Integrated histological parameters define prognostically relevant groups in atypical endometrial hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of endometrial carcinoma following a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia by endometrial biopsy, stratified based on integrated histological parameters. METHODS: All women with atypical hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia undergoing hysterectomy within 1 year of diagnosis without progestin treatment were included. Patients were subdivided into three study groups, based on two criteria: (a) grade of nuclear atypia and (b) foci (<2 mm) of confluent glands with no intervening stroma: low-grade, high-grade, and confluent glands. The rate of endometrial carcinoma on the subsequent hysterectomy was assessed in each study group, and differences between study groups were assessed using Fisher's exact test, with a significant p value <0.05. Reproducibility was assessed by using Cohen's κ. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients were included. Overall, 36 of 96 patients (37.5%) had endometrial carcinoma on the subsequent hysterectomy. The number of endometrial carcinomas was 4 of 42 (9.5%) in the low-grade group, 14 of 28 (50.0%) in the high-grade group, and 18 of 26 (69.2%) in the confluent glands group. The rate of endometrial carcinoma was significantly higher in the high-grade group than in the low-grade group (p<0.001), whereas it did not significantly differ between the high-grade group and the confluent glands group (p=0.176). The reproducibility among pathologists was moderate for low-grade versus high-grade (κ=0.58) and substantial for confluent glands versus low-grade (κ=0.63) and high-grade (κ=0.63). CONCLUSION: Atypical hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia can be stratified into prognostically relevant groups based on integrated histological parameters, with a possible major impact on patient management.

Hysteroscopy and weight loss in treatment of endometrial cancer: case report and literature review.

Fertility-sparing treatments have become important for young women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) or endometrial carcinoma (EC) who wish to preserve their reproductive potential. Evidence indicates a strong relationship between weight and EC and the effect of weight loss on reducing the risk of EC. We report the case of a young obese woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 46.6 kg/m2, diagnosed with grade 2 endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma, who underwent a combined fertility-sparing treatment with hysteroscopic resection followed by insertion of a levonorgestrel intrauterine system. After twelve months of failure to achieve a complete response, bariatric surgery was proposed to lose weight and improve the response to treatment. Histologic regression was achieved three months after surgery, with a weight loss of 30 kg and fifteen months after combined treatment of endometrial cancer. We reviewed the literature to summarize the evidence on the role of bariatric surgery and weight loss in modifying the oncologic and reproductive outcomes of women undergoing fertility-sparing treatment for atypical endometrial lesions.

Digital Examination of LYmph node CYtopathology Using the Sydney system (DELYCYUS): An international, multi-institutional study.

BACKGROUND: After a series of standardized reporting systems in cytopathology, the Sydney system was recently introduced to address the need for reproducibility and standardization in lymph node cytopathology. Since then, the risk of malignancy for the categories of the Sydney system has been explored by several studies, but no studies have yet examined the interobserver reproducibility of the Sydney system. METHODS: The authors assessed interobserver reproducibility of the Sydney system on 85 lymph node fine-needle aspiration cytology cases reviewed by 15 cytopathologists from 12 institutions in eight different countries, resulting in 1275 diagnoses. In total, 186 slides stained with Diff-Quik, Papanicolaou, and immunocytochemistry were scanned. A subset of the cases included clinical data and results from ultrasound examinations, flow cytometry immunophenotyping, and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. The study participants assessed the cases digitally using whole-slide images. RESULTS: Overall, the authors observed an almost perfect agreement of cytopathologists with the ground truth (median weighted Cohen κ = 0.887; interquartile range, κ = 0.210) and moderate overall interobserver concordance (Fleiss κ = 0.476). There was substantial agreement for the inadequate and malignant categories (κ = 0.794 and κ = 0.729, respectively), moderate agreement for the benign category (κ = 0.490), and very slight agreement for the suspicious (κ = 0.104) and atypical (κ = 0.075) categories. CONCLUSIONS: The Sydney system for reporting lymph node cytopathology shows adequate interobserver concordance. Digital microscopy is an adequate means to assess lymph node cytopathology specimens.

