Nuclear Pleomorphism Research Articles

DICER1-Mutant Thyroid Carcinoma of Unusual Morphology: A Follicular Carcinoma with Bizarre Nuclei or a Novel Entity?

Abstract Introduction/Objective DICER1 mutations are associated with a host of benign and malignant neoplasms, of which the thyroid ranks among those with the highest prevalence. We present a case of a DICER1-mutant thyroid carcinoma with unusual morphologic features not described in the existing literature. Methods/Case Report A 29-year old 33 weeks pregnant female presented with swelling of the left neck. The patient subsequently underwent an ultrasound, which revealed a thyroid lesion measuring 6.2cm in greatest dimension. Labs including TSH and free T4 wree within normal 3rd trimester limits. Following an unremarkable delivery, FNA revealed loosely clustered cells with marked hyperchromasia and nuclear pleomorphism and variable microfollicular architecture in a colloid-containing background. Though definitively malignant, the anomalous cytomorphology of this neoplasm prompted molecular testing by Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier and Xpression Atlas next-generation sequencing, which was significant for a DICER1 hotspot mutation (p.E1705K c.5113G>A). Follow-up total thyroidectomy was pertinent for a tan-red, nodular mass involving 95% of the thyroid. Histomorphology revealed a neoplasm of primarily macrofollicular architecture with scattered microfollicles and intervening zones that appeared poorly-to-undifferentiated. Cells demonstrated bizarre hyperchromatic, pleomorphic nuclei with multinucleation and Azzopardi effect. Capsular invasion was identified. Inconsistent with a poorly-differentiated or anaplastic carcinoma, the mitotic rate and Ki-67 index were low at < 1/2mm2 and 1-2%, respectively. The tumor was consequently theorized to represent a follicular carcinoma with bizarre nuclei or other entity associated with DICER1 mutations not previously described. To date, no recurrence or metastasis has occurred. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion We report an enigmatic morphology of a thyroid cancer associated with a DICER1 mutation. DICER1 mutations have been hitherto described in follicular carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, poorly-differentiated carcinoma and thyroblastoma, none of which are consistent with the present case. Thus, we conjecture that this morphomolecular profile may constitute a "follicular carcinoma with bizarre nuclei" or other novel entity not previously reported. Further investigation should be pursued to determine the nature of this entity, its pathophysiology, epidemiology, possible association with germline DICER1 syndrome, and relationship between morphology and prognosis in patients with DICER1 mutations.

Unusual Cause of Small bowel Intussusception

Abstract Introduction/Objective Intussusception is uncommon in adults. When it occurs it is usually secondary to a mass lesion. The purpose of this report is to highlight an unusual cause of intussusception. Methods/Case Report A 48-year-old female presented with right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and bloating. She didn’t have a bowel movement in 3-4 days. CT of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated long segment small bowel intussusception in the right abdomen with a lead point mass. The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection. Grossly the specimen consisted of a 30cm segment of small bowel remarkable for two mucosal nodules measuring 1.9 cm and 1.0 cm in greatest dimension. Microscopically the nodules were composed of sheets of discohesive epithelioid cells with marked nuclear pleomorphism and prominent nucleoli, underlying the normal mucosa. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the tumor cells to be positive for SOX-10 and MART-1and negative for pan-cytokeratin and DOG1. Diagnosis of malignant melanoma was rendered. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion Intussusception due to malignant / metastatic melanoma is rare but should be on the differential for patients with symptoms of small bowel obstruction and intussusception with a lead point mass.

A RARE PRESENTATION OF SMALL CELL LUNG CARCINOMA METASTASIZING TO PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA

