Caliber-persistent labial artery: report of 3 cases.

The caliber-persistent labial artery is a vascular anomaly in which a primary arterial branch penetrates into the submucosal tissue without reduction in diameter. Most lesions are benign and do not require treatment, except for complications and/or on patient demands. In this way, noninvasive diagnostic tools are preferred such as high-resolution and color Doppler ultrasonography which allow direct observation of the lesion, assessing its exact location and diameter at every axis, as well as the blood flow velocity. An excisional biopsy of these lesions or even their surgical extirpation could have a fatal outcome with profuse bleeding.

Merkel cell carcinoma with sarcomatous differentiation: is it a poor prognostic factor?

BACKGROUND: Poor prognostic factors in Merkel cell carcinoma include male sex, advanced stage at diagnosis, large tumor size (>5 mm), diffuse growth pattern, heavy lymphocytic infiltrate, and high mitotic rate. To date only six cases of Merkel cell carcinoma with sarcomatous or pseudosarcomatous differentiation and poor prognosis have been documented. METHODS: We present a new case of Merkel cell carcinoma with sarcomatous differentiation. RESULTS: The immunohistochemical staining patterns reflected the morphologic differentiation of the epithelial and sarcomatous pattern. After two months of follow-up, there were no signs of local recurrence or metastases. CONCLUSION: In all cases of merkelomas with sarcomatous differentiation described to date, lymph node metastases have been found, except in the presented case. However, larger series of cases will be required to determine if sarcomatous differentiation represents another negative prognostic factor.