T-Cells Subsets in Castleman Disease: Analysis of 28 Cases Including Unicentric, Multicentric and HHV8-Related Clinical Forms.

Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that includes various clinico-pathological subtypes. According to clinical course, CD is divided into unicentric CD (UCD) and multicentric CD (MCD). MCD is further distinguished based on the etiological driver in herpes virus-8-related MCD (that can occur in the setting of HIV); in MCD associated with POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal protein, and skin changes); and idiopathic MCD (iMCD). The latter can also be divided in iMCD-TAFRO (thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, myelofibrosis, organomegaly) and iMCD not otherwise specified. To date, CD pathogenesis is still uncertain, but CD may represent the histological and clinical result of heterogeneous pathomechanisms. Transcriptome investigations in CD lymph nodes have documented the expression and up-regulation of different cytokines; furthermore, few recent studies have shown alterations of different T-cell subsets in CD patients, suggesting a possible role of the nodal microenvironment in CD development. On this basis, our study aimed to investigate the distribution of T-cell subsets in the clinico-pathological spectrum of CD. We evaluated the CD4/CD8 ratio and the number of T-regulatory (T-reg) FOXP3+ cells in 28 CD cases. In total, 32% of cases showed a decreased CD4/CD8 ratio due to increased CD8+ T-cells, including both UCD, iMCD, and HHV8+ MCD cases. The T-reg subset analysis revealed a statistically significant (p < 0.0001) lower mean number of FOXP3+ T-reg cells in CD cases when compared with non-specific reactive lymph nodes. We did not find statistically significant differences in T-reg numbers between the different CD subtypes. These findings may suggest that alterations in T-cell subpopulations that can lead to disruption of immune system control may contribute to the numerous changes in different cellular compartments that characterize CD.

Testicular seminoma with pagetoid spread into the vas deferens: A rare histopathological presentation.

Testicular cancer, in particular testicular germ cell tumours, is the most common malignancy in young adult men. Defining prognosis and the best therapeutic strategy is challenging since accurate staging could be controversial. We report an unusual case of seminoma with pagetoid spread into the rete testis and, unexpectedly, also within the epithelium of the vas deferens, up to the margin of excision of the spermatic cord. Focussing on the extremely rare pathological finding and the challenge in defining the stage and the best post-surgical management, we would like to raise some issues about the knowledge gap on this topic.

Grade Increases in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Metastases Compared to the Primary Tumor.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The neuroendocrine tumor (NET) proliferation-based grading system (ENETS/WHO) for gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) tumors has proved reliable for prognostic stratification. To date, concerns exist regarding Ki-67 heterogeneity within the tumor and little is known on whether grade varies between primary and secondary sites. As tumor heterogeneity may have a significant impact on clinical management, our aim was to retrospectively evaluate Ki-67 on a series of GEP NETs in order to establish whether there is variability in different samples of the same lesion or between primary and metastatic disease (local/distant, synchronous/metachronous). METHODS: Sixty patients with multiple samples of tumor were accrued from a total of 338 GEP NETs; 44 of them also had tissue from local/distant metastases and a further 5 had multiple metastatic foci from unknown primary tumors. Immunohistochemistry for Ki-67 was performed on all paraffin blocks from both primary and metastatic tumors. RESULTS: Intratumor Ki-67 heterogeneity sufficient to change grade at first diagnosis was seen in 3/60 cases (5%). Out of 49 patients with primary NETs and/or multiple metastases, discrepancy in grade between sites was identified in 19 (39%) cases and in particular in 11/47 (23%) and in 10/12 (83%) patients with synchronous and metachronous metastases, respectively (p = 0.0002). Change in grade was more frequent in distant compared to locoregional metastases (p = 0.024) and in particular in distant sites other than the liver (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: NETs show frequent differences in grade between primary sites and their synchronous/metachronous metastases; assessment of Ki-67 at all sites may prove to be significant for patient management.

The role of Bruton's kinase inhibitors (BTKi) in accelerated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (a-CLL): a case of successful response to acalabrutinib.