Abstract Introduction/Objective Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is a rare phenomenon in which primary tumor cells metastasize hematogenously into another unrelated tumor. We report an interesting case of a tumor-to-tumor metastasis of small cell lung carcinoma to pheochromocytoma of the adrenal gland. Methods/Case Report A 75-year-old female former cigarette smoker with a past medical history of hypertension presented with a two-day history of dyspnea and epigastric pain. Physical examination demonstrated elevated blood pressure only. A computerized axial tomography scan of the chest and abdomen showed an incidental 3.1 cm right adrenal mass and right hilar lymphadenopathy. Detailed biochemical workup showed elevated serum epinephrine, norepinephrine, and 24-hour urine metanephrine. Adrenalectomy showed a 5.8 cm tumor mass with solid lobulated yellow to pink-tan and focally hemorrhagic cut surfaces. Microscopic examination showed a neoplasm composed of two distinct components. The predominant component consisted of nests ("zellballen") of large polygonal cells with variable nuclear pleomorphism, abundant amphophilic to basophilic cytoplasm, and a delicate intervening fibrovascular stroma, without significant mitotic activity. The minor component was characterized by sheets and nests of "small blue cells" with round to ovoid nuclei, stippled nuclear chromatin pattern, scanty cytoplasm, patchy necrosis, and high mitotic activity (>20 mitoses per 10 HPF). Foci of small cell carcinoma deposits were also present in the lymphatic channels of pheochromocytoma. Immunohistochemical stains demonstrated cytoplasmic staining of predominant component tumor cells for synaptophysin, chromogranin, and the absence of staining for TTF-1, CK CAM 5.2, and Ki-67. However, minor component tumor cells demonstrated cytoplasmic staining for synaptophysin, membranous staining for CK CAM 5.2, and nuclear staining for TTF-1 and Ki-67(60%). A final diagnosis of composite pheochromocytoma (predominant) and small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (minor) was rendered. The possibility of a” collision” tumor comprising primary small cell carcinoma of pulmonary origin metastatic to an adrenal pheochromocytoma in light of the patient's cigarette smoking history and the presence of right hilar lymphadenopathy was favored. The subsequent biopsy of the right subcarinal adenopathy showed small cell carcinoma. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case of metastasis to a pheochromocytoma from a small cell neuroendocrine lung carcinoma.

Cystic pheochromocytoma: a rare variant of adrenal gland tumor case report

Abstract Introduction/Objective Pheochromocytoma is the primary adrenal medullary tumor in adults. Patients usually present with sustained or sporadic hypertension. The tumors are almost always solid. Cystic pheochromocytoma (CP) is extremely rare with only a few cases reported in the literature. Patients with CP may be asymptomatic and normotensive and be diagnosed incidentally on imaging or intraoperatively. Methods/Case Report We report a case of an 82-year-old male with a large CP who presented with back pain. The patient was hypertensive preoperatively (140/85 mmHg). Imaging showed a 5.4 cm complex right adrenal mass that could not be further classified. Labs showed markedly increased 24hr urine normetanephrine (1342 ug/24hr). The patient was presumed to have a pheochromocytoma and was preoperatively treated with an alpha-blocker. At surgery an 8.0 cm multiloculated cystic adrenal mass was removed, and grossly the specimen consisted of a brown, multicystic mass filled with brown liquid. Histology revealed the septa to contain nests of polygonal cells with vacuolated to basophilic granular cytoplasm with moderate nuclear pleomorphism . Immunohistochemical staining was positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin and S-100, which confirmed the diagnosis of CP. Patient’s postoperative blood pressure was 130/60 mmHg. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion Cystic pheochromocytoma has to be in the differential for a retroperitoneal cystic mass in order that clinicians, radiologists as well as pathologists undertake proper patient management and diagnosis.

Pediatric Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma with Neoplastic Meningitis: A Case Report with Cytopathological Evidence with Literature Review

AbstractPleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) was regarded as grade II tumor and considered to be associated with favorable outcome. The World Health Organization Central Nervous System 5 (WHO CNS5) has classified PXA under circumscribed astrocytic gliomas and graded 2 or 3 depending on histology. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and leptomeningeal spread are observed rarely in these tumors. The present case report describes a PXA, grade 3 tumor in a young male with neoplastic meningitis. This 17-year-old male child presented with history of seizure, signs of raised intracranial pressure, and meningeal irritation. Well-defined, T2 heterogeneously hyperintense lesion (5.5*4.8 cm) was seen in right frontal lobe with mild heterogenous contrast enhancement and adjacent pachy-meningeal enhancement. Right frontal craniotomy and near total excision were done. Postoperative hydrocephalus was treated with CSF diversion. Histopathology showed epithelioid and rhabdoid morphology with significant cellular pleomorphism and atypical mitosis consistent with the PXA, grade 3. The CSF cytology showed numerous tumor cells with marked nuclear and cytoplasmic pleomorphism. PXA is a rare malignancy of children and young adults, commonly seen in the temporal lobes. BRAF point mutations of V600E type are most common in PXA, grade 2. Meningeal dissemination is uncommon in PXA and its presence marks poor outcome. PXA, grade 2 tumors could be followed with serial imaging following gross total resection. PXA, grade 3 tumors are managed with maximal-safe resection, radiotherapy, and/ or chemotherapy. PXA, grade 3 with CSF spread tends to have rapid decline in the clinical course and it is advisable to get routine baseline and follow-up craniospinal screening and needs aggressive management.

