Pathogenesis of varicose veins.

Despite the high prevalence of varicose veins and the recent surge in research on the condition, the precise mechanisms underlying their development remain uncertain. In the past decade, there has been a shift from initial theories based on purely mechanical factors to hypotheses pointing to complex molecular changes causing histologic alterations in the vessel wall and extracellular matrix. Despite progress in understanding the molecular aspects of venous insufficiency, therapies for symptomatic varicose veins are directed toward anatomic and physical interventions. The present report reviews current evidence identifying the underlying biochemical alterations in the pathogenesis of varicose veins.

Immunoglobulin-A--associated small-vessel vasculitis: a 10-year experience at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

BACKGROUND: The main morbidity associated with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) results from glomerulonephritis and associated renal symptoms; thus early and accurate diagnosis would have follow-up implications. OBJECTIVE: To determine the strength of association of IgA vascular deposition with HSP in a mostly adult and hospital-based population. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients with a histologic diagnosis of cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) and corresponding direct immunofluorescence (DIF) studies between 2000 and 2010. European League Against Rheumatism criteria were used to diagnose HSP cases clinically. They are purpura or petechiae with lower limb predominance plus at least one of the following: abdominal pain, LCV or proliferative glomerulonephritis with predominant IgA deposit, arthritis/arthralgia, or proteinuria or hematuria. RESULTS: IgA positivity was significantly associated with HSP (P = .0001), and yielded sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 83%. Positive predictive value of IgA staining for HSP was 84%, and negative predictive value was 81%. No other histologic features were significantly associated with HSP. LIMITATIONS: Our sample size was relatively small and mostly an inpatient population (79%). We may have missed cases of HSP and a subset of IgA+ LCV patients who did not have clinical findings of HSP by limiting our series to only cases with DIF studies done. Certain clinical data may be incomplete since they were collected retrospectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms a strong association between IgA deposits on DIF and HSP, but also highlights a subset of HSP cases in which vascular IgA deposition in the skin appears to be negative.

Broad range of adverse cutaneous eruptions in patients on TNF-alpha antagonists.

Biologic therapies targeting tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha have become a mainstay in the management of a number of autoimmune diseases. We report a series of adverse skin eruptions in six patients (four females, two males, age: 21-58 years, mean: 39) receiving 4 months to 10 years (mean 3.1 years) of anti-TNF-alpha therapies (infliximab, n = 4; adalimumab, n = 1 or etanercept, n = 1). The following drug-associated diagnoses were made in eight skin biopsies performed at Massachusetts General Hospital between 3/2007 and 10/2010: pustular folliculitis, psoriasis, interface dermatitis, neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis, Sweet's syndrome, lupus, vasculitis and palmoplantar pustulosis. The descriptions of neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis-like and Sweet's-like hypersensitivity eruptions induced by anti-TNF-alpha therapies are the first such cases described in the literature. Each cutaneous eruption improved or resolved with switching to a different TNF-alpha inhibitor, discontinuation of the anti-TNF-alpha agent, and/or topical or systemic steroids. There was a clear chronologic relationship with, and clinical remission upon withdrawal or steroid suppression of the anti-TNF-alpha agents. The mechanism for such diverse cutaneous eruptions among this class of medications remains poorly understood. The cutaneous adverse reaction profile of TNF-alpha inhibitors is broad and should be considered in the histopathologic differential in this clinical setting.

Two-tiered antibody testing for Lyme disease with use of 2 enzyme immunoassays, a whole-cell sonicate enzyme immunoassay followed by a VlsE C6 peptide enzyme immunoassay.

BACKGROUND: Lyme disease (LD) antibody testing currently involves a 2-tiered algorithm with a whole-cell sonicate (WCS) enzyme immunoassay (EIA), followed by IgM/IgG Western immunoblots. A single EIA using the C6 peptide of the Borrelia burgdorferi variable-major protein-like sequence expressed lipoprotein provides similar or better sensitivity but less specificity, compared with standard 2-tiered testing. Here, we investigated an alternative 2-tiered strategy, in which the first step remained a WCS EIA, but immunoblotting was replaced by a C6 EIA. METHODS: We determined the sensitivity of the 3 testing strategies with use of 91 serum samples from research study patients with LD and 78 serum samples from patients with LD whose samples were submitted to our hospital's clinical laboratory. Specificity was measured using 54 patients with other illnesses and 1246 healthy subjects from areas where the infection is endemic and nonendemic. RESULTS: The 2-EIA algorithm in early LD had similar sensitivity as C6 testing alone, and both strategies had better sensitivity than did standard 2-tiered testing (61% and 64%, respectively, vs 48%; P = .03 and P = .008). For late disease, all 3 strategies had 100% sensitivity. The specificity of the 2-EIA algorithm was equal to that of standard 2-tiered testing, and both 2-tiered strategies were more specific than C6 testing alone (for both, 99.5% vs 98.4%; P = .01). The positive predictive value of the 2-EIA algorithm was 70%, compared with 66% for standard 2-tiered testing and 43% for the C6 EIA alone. CONCLUSIONS: The 2-EIA strategy matched the individual strengths of the C6 EIA and Western blotting, without the drawbacks. The 2 EIAs provided sensitivity comparable to that of the C6 EIA but maintained the specificity of standard 2-tiered testing.