Actinomycosis mimicking malignancy: a report of three cases diagnosed with fine-needle aspiration cytology.

We describe three cases of actinomycosis of the head and neck area, clinically suspected to be malignancies, diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNAC). The patients presented with painless, slowly growing masses in the cervicofacial area. Ultrasonography identified the masses as enlarged lymph nodes which were subsequently biopsied by FNAC. Cytological features were similar in all cases, with a background of granulocytes and scattered lymphocytes and histiocytes. At high magnification colonies of branching, filamentous and beaded bacteria were detected. In the Diff-Quik-stained smears, these filamentous colonies showed an evident yellowish color with the typical feature of the "sulfur granules" consistent with the Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon. A diagnosis of actinomycosis was made and confirmed in all cases by the subsequent microbiological tests. The patients were treated with high-dose penicillin, which caused the masses to progressively shrink. The lymph nodal localization of cervico-facial actinomycosis may be a diagnostic challenge, because in that area, lymphadenopathies may occur both in benign and malignant conditions. FNAC is a safe, fast, and reliable method to perform an accurate diagnosis of actinomycosis avoiding the surgical excision for histological evaluation.

Evolution in endoscopic endonasal approach for the management of hypothalamic-pituitary region metastasis: A single-institution experience.

Introduction: Endonasal endoscopic surgery has changed the treatment perspectives for different lesions of the hypothalamic-pituitary region. The metastases of the hypothalamic-pituitary region represent 0.4% of all intracranial metastatic tumors and account for only 1.8% of surgically managed pituitary lesions. The aim of tshis study is to describe a single-center institutional experience with 13 cases of hypothalamic-pituitary metastasis focused on presurgical workup, the evolution of the surgical technique, and postsurgical management according to our protocols, showing effects on progression-free and overall survival rates for this relatively uncommon location. Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the whole series of patients that received the endoscopic endonasal approach at the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of Naples "Federico II" undergoing surgery from January 1997 to December 2021. We identified 13 cases whose pathology reports revealed a metastatic lesion. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the Kaplan-Meier survival function and assess for log-rank differences in survival based on gender, surgical treatment, and postoperative therapy (p-value < 0.02*). Results: The pathology report disclosed lung adenocarcinoma (six cases, 46%), breast adenocarcinoma (two cases, 15.4%), clear cell renal carcinoma (one case, 7%), melanoma (one case, 7%), colorectal adenocarcinoma (one case, 7%), uterine cervix carcinoma (one case, 7%), and follicular thyroid carcinoma (one case, 7%). A standard endoscopic endonasal approach was performed in 10 patients (76.9%), while an extended endonasal procedure was performed in only three cases (23%). Biopsy was the surgical choice in five patients with infiltrative and invasive lesions and a poor performance status (38%), while in the cases where neurovascular decompression was necessary, a subtotal resection was achieved in five patients (38%) and partial resection in three patients (23%). Recovery of visual field defect was observed in six of seven patients with visual loss (85.7%), improvement of oculomotor nerve palsy occurred in four of seven patients with this defect (57.1%), while the impairment of oculomotor palsy was observed in three patients (42.9%). Visual function was stable in the other patients. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 14 and 18 months, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in PFS and OS in patients who underwent adjuvant radiotherapy (p=0.019 is referred to OS and p=0.017 to PFS, respectively; p-value = 0.02). Conclusions: The endoscopic endonasal approach is a viable approach for the management of hypothalamic-pituitary metastases as this surgery provides an adequate opportunity to obtain tissue sample and neurovascular decompression, both being crucial for continuing the integrated adjuvant therapy protocols.

