Postoperative Histological Diagnosis Research Articles

Nonbacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis Presenting as a Mass in the Right Atrium Diagnosed by Open Chest Surgery: A Case Report.

Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is a condition that results in the development of vegetation on cardiac valves that are devoid of inflammation and bacteria. We herein report a 60-year-old man who transferred to our hospital because of a systemic embolism and heart failure. A mass in the right atrium and vegetation on the mitral valve were observed. He was first diagnosed with infectious endocarditis according to the Duke criteria. During treatment, however, the patient was diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome and cancer. After four weeks of antibacterial therapy, the patient underwent open chest surgery, and the postoperative histological diagnosis was NBTE.

Diagnostic accuracy of MRI in the differential diagnosis between uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Differential diagnosis between uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas is challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents the second-line diagnostic method after ultrasound for the assessment of uterine masses. To assess the accuracy of MRI in the differential diagnosis between uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed searching five electronic databases from their inception to June 2023. All peer-reviewed observational or randomized clinical trials that reported an unbiased postoperative histologic diagnosis of uterine leiomyoma or uterine sarcoma, which also comprehended a preoperative MRI evaluation of the uterine mass. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve on summary receiver operating characteristic of MRI in differentiating uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas were calculated as individual and pooled estimates, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Eight studies with 2495 women (2253 with uterine leiomyomas and 179 with uterine sarcomas), were included. MRI showed pooled sensitivity of 0.90 (95% CI 0.84-0.94), specificity of 0.96 (95% CI 0.96-0.97), positive likelihood ratio of 13.55 (95% CI 6.20-29.61), negative likelihood ratio of 0.08 (95% CI 0.02-0.32), diagnostic odds ratio of 175.13 (95% CI 46.53-659.09), and area under the curve of 0.9759. MRI has a high diagnostic accuracy in the differential diagnosis between uterine leiomyomas and sarcomas.

Prognosis of patients with endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia after complete remission with fertility-sparing therapy

PurposeAlthough many patients with endometrial cancer (EC) or atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) achieve complete remission (CR) after high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) treatment, no consensus has been reached on management after CR. Currently, patients receive estrogen-progestin maintenance therapy, but no recommendations exist regarding the duration of maintenance therapy or whether hysterectomy should be considered. This study aimed to provide insights into the management of EC/AEH after achieving CR.MethodsWe retrospectively investigated the prognosis of 50 patients with EC or AEH who achieved CR after MPA therapy. We assessed the association between disease recurrence and clinicopathological features and the pre- and post-operative histological diagnoses of patients who underwent hysterectomy.ResultsThe median follow-up duration was 34 months (range: 1–179 months). Recurrence was observed in 17 patients. Among the clinical characteristics investigated, only the primary disease was significantly associated with disease recurrence; patients with EC had a higher risk of recurrence than those with AEH (p = 0.037). During the observation period, 27 patients attempted pregnancy, and 14 pregnancies resulted in delivery. Patients who gave birth had significantly longer relapse-free survivals than those who did not (p = 0.031). Further, 16 patients underwent hysterectomies, and AEH was detected postoperatively in 4 of 11 patients (36.4%) with no preoperative abnormalities.ConclusionsWe identified several clinical features of patients with EC and AEH after CR. Given the high probability of endometrial abnormalities detected postoperatively, hysterectomy may be considered for patients who no longer want children.

Comparison of ultrasound-based ADNEX model with magnetic resonance imaging for discriminating adnexal masses: a multi-center study.

