by the test kit manufacturers. HLA typing was performed for 449 participants. We used models that considered how specificity values change with prevalence to extrapolate the PPV and NPV to populations with lower prevalence of celiac disease. Of the participants, 592 were found to have celiac disease, 345 were found not to have celiac disease, and 24 had no final diagnosis. The TTG-IgA procedure identified patients with celiac disease with a PPV of 0.988 and an NPV of 0.934; the TTG-DGL procedure identified patients with celiac disease with a PPV of 0.988 and an NPV of 0.958. Based on our extrapolation model, we estimated that the PPV and NPV would remain >0.95 even at a disease prevalence as low as 4%. Tests for endomysium antibodies and HLA type did not increase the PPV of samples with levels of IgA-TTG ≥10-fold the ULN. Notably, 4.2% of pathologists disagreed in their analyses of duodenal morphology-a rate comparable to the error rate for serologic assays. In a prospective study, we validated theTTG-IgA procedure and the TTG-DGL procedure in identification of pediatric patients with or without celiac disease, without biopsy. German Clinical Trials Registry no.: DRKS00003854.

Ischemia-induced glomerular parietal epithelial cells hyperplasia: Commonly misdiagnosed cellular crescent in renal biopsy

Ischemic pseudo-cellular crescent (IPCC) that is induced by ischemia and composed of hyperplastic glomerular parietal epithelial cells resembles cellular crescent. In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical and pathological features of IPCC in renal biopsy to avoid over-diagnosis and to determine the diagnostic basis. 4 IPCC cases diagnosed over a 4-year period (2012–2015) were evaluated for the study. Meanwhile, 5 cases of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis and 5 cases of lupus nephritis (LN) were selected as control. Appropriate clinical data, morphology, and immunohistochemical features of all cases were retrieved. Results showed that the basement membrane of glomerulus with IPCC appeared as a concentric twisted ball, and glomerular cells of the lesion were reduced even entirely absent, and the adjacent afferent arterioles showed sclerosis or luminal stenosis. Furthermore, immune globulin deposition, vasculitis, and fibrinous exudate have not been observed in IPCC. While the cellular crescents showed diverse characteristics in both morphology and immunostaining in the control group. Therefore, these results indicated that IPCC is a sort of ischemic reactive hyperplasia and associated with sclerosis, stenosis, or obstruction of adjacent afferent arterioles, which is clearly different from cellular crescents result from glomerulonephritis.

Secondary cutaneous peripheral T‐cell lymphoma, unspecified, with generalized benign‐looking dermatitis: a possibly distinct peripheral T‐cell lymphoma

Cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of tumors with various clinical manifestations, histological features, and prognoses. Among 425 cases of cutaneous lymphoma, we describe eight cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified, presenting with generalized benign-looking dermatitis. Our case series included eight cases of secondary cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified. The observed clinical morphology features included drug eruption-like generalized morbilliform maculopatches in two cases, generalized folliculitis-like papules in two cases, and generalized eczematous dermatitis-like papules and patches in four cases. Histopathological examination demonstrated tumor cell infiltrates of mainly atypical, small-to-medium lymphoid cells that were perivascularly or periadnexally distributed throughout the dermis. Immunohistochemical staining results for CD2, CD3, CD4, and CD8 revealed that the tumor cells were T-cells. This collection of cases and literature review emphasizes the need for clinical suspicion of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, unspecified, in the differential diagnosis of adult patients with refractory eczematous or benign-looking skin lesions.

КЛІНІКО-МОРФОЛОГІЧНІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ПОЄДНАНОГО ЛЕГЕНЕВОГО ТУБЕРКУЛЬОЗУ ТА РАКУ ЛЕГЕНЬ : ОГЛЯД ЛІТЕРАТУРИ ТА ВЛАСНІ СПОСТЕРЕЖЕННЯ

Стаття присвячена актуальній темі поєднаного легеневого туберкульозу та раку легень, вивченню клініко-морфологічних особливостей впливу обох захворювань на патоморфологічні форми, в якій поряд із літературними даними узагальнені власні дослідження та спостереження автора за останні 20 років. Цій проблемі в останнє десятиріччя у розвинутих країнах приділяється надзвичайно велика увага.

