Mixed Neuroendocrine Non-Neuroendocrine Tumor (MINEN) of the Liver: Report of Two Cases and Review of the Literature.

OBJECTIVE: To highlight two cases mixed neuroendocrine non-neuroendocrine tumors (MINEN) of the liver and to review the literature till date. To present two cases of MINEN of the liver diagnosed in our centre with clinical & diagnostic workup, the treatment modalities, and follow up. Extensive review of the literature and compilation of the presentation and treatment modalities used in those cases. CASE REPORTS: Thirty-three cases of MINEN of the liver have been reported till date including ours. Our cases presented as incidental masses in liver during workup for other symptoms. AFP levels were normal in both cases but PIVKA (Protein induced by vitamin K absence) levels were increased. Resection was done in one of the cases while the other patient had to undergo transplantation. A diagnosis of MINEN was made on H&E, and confirmed on IHC. One patient was unfit for systemic chemotherapy whereas the other patient received cisplastin and etoposide based chemotherapy. Both patients developed metastasis on follow up but are still alive after 12-15 months. CONCLUSION: MINEN is an uncommon tumor of the liver with a poor prognosis as shown by the few studies available. Recurrence and distant metastases are often described even after complete resection and the course is fatal. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy following surgical resection is not fully elucidated. Mean survival in the cases reported ranged from 1 month to 33 months. However, no significant differences were seen in the clinicopathologic profile of the cases described so far. Further multiinstitutional studies and follow up will help to further characterize this subtype for appropriate treatment.

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Meningiomas: Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in the Kashmir Valley.

BACKGROUND: Meningiomas comprise 15%-20% of all primary intracranial tumors. They are generally benign tumors, and most patients are cured after surgery and remain free of recurrence. However, some tumors behave in an aggressive manner, and patients develop local recurrence or metastasis. Overall prognosis is good. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is an 11-year retrospective study conducted in the Departments of Pathology and Neurosurgery at Sheri-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Kashmir, India. Besides the demographic profile, the parameters analyzed were location of tumor on imaging, histopathological subtype, and grade of tumor according to the 2007 WHO classification and recurrence at follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 254 patients were included in our study, of which 205 (80.7%) were brain meningiomas and 49 (19.3%) were spinal, with an overall female: male ratio of 2:1. Female: male ratio was more in spinal meningiomas, 15.3:1. Most of our patients were in the 4-6th decade of life with a mean age of 48 years (range: 5-73 years). Meningothelial meningioma was the most common histological type. Of ten patients who showed recurrence, seven cases showed only recurrence, but no progression to higher grade and three cases showed recurrence with progression by one WHO-grade. We also noticed that recurrence was higher in Simpson Grades II and III. CONCLUSION: Meningiomas are common in females and most of the meningiomas do well after surgery. The recurrence rate was 3.93% in our study and Simpson grade of tumor excision and histopathological grade contribute significantly to the recurrence of the tumor.

Squamous cell carcinoma of lung with osteo-cartilaginous metaplasia - a case report and review of the literature.

Calcification and ossification are very rare in primary squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. We report a 55-year-old male with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the lung who on histopathological examination was seen to have extensive calcification and ossification. Squamous carcinoma of the lung rarely presents with osteocartilaginous metaplasia. The case is presented here for its unique presentation.

Childhood tumors of the brain: demographic pattern over a ten-year period in the Kashmir Valley.

Brain tumors in children represent the second most frequent tumors in this age group after hematologic malignancies. We highlight the demographic pattern after retrospective analysis of brain tumors in children from geographically and ethnically distinct Kashmir Valley managed in our center between 2000 and 2009. We had a total of 248 pediatric patients with brain tumors. The parameters analyzed were age, gender, location of tumors and histopathological subtypes as well as WHO grade of tumor. We also did a comparison between the frequencies of common varieties of tumor in the first and second 5-year periods. We found that 111 tumors (44.75%) were supratentorial, and 137 (55.25%) were infratentorial. The male-to-female ratio was 1.4:1. The proportions of low-grade and high-grade tumors were 60 and 40%, respectively. The most common tumor in our series was astrocytoma. The most common tumors in the supratentorial and infratentorial compartments were craniopharyngioma and medulloblastoma, respectively. Our experience reflects a different demographic profile of pediatric brain tumors as compared with other regions of the world.