The ADNEX model offered a good diagnostic performance for discriminating adnexal tumors, but research comparing the abilities of the ADNEX model and MRI for characterizing adnexal tumors has not been reported to our knowledge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the ultrasound-based ADNEX (Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa) model in comparison with that of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiating benign, borderline and malignant adnexal masses. This prospective study included 529 women with adnexal masses who underwent assessment via the ADNEX model and subjective MRI analysis before surgical treatment between October 2019 and April 2022 at two hospitals. Postoperative histological diagnosis was considered the gold standard. Among the 529 women, 92 (17.4%) masses were diagnosed histologically as malignant tumors, 67 (12.7%) as borderline tumors, and 370 (69.9%) as benign tumors. For the diagnosis of malignancy, including borderline tumors, overall agreement between the ADNEX model and MRI pre-operation was 84.9%. The sensitivity of the ADNEX model of 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85-0.95) was similar to that of MRI (0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.94; P=0.717). However, the ADNEX model had a higher specificity (0.90, 95% CI: 0.87-0.93) than MRI (0.81, 95% CI: 0.77-0.85; P=0.001). The greatest sensitivity (0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-0.99) and specificity (0.94, 95% CI: 0.91-0.96) were achieved by combining the ADNEX model and subjective MRI assessment. While the total diagnostic accuracy did not differ significantly between the two methods (P=0.059), the ADNEX model showed greater diagnostic accuracy for borderline tumors (P<0.001). The ultrasound-based ADNEX model demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance for adnexal tumors, especially borderline tumors, compared with MRI. Accordingly, we recommend that the ADNEX model, alone or with subjective MRI assessment, should be used for pre-operative assessment of adnexal masses.

Benign Pediatric Jawbone Lesions: A 10-Year Clinical and Radiological Pilot Study

This study aimed at presenting a retrospective longitudinal analysis of the pediatric jaw lesions treated at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, over a timeframe of ten years (2012 to 2022). The clinical and radiological characteristics of the jawbone lesions, the treatment outcome, and the recurrence incidence were described. All consecutive patients aged below 18 years, with histologically diagnosed odontogenic tumors (OTs), nonodontogenic tumors (non-OTs), or odontogenic cysts (OCs) were included. Age, dentition type, clinical symptoms, preoperative and postoperative radiological tests, histological diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up information one year following the diagnoses were all examined. Eighty-two cases were included. The ratio of men to women was 1.15:1, with the mandible predominating by 64.4%. Inflammatory radicular cysts predominated in 31.7% of cases. A total of 42.68% of the patients were asymptomatic. Enucleation was the most frequent surgical technique (45.1%), followed by cystectomies (28%) and marsupialization (14.6%). The overall recurrence rate was 7.3%; the most recurrent histopathological lesion was the odontogenic keratocyst. This study sheds new light on the clinical and radiological characteristics, treatment outcomes, and recurrence rate of juvenile jawbone lesions in children and adolescents. The diagnosis and treatment of jawbone lesions in children and adolescents can be enhanced with the use of epidemiological, clinical, and imagistic information.

Long-Term outcome following surgical excision of large, low to intermediate grade soft tissue sarcomas in dogs.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a heterogeneous group of tumours, with varying mesenchymal cell origin, size and histological grade. Large soft tissue sarcomas pose a surgical challenge due to feasibility of excision, and are often dismissed as good surgical candidates due to an anticipated poor prognosis. To evaluate the long-term outcome of dogs that underwent surgical excision of large (≥5 cm), low to intermediate grade, soft tissue sarcomas. Medical records of dogs that presented for STS excision between 2009 and 2021 were reviewed. Information was obtained regarding signalment, tumour location and size, preoperative cytology and histology, preoperative imaging, surgical findings, postoperative histological diagnosis and outcome. Dogs were included in the study if they underwent surgical excision of a de novo cutaneous or subcutaneous STS, which measured at least five centimeters in one plane, and was histologically diagnosed as low-intermediate grade. Long-term follow-up data were obtained via consultation, telephone or email. Thirty-nine dogs with large, low-intermediate grade STS were included. Most tumours were Grade 1 (28/39), located predominantly on the thigh and thorax (17/39). Tumours were removed by at least a narrow margin excision (≥1 cm) and deep fascial plane in all cases. Histological margins were deemed complete in 15/39, close (1-3 mm) in 8/39, incomplete in 4/39, and unknown in 12/39. All sites were closed primarily, either directly (22/39) or with flap reconstruction (17/39). Long-term follow-up (median 1064 days) reported good postoperative function, with owner reported local recurrence in 2/39. Minor complications occurred in 10/39 and major complications requiring surgical intervention occurred in 5/39. Large, low-intermediate grade STSs can be surgically excised with good long-term function and outcome, where consideration is given to appropriate case selection and planning. If skin flap reconstruction is required, owners should be made aware of the possible complications associated with their use.

Diagnosis and Management of Parotid Gland Cancer with Focus on the Role of Preoperative Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology: A 10-Year-Long Retrospective Study with 5-Year Follow-Up.