GLI1-Altered Mesenchymal Tumors With ACTB or PTCH1 Fusion: A Molecular and Clinicopathologic Analysis

Mesenchymal tumors with GLI1 fusions or amplifications have recently emerged as a distinctive group of neoplasms. The terms GLI1-altered mesenchymal tumor or GLI1-altered soft tissue tumor serve as a nosological category, although the exact boundaries/criteria require further elucidation. We examined 16 tumors affecting predominantly adults (median age: 40 years), without sex predilection. Several patients had tumors of longstanding duration (>10 years). The most common primary site was soft tissue (n = 9); other sites included epidural tissue (n = 1), vertebra (n = 1), tongue (n = 1), hard palate (n = 1), and liver (n = 1). Histologically, the tumors demonstrated multinodular growth of cytologically uniform, ovoid-to-epithelioid, occasionally short spindled cells with delicate intratumoral vasculature and frequent myxoid stroma. Mitotic activity ranged from 0 to 8 mitoses/2 mm2 (mean 2). Lymphovascular invasion/protrusion of tumor cells into endothelial-lined vascular spaces was present or suspected in 6 cases. Necrosis, significant nuclear pleomorphism, or well-developed, fascicular spindle-cell growth were absent. Half demonstrated features of the newly proposed subset, “distinctive nested glomoid neoplasm.” Tumors were consistently positive for CD56 (n = 5/5). A subset was stained with S100 protein (n = 7/13), SMA (n = 6/13), keratin (n = 2/9), EMA (n = 3/7), and CD99 (n = 2/6). Tumors harbored ACTB::GLI1 (n = 15) or PTCH1::GLI1 (n = 1) fusions. The assays used did not capture cases defined by GLI1 amplification. We also identified recurrent cytogenetic gains (1q, 5, 7, 8, 12, 12q13.2-ter, 21, and X). For patients with available clinical follow-up (n = 8), half were disease free. Half demonstrated distant metastases (lungs, bone, or soft tissue). Of cases without follow-up (n = 8), 2 were known recurrences, and 1 was presumed metastasis. Our results imply a more aggressive biological potential than currently reported. Given the possibility for metastasis and disease progression, even in cytologically bland, nested tumors, close clinical surveillance, akin to that for sarcoma management, may be indicated. The term GLI1-altered mesenchymal tumor with malignant potential is proposed.

HPB P54 First Reported Case of Primary Serous Cystadenocarcinoma of the Spleen

Abstract Background Tumours of the spleen are uncommon, and the majority are metastases from primary malignancies in other organs. The two main subdivisions of primary malignancies of the spleen are lymphoid and non-lymphoid. Primary splenic cystadenocarcinomas are extremely rare, and only tumours of the mucinous subtype have been recorded. The spleen usually exhibits secondary infiltration from primary cystadenocarcinomas in other organs such as the ovaries and pancreas. Methods We present the case of an elderly white female who was found to have an incidental splenic tumour. This showed interval increase in size on serial imaging and was confirmed to be a complex mass with a cystic component on MRI. After MDT discussion and further investigations, including FDG-PET, EUS and diagnostic laparoscopy, she underwent a distal pancreatectomy, partial gastrectomy and splenectomy for a presumed tail of pancreas adenocarcinoma. Results The splenic hilum contained a large partly cystic tumour conglomerate measuring up to 5.8cm in maximum dimension, which contained thick, dark red, gelatinous material. It was well-circumscribed and demarcated from the rest of the splenic parenchyma, and the distal pancreas appeared to be uninvolved. Histology showed low columnar to cuboidal cells with moderate to patchy marked nuclear pleomorphism, and no cytoplasmic mucin was identified. The tumour had a predominantly papillary and focal tubular architecture, with hierarchical branching of papillae. The neoplastic cells stained positive for CK7, ER and WT1 expression and negative for CK20 and CA. Conclusions Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were consistent with the first recorded case in the literature of primary serous cystadenocarcinoma of the spleen, which we believe developed through malignant transformation of a benign epidermoid cyst. This is the commonest type of true cysts of the spleen and one which has tumorigenic potential, being able to undergo metaplasia and dysplasia. The patient remains well as per her latest follow-up with no evidence of recurrence or metastases. However, given the rarity of splenic cystadenocarcinomas, uncertainty remains on the long-term prognosis and optimal management of such cancers, including adjuvant treatment options.