Parent-child reading interactions among English and English as a second language speakers in an underserved pediatric clinic in Hawai'i.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare reading patterns between English-speaking and English as a Second Language (ESL) families in a health care setting in Hawai'i. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed at an underserved pediatric primary care clinic in Hawai'i. Caregivers of patients between the ages of 6 months to 5 years were asked questions regarding demographics and parent-child reading interactions. Respondents were categorized into English-speaking or ESL groups based on primary language spoken at home. Pearson chi2 tests and Fisher exact tests were performed to compare demographic differences, reading frequency, and reading attitudes between groups. RESULTS: One-hundred three respondents completed the survey Fifty percent were ESL. All ESL respondents were of Asian-Pacific Islander (API) or mixed Asian ethnicity. All Caucasians in the study (n = 9) were in the English-speaking group. Between the English-speaking (n = 52) and ESL (n = 51) groups, there were no significant statistical differences in age or gender of the child, reading attitudes, or parent's educational status. Parents in the ESL group read to their children significantly fewer days per week than their English-speaking counterparts, had significantly fewer books in the home, and lived significantly fewer years in the United States. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that API immigrant families share similar attitudes about reading as English-speaking families in Hawai'i but have significantly fewer books in their household and read significantly less frequently Physicians working with API populations should be aware that immigrant children may have fewer reading interactions and should counsel parents on the importance of reading daily.

Differential Expression of Hedgehog and Snail in Cutaneous Fibrosing Disorders: Implications for Targeted Inhibition.

OBJECTIVES: To examine Hedgehog signaling in cutaneous fibrosing disorders for which effective approved therapies are lacking, expand our knowledge of pathophysiology, and explore the rationale for targeted inhibition. METHODS: Stain intensity and percentage of cells staining for Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Indian hedgehog (Ihh), Patched (Ptch), glycogen synthase kinase 3 ß (GSK3-ß), ß-catenin, and Snail were evaluated in human skin biopsy specimens of keloid, hypertrophic scar (Hscar), scleroderma, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), scar, and normal skin using a tissue microarray. RESULTS: Ihh, but not Shh, was detected in a significantly larger proportion of cells for all case types. Ptch, GSK3-ß, and ß-catenin showed a gradient of expression: highest in NSF and keloid; moderate in normal skin, scar, and Hscar; and lowest in scleroderma. Snail expression was binary: low in normal skin but high in all fibrosing conditions studied. CONCLUSIONS: Differential overexpression of Hedgehog and Snail in cutaneous fibrosing disorders demonstrates a role for targeted inhibition. Ptch, GSK3-ß, and ß-catenin can help differentiate scleroderma from NSF in histologically subtle cases. Differences in expression between keloid and hypertrophic scar support the concept that they are pathophysiologically distinct disorders. Our findings implicate Snail as a target for the prevention of fibrogenesis or fibrosis progression and may offer a means to assess response to therapy.

Cytokeratin 17: an adjunctive marker of invasion in squamous neoplastic lesions of the anus.

Diagnosing anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is often preceded by anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN), may be challenging in small biopsies. Cytokeratin 17 (CK17) is a basal/myoepithelial cell keratin induced in activated keratinocytes and associated with disease progression in SCC of the uterine cervix, esophagus, and oral cavity. We investigated the utility of CK17 in diagnosing invasion in anal squamous neoplastic lesions. Immunohistochemical staining for CK17 was evaluated in 11 AINs, 12 invasive SCCs, 8 invasive SCCs with basaloid features (BSCC), and 2 invasive pure basaloid carcinomas. The pattern of staining was scored as surface/central, peripheral/rim, diffuse, or absent. All cases of invasive SCC and BSCC stained positive for CK17. Eleven of 12 (92%) SCCs showed diffuse staining, and 1 of 12 (8%) showed peripheral staining. Six of 8 (75%) BSCCs showed diffuse staining, and 2 of 8 (25%) showed peripheral staining. Both pure basaloid carcinomas were negative for CK17. One of 11 (9%) AINs was diffusely positive for CK17; all other AINs had surface or absent CK17. Of the 6 patients with concurrent AIN and invasive carcinoma, superficial expression of CK17 was present in 1 AIN, whereas all invasive components showed diffuse staining. The sensitivity and specificity of CK17 for identifying invasion in SCC and BSCC was 100% and 91%, respectively. Peripheral or diffuse staining for CK17 is a useful marker of invasion in anal squamous neoplastic lesions. A potential pitfall in the utility of CK17 is that the pure basaloid variant of anal carcinoma is negative for CK17.

