ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Lentigo maligna (LM) can mimic benign, flat, pigmented lesions and can be challenging to diagnose. OBJECTIVE: To describe a new dermatoscopic feature termed "perifollicular linear projections (PLP)" as a diagnostic criterion for LM on the face. METHODS: Retrospective study on reflectance confocal microscopy and dermatoscopy images of flat facial pigmented lesions originating from 2 databases. PLP were defined as short, linear, pigmented projections emanating from hair follicles. Dermatoscopy readers were blinded to the final histopathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: From 83 consecutive LMs, 21/83 (25.3%) displayed "bulging of hair follicles" on reflectance confocal microscopy and 18 of these 21 (85.7%), displayed PLP on dermatoscopy. From a database of 2873 consecutively imaged and biopsied lesions, 252 flat-pigmented facial lesions were included. PLP was seen in 47/76 melanomas (61.8%), compared with 7/176 lesions (3.9%) with other diagnosis (P < .001). The sensitivity was 61.8% (95% CI, 49.9%-72.7%), specificity 96.0% (95% CI, 92.9%-98.4%). PLP was independently associated with LM diagnosis on multivariate analysis (OR 26.1 [95% CI, 9.6%-71.0]). LIMITATIONS: Retrospective study. CONCLUSION: PLP is a newly described dermatoscopic criterion that may add specificity and sensitivity to the early diagnosis of LM located on the face. We postulate that PLP constitutes an intermediary step in the LM progression model.
Subject(s)
Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle , Melanoma , Skin Neoplasms , Humans , Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle/diagnostic imaging , Hutchinson's Melanotic Freckle/pathology , Skin Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Retrospective Studies , Diagnosis, Differential , Melanoma/pathology , Microscopy, Confocal/methods , Dermoscopy/methodsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is a very strong documented correlation between the appearance of cancer cells in blood and occurrence of metastasis in gastrointestinal cancer. AIM: To determine MUC1, CK19, CK20 and CEA mRNA expression in bone marrow of patients with gallbladder cancer and evaluate its clinical significance. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty eight samples were analyzed, 38 bone marrow samples of gallbladder cancer patients, 20 healthy donors, and 10 frozen samples of gallbladder cancer. Nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (nested RT-PCR) was used to analyze mRNA expression. RESULTS: All frozen tumors were positive for CEA, CK19, and MUC1 mRNA and 70% were positive for CK20. Seventeen of 20 donor samples were positive for MUC1 and only one sample from donors was positive for both CK20 and CK19 mRNA. Among the 38 blood and bone marrow samples of gallbladder cancer patients, the expression of MUC1, CK19, CK20, and CEA, mRNA was 60.5% (23/38), 31.6% (12/38), 7.9% (3/38), and 7.9% (3/38), respectively. Disregarding the MUC1 results. 37% (14/38), 13% (5/38) and 5% (2/38) were positive for one, two and three markers respectively. Not significant differences were found in survival with a follow up to 12 months. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the molecular detection of tumor cells in bone marrow in patients with gallbladder carcinoma is technically possible, being CEA, CK19 and CK20 gene expression the best markers. The MUC1 gene expression marker was highly unspecific and it should not been considered. The detection of bone marrow micrometastasis might be helpful in prognosis and the selection of clinical treatment but a larger series with a longer follow-up should be studied.
Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , Bone Marrow Neoplasms/secondary , Gallbladder Neoplasms/pathology , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Adult , Aged , Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Bone Marrow/chemistry , Case-Control Studies , Female , Gene Expression/genetics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
El cáncer de la vesícula biliar presenta diseminación prerentemente de tipo local, por lo cual su tratamiento debe ser de preferencia locorregional. Con el objetivo de conocer la factibilidad de emplear quimiorradiación previo a cirugía de tipo radical, desarrollamos un protocolo prospectivo. Desde abril de 1993 hasta octubre de 1995, incluímos a 13 pacientes portadores de un cáncer de la vesícula biliar diagnosticado luego del estudio anatomopatológico de la pieza de colecistectomía. Del total de pacientes, 12 completaron el esquema de qQuimiorradiación y fueron reintervenidos. De éstos, 11 fueron resecados con expectativas de cirugía curativa. El tiempo transcurrido entre el diagnóstico y el inicio del protocolo nunca fue superior a 2 meses. El efecto secundario más común relacionado a la quimiorradiación fue la presencia de plaquetopenia, observada en 6 pacientes. Del total de pacientes, 7 permanecen vivos con un seguimiento máximo de 32 meses. Como conclusión, podemos decir que el empleo de quimiorradiación previo a cirugía representaría una forma útil de terapia sin afectar mayormente la realización de cirugía radical. En la actualidad, está en desarrollo otro protocolo prospectivo randomizado tendiente a comparar el efecto de la quimiorradiación en relación al momento de la cirugía