Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: Serological and Immunohistochemical Diagnosis.

This review deals with serologic and immunohistochemical tumor markers used in clinical laboratories for the diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors. Time tested serologic markers such as alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and lactate dehydrogenase are routinely used in the work-up of patients with testicular tumors. Professional organizations regulating the practice of medicine in most countries worldwide require that the laboratory values for these serologic reactants be included in the pathology reports on testicular tumors as part of the tumor staging process. Immunohistochemical markers of testicular germ have been identified and widely tested during the first two decades of the XXI century. We have selected the most useful immunohistochemical markers from a few of these markers and discussed them in this review. CONCLUSION: Published data show that testicular tumor markers are widely used in routine practice. The study of tumor markers has improved the pathologic and clinical diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumors and has thus contributed to their treatment.

Right Ventricular Heart Failure from a Cardiac Yolk Sac Tumor.

BACKGROUND Cardiac involvement by a malignant tumor is rare. However, this is a case of right heart failure due to cardiac metastasis from a yolk sac tumor. Although a few case reports of cardiac metastasis from yolk sac tumors have been published, to our knowledge this is the first instance of multiple metastases to the right ventricular of yolk sac tumor in an adult male. CASE REPORT The patient is a 46-year-old male with a history of testicular cancer that presented with dyspnea on exertion. He was found to have two large right sided intracardiac masses on echocardiography. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was obtained to further investigate these masses. Right ventricular function was decreased and concern for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction was present. The patient was taken to the operating room (OR) for resection of the cardiac masses. Pathology revealed the masses to be yolk sac tumors. Despite urgent resection of the tumors, the patient deteriorated clinically, ultimately succumbing to heart failure. CONCLUSIONS This unique presentation of a yolk sac tumor emphasizes the need to keep a broad differential and complete a thorough workup for any cardiac mass. Early diagnosis and treatment of intra-cardiac masses is imperative due to their high rates of mortality. Albeit an uncommon etiology for heart failure, germ cell tumors can potentially metastasize to the heart and present with such a clinical picture.

High-grade renal cell carcinoma with emperipolesis: Clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular-genetic analysis of 14 cases.

Emperipolesis has recently been described as a constant feature of "biphasic squamoid" papillary renal cell carcinoma (BPRCC). We also noticed this in some high-grade (HG) RCC, which promoted the present study to estimate the incidence of emperipolesis in RCCs and to describe them in further detail. 14 cases of HGRCC showing emperipolesis were retrieved from our registry. Microscopic examination of filed slides was supplemented with immunohistochemical and molecular-genetic analyses using paraffin embedded tissue. 12 of 14 patients were males with a mean age of 58.6 years (range 41-72 years). Tumor size ranged from 6-16.5 cm (mean of 8.8 cm). Follow up data were available for 8/14 patients (range 0.5-10 years). Metastases were documented in 6 cases. All tumors showed solid-alveolar growth patterns with focal pseudopapillary features, and were composed of large cells with bizarre nuclei and eosinophilic rhabdoid-like cytoplasm. Emperipolesis was a constant and prominent feature in large bizarre cells. All cases were positive for OSCAR, CANH 9, vimentin, cyclin D1, INI-1, and myoD1, while negative for melanocytic markers, CK 7, myoglobin, cathepsin K, and TFE3. VHL gene abnormalities were found in 6/9 analyzable cases, of which 2 demonstrated polysomy of chromosomes 7, 17. Emperipolesis is a rare histomorphologic feature which can be seen not only in BPRCCs but also in highgrade CCRCCs. All RCC cases with prominent emperipolesis fulfilled both morphologic and immunohistochemical diagnostic criteria of high-grade CCRCC. The majority of patients with available follow up information developed metastases.

Pluripotent human stem cells: Standing on the shoulders of giants.

