Pleural effusion of malignant aetiology: cell block technique to establish the diagnosis.

We describe cases of two previously healthy women presenting with progressively worsening breathlessness for 1-2 months. In both cases, physical examination was suggestive of a left-sided pleural effusion, confirmed by chest X-ray. Analysis of aspirated fluid showed a lymphocytic exudate, but cytological analysis was negative for malignancy in both patients. CT scan revealed malignancies as the underlying cause of the effusions. Both patients were managed with intercostal drainage in order to collect a sufficient amount of pleural fluid to perform a new technique in our hospital: cell block. This proved to be extremely useful in assessing the definitive diagnosis and management of both women. We briefly discuss the approach to a malignant pleural effusion and the aid of this not-so-new technique.

Primary bone metastasis as first manifestation of an unknown primary tumour.

Unknown primary tumour refers to a group of cancers for which the anatomical site of origin remains occult after detailed investigations. Thanks to sophisticated imaging, immunohistochemical testing and molecular-profiling tools, there is a more accurate approach to unknown primary cancer. Metastasis to bone is not a rare phenomenon, because any tumour can metastasise to bone, so it is a common clinical scenario. The role of clinical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, radiographic studies and immunohistochemistry is critical for a successful diagnostic strategy. Subsets of unknown primary cancers can be identified primarily on the basis of histopathological findings, the pattern of spread and serum markers. New immunohistochemical markers and tissue-of-origin profiles may establish presumable primary sites to unknown primary cancer on the basis of immunohistochemical and molecular patterns. We present a case of a 57-year-old woman without a cancer history, who had primary bone metastasis as the first manifestation of an occult primary tumour.