BerEp4, cytokeratin 14, and cytokeratin 17 immunohistochemical staining aid in differentiation of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma from basal cell carcinoma with squamous metaplasia.

CONTEXT: Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (bSCC) is an uncommon variant of squamous cell carcinoma, which may overlap histologically with basal cell carcinoma with squamous metaplasia (BCCm). OBJECTIVE: To aid in the differentiation of these neoplasms using immunohistochemical staining because of the worse prognosis associated with bSCC. DESIGN: Using immunohistochemical techniques, we investigated BerEp4, cytokeratin 17 (CK17), and cytokeratin 14 (CK14) protein expression in 25 cases of bSCC (8 cutaneous [32%], 12 aerodigestive tract [48%], and 5 lymph node metastases [20%]) and 43 cases of BCCm (39 cutaneous [91%], and 4 metastases [9%]). An immunoreactivity score was assigned using the percentage of tumor cells staining and the pattern of expression. Interobserver agreement for 2 independent pathologists was assessed using a κ coefficient. RESULTS: The mean percentage of staining was significantly higher in BCCm, compared with bSCC (BerEp4, P = .006; CK17, P < .001; CK14, P < .001; unpaired t test), with 58% of BCCm cases (25 of 43) displaying diffuse staining for all markers, and nearly all (98%; 42 of 43) displaying diffuse staining for CK17 and CK14. In contrast, no bSCC cases (0%) displayed diffuse staining for all 3 markers, and only 8% (2 of 25) displayed diffuse staining for CK17 and CK14. High interobserver agreement was determined. CONCLUSIONS: BerEp4 alone is unreliable for differentiation between BCCm and bSCC, and the addition of either CK14 or CK17 will augment the sensitivity and negative predictive value of BerEp4 staining in BCCm and bSCC diagnosis.

Temporal bone chondroblastoma with secondary aneurysmal bone cyst presenting as an intracranial mass with clinical seizure activity.

Chondroblastomas are rare tumors that characteristically arise from the epiphyseal cartilage of long bones of the immature skeleton. Intracranial involvement is uncommon, though the squamous portion of the temporal bone is preferentially affected due to its cartilaginous origin. Patients with temporal bone chondroblastomas classically present with otologic symptoms, while primary neurological complaints are rare. In this report, we describe a 33 year-old man with a chondroblastoma of the temporal bone and an associated aneurysmal bone cyst constituting a large intracranial mass lesion who presented with new-onset seizure activity. We review issues relevant to the pathology and treatment of these lesions.

Convection-enhanced delivery of topotecan into a PDGF-driven model of glioblastoma prolongs survival and ablates both tumor-initiating cells and recruited glial progenitors.

The contribution of microenvironment to tumor growth has important implications for optimizing chemotherapeutic response and understanding the biology of recurrent tumors. In this study, we tested the effects of locally administered topotecan on a rat model of glioblastoma that is induced by intracerebral injection of PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor)-IRES (internal ribosome entry site)-GFP (green fluorescent protein)-expressing retrovirus, treated the tumors by convection-enhanced delivery (CED) of topotecan (136 µmol/L) for 1, 4, or 7 days, and then characterized the effects on both the retrovirus-transformed tumor cells (GFP(+) cells) as well as the uninfected glial progenitor cells (GFP(-) cells) that are recruited to the tumor. Topotecan treatment reduced GFP(+) cells about 10-fold and recruited progenitors by about 80-fold while providing a significant survival advantage that improved with greater treatment duration. Regions of glial progenitor ablation occurred corresponding to the anatomic distribution of topotecan as predicted by MRI of a surrogate tracer. Histopathologic changes in recurrent tumors point to a decrease in recruitment, most likely due to the chemotherapeutic ablation of the recruitable progenitor pool.

Malignant neurocristic hamartoma: a tumor distinct from conventional melanoma and malignant blue nevus.

Neurocristic hamartomas are rare pigmented lesions comprised of melanocytes, Schwann cells, and pigmented dendritic spindle cells that involve the skin and soft tissue. Malignant transformation can rarely arise within neurocristic hamartomas. Up to date, there has been only 1 series of 7 cases of malignant neurocristic hamartomas (MNHs), with 3 cases that developed metastases. We present the histology and clinical course of 3 additional cases of MNH, 2 of which were metastatic. CD117 was strongly positive in all cases with available archival materials--the tumors and background neurocristic hamartoma of 3 cases, and 1 lymph node metastasis; however, KIT sequencing for exons 11, 13, 17, and 18 was negative. Mutational analyses of recurrent mutations of 17 cancer genes, including BRAF and KIT, were also negative. Although our series is small, KIT overexpression in MNH does not seem to correlate with gene mutation. The lack of BRAF, NRAS, GNAQ, and KIT mutations seems to support the notion that MNH may be distinct from conventional melanoma and from other dermal melanomas, such as malignant blue nevi and melanoma arising in congenital nevi.