The advent of human pluripotent stem cells, with the first derivation of human embryonic stem cells in 1998, and of human induced pluripotent stem cells in 2007, has ushered in an era of considerable excitement about the prospects of using these cells to develop new opportunities for healthcare, from their potential for regenerative medicine to their use as tools for studying the cellular basis of many diseases and the discovery of new drugs. But as with the flowering of many new areas in science, the biology of human pluripotent stem cells has its roots in a long history of, sometimes, less fêted research. In a period when research funding is frequently driven by a desire to meet specific clinical or economic goals, it is salutary to remember that the opportunities offered by human pluripotent stem cells have their origins in curiosity driven research without any of those goals in mind. In this case, that research focused on the relatively rare gonadal cancers known as teratomas, tumors that have fascinated people since antiquity because their sometime grotesque manifestations with haphazard collections of tissues and sometimes recognizable body parts. Although well known to clinical pathologists it was the pioneering work of Leroy Stevens, who first discovered that teratomas occur at a significant rate in the 129 strain of the laboratory mouse and could be produced experimentally, that laid the foundations for our understanding of the biology of these tumors and the central role of the embryonal carcinoma cell, one of the archetypal tumor stem cells.

Teratomas produced from human pluripotent stem cells xenografted into immunodeficient mice - a histopathology atlas.

This atlas illustrates the microscopic features of tumors produced from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) xenografted into immunosuppressed mice, according to the generally accepted protocols for performing this teratoma assay of stem cell pluripotency. Microphotographs depict various hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained tissues derived from all three embryonic germ layers (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm). The appearance of persistent hPSC in teratomas is also described with special emphasis on the morphogenesis of embryoid bodies and yolk sac components surrounding them. The use of immunohistochemistry for analyzing hPSC-derived teratomas is also illustrated.

Extranodal NK/T Cell Lymphoma Causing Cardiorespiratory Failure.

Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma is an uncommon malignancy usually involving the sinonasal area. We report an unusual case of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma diagnosed in a 62-year-old Caucasian male who died of progressive cardiorespiratory failure but had no clinically detectable upper respiratory system lesions. The initial diagnosis was made cytologically on a sample of pericardial fluid that contained neoplastic lymphoid cells. These cells were positive for CD2, cytoplasmic CD3, and Epstein-Barr virus and negative for CD56. The diagnosis was confirmed at the autopsy, which disclosed lymphoma infiltrates in the myocardium, lungs, stomach, and pancreas. The death was caused by heart and lung failure due to uncontrollable arrhythmia and respiratory insufficiency due to the lymphoma infiltrates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma presenting with cardiopulmonary failure.

Littoral cell angioma of the spleen: a study of 25 cases with confirmation of frequent association with visceral malignancies.

AIMS: Littoral cell angioma (LCA) is a rare primary splenic tumour that is frequently associated with internal malignancies. Immunohistochemistry can demonstrate a distinct hybrid endothelial-histiocytic phenotype of littoral cells, and is a helpful adjunct for making the correct diagnosis. The aims of this study were to present a series of 25 LCAs, with an emphasis on the frequent association of the neoplasm with visceral malignancies, and to provide a detailed immunohistochemical analysis by employing new markers. METHODS AND RESULTS: All 25 cases with available tissue blocks were immunohistochemically stained for endothelial and histiocytic markers. Clinical and follow-up data were retrieved from the respective institutions. The tumours were obtained from 16 males and nine females, whose age ranged from 32 to 86 years (mean 56.2 years). Clinical information was available for 24 of 25 patients, and follow-up for 11 of 25 patients (range 2-19 years; mean 11.6 years). Immunohistochemically, all cases were positive for LYVE-1, factor VIII, FLI-1, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2, VEGFR-3, claudin-5, ERG, LMO2, CD31, CD163, lysozyme, and CD4, but negative for D2-40, CD8, and factor XIIIa. Fifteen of 25 cases were associated with various malignancies, including epithelial, mesenchymal and haematological tumours. CONCLUSIONS: The cohort of 25 patients is the largest series of LCAs published to date. By using antibodies against recently introduced endothelial markers, we have expanded the immunoprofile of LCA. We have further highlighted the clinical significance of LCA, as more than half of the patients in this study also harboured a coexisting visceral malignancy. Therefore, we conclude that the finding of splenic LCA mandates a thorough clinical evaluation for a concomitant malignancy.

Mammary Analogue Secretory Carcinoma (MASC) of the salivary gland: A new tumor entity.

Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC) is a recently described low-grade malignant tumor of the salivary glands, biologically and morphologically equivalent to secretory breast carcinoma. We give a brief overview of this new entity, including morphological, immunohistochemical, molecular-genetic, clinical, epidemiologic features, differential diagnosis, and outcome results.