Primary cutaneous B cell lymphoma, leg type presenting as a diabetic ulcer: A challenging diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: A crescent number of reports describe malignant dermal malignancies presenting as diabetic ulcers, such as melanoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, squamous cell carcinoma and cutaneous lymphoma. METHODS: The authors reported the clinical and histopathological features of this challenging case of a PCBCL, leg type presenting as a foot ulcer to exemplify the diagnostic difficulties, mainly when, at the onset, this tumour exhibits uncharacteristic features. CASE REPORT: A 43 years-old male with a 10-year history of compensated type I diabetes developed an ulcerated 3 cm of diameter tumour on the lateral region of the right foot. This lesion had previously been biopsied and treated as a diabetic neuropathic ulcer elsewhere. Due to the appearance of intralesional necrosis associated with stable inflammation and diabetes laboratory parameters, the clinicians made a provisional clinical diagnosis of pyoderma gangrenosum and performed further two incisional biopsies. Histology showed a clear-cut PCBCL, leg type. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic skin lesions, especially in older patients with persistent non-healing characteristics of pain and tenderness, must be carefully managed through the close correlation of clinical, imaging, and histological features. A correct diagnosis allows avoiding inadequate treatment, which would lead to severe consequences for these patients.

Immunohistochemical algorithms and gene expression profiling in primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: to assess whether immunohistochemical (IHC) algorithms used to classify the cell of origin (COO) of nodal Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma (nDLBCL) in Germinal Center type (GCB) and non-GCB subtypes may be applied to Primary Cutaneous B-cell lymphoma (PCBCL) too, and which of these algorithms performs better on PCBCL. DESIGN: Retrospective case control study. SETTING: Pathology Department of the University Hospital "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona" Salerno, Italy. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen PCBCL, including Primary Cutaneous follicle centre lymphoma (PCFCL) and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Leg type (PCDLBCL-LT) and 14 nDLBCL were evaluated for 7-year period (January 2011 to December 2017). Primary cutaneous marginal zone cell lymphoma (PCMZL) cases were not included in the present study. INTERVENTION: Evaluation of immunohistochemical CD10, BCL6, MUM1/IRF4, BCL2, MYC and Ki-67 expression and classification according to three different algorithms. Gene expression profiling (GEP) was performed on the same series using Lymph2Cx assay (Nanostring). The data obtained were compared and analysed. RESULTS: All the IHC algorithms showed 13 GCB and 15 non-GCB. GEP showed 12 GCB, 12 activated B cell-type and 4 unclassified. CONCLUSIONS: The PCBCL were classifiable as GCB and non-GCB like the nDLBCL as IHC algorithms were concordant to GEP and produced the same results.

Prognostic value of Bcl2 and Bcl6 in primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To assess the prognostic value of Bcl2 and Bcl6 in primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (pcDLBCL), through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched from their inception to April 2021 for studies reporting Bcl2 and Bcl6 expression and survival outcomes in pcDLBCL series. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression survival analyses with hazard ratio calculation were performed for overall survival (OS), with a significant p-value< 0.05. RESULTS: Eight studies with 148 patients were included. OS was significantly decreased in Bcl2-pos itive pcDLBCLs (5-year OS= 52.9 ± 5.2%) compared to Bcl2 negative pcDLBCLs (5-year OS= 86.6 ± 7.2%), with a HR of 4.615 (95% CI, 1.827-11.657; p = 0.001); no significant difference in OS was found between Bcl6-positive pcDLBCLs (5-year OS= 61.3 ± 6.5%) and Bcl6-negative pcDLBCLs (5-year OS= 56.8 ± 7.2%), with a HR of 0.789 (95% CI, 0.462-1.350; p = 0.388). CONCLUSIONS: In pcDLBCL, Bcl2 expression is a strong unfavourable prognostic marker; Bcl6 does not seem to be associated with survival instead. Further studies are necessary in this field.

Pleomorphic liposarcoma with liver metastasis diagnosed by combined fine-needle aspiration cytology and core-needle biopsy.

Pleomorphic liposarcoma (PLPS) is the rarest liposarcoma subtype, with high-local recurrence and metastasis rates. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is successfully used in the diagnosis of primary or metastatic soft tissue tumors, but liver metastases of PLPS diagnosed by FNAC have never been reported. The cytological diagnosis depends on the identification of lipoblasts with sharply defined cytoplasmic vacuoles indenting and distorting the nucleus in the context of a pleomorphic tumor and in a proper clinical and imaging context. Despite its aggressive behavior, hematogenous liver metastases are rare, with just one case reported in literature. A case of PLPS liver metastasis and concomitant primary tumor diagnosed by FNAC and core needle biopsy is herein described.