Prognostic Role of Androgen Receptor in Triple Negative Breast Cancer: A Multi-Institutional Study.

BACKGROUND: The androgen receptor (AR) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for AR-positive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, conflicting reports regarding AR's prognostic role in TNBC are putting its usefulness in question. Some studies conclude that AR positivity indicates a good prognosis in TNBC, whereas others suggest the opposite, and some show that AR status has no significant bearing on the patients' prognosis. METHODS: We evaluated the prognostic value of AR in resected primary tumors from TNBC patients from six international cohorts {US (n = 420), UK (n = 239), Norway (n = 104), Ireland (n = 222), Nigeria (n = 180), and India (n = 242); total n = 1407}. All TNBC samples were stained with the same anti-AR antibody using the same immunohistochemistry protocol, and samples with ≥1% of AR-positive nuclei were deemed AR-positive TNBCs. RESULTS: AR status shows population-specific patterns of association with patients' overall survival after controlling for age, grade, population, and chemotherapy. We found AR-positive status to be a marker of good prognosis in US and Nigerian cohorts, a marker of poor prognosis in Norway, Ireland and Indian cohorts, and neutral in UK cohort. CONCLUSION: AR status, on its own, is not a reliable prognostic marker. More research to investigate molecular subtype composition among the different cohorts is warranted.

Aspergillosis of the bone.

Aspergillosis of the long bones has not been reported. Those of the bones of the paranasal sinuses and ear canal have been reported but rare. A young woman reported to us with history of discharging sinuses around the right knee and recent fracture of the right femur. Despite all efforts, she ended up losing the whole limb from the hip. When a patient with Aspergillosis of the long bones presents late, amputation may be the best option. Early diagnosis will prevent this.

Photoletter to the editor: Scarring alopecia resulting from pyoderma gangrenosum of the scalp.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is an uncommon ulcerative cutaneous condition of uncertain aetiology. It is a disease that causes tissue to become necrotic, leading to deep ulcers. We report a case of pyoderma gangrenosum localized at the scalp, which is an unusual location. After 16 months of treatment with prednisolone 40 mg daily, methotrexate 15 mg weekly, ciprofloxacin 500 mg and honey dressing the indurated elevated ulcer margins flattened and the ulcer healed with scarring of the entire scalp.

Primary cutaneous aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient.

We present a 32-year-old woman with primary cutaneous aspergillosis and an apparently normal immune status. She is a dietitian who carried out research on Aspergillus contamination of palm oil over a six-month period, during which she apparently shaved her axillae and perineum using a safety razor blade. She presented with nodular lesions, which became extensive ulcers after an attempt at incision and drainage. Diagnosis was based on culture and histology. The patient was treated with itraconazole 200 mg twice a day, with surgical excision and a rhomboid flap cover of the axillae. She has remained disease-free five years after discharge. This highlights the likely benefits of a combination of surgical excision and drug therapy, in achieving a cure in this patient.