Nasal basal cell carcinomas. Can we reduce surgical margins to 3mm with complete excision?

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incomplete excision rate of nasal basal cell carcinomas (BCC) resected with different margins to demonstrate that 3-mm surgical margins could be used as safety margins to reduce esthetic consequences with a low risk of incomplete excision. METHODS: All patients with BCC of the nose excised from January 1st 2008 to December 31st 2011 were included. Data were analyzed and reviewed retrospectively. Tumors were treated with different surgical margins of excision: 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm. The primary outcome variable was the rate of incomplete excision. Other study variables were the histologic subtype, size, and recurrent lesions. RESULTS: Of the 132 patients, 115 were included corresponding on with 127 BCC. Median age was 75.5 (64-83) and sex ratio M:F=1.05. Of the 127 BCC, 80 were aggressive histologic subtype (63%), and 11 were recurrent (8.7%). The overall rate of incomplete excision was 17.3% (n=22). Of these 22, 17 (77.3%) were of an aggressive subtype. The incomplete excision rates within the groups were 12.5% (n=4), 22.2% (n=10), and 16% (n=8), respectively within the group with 3-, 4- and 5-mm surgical margins. No significant difference was observed between the groups (P=.519). The incomplete excision rate was not independently associated with the surgical margins, histologic subtype and recurrent type (P>.05). CONCLUSION: Three-millimeters margins could possibly be used to treat nasal BCC in chosen cases. Regarding the high rate of incomplete excision, reconstruction should be performed after receiving the pathologic report.

[Primary pigmented breast adenocarcinoma in a male patient]. / Adénocarcinome mammaire pigmenté primitif chez un homme.

BACKGROUND: Pigmented mammary tumours are rare. Herein, we report the third case of primary pigmented breast adenocarcinoma in a male patient with clinical mimicking of nodular melanoma of the nipple. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A male patient presented with a pigmented nodule of the right nipple. Histological examination of the lesion showed dermal and subcutaneous adenocarcinomatous proliferation. The perilesional stroma contained melanin both inside and outside macrophages, leading us to conclude on primary pigmented breast adenocarcinoma clinically mimicking nodular melanoma of the nipple. DISCUSSION: Local production of melanin by neoplastic cells in the mammary carcinoma was postulated as the cause of hyperpigmentation of the tumour. Other possible causes are transfer of melanin from overlying melanocytes of the pigmented areolar epidermis to the underlying neoplastic cells, or melanin synthesis by intratumoral melanocytes migrating from the epidermis (which strikes us as the most convincing interpretation for the reported case). CONCLUSION: Breast adenocarcinoma is a rare tumour in men and may present clinically as a pigmented lesion of the nipple, resulting in the problem of differential diagnosis with primary or metastasised nodular melanoma.

Non-organ-specific autoantibodies in chronic hepatitis C patients: association with histological activity and fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Non-organ-specific autoantibodies (NOSAs) are frequently found in the sera of patients with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection. However, no conclusive answers have been produced concerning the clinical relevance of these antibodies. AIM: To determine whether a relationship might exist between the presence of NOSA and the severity of liver disease in chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: 186 treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis C patients were studied consecutively for autoantibodies. Liver biopsies were analyzed according to the Metavir score. RESULTS: NOSAs were present in 75 patients (40%). Anti-nuclear antibodies were found in 32% of patients (speckled pattern), anti-smooth muscle in 15% without F-actin specificity, anti-mitochondria in 0.5%, and anti-LKM1 in 0.5%, respectively. No liver-cytosol1 or soluble liver antigen antibodies were detected. There was a highly significant correlation between the positivity of NOSA and the degree of inflammation and hepatocellular injury (p = 0.001) and also with the degree of fibrosis (p < 0.0001). The presence of NOSA was associated with higher aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, gamma-globulin and immunoglobulin G levels. By contrast, no differences were observed regarding age, gender, route of infection, duration of disease, HCV genotypes or viral load. CONCLUSION: NOSAs were associated with the most severe forms of chronic HCV infections.

Systemic mastocytosis following mediastinal germ cell tumor: an association confirmed.

