Telepathology in intraoperative frozen section consultation of breast cancer sentinel node biopsy in Fukushima, Japan following the 2011 triple disaster: diagnostic accuracy and required time during the early implementation phase.

In breast cancer surgery, some medical facilities lack the necessary resources to conduct sentinel lymph node biopsy and its intraoperative frozen section consultation. In the coastal rural area of Fukushima, Japan, which has suffered from physician undersupply following the 2011 triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, we explored the feasibility of telepathology by evaluating the diagnostic accuracy in remote intraoperative frozen section consultation of sentinel lymph node biopsy and its required time. Although examination time has room for improvement, telepathology can be one possible solution in resource-limited areas.

Ovarian strumal carcinoid: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Carcinoid tumors of the ovary are rare tumors, histopathologically classified as monodermal teratomas and somatic-type tumors arising from dermoid cysts. Their malignancy varies from borderline to malignant. Carcinoid tumors can occur in young and elderly women, and are sometimes seen in mature teratoma, struma ovarii, or mucinous cystadenoma as a nodule or tumor. Strumal carcinoid and mucinous carcinoid present as special types of carcinoid tumors of the ovary. CASE REPORT: This report describes a 56-year-old woman who presented with a large pelvic mass on abdominal ultrasonography during a medical examination. The diameter of the pelvic tumor was approximately 11 cm and was suspected to be ovarian cancer. The values of CA125 and CEA were above their reference intervals on preoperative examination. Abdominal total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed. Intraoperative frozen-section histopathology suggested a diagnosis of mucinous adenocarcinoma; therefore, partial omentectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy were also performed. Permanent-section histopathology led to a final diagnosis of strumal carcinoid of the ovary, stage IA (FIGO 2014). Six years post-operation, the patient had no sign of recurrence.

Efficacy of selective transarterial chemoembolization for recurred liver metastases from intracranial meningioma: A case report.

Extracranial metastases from intracranial meningioma involve multiple organs with repeatedly recurrence. Due to the rarity of these metastases, management remains to be established, especially in cases that are not amenable to surgery, such as postsurgical relapse and multiple metastases. We present the case of a right tentorial meningioma with multiple extracranial metastases, including postsurgical recurrent liver metastases. The intracranial meningioma was surgically resected when the patient was 53 years of age. The patient was 66 years of age when the hepatic lesion was first revealed, for which an extended right posterior sectionectomy was performed. Histopathology demonstrated a metastatic meningioma. Twelve months after liver resection, multiple local recurrences in the right hepatic lobe were revealed. Because additional surgical resection would put the patient at risk of declining residual liver function, we performed selective transarterial chemoembolization, resulting in a reduction in size and good control without relapse. Selective transarterial chemoembolization for incurable liver metastatic meningiomas could be valuable in palliating patients unsuitable for surgery.

A case of discordant histology and expression of programmed death ligand 1 between primary tumor and brain metastases in adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung.

A patient presented with vomiting and gait disturbance. Investigation revealed a single cerebellar tumor and another tumor in the upper lobe of the left lung. Based on the severe vomiting and gait disturbance, we removed the cerebellar tumor first, achieving resolution of symptoms. The cerebellar tumor was pathologically diagnosed as metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. No other metastases were identified, including in the mediastinal lymph nodes. We therefore resected the primary lung tumor. On final pathological analysis, the tumor in the upper lobe of the left lung was diagnosed as adenosquamous carcinoma with no lymph node metastasis. PD-L1 expression was low in the primary lung adenosquamous carcinoma and high in the cerebellar metastasis. Furthermore, both tumors were KRASG12C -positive. Tumor PD-L1 expression is considered important for immune escape. In this case, adenocarcinoma cells in the primary adenosquamous carcinoma may have migrated to form a cerebellar metastasis. In advanced lung cancer, tumor growth may be observed in some lesions even when many other lesions are controlled by chemo- or immunotherapy. Biopsy to confirm histology and PD-L1 expression is worth considering, depending on the location of the metastases and the invasiveness of the biopsy procedure.

