Small cell carcinoma of the endometrium: A clinicopathological study and management of three cases.

Endometrial small cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. It is characterized by early regional and systemic spread leading to rapid development of lymph nodes, pelvic and extrapelvic metastasis and compromising the outcome. In this paper, we reported three cases of ESCC confirmed by pathological and immunohistochemistry studies. In one case, ESCC was associated with endometrioid carcinoma and carcinosarcoma, while the other two cases were pure ESCC. Two cases were diagnosed at early stage IA of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) cancer staging system. They were treated by surgery followed by pelvic external radiation and brachytherapy with favorable outcome (no recurrence was confirmed and a survival was 1 and 5years, respectively). The third case was diagnosed with visceral metastasis and was treated with 6 cycles of cisplatin plus etoposide. She died 8months after diagnosis. Due to its rarity, there is no standard guideline for the management of ESCC. Its treatment is extrapolated from that of both, the conventional endometrial carcinoma and the small cell carcinoma of the lungs, which share similarities with ESCC. Thus, multimodal therapeutic including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, seems to be the best therapeutic approach. Randomized clinical trials with multiples cases of ESCC are encouraged to clearly define the optimal therapeutic approach to this rare tumor.

[Parotid metastasis from carcinoma of the breast: report of a case and review of the literature]. / Métastase parotidienne d'un cancer du sein: à propos d'un cas et revue de la littérature.

Parotid metastasis from carcinoma of the breast is very rare, only a few cases have been reported in the literature. We here report the case of a 43-year old patient treated for right breast cancer in whom left parotid metastasis (confirmed histologically) occurred two years after the end of the treatment.

[Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis revealing an undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma: about a case]. / La dermatomyosite paranéoplasique révélant un carcinome indifférencié du nasopharynx: à propos d'un cas.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an inflammatory disease of unknown origin that manifests as a myopathy associated with typical skin lesions. Association between DM and cancer is frequent (from 18% to 32% according to case series). It was described for the first time by Stertz in 1916 in association with gastric cancer. All histological types and sites of cancer in the general population may be associated with DM. Its association with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is rarely described and the incidence proportion is 1 case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma per 1.000 persons.

Embryonic paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: An embryonic paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma is a very rare mesenchymal tumor. It is an intrascrotal tumor that is localized in paratesticular structures such as the epididymis or spermatic cord. Rhabdomyosarcoma is most often observed in children and adolescents, presenting as a painless scrotal mass. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient was an 18-year-old Moroccan man who presented with a painless left scrotal mass that had evolved over four months. An inguinal orchiectomy was performed. A histological examination of the excised tissue revealed an embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma.Our patient had three sessions of chemotherapy with vincristine, actinomycin C and cyclophosphamide. Each chemotherapy session was conducted over five days, with a cycle of 21 days. Our patient was assessed two months after the last chemotherapy session and demonstrated good clinical improvement. CONCLUSION: Paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare aggressive tumor manifesting in children and very young adults. Localized forms have a good prognosis whereas metastatic tumors show very poor results. A well-defined treatment based on surgery and chemotherapy yields good results.