Salivary gland cancers represent a rare heterogeneous group of neoplasms with complex clinicopathological characteristics and distinct biological behaviour. The appropriate diagnosis and management of parotid gland cancer are challenging and should be based on the clinical, imaging, cytological, and histological features. The present study analysed the use of preoperative fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and intraoperative frozen section (FS) to guide the appropriate surgical and postoperative treatment of parotid gland cancers. We selected 48 patients with primary malignancy of the parotid gland surgically treated between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2017 at the Maxillo-Facial Surgery Division, University Hospital of Parma, Italy. The patients had postoperative histological diagnosis of malignant parotid cancer and were followed up for longer than 5years. The 48 patients included in this study had a mean age of 56.7years. The most frequent type of parotid gland cancer was carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (22.9%), followed by mucoepidermoid carcinoma (16.7%) and acinic cell carcinoma (14.6%). All 48 patients underwent preoperative FNAC: 29 (60.4%) and 19 (39.6%) were suggestive of malignant and benign lesions, respectively. In 31 patients, intraoperative FS was performed. Compared to previous studies, the present study showed significantly lower diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC for parotid gland cancers. The preoperative diagnostic accuracy for suspected malignant cases may be improved by repeat analysis of the cytological specimen by experts, preoperative core needle biopsy, and/or intraoperative FS analysis of the suspected mass.

Low intensity whole-body oxidative stress in patients with parotid gland tumors.

Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of patients hospitalized and undergoing surgery due to parotid gland tumors. We have observed an increase in the total number of salivary gland tumors, and hence an increased number of malignant tumors. Etiological factors of salivary gland tumors are still unknown. Oxidative stress (OS) has been suggested to be an important indicator of carcinogenesis in some tumors. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess the state of OS in patients with selected benign and malignant parotid gland tumors. After final postoperative histological diagnosis of the tumor, patients were divided into the following groups i.e. pleomorphic adenoma 35 patients, Warthins tumor (WT) - 17 patients, mucoepidermoid carcinoma - 9 patients and 45 controls. The final study group included 106 patients. We found an increase in plasma lipofuscin levels in patients with all investigated parotid gland tumors. Furthermore, the activity of Cu/Zn-SOD in Warthins tumor patients was statistically lower compared to the controls, pleomorphic adenoma or mucoepidermoid carcinoma.In conclusion, we sustain the hypothesis on the presence of a low intensity whole-body OS in patients with parotid gland tumors. Furthermore, LPS may be a useful marker of OS in patients with benign and malignant tumors. Moreover, pathological mechanisms connected with WT seem to be different compared to malignant neoplasms and other benign tumors. It seems that Cu/Zn-SOD, as an antioxidative enzyme, may play an important role in those mechanisms taking part in WT.

Neurosurgery Database for Brain Tumour Patients

Abstract AIMS We develop an electronic database system for brain tumour patients. This aims to provide accessible and comprehensive data in a unified database for all neuro-oncology patients at Barts Health NHS Trust. METHOD The database was created using Microsoft Access with data categorised using forms and tables. Initially, patients were added retrospectively using the neuropathology list and the neuro-oncology multi-disciplinary team patient lists. Once creation and validation was complete, patients were added prospectively. Queries on neuro-oncology patients can be launched to produce datasets which can be copied to Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for sorting, calculation, and graph creation. RESULTS At the time of writing, records of 1171 neuro-oncology patients who were accepted for MDT discussion at Barts Health NHS Trust are included in the database. It is used to routinely run data queries more efficiently and complete in a shorter time. Queries include post-operative complications, overall survival, histological diagnosis, and average surgery waiting time. These queries have already been used to publish audit-based research papers and will be used increasingly as part of routine clinical governance. CONCLUSION The database yields data about treatment of our brain tumour patients with increased completeness and significant reduction in time to return queries, compared to using standard data management. The database has been used to produce data, including tumour types, seizure incidence, and post-operative complications. We have been successful in producing published research, although low absolute complication numbers in the current dataset have not yet allowed comparison of complications rates at individual clinician and team level.

The Diagnostic Accuracy of 18 F-FGD-PET/CT for Cancer of the Gallbladder: A Retrospective Study.