Biphasic Squamoid Alveolar Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Distinctive Subtype of Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma?

Biphasic squamoid alveolar renal cell carcinoma (BSARCC) has been recently described as a distinct neoplasm. Twenty-one cases from 12 institutions were analyzed using routine histology, immunohistochemistry, array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization. Tumors were removed from 11 male and 10 female patients, whose age ranged from 53 to 79 years. The size of tumors ranged from 1.5 to 16 cm. Follow-up information was available for 14 patients (range, 1 to 96 mo), and metastatic spread was found in 5 cases. All tumors comprised 2 cell populations arranged in organoid structures: small, low-grade neoplastic cells with scant cytoplasm usually lining the inside of alveolar structures, and larger squamoid cells with more prominent cytoplasm and larger vesicular nuclei arranged in compact nests. In 9/21 tumors there was a visible transition from such solid and alveolar areas into papillary components. Areas composed of large squamoid cells comprised 10% to 80% of total tumor volume. Emperipolesis was present in all (21/21) tumors. Immunohistochemically, all cases were positive for cytokeratin 7, EMA, vimentin, and cyclin D1. aCGH (confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization) in 5 analyzable cases revealed multiple numerical chromosomal changes including gains of chromosomes 7 and 17 in all cases. These changes were further disclosed in 6 additional cases, which were unsuitable for aCGH. We conclude that tumors show a morphologic spectrum ranging from RCC with papillary architecture and large squamoid cells to fully developed BSARCC. Emperipolesis in squamoid cells was a constant finding. All BSARCCs expressed CK7, EMA, vimentin, and cyclin D1. Antibody to cyclin D1 showed a unique and previously not recognized pattern of immunohistochemical staining. Multiple chromosomal aberrations were identified in all analyzable cases including gains of chromosomes 7 and 17, indicating that they are akin to papillary RCC. Some BSARCCs were clinically aggressive, but their prognosis could not be predicted from currently available data. Present microscopic, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic data strongly support the view that BSARCC is a distinctive and peculiar morphologic variant of papillary RCC.

Do glucagonomas always produce glucagon?

Pancreatic islet α-cell tumours that overexpress proglucagon are typically associated with the glucagonoma syndrome, a rare disease entity characterised by necrolytic migratory erythema, impaired glucose tolerance, thromboembolic complications and psychiatric disturbances. Paraneoplastic phenomena associated with enteric overexpression of proglucagon-derived peptides are less well recognized and include gastrointestinal dysfunction and hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia. The diverse clinical manifestations associated with glucagon-expressing tumours can be explained, in part, by the repertoire of tumorally secreted peptides liberated through differential post-translational processing of tumour-derived proglucagon. Proglucagon-expressing tumours may be divided into two broad biochemical subtypes defined by either secretion of glucagon or GLP-1, GLP-2 and the glucagon-containing peptides, glicentin and oxyntomodulin, due to an islet α-cell or enteroendocrine L-cell pattern of proglucagon processing, respectively. In the current review we provide an updated overview of the clinical presentation of proglucagon-expressing tumours in relation to known physiological actions of proglucagon-derived peptides and suggest that detailed biochemical characterisation of the peptide repertoire secreted from these tumours may provide new opportunities for diagnosis and clinical management.

Polyomavirus nephropathy of the native kidney in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary fibrosis.

Polyomavirus nephropathy is commonly seen in the renal allograft setting but is uncommon in native kidneys. This paper describes polyomavirus nephropathy that developed in the native kidneys of a patient following immunosuppressive therapy for rheumatoid arthritis/Sjögren's syndrome associated lung disease. The patient presented with dyspnoea and a slow steady rise in serum creatinine. Owing to chronic immunosuppression, calcineurin-inhibitor toxicity was suspected. However, renal biopsy revealed polyomavirus nephropathy. The treatment of choice, lowered immunosuppression, was complicated by exacerbation of the patient's lung disease. This case highlights features of polyomavirus nephropathy in the native kidney, as well as the difficulty in its treatment when immunosuppressive treatment is necessary for medical comorbidities.

Regulated cell death in diagnostic histopathology.

Regulated cell death (RCD) is a controlled cellular process, essential for normal development, tissue integrity and homeostasis, and its dysregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various conditions including developmental and immunological disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. In this review, we briefly discuss the historical perspective and conceptual development of RCD, we overview recent classifications and some of the key players in RCD; finally we focus on current applications of RCD in diagnostic histopathology.