OBJECTIVES: The use of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors has changed the clinical history of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in both naïve and relapsed/refractory settings. "Accelerated" chronic lymphocytic leukemia (a-CLL) is a relatively rare form of CLL representing less than 1 % of all CLL cases. a-CLL patients usually have a more aggressive course and a reduced overall survival was reported with conventional chemo-immunotherapy approaches. METHODS: The role of Bruton Tyrosine Kinase-inhibitor, ibrutinib, in a-CLL is well established with encouraging preliminary results. RESULTS: We report a case of a-CLL-treated first-line with second-generation BTKi, acalabrutinib with a prompt clinical response. As known, it is the first literature report on acalabrutinib in a-CLL highlighting the role of second-generation BTKi also in this high-risk setting. CONCLUSIONS: Target therapies (Bruton Kinase inhibitors and Bcl2 inhibitors) have improved the therapeutic landscape of CLL. The availability of therapeutic targets requires greater diagnostic accuracy to choose the most appropriate therapy for each patient.

Spontaneous urinary bladder perforation: An unusual presentation of well-differentiated papillary peritoneum mesothelioma.

INTRODUCTION: Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma (WDPM) is a very rare neoplasm. Most of WDPM are asymptomatic and are often incidentally detected during surgery. This report describes a case of WDPM of the peritoneum unexpectedly diagnosed in a male with a spontaneous intraperitoneal bladder rupture. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old male presented to our Emergency Department in November 2019 with a two-day history of anuria, abdominal pain, distention, and sepsis. The CT scan reported a large amount of extra and intraperitoneal free fluid. The CT cystogram showed bladder perforations on the dome and on the left lateral wall which was repaired through exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperatively, we encountered extensive suppurative peritonitis with large fibrino-purulent exudation. The purulent perivesical peritoneum was dissected and sent for histopathological examination which unexpectedly resulted in WDPM of the peritoneum. CONCLUSION: Although we can't affirm with certainty, this case would seem to suggest that WDPM had played a role in patient's clinical presentation. However, further research is necessary to draw stronger conclusion.

Malignant eccrine spiradenocylindroma and parotid gland involvement in Brooke Spiegler syndrome.

Brooke-Spiegler syndrome is a rare disorder, characterized by the development of skin adnexal tumors, including cylindromas, trichoepitheliomas, spiradenomas. Although these neoplasms are benign in most patients, a malignant transformation can rarely occur. Furthermore, an occasional association between cutaneous adnexal tumors and basal cell adenoma as well as adenocarcinoma of the parotid gland has been rarely described, with approximately 20 cases reported. We report a case of BSS presenting with a malignant eccrine spiradenocylindroma, in a patient with previous history of parotid basal cell tumor.

Spontaneous splenic rupture during induction therapy in acute myeloid leukemia: An unusual case.

Spontaneous splenic rupture (SSR) is a rare life-threatening emergency. In hematological settings, it is uncommon in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We report an atypical case of SSR in a 73-year-old male with AML where a prompt imaging ultrasound assessment played a key role. Performed noninvasively at bedside, it allowed rapid imaging diagnosis, confirming its essential role even in the presence of hematological disease.

Pityriasis Lichenoides, Atypical Pityriasis Lichenoides, and Related Conditions: A Study of 66 Cases.

Pityriasis lichenoides (PLs) is an uncommon skin disease of unknown etiology. In recent years, an atypical form of PL has been described, showing overlapping features with mycosis fungoides (MF) and lymphomatoid papulosis. We studied 66 patients with an initial histopathologic diagnosis of PL (M:F=34:32; median age, 25 y; range, 7 to 85 y). According to clinical and phenotypic features, cases were classified into 4 categories: (1) Conventional PL (characteristic clinical features of PL without phenotypic aberrations) (n=20; M:F=8:12; median age, 37 y; range, 9 to 74 y); (2) Atypical form of PL (characteristic clinical features of PL with phenotypic aberrations) (n=25; M:F=16:9; median age, 21 y; range, 7 to 72 y). Four of these patients subsequently developed MF; (3) Lymphomatoid papulosis (waxing and waning lesions and positivity for CD30) (n=10; M:F=4:6; median age, 41 y; range, 16 to 83 y); (4) MF (clinical features typical of MF) (n=11; M:F=6:5; median age, 17 y; range, 8 to 85 y). Molecular analyses of clonality of the infiltrate did not reveal relevant differences among these 4 groups. Our study suggests that patients with an initial histopathologic diagnosis of PL may belong to different groups, showing that clinicopathologic correlation and complete phenotypic analyses are paramount in order to achieve proper classification. Although the relationship between PL and MF is yet a matter of debate, at the present state of knowledge, patients with a clinicopathologic presentation consistent with PL but with aberrant phenotypic features should be monitored in order to detect a possible evolution into MF.