A 24-year-old man had a mediastinal embryonal carcinoma containing yolk sac foci. Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, bleomycin, etoposide, and vinblastine was given, and the residual mass was then resected. Histology showed only necrotic cells. No other treatment was given. Two years later the patient presented with episodes of flushing and syncopes related to a systemicmastocytosis. Bone marrow examination showed a diffuse infiltration with large, atypical mast cells often with multilobulated nuclei. The patient suffered several episodes of cardiovascular collapse and died during one of these episodes, 8 months after the diagnosis of systemic mastocytosis and 40 months after the diagnosis of mediastinal tumor. Autopsy findings included the absence of mediastinal tumor and a diffuse liver and spleen mast cell infiltration. This was the second case with the similar clinicopathologic picture of two rare diseases being associated. This fact supports the hypothesis of a distinct entity, part of the mediastinal germ cell tumor/hematologic malignancy syndrome. The hypothesis of a cytokine secretion induced by mediastinal germ cell tumor supporting mast cell proliferation may be considered.

Use of tumor markers for differential diagnosis of mesothelioma and secondary pleural malignancies.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess diagnosis value of tumor markers for differential diagnosis between mesothelioma and other pleural tumors. DESIGN AND METHODS: Prospective study of 85 patients attending our hospital with malignant pleural effusion. The diagnostic approach involved routine pleurocentesis followed by pleural needle. When precise diagnosis was not achieved, thoracoscopy with pleural biopsies was performed. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), hyaluronic acid, tissue polypeptide antigen and cyfra 21 to 1 were measured in serum and pleural fluid. RESULTS: By using receiver operating characteristics curves and area under curves, the best diagnostic characteristics were obtained with pleural and serum CEA concentrations. The area under the curve was larger for pleural ACE than for serum ACE. The sensitivity and specificity of a pleural CEA level exceeding 3 ng/mL for ruling out the diagnosis of mesothelioma were 100% and 77%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A CEA level above 3 ng/mL in pleural fluid eliminated the diagnosis of mesothelioma, whereas the other markers were not sufficiently discriminant. However, despite a negative predictive value of 100% at a cutoff of 3 ng/mL, CEA assay in pleural fluid only avoids a small number of diagnostic thoracoscopies.

Management of sinonasal hemangiopericytomas.

The purpose of the present study is to report four cases of sinonasal hemangiopericytoma (HP) diagnosed and treated in our department between 1987 and 1998. The pretreatment findings and the treatment are described and discussed in the light of the literature. HP are unusual vascular tumors, featuring pericytes distributed around normal vascular channels. Two of these four cases were located in the nasal cavity and the other two were located in the maxillary sinus. Inside the nasal cavity, HP presented as a protruding reddish-gray mass with marked bleeding on contact. Electron microscopy and immunohistochemical techniques are essential for diagnosis and to distinguish HP from other sarcomatous tumors. Preoperative assessment included routine CT, MRI, arteriography and selective embolization. These tumors must be treated surgically with complete excision. An endonasal approach was performed in two cases of intranasal HP, while a combined external-endonasal approach was required for the other two cases of HP.

[Herpetic esophagitis in human immunodeficiency virus non infected patients]. / Oesophagite herpétique chez le sujet non infecté par le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine.

We report five cases of herpetic esophagitis in human immunodeficiency virus non-infected patients. Herpetic esophagitis is a frequent infection in immunocompromised patients. However, sixty four cases of herpetic esophagitis have been reported in immunocompetent patients. The infection presents non-specific esophageal symptoms. Diagnosis relies on esophageal histology and viral cultures. Treatment by acyclovir is recommended to prevent severe complications. This infection is probably underestimated in immunocompetent hosts but seems to be more frequent in patients with severe illness that can be responsible for transitory immunodeficiency. Biopsies of esophageal lesions should be systematically performed in these patients.

[Adenomatoid tumor of the pleura. Case report]. / Tumeur adénomatoïde pleurale. A propos d'un cas.

We report a case of an adenomatoid tumor of particular location within the pleura, incidentally discovered on a pulmonary lobectomy specimen after surgical resection of a pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma. This adenomatoid tumor appeared as a unique pleural mass located away from the primary carcinoma and consisted of a cellular proliferation organised in tubes and sheets. Adenomatoid tumors are considered as benign tumors of mesothelial nature. Their morphological and immunohistochemical features in association with their location to the pleura, warrant a precise analysis to eliminate malignant tumours such as malignant mesothelioma or metastatic adenocarcinoma.

