Microscopic extraovarian sex cord proliferations: an undescribed phenomenon.

AIMS: To report a previously undescribed phenomenon of incidentally detected microscopic proliferations of sex cord cells, often mimicking adult granulosa cell tumour or sex cord tumour with annular tubules, in extraovarian locations. METHODS AND RESULTS: The six cases were in patients aged 23-58 years. The proliferations were located in the fallopian tube in three cases, and in paraovarian connective tissues, the pelvic side wall, and appendiceal serosa (one case each). Microscopically, they were typically composed of well-demarcated nests of regular cells with round/ovoid vesicular nuclei, some containing grooves. Microfollicular and/or cribriform arrangements were present in three cases. In five cases, the sex cord lineage was confirmed by positive staining with inhibin and/or calretinin and other sex cord markers. FOXL2 mutation analysis was performed in one case, but was inconclusive. Bilateral oophorectomies and bilateral cystectomies were performed in three cases and one case respectively; there was no sex cord-stromal neoplasm in the removed ovaries. In the two cases in which the ovaries were not removed, imaging showed no suspicious features. Follow-up in four cases (11 months-6 years) has been uneventful. CONCLUSIONS: The pathogenesis of these microscopic extraovarian sex cord proliferations is unknown, but they may represent non-neoplastic proliferations of embryonic remnants.

Case Report: Response to ipilimumab and nivolumab in a patient with adrenocortical carcinoma.

Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with limited treatment options. The evidence for the use of immunotherapy in ACC has been conflicting, with overall response rates ranging from 6 - 33%. Case presentation: We describe the case of a 32 year old patient who was initially thought to have an inoperable clear cell renal cell carcinoma and was treated with immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab. The patient had an excellent partial response to treatment. Further work-up prior to consideration of surgery demonstrated that the tumour was an ACC, rather than a renal cancer. She had a right adrenalectomy and right hepatectomy, achieving an R0 resection and remains disease-free one year after surgery. Conclusion: This case illustrates the challenge of diagnosing ACC, and that doublet immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab can have significant clinical efficacy in ACC.

The risk of cervical cancer associated with specific types of human papillomavirus: a case-control study in a UK population.

Mounting evidence supports incorporation of HPV testing into cervical screening; however, the optimal test format and target population have yet to be confirmed. Assessment of the potential benefits of type-specific testing requires estimation of the risk associated with infection with individual HPV types. However, the risk posed by individual HPV types may be population specific and influenced by cervical screening practice. The existing data on HPV type-specific risk is derived largely from unscreened populations. Our study addressed the lack of data on HPV type-specific risk in cytologically screened populations using a case-control study of 262 invasive cervical cancers diagnosed in Wales between 2000 and 2006, and 8,428 controls who attended for cytological screening in 2004. The analysis showed that the odds ratios (ORs) for infection with HPV 16 and 18 are considerable; 2770 (95% CI 1050-7320) and 950 (95% CI 330-2740), respectively, and that the OR for other oncogenic types are in general considerably less (ranging, where quantified, from 20.2 to 386 in the same population). The effect of age on OR associated with particular HPV types was also assessed; this indicated that infection with a high-risk HPV in women older than 40 years was associated with an approximately 30-fold increased risk of invasive cervical cancer relative to women younger than 40 years. These results indicate that there is significant prognostic information associated with knowledge of HPV type.

The potential impact of human papillomavirus vaccination in contemporary cytologically screened populations may be underestimated: an observational retrospective analysis of invasive cervical cancers.

The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of invasive cervical cancers attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 in a contemporary, cytologically well-screened UK population. This was achieved in a retrospective observational analysis by HPV typing 453 archival invasive cervical cancers diagnosed between January 1, 2000 and September 1, 2006. Pathological material was collected from 9 hospitals across Wales (UK), and HPV typing and pathology review was conducted at a central laboratory. Genotyping for high-risk HPV DNA was performed by PCR-enzyme immunoassay using the GP5+/6+ primer set. DNA was successfully extracted from 297 cases. Two hundred and eighty cases were included in the final analysis. The proportion of cases which had only HPV 16 and/or 18 was 219 of 280 (78.2%, 95% CI = 73.0-82.7); the proportion of cases which had HPV 16 or 18 and another HPV type was 230 of 280 (82.1%, 95% CI = 77.2-86.2). The proportion of cervical cancers associated with infection with HPV types 16 and 18 has previously been estimated at around 70%. The appropriate figure for a cytologically well-screened UK population appears to be approximately 80%. Hence, the potential impact of the current vaccination programme may be underestimated.