Equine sarcoids: A clinicopathologic study of 49 cases, with mitotic count and clinical type predictive of recurrence.

Sarcoids are common mesenchymal neoplasms of horses. Although there are few studies in which sarcoids have been followed over a long period of time, sarcoids are considered locally invasive and have been reported to frequently recur following surgical excision. Currently, no histological features have been identified to predict which sarcoids will recur after excision. The present study comprised 49 sarcoids for which histology sections were available and in which the recurrence status of the case was known. Each sarcoid was excised from a different horse. Overall, 12 of the 49 (24%) sarcoids recurred after surgical excision. Mitotic count (MC), cellularity, necrosis, nuclear pleomorphism, and inflammation of the sarcoids were evaluated histologically. Of these, MC correlated with recurrence. Four of 5 (80%) sarcoids with an MC ≥ 20 in 2.37 mm2 recurred, which was a significantly higher recurrence rate than that of sarcoids with an MC < 20, 8 of 44 cases recurred (18%), P = .0051. Clinical type was also found to correlate with recurrence. Three of 4 (75%) fibroblastic types recurred, which was a significantly higher recurrence rate than that of sarcoids with other clinical types, 9 of 45 cases (18%), P < .001. In addition, univariate Cox regression analysis confirmed fibroblastic type and MC ≥ 20 as significant predictors for recurrence (P = .016 and P = .005, respectively). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first large study examining recurrence rates in sarcoids, and the first time that histological features have been correlated with recurrence.

Targeted Delivery of 5-Fluorouracil and Sonidegib via Surface-Modified ZIF-8 MOFs for Effective Basal Cell Carcinoma Therapy.

The therapeutic effectiveness of the most widely used anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is constrained by its high metabolism, short half-life, and rapid drug resistance after chemotherapy. Although various nanodrug delivery systems have been reported for skin cancer therapy, their retention, penetration and targeting are still a matter of concern. Hence, in the current study, a topical gel formulation that contains a metal-organic framework (zeolitic imidazole framework; ZIF-8) loaded with 5-FU and a surface modified with sonidegib (SDG; acting as a therapeutic agent as well as a targeting ligand) (5-FU@ZIF-8 MOFs) is developed against DMBA-UV-induced BCC skin cancer in rats. The MOFs were prepared using one-pot synthesis followed by post drug loading and SDG conjugation. The optimized MOFs were incorporated into hyaluronic acid-hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose gel and further subjected to characterization. Enhanced skin deposition of the 5-FU@ZIF-8-SDG MOFs was observed using ex vivo skin permeation studies. Confocal laser microscopy studies showed that 5-FU@ZIF-8-SDG MOFs permeated the skin via the transfollicular pathway. The 5-FU@ZIF-8-SDG MOFs showed stronger cell growth inhibition in A431 cells and good biocompatibility with HaCaT cells. Histopathological studies showed that the efficacy of the optimized MOF gels improved as the epithelial cells manifested modest hyperplasia, nuclear pleomorphism, and dyskeratosis. Additionally, immunohistochemistry and protein expression studies demonstrated the improved effectiveness of the 5-FU@ZIF-8-SDG MOFs, which displayed a considerable reduction in the expression of Bcl-2 protein. Overall, the developed MOF gels showed good potential for the targeted delivery of multifunctional MOFs in topical formulations for treating BCC cancer.