[Sarcoid optic neuropathy]. / Neuropathie optique sarcoïdosique.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease mostly involving the chest. Sarcoid optic neuropathy is an uncommon but serious manifestation that requires long-term corticosteroid treatment. We report here the case of a 50-year-old black patient complaining of a recent blurred vision on his left eye. The ophthalmologic examination was normal. Goldmann visual field and visual evoked potentials confirmed the diagnosis of retrobulbar optic neuropathy. Sarcoidosis was presumed on a chest radiography and computed tomography and confirmed with a transbronchial biopsy. Symptoms disappeared with intravenous bolus of corticosteroids. Three months later, without treatment, a right inferior eyelid tumor was observed. Magnetic resonance imaging (RMI) showed two orbital masses and multiple meningeal lesions enhancing with contrast suggesting neurosarcoidosis which decreased with a long-term high-dose corticosteroid therapy (1 mg/kg/d). Optic neuropathy is a rare manifestation of neurosarcoidosis, mostly accompanied by optic-disc involvement with papillary lesions. Chest roentgenogram and computed tomography give a presumption of sarcoidosis. But biopsy is mandatory to confirm the diagnosis demonstrating the histologic lesion of a non caseating granulomatous. Corticosteroid therapy is dramatically efficient but sometimes several months treatment is required.

[Pelvic myxoid liposarcoma. A case report]. / Liposarcome myxoïde pelvien. A propos d'un cas.

Myxoid liposarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumour. The authors report one case of retroperitoneal tumour discovered during pregnancy, which recurred after initial surgery. Clinical features, clinical course and prognosis of this disease are examined together with management procedures.

[Primary pleural lymphoma: a rare complication of tuberculosis pleural sequelae]. / Lymphome pleural primitif: une complication rare des séquelles pleurales de tuberculose.

We report two cases of malignant lymphoma of B phenotype occurring after therapeutic pneumothorax for tuberculosis. In both cases, outcome was fatal without time for specific treatment. Mainly reported in Japan, this pathology seems to be less frequent in western countries. As for B phenotype lymphoma associated with immunodeficiency, association with Epstein Barr virus is reported. Definite diagnosis is difficult and requires surgical biopsy. Prognosis remains poor with a survival ranging from 3 to 6 month.

[Osteoma of the naso-sinusal cavities. Surgical indications and role of endonasal endoscopic surgery]. / Ostéomes des cavités naso-sinusiennes. Indications opératoires et place de la chirurgie endonasale endoscopique.

Osteoma of the para-nasal sinuses is a rare and benign tumor that develops slowly. When therapy becomes mandatory, it is necessarily surgical and requires a standard external approach. This report analyses seven cases of operated osteomas, using different surgical techniques, adapted to different indications. Three patients underwent exclusive endonasal endoscopic surgery, and four patients had external surgery coupled with endonasal surgery. Results have proven successful with a four-year median follow-up. Epidemiological, clinical, histological and therapeutic considerations as well as the value of the endoscopic endonasal surgical approach are discussed. Endonasal endoscopic surgery can be used alone in naso-ethmoidal osteomas. It must, though, be associated with external standard procedure when the osteoma involves important extension to the frontal sinuses. In isolated frontal osteomas, external standard approach is mandatory for resection, endonasal technique being in this case contributive to the repermeabilisation of the infundibulum.

[Desmoplastic mesothelioma with bony metastases. A case report]. / Mésothéliome desmoplastique pleural avec métastases vertébrales. À propos d'un cas.

Desmoplastic mesothelioma is unusual variant of malignant mesothelioma. The diagnosis of desmoplastic mesothelioma represents one of the most difficult exercises in pleural pathology (with poor interobservers agreement) because of their abundant collagen with relatively low cellularity. The clinical course is often rapid with visceral metastases. Bony metastases have only rarely been noted. We report our case of desmoplastic mesothelioma with vertebral metastases. Our focus is to distinguish this entity from fibrous pleurisy and localized fibrous tumors, to explain histological and immunohistochemical features with review of the literature.