Development of Teratocarcinomas and Teratomas in Severely Immunodeficient NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid) Il2rg(tm1Wjl)/Szj (NSG) Mice.

The embryonic portion of 7-day-old mouse embryos transplanted to extrauterine sites of syngeneic adult animals gives rise to teratoid tumors, which may be either benign [teratomas (T)] or malignant [teratocarcinomas (TC)]. The incidence of embryo-derived TC varies from one mouse strain to another, indicating that some strains are TC-permissive whereas others are relatively TC-nonpermissive. Embryos of a TC-permissive mouse strain (DBA/2J) and a TC-nonpermissive one (C57BL/6J) were transplanted into NOD.Cg-Prkdc(scid) Il2rg(tm1Wjl)/SzJ (NSG) mice to determine their tumorigenic potential in the absence of functional adaptive and innate immune responses in the hosts. C57BL/6J embryos transplanted to NSG mice gave rise to TC in 31% of cases, whereas the incidence of TC produced from DBA/2J transplanted embryos was 71%. The NSG embryos transplanted to syngeneic hosts gave rise to TC in 67% of cases, allowing the classification of NSG as a TC-permissive strain. A previously reported correlation between teratocarcinoma and splenomegaly was also observed in the NSG mice. The capacity of these tumors to differentiate into the cells and tissues of the normal embryo is mapped through a detailed histological analysis. These data suggest that teratocarcinogenesis, in the absence of host innate and adaptive immunity, is largely determined by the genetic background of the embryo.

Testicular germ cell tumors and related research from a historical point of view.

In this brief overview of the history of testicular germ cell tumors, we touch upon the key events and personalities that have contributed to our current understanding of germ cell tumors in general, and those of the testis in particular. The intricacies of human germ cell tumor pathology and histogenesis have been elucidated in part by contributions in the field of experimental pathology and developmental biology. Correlation between clinical oncologic findings, pathology and experimental studies of germ cell tumors and related topics ushered the era of cellular and genetic engineering that have revolutionized contemporary cell and molecular biology.

Biphasic alveolosquamoid renal carcinoma: a histomorphological, immunohistochemical, molecular genetic, and ultrastructural study of a distinctive morphologic variant of renal cell carcinoma.

Only a few cases of sarcomatoid renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) with squamous differentiation have been published. We present 2 RCCs exhibiting a hitherto not reported biphasic neoplastic cell population exhibiting a predominantly alveolar architecture where squamoid differentiation was identified in one of the neoplastic cell populations. None of the tumors showed chromophobe features or any evidence of sarcomatoid transformation. The tumors arose in 2 adult patients and were characterized by routine histology, immunohistochemistry, ultrastructure, array comparative genomic hybridization, confirmatory fluorescent in situ hybridization, and loss of heterozygosity analysis. Tumors measured 3 and 4 cm and were located within the renal parenchyma and had no pelvicalyceal connection. Both tumors were composed of a distinctly dual-cell population. The larger tumor cells displayed squamoid features and formed round well-demarcated solid alveolated islands that, in large parts, were surrounded by a smaller neoplastic cell component. The squamoid cells were immunoreactive for cytokeratins (CKs) (AE1-AE3, Cam 5.2, CK5/6, CK7, and CK20), epithelial membrane antigen, racemase/AMACR, and carboanhydrase IX (in 1 case focally). The small cell population was positive for CK7, epithelial membrane antigen, and racemase/AMACR, whereas CK20, AE1-3, and carboanhydrase IX were negative. CD10 was focally positive in the large squamoid cells in 1 case. Cathepsin K, E-cadherin, and CD117 displayed focal positivity in 1 case. Vimentin, RCC marker, parvalbumin, S100 protein, S100 A1, p63, p53, CDX2, uroplakin III, HMB45, TFE3, WT1, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, thyroglobulin, and TTF1 were negative. The proliferative activity (Ki-67) was low (1%) in the small cell component in both cases, whereas the large neoplastic tumor cells displayed a significantly higher proliferation (20%-35%). Ultrastructurally, desmosomes and tonofilaments were identified in the large tumor cells, confirming squamoid differentiation in a subset of tumor cells. Array comparative genomic hybridization of 1 analyzable case (confirmed with fluorescent in situ hybridization and loss of heterozygosity analysis) revealed partial or complete losses of chromosomes 2, 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 22, (including biallelic loss of CDKN2A locus) and partial gains of chromosomes 1, 5, 11, 12 and 13. Follow-up at 6 years showed no recurrence or metastasis in 1 patient. The other (male) patients had a subcutaneous metastasis at presentation, but during a 1-year follow-up no evidence of recurrence or further metastatic events have been documented. Our data indicate that biphasic alveolosquamoid renal carcinoma is a unique and distinctive tumor. The large squamoid and small tumor cells have overlapping but still distinctive immunohistochemical patterns of protein expression. Multiple chromosomal aberrations were identified, some of them located in regions with known tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes.