Background Gallbladder cancer has a poor prognosis and imaging can have variable diagnostic accuracy. We assessed the ability of preoperative 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG-PET/CT) imaging to predict a postoperative histological diagnosis of gallbladder cancer. Method A retrospective analysis was undertaken in a cohort of patients, who had suspected gallbladder cancer on cross-sectional imaging and that underwent preoperative FDG-PET/CT scan. The discriminatory power of FDG-PET/CT was determined in receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis and diagnostic accuracy parameters were estimated at different thresholds of maximum standard unit value (SUV max ) . Results Twenty-two patients were included in the study; 7 had malignant and 15 benign diagnoses. There was no statistically significant difference between the measured SUV max between the two groups ( p = 0.71). With an area under the curve of 0.486, the ROC curve did not indicate any discriminatory power of FDG-PET/CT at any potential threshold of SUV max. Conclusion This study indicates that the diagnosis of primary gallbladder cancer cannot be accurately confirmed with FDG PET/CT scanning.

Thyroid Cancer Screening Using Tumor-Associated DN T Cells as Immunogenomic Markers.

BackgroundThyroid nodules are an extremely common entity, and surgery is considered the ultimate diagnostic strategy in those with unclear malignant potential. Unfortunately, strategies aiming to predict the risk of malignancy have inadequate specificity. Our group recently found that the microenvironment of thyroid cancer is characterized by an enhanced immune invasion and activated immune response mediated by double-negative T lymphocytes (DN T) (CD3+CD4-CD8-), which are believed to enable or promote tumorigenesis. In the present work, we try to use the DN T cells’ proportion in thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) material as a predictor of the risk of malignancy.MethodsWe recruited 127 patients and obtained ultrasound-guided FNA samples from subjects with cytology-positive or suspicious for malignancy and from those with benign nodular goiter associated with compressive symptoms (such as dysphagia, shortness of breath, or hoarseness), Hashimoto thyroiditis, and Graves’ disease. Out of 127, we investigated 46 FNA samples of patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and for which postoperative histological diagnosis by the academic pathologists was available. We specifically measured the number of cells expressing CD3+CD4-CD8- (DN T) as a function of total CD3+ cells in FNA samples using flow cytometry. We correlated their FNA DN T-cell proportions with the pathological findings.ResultsThe DN T cells were significantly more abundant in lymphocytic infiltrates of thyroid cancer cases compared to benign nodule controls (p < 0.0001). When the DN T-cell population exceeded a threshold of 9.14%, of total CD3+ cells, the negative likelihood ratio of being cancer-free was 0.034 (96.6% sensitivity, 95% CI, 0.915–1.000, p < 0.0001). DN T cells at <9.14% were not found in any subject with benign disease (specificity 100%). The high specificity of the test is promising, since it abolishes a false-positive diagnosis and in turn unnecessary surgical procedures.ConclusionThe present study proposes DN T cells’ proportion as a preoperative diagnostic signature for thyroid cancer that with integration of RNA transcriptomics can provide a simplified technology based on the PCR assay for the ease of operation.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of poorly cohesive cell subtype of gastric cancer.

The new World Health Organization (WHO) classification of gastric cancer includes a histological subtype of poorly cohesive carcinoma (PCC), which includes signet-ring cell (SRC) phenotype. We aimed to examine the concordance between preoperative clinical and postoperative histological diagnoses according to the 2010 WHO histological subtypes and to compare the prognoses of these subtypes. The study cohort comprised 665 patients who underwent gastrectomy from 2005 to 2019. Histological subtypes were classified into PCC-NOS (non-signet ring cell subtype), SRC, and non-PCC, which were defined by the predominant component in accordance with the 2010 WHO classification of gastric cancer. The concordance of clinical and pathological diagnosis was examined and clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcome of the three subtypes compared. The cancers of 443 patients (66.7%) were classified as non-PCC, of 112 patients (16.8%) as PCC-NOS, and of 110 patients (16.5%) as SRC predominant subtypes. Significant differences in sex, age, tumor location, size, macroscopic type, and pathological TNM category (all P<0.05) were found. The concordance rate of preoperative and postoperative histological subtypes was significantly lower for poorly cohesive than other subtypes (P<0.0001). Preoperative stage tended to be underestimated for PCC-NOS subtype and these patients had poorer overall survival than those with the other two subtypes (P=0.005). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of overall survival showed that WHO histological subtype (PCC-NOS vs. non-PCC/SRC, HR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.18-2.29, P=0.0034) was a significant independent prognostic factor. Our results suggest that poorly cohesive carcinoma subtypes have different biological characteristics and prognoses.