Индекс пролиферативной активности Ki-67 при неходжкинских лимфомах: клинико-морфологические особенности

Индекс пролиферативной активности Ki-67 при неходжкинских лимфомах: клинико-морфологические особенности

Histopathological spectrum of lichen sclerosus Et atrophicus

Introduction: Lichen sclerosus (LS) et atrophicus is an inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology affecting skin and mucosa, especially the genital area. Clinically, its main features are whitish papules which converge to form plaques and atrophic patches. Histopathology of LS et atrophicus is characterized by the constellation of an atrophic epidermis with loss of rete ridges, some lymphocytes in the basal layer, a subepidermal band of sclerosis, and a lichenoid infiltrate of lymphocytes beneath that band is diagnostic of LS. Materials and Methods: Skin specimens from 25 patients with LS were collected from the hospital records for 5 years. The diagnosis of all cases was made on the basis of clinical morphology and histopathologic features. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, and Elastic-Van Gieson. Criteria evaluated included hyperkeratosis, epidermal atrophy, follicular plugging, basal cell vacuolation, vascular ectasia, hyalinosis, inflammatory infiltrate, dermal edema, and deep dermal fibrosis. Results and Conclusion: Of a total of 25 patients, 18 patients had extragenital (EG) LS and 7 had genital manifestations. Mean age of patients with EG was 28 years, and genital was 38 years. To summarize, the main histopathological findings seen in LS are essentially the same as reported in literature, namely, hyperkeratosis, epidermal atrophy, follicular plugging, basal cell vacuolation, vascular ectasia, hyalinosis, inflammatory infiltrate, dermal edema, and deep dermal fibrosis. Moreover, some interesting differences between the EG and genital forms of LS were seen. However, since the figures are too small to comment on, studies comprising larger series of patients are required to bring out a statistical significance.

PREDICTORS OF AGGRESSIVE DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER. A REPORT OF A CASE OF PAPILLARY THYROID CANCER

Background. Differentiated thyroid cancer has a favorable prognosis in terms of relapse-free and overall survival. However, some cases of differentiated thyroid cancer (TC) are characterized by aggressive course with distant metastases and/or radioiodine refractoriness. Identification of histological subtypes of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and detection of specific mutations may have some prognostic value in the prediction of the disease course and clinical response to treatment. The severity of the disease depends on multiple clinical characteristics, morphological and molecular features of the tumor. Several histological variants of PTC with varying degrees of malignancy have been described so far: from well-differentiated PTC to radioiodine refractory undifferentiated anaplastic carcinoma with a high mitotic index and high probability of relapses. In this article, we present a case of PTC in a 76-year-old patient. The patient found a formation on the neck and complained of memory impairment. Upon examination, the patient was found to have a thyroid tumor with metastases in lungs, brain, and bones. The patient underwent thyroidectomy and started to receive suppressive doses of thyroxine. Stereotactic radiotherapy was performed to treat brain metastases. We observed a regression of small formations and partial response of larger metastatic foci. The patient received no radioiodine therapy due to his poor somatic status and extensive tumor spread. The patient received target therapy with sorafenib (800 mg/day) and bisphosphonates (BFT) for treatment of bone metastases. After the second cycle of target therapy, the dose of sorafenib was reduced by 50 % due to adverse events; during the next 10 month the patient received sorafenib at a dose of 400 mg/day. After the third cycle of target therapy we observed a stabilization of metastatic foci in the lungs and bones. However, during the treatment, the patient developed visceral metastases to the liver and the adrenal gland, a lytic metastasis in the right side of the mandible, and pain syndrome. A course of radiotherapy to the mandible was conducted along with BFT treatment. The patient received adequate analgesia and symptomatic therapy. The survival from the moment of diagnosis was 2 years. Results. We found that in some cases of differentiated TC, the disease has quite aggressive course with a rapid growth of the primary tumor and metastases into the brain and bones. Patients usually seek medical assistance at the advanced stages of the disease, when it is problematic to provide adequate therapy. The use of target therapy should be considered in such cases. There is a need to find new targets for the development of novel drugs for these patients. Conclusion . The most aggressive forms of PTC include diffuse sclerosing, tall cell, and insular variants of PTC. Various genetic abnormalities, such as BRAF mutation, can be detected in this case. The following clinical prognostic factors are used to determine metastatic potential, probability of relapse, and mortality: age under 15 years or over 45 years, male gender, family history of TC, and exposure to ionizing radiation. Thus, in some cases these markers can help to predict the course of TC and to provide adequate and timely treatment.

