Vascular endothelial growth factor and thymidine phosphorylase expression in salivary gland tumors with distinct metastatic behavior.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis of salivary gland tumors has a negative impact on survival. Angiogenesis and its factors are potential markers for predicting metastasis in different malignant tumors, but this is not the case for salivary gland tumors. METHODS: Salivary gland tumors of distinct biologic behavior were analyzed according to the semiquantitative immunoexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP). RESULTS: Vascular endothelial growth factor expression was predominantly weak in benign tumors. Weak TP expression was observed in 100% cases of benign tumors and in 74.3% of primary malignant tumors. High VEGF and TP expression levels were significantly associated with primary malignant tumors but not with primary non-metastasizing and primary metastasizing malignant tumors or with subtypes of malignant tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular endothelial growth factor and TP expression levels discriminate benign and malignant tumors but cannot predict metastasis from non-metastasizing tumors.

Multicentric granular cell tumor: report of a patient with oral and cutaneous lesions.

Granular cell tumor (GCT) is an uncommon benign neoplasm of soft tissue that characteristically affects the oral cavity, with increased frequency in the tongue. In this paper, we report a multicentric GCT affecting a 41-year-old black woman, with nodules in perineum, groin, vulva, tongue and lip. Some of these lesions were surgically resected, but in a six-year follow-up, new primary lesions and recurrences were observed. In addition, the patient opted to do not remove some of these lesions, but there were not significant intercurrences. In view of the present findings, aspects related to clinical presentation, multiplicity, malignant potential, and treatment of GCT are discussed.

Warthin's tumor at the Brazilian National Cancer Institute: additional evidence of homogeneous sex prevalence and association with other neoplasms.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To report the largest Brazilian series of Warthin's tumor (WT). PROCEDURES: The medical files of 76 patients with WT treated in the Brazilian National Cancer Institute from 1996 to 2006 were reviewed. RESULTS: The male:female ratio was 2:1, with a predominance of white, old, and smoking patients. However, there were more women among the nonsmokers. One fifth of the patients presented with synchronous multiple lesions. Parotid lesions were prevalent, but there were patients with lesions in cervical lymph nodes and in the inferior lip. Most cases were treated by superficial parotidectomy, without recurrences. One fourth of the patients also developed other primary neoplasms. CONCLUSIONS: The observed data do not differ from those in the international literature. Multiplicity and the development of other neoplastic diseases require close clinical management of patients with WT. MESSAGE: The previously unreported observation of female prevalence among nonsmoking people with WT should be confirmed and explored in future studies.

Oral alveolar soft-part sarcoma: review of literature and case report with immunohistochemistry study for prognostic markers.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS) affecting the tongue of a child and to study prognostic imunohistochemical markers for the disease. STUDY DESIGN: Tissue sections were incubated with primary antibodies reactive to neuron-specific enolase (NSE), vimentin, desmin, S-100 protein, cytokeratins AE1-AE3, EMA, neurofilament, synaptophysin, and muscle-specific actin (MSA), and for prognostic markers, including Ki-67, p53, bcl-2, bax, and nm23. RESULTS: Histologically, the tumor showed a proliferation of large polygonal cells with PAS-positive diastase-resistant intracytoplasmatic material, arranged in an alveolar growth pattern. Diffuse positive reaction for neuron specific enolase (NSE), focal reactivity for desmin and S-100 protein, strong positivity for nm23 and bax, but weak reaction for p53 and Ki-67 were found. No bcl-2-positive cells were noted. CONCLUSION: These immunohistochemical findings may reflect the less aggressive behavior of ASPS in oral tissues.