Uterine angioleiomyomas: a report of 3 cases of a distinctive benign leiomyoma variant.

We report 3 cases of a distinctive uterine leiomyoma containing numerous thick-walled vascular channels, which we term angioleiomyoma. The leiomyomas occurred in women aged 33, 44, and 49 and ranged from 1.5 to 6.0 cm. They were composed of bland, spindle-shaped cells with numerous evenly distributed, arteriole-like vessels with thick muscular walls throughout. The spindle cells often swirled around the vessels. In 1 case, fibrin was present within vessel walls. The spindle cells were positive with smooth-muscle markers and negative with HMB45. We believe angioleiomyoma should be recognized as a distinct entity and included in the World Health Organization classification of tumors of the female genital tract as a benign leiomyoma variant, similar to cellular and atypical leiomyoma. Uterine angioleiomyoma has a close morphological resemblance to the similarly named skin tumor. We review uterine smooth-muscle and other mesenchymal neoplasms in which prominent vascular channels are a feature.

Fatal relapsing tracheobronchial polychondritis diagnosed at autopsy.

A 31-year-old woman was referred to chest clinic with an 18-month history of cough, breathlessness and weight loss. She had previously been treated unsuccessfully with bronchodilators. In clinic she was found to have vocal hoarseness and harsh, monophonic inspiratory breath sounds. A bronchoscopy was arranged, but the patient was found dead before it could be performed. A postmortem examination with histology found evidence of active and chronic inflammation as well as destruction of cartilage, in keeping with a diagnosis of relapsing tracheobronchial polychonditis.

Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia with mucinous differentiation: report of 2 cases of a hitherto undescribed phenomenon.

We report 2 cases of classic vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) with collections of cells throughout the full epithelial thickness and within epithelial downgrowths containing intracytoplasmic mucin. The mucinous cells were bland with eccentrically placed small regular nuclei and were positive with CAM5.2, carcinoembryonic antigen, epithelial membrane antigen, and cytokeratin 7, markers that are typically positive in the neoplastic cells of Paget disease. Both cases were strongly positive with p16 and linear array genotyping demonstrated the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus type 16. As far as we are aware, mucinous differentiation has not been described in VIN, although mucinous metaplasia has rarely been reported in non-neoplastic vulval skin and in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in situ at extravulval sites. The main differential diagnosis of the cases we describe is Paget disease or coexistent VIN and Paget disease and the immunophenotype of the mucinous cells may further highlight the potential for misdiagnosis. Other possible differential diagnoses include Pagetoid squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Pagetoid VIN), basal cell carcinoma with sebaceous differentiation, and VIN involving skin appendage structures. The mucinous cells are likely to be metaplastic and a result of aberrant differentiation in a premalignant squamous lesion.

Ovarian serous cystadenofibroma with stromal sex cord elements: report of a unique case.

This report describes an ovarian serous cystadenofibroma, in a postmenopausal woman, which exhibited extensive sex cord differentiation, in the form of solid and hollow tubules resembling Sertoli cell elements, within the stroma. The sex cord elements, which were located just beneath the epithelium, were positive with both alpha inhibin and calretinin and negative with epithelial membrane antigen. They were also CD56 positive but negative with other neuroendocrine markers. True sex cord structures or sex cord-like elements have been described in ovarian adenosarcomas and pure stromal tumors, especially fibromas. However, as far as we are aware, these elements have not been reported in a serous cystadenofibroma. The endometrium exhibited simple hyperplasia, perhaps secondary to estrogenic activity of the sex cord elements. We discuss the significance of CD56 positivity of the sex cord elements.