The novel immunosuppressive enzyme IL4I1 is expressed by neoplastic cells of several B-cell lymphomas and by tumor-associated macrophages.

We previously reported a strong IL4I1 gene expression in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) and recently identified the protein as a secreted L-phenylalanine oxidase, physiologically expressed by myeloid cells, which inhibits T-cell proliferation in vitro. Here, we analyzed the pattern of IL4I1 protein expression in 315 human lymphoid and non-lymphoid malignancies. Besides PMBL, IL4I1 expression in tumors was very frequent. IL4I1 was detected in tumor-associated macrophages from most of the tumors and in neoplastic cells from follicular lymphoma, classic and nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphomas and small lymphocytic lymphoma, three of which are germinal center derived. IL4I1-positive tumor cells were also detected in rare cases of solid cancers, mainly mesothelioma. The enzymatic activity paralleled protein expression, suggesting that IL4I1 is functional in vivo. Depending on the tumor type, IL4I1 may impact on different infiltrating lymphocyte populations with consequences on tumor evolution. In the particular case of follicular lymphoma cells, which are susceptible to antitumor cytotoxic T cells killing but depend on interactions with local T helper cells for survival, a high level of IL4I1 expression seems associated with the absence of bone marrow involvement and a better outcome. These findings plead for an evaluation of IL4I1 as a prognosis factor.

The structure and innervation of the male urethra: histological and immunohistochemical studies with three-dimensional reconstruction.

The structure of the striated urethral sphincter, the so-called rhabdosphincter, remains the subject of controversy. There are two main concepts regarding its structure: either it is a part of the urogenital diaphragm, or it extends from the base of the bladder up to the urogenital diaphragm and is an integral part of the urethra. It is also uncertain whether it possesses a somatic innervation or a mixed innervation (i.e. autonomic and somatic). The purpose of this study was to show the precise location of the nerves running to the urethra, and to try to determine their exact nature. Histology and immunohistochemistry were performed in the external urethral sphincter of ten male fetuses (114-342 mm crown-rump length, or between 14 and 40 weeks of gestation). A three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the urethral structure and its innervation was made from serial sections. The 3D reconstruction of the same section levels with different strains allowed us to identify the precise structure of the muscle layers (smooth and striated muscle fibres) and the nature of the nerve elements (myelinated and unmyelinated), their distributions and their relationship to the urethral wall, the prostate and the seminal vesicles. Histological and immunohistochemical 3D reconstruction of the anatomical elements of the urethral sphincter helps us to understand the 3D arrangement of the sphincter muscle layers. It also provides a better understanding of the origin and nature of the nerve elements that play a role in urinary continence.

Prenatal forehead edema in 4p- deletion: the 'Greek warrior helmet' profile revisited.

OBJECTIVES: Deletion of short arm of chromosome 4 is difficult to ascertain prenatally, and can be missed. METHODS: A prenatal suspicion of 4p- syndrome was thoroughly investigated by using two-dimensional and three-dimensional sonography, with a description of the fetal face dysmorphological pattern. The cytogenetic confirmation, obtained by karyotype and FISH technique, allowed a precise description of the prenatal abnormalities. Post-termination tridimensional helicoidal scanner of the fetal face was performed. RESULTS: The main anomaly discovered using two-dimensional sonography was the presence of a strikingly thick prefrontal edema (8 mm, twice the normal values, at 22 weeks: 3.81 +/- 0.62 mm). Three-dimensional sonography showed the classical postnatal profile, with the phenotypic aspect of a 'Greek warrior helmet'. Nasal bones were normal in size and placement, confirmed by helicoidal scanner. CONCLUSION: Prenatal diagnosis of 4p deletion syndrome can be difficult, and it is the presence of prefrontal edema, associated with more subtle facial anomalies (short philtrum, microretrognathia) which should trigger cytogenetic investigation for 4p- deletion, even with only borderline growth retardation.

Biopersistence of cerium in the human respiratory tract and ultrastructural findings.