Yolov5 AI Deep Learning model driven Nuclear Pleomorphism Grading on Breast Cancer Pathology WSI for Nottingham Cancer Grading

Breast cancer is the second largest cancer caused in the world due to the uncontrollable growth in breast cells. Nottingham Grading is the internationally acceptable system to grade breast cancer. Nuclear pleomorphism is one of the breast cancer biomarkers for computing Nottingham grading. Pathologists grade nuclear pleomorphism on breast cancer glass tissue slides using a conventional microscope which is time consuming and has considerable inter-observer variability between pathologists. The paper proposed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) deep learning model to grade grade1, grade2, grade3 nuclear pleomorphism on breast cancer whole slide images (WSI). The proposed Yolov5 model is trained and tested on 1,30,000 WSI tiles having around two lakh annotations. The accuracy of the model is mAP 0.89. The proposed model saves the time and reduces the workload of the pathologist and also helps them to produce accurate results.

Comparison of Clinico-Demographic and Histological Parameters Between Young and Old Patients With Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Among the epithelial malignancies of the head and neck region, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) arising from the oral mucosa is the commonest type. OSCC is common in the older population; however, recent epidemiological data indicate an increase in the incidence in the younger age group. The present study was designed to compare the clinicopathological characteristics of OSCC between young and old South Indian patients. All the histopathologically confirmed cases of OSCC were retrieved from the department archives. Patients aged more than 40 years were considered Group I, and patients aged less than or equal to 40 were considered Group II. Age, gender, laterality, site, degree of keratinization, nuclear pleomorphism, pattern of invasion, lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, grade, tumor budding (TB), and tumor stroma ratio (TSR) were assessed. Among 510 patients reported with OSCC, 442 were aged above 40 years, and 68 were aged 40 years or younger. Nuclear pleomorphism, TB, and stroma-rich ratio were statistically higher in younger OSCC patients (p=0.00). The results of our study support the fact that OSCC in younger individuals is more aggressive. Targeting TB and tumor stroma could provide new strategies for the management of OSCC.

Clinicopathological and prognostic features of subungual melanoma in situ

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, immunohistochemical profiles, molecular features, and prognosis of subungual melanoma in situ (SMIS). Methods: Thirty cases of SMIS were collected in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China from 2018 to 2022. The clinicopathological characteristics and follow-up data were retrospectively analyzed. Histopathologic evaluation and immunohistochemical studies were carried out. By using Vysis melanoma fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probe kit, combined with 9p21(CDKN2A) and 8q24(MYC) assays were performed. Results: There were 8 males and 22 females. The patients' ages ranged from 22 to 65 years (median 48 years). All patients presented with longitudinal melanonychia involving a single digit. Thumb was the most commonly affected digit (16/30, 53.3%). 56.7% (17/30) of the cases presented with Hutchinson's sign. Microscopically, melanocytes proliferated along the dermo-epithelial junction. Hyperchromatism and nuclear pleomorphism were two of the most common histological features. The melanocyte count ranged from 30 to 185. Most cases showed small to medium nuclear enlargement (29/30, 96.7%). Pagetoid spread was seen in all cases. Intra-epithelial mitoses were identified in 56.7% (17/30) of the cases. Involvement of nailfold was found in 19 cases, 4 of which were accompanied by cutaneous adnexal extension. The positive rates of SOX10, PNL2, Melan A, HMB45, S-100, and PRAME were 100.0%, 100.0%, 96.0%, 95.0%, 76.9%, and 83.3%, respectively. FISH analysis was positive in 6/9 of the cases. Follow-up data were available in 28 patients, and all of them were alive without disease. Conclusions: SMIS mainly shows small to medium-sized cells. High melanocyte count, hyperchromatism, nuclear pleomorphism, Pagetoid spreading, intra-epithelial mitosis, nailfold involvement, and cutaneous adnexal extension are important diagnostic hallmarks. Immunohistochemistry including SOX10 and PRAME, combined with FISH analysis, is valuable for the diagnosis of SMIS.