SPON1 is an independent prognostic biomarker for ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer has the worst outcome among gynecological malignancies; therefore, biomarkers that could contribute to the early diagnosis and/or prognosis prediction are urgently required. In the present study, we focused on the secreted protein spondin-1 (SPON1) and clarified the prognostic relevance in ovarian cancer. METHODS: We developed a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that selectively recognizes SPON1. Using this specific mAb, we determined the expression of SPON1 protein in the normal ovary, serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC), and ovarian cancer tissues, as well as in various normal adult tissues by immunohistochemistry, and verified its clinicopathological significance in ovarian cancer. RESULTS: The normal ovarian tissue was barely positive for SPON1, and no immunoreactive signals were detected in other healthy tissues examined, which was in good agreement with data obtained from gene expression databases. By contrast, upon semi-quantification, 22 of 242 ovarian cancer cases (9.1%) exhibited high SPON1 expression, whereas 64 (26.4%), 87 (36.0%), and 69 (28.5%) cases, which were designated as SPON1-low, possessed the moderate, weak, and negative SPON1 expression, respectively. The STIC tissues also possessed SPON1-positive signals. The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate in the SPON1-high group (13.6%) was significantly lower than that in the SPON1-low group (51.2%). In addition, high SPON1 expression was significantly associated with several clinicopathological variables. Multivariable analysis revealed that high SPON1 was an independent prognostic factor for RFS of ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS: SPON1 represents a prognostic biomarker for ovarian cancer, and the anti-SPON1 mAb could be valuable as an outcome predictor.

Detection of a possible bioterrorism agent, Francisella sp., in a clinical specimen by use of next-generation direct DNA sequencing.

Deep sequencing detected a potential bioterrorism agent, Francisella tularensis, in a human abscess sample (Iwaki-08) of unknown etiology. Identified single-nucleotide variations suggest that the Iwaki-08 case was associated with Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica (biovar japonica) but not the highly virulent type A (Francisella tularensis subsp. tularensis).

A case of strongly suspected Lynch syndrome with colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine cell carcinomas (NEC) of the colon and rectum are uncommon, representing ~ 0.1% of all colorectal carcinomas. They are associated with a much worse prognosis compared to adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum, as death occurs in approximately half of all patients within 1 year. Lynch syndrome (LS) is the most common cause of inherited colorectal cancer, accounting for 2-4% of newly diagnosed colorectal cancer cases. This case is extremely rare which was strongly suspected LS as the background, and NEC as the histological type of colorectal cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 44-year-old man presenting with vomiting as the main complaint. He had undergone ileocecal resection for cecal cancer at age 29. The diagnosis was obstructive descending colorectal cancer, and colonoscopy revealed tumors in the rectum and sigmoid colon in addition. Due to multiple occurrences of colorectal cancer and its prevalence in the patient's family, LS was suspected. The operation which was a subtotal proctocolectomy was performed. Pathological analysis revealed complete curative resection and the descending colon cancer of the obstructed portion was at the most advanced pathological Stage IIIC in UICC TNM classification, and the tissue type was a NEC. The Ki-67 index was 70%. The results of the microsatellite instability (MSI) test showed high-frequency MSI. The BRAF V600E variant was negative. The immunoexpression of MLH1 was positive, MSH2 was negative, PMS2 was positive, and MSH6 was negative. CONCLUSIONS: Extended surgery is recommended for incipient colorectal cancer in LS cases in order to reliably reduce the risk of developing metachronous colorectal cancer. The survival outcome of surgery alone on digestive tract NECs, even locoregional lesions that are completely resection, is extremely poor. It is currently unclear if digestive tract NECs develop more readily in patients with LS. The accumulation of additional cases is necessary.

Necrotizing lymphadenitis may be induced by overexpression of Toll-like receptor7 (TLR7) caused by reduced TLR9 transport in plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs).