A Radiological Scoring System for Differentiation between Enchondroma and Chondrosarcoma.

Simple SummaryBackground: It is challenging to differentiate between enchondromas and atypical cartilaginous tumors (ACTs)/chondrosarcomas. Methods: To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of radiological findings for differentiation between enchondromas and chondrosarcomas, correlations between various radiological findings and final diagnoses were investigated. Based on the correlations, a scoring system combining these findings was developed. Results: In a cohort of 81 patients, periosteal reaction on X-ray, endosteal scalloping and cortical defect on CT, extraskeletal mass, multilobular lesion, abnormal signal in adjacent tissue on MRI, and increased uptake in bone scan and thallium scan was significantly correlated with final diagnoses. Based on the correlations, a radiological scoring system combining radiological findings was developed. In another cohort of 17 patients, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the radiological score rates for differentiation between enchondromas and chondrosarcomas were 88%, 89%, and 88%, respectively. Conclusion: Comprehensive assessment combining radiological findings is recommended to differentiate between enchondromas and ACTs/chondrosarcomas.Background: It is challenging to differentiate between enchondromas and atypical cartilaginous tumors (ACTs)/chondrosarcomas. In this study, correlations between radiological findings and final diagnosis were investigated in patients with central cartilaginous tumors. Methods: To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of radiological findings, correlations between various radiological findings and final diagnoses were investigated in a cohort of 81 patients. Furthermore, a new radiological scoring system was developed by combining radiological findings. Results: Periosteal reaction on X-ray (p = 0.025), endosteal scalloping (p = 0.010) and cortical defect (p = 0.002) on CT, extraskeletal mass (p < 0.001), multilobular lesion (p < 0.001), abnormal signal in adjacent tissue (p = 0.004) on MRI, and increased uptake in bone scan (p = 0.002) and thallium scan (p = 0.027) was significantly correlated with final diagnoses. Based on the correlations between each radiological finding and postoperative histological diagnosis, a radiological scoring system combining these findings was developed. In another cohort of 17 patients, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the radiological score rates for differentiation between enchondromas and ACTs/chondrosarcomas were 88%, 89%, and 88%, respectively (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Radiological assessment with combined radiological findings is recommended to differentiate between enchondromas and ACT/chondrosarcomas.

Renal oncocytoma: landscape of diagnosis and management.

Renal oncocytoma represents between 6-12% of T1 renal tumours in surgical series (1-2). Contemporary imaging cannot differentiate oncocytoma from malignant renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Uptake of renal tumour biopsy in clinical practice has been variable (3) and surgery with partial or radical nephrectomy is the first-line in the management of RCC (4,5). Therefore, many patients with renal masses undergo empirical surgery for presumed RCC with post-operative histologic diagnosis of benign oncocytoma.

Improved detection of sentinel lymph node metastases allows reliable intraoperative identification of patients with extended axillary lymph node involvement in early breast cancer

BackgroundAn improved procedure that allows accurate detection of negative sentinel lymph node (SLN) and of SLN macrometastases during surgery would be highly desirable in order to protect patients from further surgery and to avoid unnecessary costs. We evaluated the accuracy of an intraoperative procedure that combines touch imprint cytology (TIC) and subsequent frozen section (FS) analysis. 2276 SLNs from 1072 patients with clinical node-negative early breast cancer were evaluated during surgery using TIC. Only cytologically-positive SLN were subsequently analysed with a single FS, preserving cytologically-negative SLN for the final postoperative histological diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity and the accuracy of this approach were analysed by comparing the results from intra- and postoperative SLN and axillary node evaluation. This intraoperative method displayed 100% specificity for SLN metastases and was significantly more sensitive for prognostically relevant macrometastases (85%) than for micrometastases (10%). Sensitivity was highest for patients with two or more positive LNs (96%) than for those with only one (72%). 98% of the patients with final pN2a-pN3a were already identified during surgery. Patients who received primary axillary lymph node dissection had significantly more frequent metastases in further LNs (44.6%). Sensitivity was highest for patients with luminal-B, HER2+ and triple negative breast cancer and for any subtype if Ki-67 > 40%. TIC and subsequent FS of cytologically-positive SLNs is highly reliable for detection of SLN macrometastases, and allows accurate identification of patients with a high risk of extended axillary involvement during surgery, as well as accurate histological diagnosis of negative SLN.