For diagnostic purposes, mineralogical analysis was performed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue from a 58-year-old patient previously exposed to asbestos and rare earth dusts. No significant retention of asbestos was demonstrated in lung tissue by light microscopy (asbestos bodies) or transmission electron microscopy analysis (uncoated fibers). Particles containing rare earth (cerium, lanthanum) and phosphorus were identified in alveolar macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and cerium-containing particles accounted for 70% of particles observed in the lung tissue. Ultrastructural analysis of lung tissue revealed the presence of particles containing cerium and phosphorus in interstitial macrophages and elastic fibers. These results suggest that rare earth is metabolized and should be considered as biopersistent in the human respiratory tract, since occupational inquiries revealed that exposure to cerium oxide abrasive powder had ceased at least 15 years earlier.

[Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and AIDS: histopathologic features]. / Lymphomes non hodgkiniens et SIDA: aspects histopathologiques.

HIV-related non-hodgkin lymphomas currently occur in 5 to 8% of AIDS patients. AIDS-related lymphomas are high-grade tumors with the morphologic characteristics of either small noncleaved cell lymphomas of the Burkitt type or large cell centroblastic and immunoblastic lymphomas. Mixed features may be found, making classification difficult. Useful methods for characterizing AIDS-related non-hodgkin's lymphomas include immunophenotypic studies using B-cell differentiation and activation antigens (HLA-DR, CD10, CD19, CD20, CD21, CD22, CD23, CD38), evaluation of expression of surface immunoglobulins (IgS), activation and proliferation (CD25, CD30, CD71, Ki67), and identification of T-cell markers (CD1, CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8). Cases studied were of the B-cell type. Comparison with morphologic features revealed that Burkitt's lymphomas were monoclonal and expressed B-cell markers (CD10, CD19, CD20, CD22, CD38) and surface immunoglobulins, especially IgM kappa. This immunophenotype is similar to that of large cell or centroblastic non-hodgkin's lymphomas, suggesting that Burkitt lymphomas originate from centrofollicular cells. Immunoblastic non-hodgkin's lymphomas were monotypic or polytypic and expressed CD10 and CD38 antigens but not the other B-cell antigens Furthermore, a very large number of cells stained positively with the Ki67 antibody demonstrating that most lymphoma cells were undergoing cycling.

[Ticlopidine-induced lymphocytic colitis]. / Colite lymphocytaire imputable à la ticlopidine.

Lymphocytic colitis is a clinico-pathological syndrome characterized by chronic diarrhea, normal endoscopy, diffuse colonic mucosal inflammatory changes. Collagenous colitis is defined by a thickening of the collagen plate. The etiology is unknown but immune disorders have been frequently associated with it and it has been linked with the taking of certain drugs such as nonsteroïd anti-inflammatory drugs or veinotonics. We are reporting a case of microscopic colitis associating both lymphocytic and collagenous colitis, wich induced chronic diarrhea in a 65-year-old man. It appeared after he had taken ticlopidine. Diarrhea stopped after he had discontinuated ticlopidine, and recurred after he resumed taking the drug. Histological damages from lymphocytic colitis improved six month after he had stopped taking ticlopidine. Chronic diarrhea induced by ticlopidine might be caused by lymphocytic colitis.

Pleuro-pulmonary tumours detected by clinical and chest X-ray analyses in rats transplanted with mesothelioma cells.

New strategies for cancer therapy must be developed, especially in severe neoplasms such as malignant pleural mesothelioma. Animal models of cancer, as close as possible to the human situation, are needed to investigate novel therapeutical approaches. Orthotopic transplantation of cancer cells is then relevant and efforts should be made to follow up tumour evolution in animals. In the present study, we developed a method for the orthotopic growth of mesothelioma cells in the pleural cavity of Fischer 344 and nude rats, along with a procedure for clinical survey. Two mesothelioma cell lines, of rat and human origin, were inoculated by transthoracic puncture. Body weight determination and chest X-ray analyses permitted the follow-up of tumour evolution by identifying different stages. Autopsies showed that tumours localized on the whole pleural cavity (diaphragm, parietal pleura), mediastinum and pericardium. Tumour morphology and antigenic characteristics were consistent with those of the inoculated cells and were similar in both types of rats inoculated with the same cell type. These results demonstrate that mesothelioma formation in rats can be followed up by clinical and radiographic survey after gentle intrathoracic inoculation of mesothelioma cells, thus allowing the definition of stages of interest for further experimental trials.