Composite lymphoma of mycosis fungoides and cutaneous small B-cell lymphoma in a 73-year-old male patient.

Composite lymphoma of T-cell and B-cell type is uncommon, and the one occurring primarily on skin is extremely rare. Herein, we report a unique case of composite lymphoma of mycosis fungoides and cutaneous small B-cell lymphoma in a 73-year-old male patient. The patient presented with multiple erythematous patches, plaques, and nodules on the upper arms, scalp, and trunk. Four punch biopsies of arm and scalp lesions demonstrated lymphoid infiltrate in superficial to deep dermis with a characteristic zone distribution of T-cell and B-cell components. T cells were distributed in papillary and perifollicular dermis and displayed a larger size with convoluted nuclei, whereas B cells were small sized, assuming nodular infiltrate in mid-deep dermis with coexpression of CD5. Molecular test detected clonal rearrangement of both TCRG and IGH/K genes with identical amplicons for each gene in all 4 biopsies. Clinical staging revealed no extracutaneous lesions. A multidisplinary approach is emphasized to establish a definitive diagnosis.

Tissue microarray analysis of ezrin, KBA.62, CD166, nestin, and p-Akt in melanoma versus banal and atypical nevi, and nonmelanocytic lesions.

Multiple melanocytic markers are useful for differentiating between melanoma and nonmelanocytic lesions but generally do not distinguish melanoma from nevi and atypical melanocytic lesions. We sought to determine if several immunohistochemical markers recently described in the literature, including ezrin, KBA.62, p-Akt, CD166, and nestin, may be helpful in distinguishing these lesions. One hundred ten tissue microarray samples were scored for nestin and CD166 and 220 samples for ezrin, KBA.62, and p-Akt. We found that putative stem cell markers nestin and CD166 were both expressed in most melanomas (86% and 65% of samples, respectively), including desmoplastic melanoma, but were also expressed at similar levels in nevi (79% and 74%, respectively). In addition, these markers were not specific for melanocytic lesions. Ezrin was also expressed in both nevi and melanoma (81% each), including desmoplastic melanoma (75%), and in neural tumors. KBA.62 stained more cases of nevi versus melanoma (93% and 65%, respectively) and was positive in 53% of desmoplastic melanoma. However, it was also positive in several nonmelanocytic tumors. P-Akt expression was generally weak but was increased in nevi (75%) versus melanoma (43%), and was lost in desmoplastic melanomas (5%). Overall, only KBA.62 and p-Akt expression differed between melanoma and nevi, and none of these markers were completely specific for melanocytic tumors versus nonmelanocytic lesions.

Unusual palisading and necrotizing granulomas associated with a lubricating agent used in lipoplasty.

Palisading granulomas with necrobiosis are frequently encountered in dermatopathology, with granuloma annulare, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, and rheumatoid nodule being the most frequently rendered diagnoses. We report a series of 9 patients who developed palisading, necrobiotic, and necrotizing granulomas, associated with the presence of foreign material introduced through the use of a lubricating agent containing a copolymer (Carbopol 934) for liposuction. The patients ranged in age from 29 to 54 years old and presented with multiple, disfiguring, and nonhealing wounds at sites where lipoplasty had been performed. All specimens showed similar histologic findings, with the formation of palisading granulomas around extensive areas of necrobiosis with foci of true necrosis. Spaces containing minute fragments of crystalloid-appearing foreign material, birefringent with polarized light, were also identified. Special stains including acid fast, Gram, Giemsa, and/or periodic acid-Schiff were negative for organisms in all cases, as were cultures performed in 5 cases. Given the presence of foreign material and true necrosis, these findings were inconsistent with granuloma annulare, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, or rheumatoid nodule and were interpreted as a unique reaction to the foreign material. Therefore, this seems to be a distinct reaction pattern that has not been previously reported in the literature and may be important to include in the differential diagnosis in patients with necrotizing granulomatous disease.

Association of HPV16 E6 variants with diagnostic severity in cervical cytology samples of 354 women in a US population.

It has been suggested that DNA sequence variants of HPV16 contribute to differences in the behavior of individual cervical lesions. To address this question, we have analyzed the association of HPV16 variants with diagnostic severity in 354 HPV16-positive Oklahoman women. HPV16 variant status was determined by PCR amplification and DNA sequencing of the E6 open reading frame. European sequences were identified in 86% of samples and 14% were non-European. Of the 51 non-European cases, 61% were Asian-American, 23% African and 16% were Native American variants. European prototype and related variants were present in comparable numbers (43% each) but the relative proportion of each differed with diagnostic category. In general, the proportion of European variants and non-European variants increased with diagnostic severity while the European prototype decreased. When adjusted for age and race (white, black or Hispanic), the increased risk for carcinoma/severe dysplasia for non-European variants was statistically significant with an odds ratio of 3.8 (1.3-10.7). However, the analogous comparison for the European variants, although also showing increased association with carcinoma/severe dysplasia, did not reach statistical significance (OR = 1.6 (95% CI 0.7-3.6). Overall, HPV16 European sequences (both prototype and related variants), were predominant in Oklahoman women including those with cancers. This suggests that while there appear to be differences among the HPV16-variant categories in risk for progression to invasive cancer, all variant categories are associated with the development of invasive cancer.