Ultrasonic spectroscopy at 20–80 MHz to evaluate lymph node status during breast conserving surgery

High-frequency (20–80 MHz) ultrasound was used to evaluate 77 lymph nodes from 38 patients to identify metastatic breast cancer. Lymph nodes were resected during routine breast conserving surgery. Through-transmission point measurements were collected from the resected nodes immediately following surgery using two single-element transducers (50-MHz center frequency, 6.35-mm diameter), a high-frequency ultrasonic pulser-receiver,and a 1-GHz digital oscilloscope. Attenuation and two spectral parameters—peak density and tortuosity—were calculated from the ultrasonic waveforms and power spectra, respectively. Fisher’s exact test was used to optimize the sensitivity and specificity for each parameter separately and for multivariate analyses. A multivariate analysis of peak density versus tortuosity with a cube-root decision boundary produced the most significant results, with an 89.6% accuracy, 100% sensitivity, 88.4% specificity, and p-value of 6.12 × 10−7. Computer simulations and phantom experiments showed that the sensitivity of the spectral parameters to tissue malignancy arises from ultrasonic Mie scattering from cell nuclei and nuclear pleomorphism. The results demonstrate that ultrasonic spectroscopy at 20–80 MHz provides high sensitivity and specificity for malignant lymph nodes in the breast, and has promise as a rapid, intraoperative, and potentially in vivo diagnostic tool for surgeons and a wide range of soft tissue cancers.

In Vivo Intra-Uterine Delivery of TAT-Fused Cre Recombinase and CRISPR/Cas9 Editing System in Mice Unveil Histopathology of Pten/p53-Deficient Endometrial Cancers.

Phosphatase and TENsin homolog (Pten) and p53 are two of the most frequently mutated tumor suppressor genes in endometrial cancer. However, the functional consequences and histopathological manifestation of concomitant p53 and Pten loss of function alterations in the development of endometrial cancer is still controversial. Here, it is demonstrated that simultaneous Pten and p53 deletion is sufficient to cause epithelial to mesenchymal transition phenotype in endometrial organoids. By a novel intravaginal delivery method using HIV1 trans-activator of transcription cell penetrating peptide fused with a Cre recombinase protein (TAT-Cre), local ablation of both p53 and Pten is achieved specifically in the uterus. These mice developed high-grade endometrial carcinomas and a high percentage of uterine carcinosarcomas resembling those found in humans. To further demonstrate that carcinosarcomas arise from epithelium, double Pten/p53 deficient epithelial cells are mixed with wild type stromal and myometrial cells and subcutaneously transplanted to Scid mice. All xenotransplants resulted in the development of uterine carcinosarcomas displaying high nuclear pleomorphism and metastatic potential. Accordingly, in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 disruption of Pten and p53 also triggered the development of metastatic carcinosarcomas. The results unfadingly demonstrate that simultaneous deletion of p53 and Pten in endometrial epithelial cells is enough to trigger epithelial to mesenchymal transition that is consistently translated to the formation of uterine carcinosarcomas in vivo.

Myxoid liposarcoma with nuclear pleomorphism: a clinicopathological and molecular study.

Myxoid liposarcoma (MLS) is a common type of liposarcoma. It is characterized by variably lipogenic uniform cells in myxoid stroma with arborizing capillaries and DDIT3 fusion. Nuclear uniformity is the rule, which is maintained even in high-grade round cell examples. In this study, we conducted an in-depth investigation of four MLS tumors that demonstrated nuclear pleomorphism in three patients. These cases accounted for 2.1% of 142 patients with MLS. All patients were male aged 26, 33, and 49 years. Nuclear pleomorphism was observed in both primary and metastatic tumors in one patient, a primary tumor in one patient, and a metastatic tumor in another patient. Pleomorphism was severe in three tumors and moderate in one. Histology resembled that of dedifferentiated liposarcoma with myxoid features, pleomorphic liposarcoma with myxoid features, or myxoid pleomorphic liposarcoma in two tumors, pleomorphic sarcoma with focal cartilaginous and rhabdomyoblastic differentiation in one tumor, and epithelioid pleomorphic liposarcoma in one tumor. All tumors harbored FUS::DDIT3 fusions and immunohistochemically expressed DDIT3. All tumors had TP53 mutations, whereas previous specimens with uniform cytology from the same patients lacked TP53 mutations. One tumor showed RB1 deletion and complete loss of Rb expression, which was unclassifiable using DNA methylation-based methods. The rare occurrence of nuclear pleomorphism is underrecognized in MLS and increases the complexity to the diagnosis of liposarcoma. DDIT3 evaluation can be liberally considered in liposarcoma assessment even in the presence of nuclear pleomorphism.