Organotropism and prognostic marker discordance in distant metastases of breast carcinoma: fact or fiction? A clinicopathologic analysis.

Prior studies have suggested that the type of breast cancer influences the location of distant metastases ("organotropism") and that there may be discordance of estrogen receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) expression between primaries and metastases. Our aims were to investigate the relationship between tumor type and metastatic site and to compare biomarker expression between primary and metastatic tumors. We retrospectively reviewed 102 biopsy-proven cases of breast cancer metastatic to distant sites from 2000 to 2010 and 34 corresponding primaries for histologic subtype, grade, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, and expression of estrogen receptor and Her2. Most metastases were of ductal (88) and lobular (11) histologic types. Available data on primaries indicated that the majority were grade III with positive lymph node metastasis and lymphovascular invasion. Biomarkers on 73 metastases showed 37 estrogen receptor positive/Her2-, 6 estrogen receptor positive/Her2+, 8 estrogen receptor negative/Her2+, and 22 estrogen receptor negative/Her2-. The most common metastatic sites were the lung (26%), bone (32%), and liver (21%). We found no association between estrogen receptor/Her2 profile and metastatic site (P = .16). When compared with ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma showed a unique metastatic pattern to gastrointestinal tract/gynecologic sites (P = .014). Of 34 cases with paired prognostic markers for primary and metastatic sites, 7 (20%) demonstrated discordance in estrogen receptor-positive/Her2 profile between the primary and the metastasis. Because the estrogen receptor-positive/Her2 profile of metastatic breast cancer did not always match that of the primary tumor, it is important to repeat the prognostic markers of metastasis.

Adenocarcinoma arising in an ectopic mediastinal pancreas.

Pancreatic ectopia in the mediastinum is rare, and there are no reports that it has ever given rise to malignancy. Here we report a case of adenocarcinoma arising in ectopic pancreatic tissue in the mediastinum of a 66-year-old woman. The tumor arose in a partially cystic and partially solid ectopic pancreas containing both exocrine and endocrine components. Thorough clinical examination and clinical follow-up did not reveal other primary sites. The tumor was partially resected but metastasized to the anterior sternum 6 months later and was re-excised. No other similar cases of primary mediastinal pancreatic adenocarcinoma are on record in medical literature.

Above the borderland between normal and neoplastic development.

This dialogue between the Editor-in-Chief of the Int. J. Dev. Biol. and a leading figure in human pathology and mammalian embryology highlights the close links between the biological interpretation of neoplasia and differentiation processes which normally occur during development, particularly in the case of teratomas. In addition, it emphasizes how a capacity for work, a firm will to progress, and enthusiasm for science and medical practice can overcome the not insignificant obstacles with which one meets during a life of scientific, academic and clinical dedication.

Histopathology of urinary bladder carcinoma: less common variants.

Bladder cancer is a common form of neoplasia which most often presents histologically as urothelial (transitional cell) carcinoma. In this article we review recent publications dealing with the less common variants of urothelial carcinoma such as tumours that show unusual forms of differentiation or the well know squamous, glandular, or sarcomatoid differentiation. Urothelial tumours may also show several distinct growth variants characterized by a nested, micropapillary, lymphoepithelioma-like, or plasmacytoid and giant cell growth pattern.The clinical course of bladder cancer varies depending on the histological type of neoplasia, grade and stage of the tumour. High-grade muscle-invasive urothelial cancers and tumours showing variant microscopic morphology have in general high mortality and poor prognosis.