Synchronous thyroid cancer and malignant struma ovarii: concordant mutations and microRNA profile, discordant loss of heterozygosity loci.

BACKGROUND: Struma ovarii is an unusual ovarian teratoma containing predominantly thyroid tissue. Less than 10% of cases undergo malignant transformation in the thyroid tissue and are considered malignant struma ovarii (MSO). MSO have been reported with concurrent thyroid lesions, but molecular data is lacking. CASE PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old female developed MSO and synchronous multifocal subcentimeter papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The patient underwent a salpingo-oophrectomy, thyroidectomy, and low-dose radioactive iodine ablation. Both the thyroid subcentimeter PTC and MSO were positive for BRAF V600E mutation, and microRNA expression profiles were similar across all tumor deposits. However, only the malignant component demonstrated extensive loss of heterozygosity (LOH) involving multiple tumor suppressor gene (TSG) chromosomal loci. CONCLUSIONS: We present the first reported case of MSO with synchronous multifocal subcentimeter PTC in the thyroid containing concordant BRAF V600E mutations and resulting with discordant LOH findings. This data suggests that loss of expression in tumor suppressor gene(s) may be an important contributor to phenotypic expression of malignancy.

The reliability of thyroid nodule ultrasound features and size to predict malignancy in fine needle aspiration specimens: Practical utility for the evaluating pathologist.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic impact of ultrasound features of thyroid nodules is debated. We explore the correlation between nodule size, echogenicity on US, and malignancy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of thyroid nodules undergoing ultrasound guided FNA (US-FNA) at our institution between 01/2008-05/2013. RESULTS: In all, 2,403 nodules from 2,293 patients (age range 14-91, mean 54, median 56, M: F-1:3.2) underwent US-FNA. 766 nodules were resected, 337 were malignant (size range 0.4-8.7 cm, median 2 cm, mean 2.37 cm,) and 429 were benign (size range 0.5-9.7 cm, median 2.5 cm, mean 2.79 cm). The malignant diagnoses included: classical variant of PTC 77 (size range 0.5-5.5 cm, mean 1.5 cm), follicular variant of PTC 209 (size range 0.14-7.5 cm, mean 2.1 cm), tall cell variant of PTC 7 (size range 0.5-2.4 cm, mean1.4 cm), poorly differentiated carcinoma 5 (size range 5-8.7 cm, mean 6.42 cm), follicular carcinoma 27 (size range 0.5-7 cm, mean 3.03 cm), and oncocytic follicular carcinoma 9 cases (size range 1.4-7.2 cm, mean 3.2 cm). Of the malignant nodules with echogenicity reported on US, 93 were hypoechoic, 26 hyperechoic, 20 isoechoic, and 76 heteroechoic; increased vascularity on US was seen in 69/337 (20%). On US, 105 benign nodules were reported as hypoechoic, 35 hyperechoic, 43 isoechoic, and 100 as heterogeneous; increased vascularity on US was seen in 88/429 (20%). CONCLUSIONS: A malignant diagnosis was more common in thyroid nodules ≤1.0 cm. No differences were noted in the US-features of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) in a patient with Crohn's disease and exposure to infliximab: a rare clinical presentation and review of the literature.

With the introduction of potent immunosuppressive and chemotherapeutic medications for various diseases, there is an increased incidence of therapy-related myeloid neoplasms. They are the result of mutational rearrangement and historically, have a grave prognosis compared with de novo myeloid neoplasms. We did a short review on various types of myeloid leukaemias reported after therapy with antitumour necrosis factor and also report, to the best of our knowledge, one among the very few cases of therapy-related acute promyelocytic leukaemia in a patient on infliximab therapy for refractory Crohn's disease. The patient responded well to the traditional treatment and is in complete remission for more than 5 years.

Nine-month-old patient with bilateral earlobe keloids.

Keloid disorder (KD) is a fibroproliferative ailment of the cutaneous connective tissue secondary to dysregulation in various skin repair and healing processes. This disorder is characterized by excess collagen and/or glycoprotein depositions in the dermis. Age of onset of KD is not well documented. Based on clinical observations, various authors have reported the onset of KD to be between the ages of 10 and 30 years. We report on an African American female who developed bilateral auricular keloids at the age of 9 months. To our knowledge, this is the youngest age at which a patient has been documented to have developed KD.