A rare histopathological variant of Schwannoma with rosette-like arrangements and epithelioid cells: a case report from a histopathologist's perspective.

Schwannomas exhibit histopathological variation that leads to diagnostic dilemmas, although less frequent in the oral cavity. We describe a case with unique histopathology and no relevant clinical history that adds to the breadth of literature on the diversity presented by Schwannoma. A 60-year-old female patient presented with a small dome-shaped, asymptomatic swelling on the alveolar ridge 6 years in duration. Histopathologically, it showed rich cellular pathology with a unique arrangement of tumor cells forming irregular rosettes. Each rosette presented with a central core of fibrincollagenous material and the tumor cells were arranged on the periphery, exhibiting epithelioid change with evidence of mild cellular and nuclear pleomorphism. On immunohistochemical evaluation, the cells were strongly and diffusely positive for S-100 and negative for Ki-67. A diagnosis of benign Schwannoma with a rosette-like arrangement with epithelioid change was made. The case report emphasizes the risk of misdiagnosis and the importance of awareness regarding rare histopathological variants of Schwannoma.

Long-term outcomes and predictors of recurrence in node-negative early stage breast cancer patients.

We evaluated the outcomes, and risk factors for recurrence in patients with early stage node-negative breast cancer in this study. Retrospective data analysis was done on patient treatment records from 1988 to 2018. The patient's demographic, clinical, pathological, and therapeutic characteristics were noted. To evaluate survival analysis and predictors of recurrence, we employed Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test. A total of 357 patients in all were enrolled in the research. At the time of diagnosis, the median age was 50 (with a range of 18-81). A total of 85.5% of patients had undergone a lumpectomy, while 14.5% had a mastectomy. 78.7% of patients had sentinel lymph node biopsy, and 21.3% had axillary lymph node dissection. In addition, the patients received adjuvant radiotherapy (88.7%), adjuvant endocrine therapy (82.1%), and adjuvant chemotherapy (48.5%). Recurrence of the tumor occurred in 31 (8.7%) patients (local recurrence 45.2% and metastatic disease 54.8%). Ten- and twenty-year recurrence-free survival rates were 92% and 77%. 19 (5.3%) patients had also developed contralateral breast cancer. Ten-year survival rates were 91.6%, and 20-year survival rates were 76.6%, respectively. Aged over 65years (p = 0.004), necrosis (p = 0.002), mitosis (p = 0.003), and nuclear pleomorphism (p = 0.049) were found as statistically significant factors for recurrence in univariate analysis. In the ROC analysis, the largest size of the tumor (over 1.45cm, p = 0.07) remained outside the statistical significance limit in terms of recurrence. Thirty-year outcomes in individuals with early stage, node-negative breast cancer were shown in this study. We found that the recurrence ratios between 10 and 20 years were more frequent than the first 10 years during the follow-up. Despite the small number of patients who experienced a recurrence, we demonstrated that, in univariate analysis, being older than 65 and having some pathological characteristics (nuclear pleomorphism, mitosis, and necrosis) were statistically significant factors for disease recurrence.

Expression of endocan and vascular endothelial growth factor and their correlation with histopathological prognostic parameters in pheochromocytoma.