Early nosocomial infection post-elective brain tumor surgery at a single South African neurosurgical center - a prospective cohort study

IntroductionIncurring a nosocomial infection post elective brain tumor surgery can be a devastating complication. Unfortunately, patient demographics, co-morbidities, nature of the neurosurgical procedures performed, and post-operative interventions in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit, are all recognized independent risk factors. Materials and methodsWe performed a prospective study by consecutively enrolling 78 elective patients admitted to our hospital with neoplastic brain tumors, from the 01 July 2018 to the 31 March 2020, that were taken for operative resection. Data collected and analyzed in all 78 subjects included age, gender, HIV status, admission Glasgow Coma Score, admission CD4 count, pre-operative steroid treatment, in-hospital stay prior to surgery, pre-operative day CD4 count, operative day Glasgow Coma Score, time between prophylactic antibiotic administration and skin incision, craniotomy type, blood loss, duration of surgery, post-operative steroid therapy, day-7 post-operative nosocomial infection incidence, histological diagnosis, and total length of in-hospital patient stay. ResultsOur study results suggest that subjects over the age of 40-years, having an admission and/or pre-operative day absolute CD4 count < 500 cells/mm, having a suboccipital craniotomy/craniectomy performed, and surgery of over 5 h duration, to all suggest trends towards an increased risk of acquiring a day-7 nosocomial infection. Our study results further suggest that being GCS 15/15 on the day of surgery, suggested a trend towards being protective against acquiring a day-7 nosocomial infection. We further report the trend that acquiring a day-7 nosocomial infection leads to a longer total length of in-patient stay. ConclusionWhile the clinical trends in our study are largely supported by the literature, according to our PubMed review of the literature we are the first to report the trend that being GCS 15/15 on the day of an elective brain tumor resection procedure is protective against acquiring a day-7 nosocomial infection.

Pattern of presentation and surgical management of spine tumors in Southeast Nigeria over a 10-year period.

Spine tumors could affect the bony elements and/or its neural contents. Clinical manifestations are underlined by their biological behaviors. Aim: This study aims to identify the pattern of presentation and surgical management of spine tumors in southeast Nigeria over a 10-year period. A retrospective analysis of patients who were managed surgically for the spine and spinal cord neoplastic lesions over a 10-year period. All patients had pre-and post-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological diagnosis. Relevant clinical, radiological, and histological data were extracted and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for windows version 21. Four hundred and seventy-two spine procedures performed within the study period, 39 cases of histologically proven primary spinal cord tumors (PSCT) and non-PSCT were identified. These represented 8.3% of spine procedures. Seventeen were PSCT (3.6% of spine procedures), while 22 (4.7%) had non-PSCT, mean age for the PSCT group was 45 yrs and non-PSCT 59.5 years. A total of 56.5% of tumors are involved in the thoracic region, 43.7% in the cervical region. PSCT was likely to affect the cervical spine; while bony spine tumors, thoracic spine [odds ratio (OR) 4.9, P value 0.019]. A total of 84.6% of non-PSCT affected the bony spine, mainly the vertebral body. The histological result showed metastatic adenocarcinoma to be the most common tumor (33.3%). PSCT was likely to be benign than non-PSCT (P value < 0.00001). Gross total resection (GTR) was done in 100% of PSCT, and 50% in non-PSCT. Thirteen (40.6%) patients improved and 11 (34.4%) patients remained the same. Metastatic adenocarcinoma was the most common tumor of the spine. There was restricted ability at a GTR for non-PSCT compared to PSCT. Grossly 75% had improved/same neurological status, as such adjudged as a good outcome.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei induced by low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm accompanied by rectal cancer: a case report and literature review

BackgroundPseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a disease involving the peritoneum characterized by the production of large quantities of mucinous ascites. PMP has a low incidence, is difficult to diagnose, and has a guarded prognosis. PMP induced by low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm is extremely rare, and PMP accompanied by rectal cancer is even rarer.Case presentationWe present a unique case of a 70-year-old male with PMP induced by low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm accompanied by rectal cancer. The patient’s clinical, surgical, and histologic data were reviewed. The patient had persistent distended abdominal pain without radiating lower back pain, abdominal distension for 1 month, and no exhaustion or defecation for 4 days. A transabdominal ultrasound-guided biopsy was performed on the first day. The patient received an emergency exploratory laparotomy because of increased abdominal pressure. We performed cytoreductive surgery, enterolysis, intestinal decompression, special tumour treatment and radical resection of rectal carcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. The postoperative histological diagnoses were PMP, low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and rectal medium differentiated adenocarcinoma. At the 1-year follow-up visit, no tumour recurrence was observed by computed tomography (CT). We also performed a literature review.ConclusionsWe should be aware that PMP can rarely be accompanied by rectal cancer, which represents an easily missed diagnosis and increases the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, there are some typical characteristics of PMP with respect to diagnosis and treatment.

Correlation between pre-operative and final histological diagnosis on endometrial cancer.

We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the correlation between pre-operative and post-operative histological diagnoses on endometrial cancer, and to describe the treatments and outcomes when post-operative diagnoses are downgraded from pre-operative histology. Patients who underwent surgery for endometrial cancer in our facility between 2010 and 2013 were enrolled in the study. The definition of downgrade discordance is in accordance with the following criteria: 1) the pre-operative and post-operative histological diagnoses were both endometrioid and the final pathology was a lower grade than the pre-operative pathology and 2) the pre-operative diagnosis was not endometrioid, whereas the post-operative diagnosis was endometrioid grade 2 or less. A total of 250 patients were enrolled, and the concordance rates were 56% for endometrioid adenocarcinoma grade 1 (EMG1), 67% for EMG2, 67% for EMG3, 82% for carcinosarcoma, 71% for serous carcinoma, and 67% for clear cell carcinoma. Eighteen cases (6.6%) were identified as downgrade discordancy. Of the 18 patients, the triage for adjuvant therapy remained the same for 15 cases (83%), all of whom had no evidence of disease at their last visit. Three cases had discordances with respect to triage for adjuvant therapy; the therapies were triaged based on post-operative diagnosis. Of these patients one had a recurrence. Good correlation was observed between pre-operative and final histological diagnoses of endometrioid carcinoma (56%-67%) and type 2 carcinoma (67%-82%). Approximately 7% (18/250) of patients had downgrade discordancy; however, triage for adjuvant therapy did not change for approximately 80% (15/18) of the patients with downgrade discordancy. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of triages that are based on post-operative diagnoses.

Eosinophilic cholecystitis: a retrospective study spanning a fourteen-year period

Introduction and aimsEosinophilic cholecystitis is a rare entity that was first described in 1949 and is clinically indistinguishable from calculous cholecystitis. Histologically, there is transmural inflammatory infiltration of the gallbladder wall, more than 90% of which is composed of eosinophils. The aim of the present article was to review the prevalence of eosinophilic cholecystitis and analyze the clinical and surgical characteristics of patients diagnosed with the disease that were operated on at our hospital. Materials and methodsA retrospective study was conducted on patients that underwent cholecystectomy and whose postoperative histopathologic diagnosis was eosinophilic cholecystitis, within the time frame of January 2000 and August 2014. The demographic, clinical, paraclinical, surgical, and histopathologic variables were described. ResultsOver a period of 14 years, a total of 7,494 patients underwent cholecystectomy. Of those patients, 12 had a postoperative histologic diagnosis of eosinophilic cholecystitis. Mean patient age for disease presentation was 39 years (±11 years), and female sex was predominant, with 7 cases. All the patients had concomitant gallstones and 10 patients presented with acute cholecystitis that required urgent cholecystectomy. All the cases were considered idiopathic. We found a prevalence of 0.16%, corresponding to 1 case for every 625 cholecystectomies performed at our hospital. ConclusionWe found a low prevalence of eosinophilic cholecystitis (0.16%) in our study population. The clinical manifestations were similar to those of calculous cholecystitis. Cholecystectomy is adequate treatment in patients with idiopathic disease.