RESUMEN
Introduction: Primary mucinous carcinoma of the thyroid is an exceedingly rare malignancy that is histologically similar to mucinous carcinoma of other sites. Accurate diagnosis is a challenging yet crucial component of clinical management for both patients and our understanding of this rare disease. Case Presentation: We report the case of a 69-year-old male patient with primary mucinous carcinoma of the thyroid. Microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen showed fibrous tissue, which was extensively and irregularly infiltrated by a cytologically malignant epithelial neoplasm showing glandular differentiation with mucin production. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that tumor cells were positive for TTF1, thyroglobulin, CK7, and PAX8. Co-expression of TTF1 and PAX8 is most commonly seen in thyroid tumors. These findings support our diagnosis of mucinous carcinoma of thyroid origin, which is rare and highly aggressive. Conclusion: In this report, we present the only documented case of primary mucinous carcinoma of the thyroid reported in the United States in the last decade. The diagnosis of primary mucinous carcinoma of the thyroid can be challenging. Therefore, we discuss and detail the clinicopathologic tumor profile and provide more current, detailed histological criteria to assist in the diagnosis of this rare disease.
RESUMEN
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a relatively new modality in medicine and can have many potential applications. In this study, we developed label-free hyperspectral imaging for tumor margin assessment. HSI data, hypercube (x,y,λ), consists of a series of images of the same field of view that are acquired at different wavelengths. Every pixel in the hypercube has an optical spectrum. We collected surgical tissue specimens from 16 human subjects who underwent head and neck (H&N) cancer surgery. We acquired both HSI, autofluorescence images, and fluorescence images with 2-NBDG and proflavine from the specimens. Digitized histologic slides were examined by an H&N pathologist. We developed image preprocessing and classification methods for HSI data and differentiate cancer from benign tissue. The hyperspectral imaging and classification method was able to distinguish between cancer and normal tissue from oral cavity with an average accuracy of 90±8%, sensitivity of 89±9%, and specificity of 91±6%. This study suggests that label-free hyperspectral imaging has great potential for surgical margin assessment in tissue specimens of H&N cancer patients. Further development of the imaging technology and quantification methods is warranted for its application in image-guided surgery.