Endocan and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are markers expressed in various cancer types that are highly vascular, and they have prognostic significance for these cancers. In this study, we aimed to show the expression of endocan and VEGF in pheochromocytoma tumor tissues and to evaluate their correlations with histopathological parameters. Thirty-eight patients who had been operated for pheochromocytoma were included in the study. As the control group, 28 subjects whose specimens contained normal adrenal medulla tissue were included. The formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of pheochromocytoma patients were evaluated for Pheochromocytoma of the Adrenal gland Scaled Score (PASS). Sections were then stained for immunohistochemical analysis. The degree of endocan and VEGF positivity was determined by the proportion of stained cells on a negative to strong scale. Endocan (p < 0.001) and VEGF (p = 0.004) expressions were found to be significantly higher in the pheochromocytoma group than in the control group. In the pheochromocytoma group, total PASS score (r = 0.714; p < 0.001) and most of the PASS score components were positively correlated with the level of endocan expression. Median Ki-67 index (p = 0.010), total PASS score (p < 0.001), tumor cell spindling (p = 0.048), and nuclear pleomorphism (p = 0.030) were higher in pheochromocytoma with VEGF expression than in those without. If our findings are supported by studies with a larger sample size, we think that endocan has the potential to be used both as a tumor marker and in predicting malignancy potential in patients with pheochromocytoma, and that the detection of VEGF expression in these tumors is also associated with an increase in malignancy potential.

HRAS-mutated primary thyroid malignant melanoma or medullary thyroid carcinoma with melanocytic dedifferentiation? A singular case with an ontogeny-phylogeny quandary.

Melanotic pigment in the thyroid is practically synonymous with chronic minocycline therapy and rare cases of melanotic medullary thyroid carcinoma. However, primary melanoma of the thyroid has not been reported yet. We report a rare case of a 25-year-old male with a locally aggressive thyroid mass and distant metastases at presentation. Radiologically, a 8.3×7.6-cm nodule was identified in the right thyroid lobe. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) showed discohesive atypical plasmacytoid cells with prominent nucleoli and no cytoplasmic pigmentation. Serum calcitonin levels were normal. A trucut biopsy showed a malignant tumor with a similar cytomorphology, including marked nuclear pleomorphism. In addition, intracytoplasmic melanin was seen in <1% of cells. Tumor cells were immunonegative for AE1/AE3, TTF1, synaptophysin, and chromogranin while positive for SOX10, S100P, HMB45, and Melan A, confirming the diagnosis of malignant melanoma, without any detectable MTC component in the biopsy. An HRAS G13R mutation was detected on NGS, which, intriguingly, is a known mutation in MTC, and exceedingly rare in melanocytic lesions. No other clinically or radiologically apparent primary lesion was identified elsewhere in the patient. The unusual histology and hitherto unreported molecular findings make this case of primary thyroid melanocytic neoplasm worth reporting. Abstruse origin of melanoma cells in the thyroid gland with molecular signature suggestive of MTC in our case raises a nomenclature and management conundrum, prompting us to revisit the "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" theory.

Changes in Invasive Breast Carcinomas after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Can Influence Adjuvant Therapeutic Decisions.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) can change invasive breast carcinomas (IBC) and influence the patients' overall survival time (OS). We aimed to identify IBC changes after NACT and their association with OS. IBC data in pre- and post-NACT samples of 86 patients were evaluated and associated with OS. Post-NACT tumors changed nuclear pleomorphism score (p=0.025); mitotic count (p=0.002); % of tumor-infiltrating inflammatory cells (p=0.016); presence of in situ carcinoma (p=0.001) and lymphovascular invasion (LVI; p=0.002); expression of estrogen (p=0.003), progesterone receptors (PR; p=0.019), and Ki67 (p=0.003). Immunohistochemical (IHC) profile changed in 26 tumors (30.2%, p=0.050). Higher risk of death was significatively associated with initial tumor histological grade III (hazard ratio [HR], 2.94), high nuclear pleomorphism (HR, 2.53), high Ki67 index (HR, 2.47), post-NACT presence of LVI (HR, 1.90), luminal B-like profile (HR, 2.58), pre- (HR, 2.26) and post-NACT intermediate mitotic count (HR, 2.12), pre- (HR, 4.45) and post-NACT triple-negative IHC profile (HR, 4.52). On the other hand, lower risk of death was significative associated with pre- (HR, 0.35) and post-NACT (HR, 0.39) estrogen receptor-positive, and pre- (HR, 0.37) and post-NACT (HR, 0.57) PR-positive. Changes in IHC profile were associated with longer OS (p=0.050). In multivariate analysis, pre-NACT grade III tumors and pre-NACT and post-NACT triple negative IHC profile proved to be independent factors for shorter OS. NACT can change tumor characteristics and biomarkers and impact on OS; therefore, they should be reassessed on residual samples to improve therapeutic decisions.