Diagnosis of Oral Hairy Leukoplakia: The Importance of EBV In Situ Hybridization.

Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which has been related to HIV infection. In situ hybridization (ISH) is the gold-standard diagnosis of OHL, but some authors believe in the possibility of performing the diagnosis based on clinical basis. The aim of this study is diagnose incipient lesions of OHL by EBV ISH of HIV-infected patients and the possible correlations with clinical characteristics of the patients. Ninety-four patients were examined and those presenting with clinical lesions compatible to OHL were submitted to biopsy prior to EBV ISH. Twenty-eight patients had lesions clinically compatible to the diagnosis of OHL, but only 20 lesions were confirmed by EBV ISH. The patients with OHL had a mean age of 41.9 years and were HIV-infected for 11.2 years, on average, including CD4 count of 504.7 cells/mm3 and log10 viral load = 1.1. Among the quantitative variables, there was a statistically significant correlation with age only (P = 0.030). In conclusion, the presence of OHL in patients with HIV/AIDS results in changes in the epidemiological characteristics of the disease, and this fact allied with subtle clinical-morphological features makes clinical diagnosis very difficult. Therefore, EBV ISH is important for a definitive diagnosis of OHL.

Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma: Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI findings correlated with pathologic features and prognosis.

To evaluate gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) with special emphasis on correlation of MRI findings with histopathologic tumor characteristics and survival outcomes after curative surgery. Our Institutional Review Board approved this study, with a waiver of informed consent. For 82 patients (64 men, 18 women; mean age, 54.0 years; age range, 30-81) with surgically confirmed cHCC-CCs, we evaluated clinical features, histologic findings, and tumor morphologic and enhancement features on gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI at 1.5T (n = 67) or 3.0T (n = 15). Imaging features of cHCC-CCs were correlated with pathologic findings according to the 2010 World Health Organization classification system. Tumors were categorized as hypervascular or nonhypervascular based on arterial phase enhancement and were compared with respect to overall and recurrence-free survival after curative-intent surgery. Of the 82 lesions, 48 showing global arterial phase enhancement were categorized as the hypervascular group, while 34 lesions demonstrating rim, peripheral, or isoenhancement were categorized as the nonhypervascular group. There was no significant difference in MRI findings between pathologic tumor types (classical type versus stem cell feature type, P = 0.324-1.0). Compared with the nonhypervascular group, the hypervascular group had a larger HCC component (P = 0.014), smaller CC component (P = 0.001), and lesser amount of fibrotic stroma (P = 0.006) on pathologic analysis and was an independent factor associated with better overall survival after surgical resection (P = 0.033). Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI findings of cHCC-CCs were diverse, reflecting heterogeneous histologic features. The hypervascular group on MRI is associated with a larger HCC component, smaller CC component, less fibrotic stroma, and better overall survival after curative surgery than the nonhypervascular group. 4 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:267-280.

Misdiagnosed infantile rhabdomyofibrosarcoma: A case report.

Infantile rhabdomyofibrosarcoma is a rare form of soft-tissue tumor often associated with difficulties in diagnosis. The disease is positioned intermediately between rhabdomyosarcoma and infantile fibrosarcoma in terms of clinical presentation, immunohistochemistry, behavior, morphology and ultrastructural features. Reports of rhabdomyofibrosarcoma cases are limited in the literature. The present case describes a 26-month-old female who presented with a slowly progressive, soft-tissue mass in the right chest wall. The mass was successfully treated with surgery. Using histopathology, the tumor was diagnosed and classified as infantile rhabdomyofibrosarcoma. The patient has been followed-up for 2 years and is currently in good condition. The present case demonstrates that early, radical, local surgery and multidisciplinary cooperation were successful for the treatment of rhabdomyofibrosarcoma, and close follow-up highly recommended.

Rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a clinical and pathologic analysis

To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and therapy of rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Clinical findings, morphologic features, immunophenotype and prognosis of 53 cases (58 samples) of rectal GISTs were investigated. Thirty-three patients were male and 20 were female. The age of patients ranged from 19 to 81 years, with an average of 49.7 years. The main symptoms included rectal disorders in 29 patients and vaginal mass in 2 patients, while the tumors in 22 patients were found by routine physical examination. Thirty-five primary GISTs were resected completely without preoperative therapy, and thirteen tumors were resected after therapy of imatinib. Five tumors were recurrent. Imatinib therapy in 13 patients led to smaller and softer tumor mass grossly and decreased cellularity and marked degeneration histologically. Of the 35 primary rectal GISTs, there were 17 (48.6%), 6 (17.1%), 0(0), and 12 (34.3%) cases diagnosed as very low risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk respectively. Eight cases had tumor of 1 cm or less in diameter. In the five recurrent cases, the tumors showed increased cellularity, mitotic figures, and Ki-67 index. Imatinib therapy led to smaller and softer tumor mass grossly and decreased cellularity and marked degeneration histologically. Immunohistochemical stains showed CD117, DOG1, and CD34 positivity, S-100 protein negativity and indefinite SMA stain. Rectal GISTs are rare tumors with a male predominance.Patients without obvious sypmtoms are found by themselves and by routine physical examination. The tumor diameter less than 2 cm is common while larger than 5 cm is few. Diagnosis of rectal GISTs is easily made by biopsy and patients often acquire preoperative therapy for preserving anal sphincter function.

Cholesterol crystal as a new feature of coronary vulnerable plaques: An optical coherence tomography study

BackgroundPrevious pathohistological studies demonstrated that cholesterol crystals (CCs) are frequently observed in atherosclerotic plaques, and are usually present abundantly in vulnerable plaques. However, the role of CCs in plaque destabilization, as well as their origin and composition, is unknown. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system is a high-resolution imaging device, which allows the in vivo identification of CCs accumulating within atherosclerotic plaques. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of CCs, other plaque morphologies assessed by OCT, and patients’ clinical characteristics including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods and resultsPreinterventional OCT images of 173 patients with either ACS or stable angina pectoris were studied. Of 173 lesions in the patients, 66 (38%) had CCs within the culprit lesion segment and 107 (62%) had non-CC lesions. Multivariate analysis revealed that low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, diabetes mellitus, the presence of plaque rupture, intimal vasculature, and thrombus were independent factors associated with CCs. Moreover, the frequency of CCs increased in proportion to the accumulation of the number of components of their vulnerable plaque features within the culprit lesion segment. Compared with the plaques without thrombus, CCs were present at shallower locations in those with thrombus. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the potential correlation between the clinical metabolic disorder and vulnerable morphological features of culprit lesions to the presence of CCs in patients with stable and unstable coronary syndromes. These observations of CCs by using in vivo plaque imaging could provide incremental value to OCT evaluation of atherosclerotic plaques.

Assessment of metastatic risk of gastric GIST based on treatment-naïve CT features

ObjectiveTo study whether the CT features of treatment-naïve gastric GIST may be used to assess metastatic risk. MethodsIn this IRB approved retrospective study, with informed consent waived, contrast enhanced CT images of 143 patients with pathologically confirmed treatment-naïve gastric GIST (74 men, 69 women; mean age 61 years, SD ± 14) were reviewed in consensus by two oncoradiologists blinded to clinicopathologic features and clinical outcome and morphologic features were recorded. The metastatic spread was recorded using available imaging studies and electronic medical records (median follow up 40 months, interquartile range, IQR, 21–61). The association of maximum size in any plane (≤10 cm or >10 cm), outline (smooth or irregular/lobulated), cystic areas (≤50% or >50%), exophytic component (≤50% or >50%), and enhancing solid component (present or absent) with metastatic disease were analyzed using univariate (Fisher's exact test) and multivariate (logistic regression) analysis. ResultsMetastatic disease developed in 42 (29%) patients (28 at presentation, 14 during follow-up); 23 (16%) patients died. On multivariate analysis, tumor size >10 cm (p = 0.0001, OR 9.9), irregular/lobulated outline (p = 0.001, OR 5.6) and presence of a enhancing solid component (p < 0.0001, OR 9.1) were independent predictors of metastatic disease. On subgroup analysis, an irregular/lobulated outline and an enhancing solid component were more frequently associated with metastases in tumors ≤5 cm and >5–≤10 cm (p < 0.05). ConclusionCT morphologic features can be used to assess the metastatic risk of treatment-naïve gastric GIST. Risk assessment based on pretreatment CT is especially useful for patients receiving neoadjuvant tyrosine kinase inhibitors and those with tumors <5 cm in size.