Necrotizing lymphadenitis (NEL) is a self-limited systemic disease exhibiting characteristic clinical features. The pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear, but it may be associated with viral infection. In lymph nodes affected by this disease, innumerable plasmacytoid dendritic cells produce interferon-α when triggered by certain viral stimuli. IFN-α presents antigens causing the transformation of CD8+ cells into immunoblasts and apoptosis of CD4+ cells. From the perspective of innate immunity, UNC93B1, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident protein, associates more strongly with TLR9 than TLR7. Homeostasis is maintained under normal conditions. However, in NEL, TLR 7 was observed more than TLR 9, possibly because mutant type UNC93B1 associates more tightly with TLR7. The inhibitory effects against TLR7 by TLR9 were reported to disappear. It is likely that more TLR7 than TLR9 is transported from the ER to endolysosomes. In conclusion, overexpression of TLR7, an innate immune sensor of microbial single-stranded RNA, is inferred. Consequently, NEL may be induced.

Malignant rhabdoid tumours of the small intestine with multiple organ involvement: Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Malignant rhabdoid tumours (MRTs) were first described as an infrequent variant of Wilms' tumour and have been reported in several organs. The small intestine is a rare site for MRTs. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old man presented with appetite loss and melena. Haemorrhagic small intestinal tumours, swollen mesenteric and paraaortic lymph nodes, a tumour in the left kidney, and multiple tumours in the lung were found. He underwent partial resection of two haemorrhagic small intestinal tumours classified as MRTs based on the results of a pathological examination. However, melena appeared again on postoperative day 6. We performed another operation and resected approximately 180 cm of the small intestine that contained multiple tumours. All lesions were classified as MRTs. Unfortunately, melena appeared again 4 days after the second operation. He did not want invasive therapy and died from massive melena 2 months after the initial surgery. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: MRTs of the small intestine are uncommon and have an extremely poor prognosis. Although curative resection is an important treatment, cases of metastasis at diagnosis and postoperative early recurrence have been observed, as was the case for the patient described herein. In these cases, effective systemic therapy is necessary. Recently, tumour suppressor genes were shown to be involved in the occurrence of MRT, and new therapies for MRT have been studied. CONCLUSION: We herein conclude effective systemic therapy is necessary for MRTs with multiple organ involvement. The development of new drugs for this disease is ongoing.

Up-regulated expression of ADAM17 in gastrointestinal stromal tumors: coexpression with EGFR and EGFR ligands.

Metalloproteinase activities of a disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and membrane type (MT-)MMPs are involved in many aspects of tumor biology. ADAMs are transmembrane proteins that cleave membrane-anchored proteins to release soluble factors, and thereby mediate important biological phenomena in tumors. The aim of this study was to analyze histopathology, expression and roles of metalloproteinases, especially ADAMs, in gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Histopathology and immunohistochemical expression of ADAMs were examined in 89 gastric GISTs. In 11 GISTs, ADAM expression was examined at mRNA and protein levels by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunoblotting, respectively. RT-PCR analysis showed frequent expression of ADAM9 (91%), ADAM10 (64%), ADAM17 (82%), MMP-2 (82%), and MT1-MMP (73%). However, ADAM17 and MMP-2 were the only metalloproteinases that were up-regulated in GISTs at the protein level compared with non-neoplastic gastric tissues. ADAM17 was immunohistochemically expressed in 93% of GIST versus 16% of normal gastric tissues. Furthermore, CD117-positive interstitial cells of Cajal in normal gastric tissues were all negative for ADAM17 with double immunostaining. Expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and several EGFR ligands such as amphiregulin, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), betacellulin, and epiregulin were also demonstrated in GIST by RT-PCR. Protein expression of EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR, amphiregulin, and HB-EGF, both of which can be shed by ADAM17, was confirmed in tumors coexpressing ADAM17 by immunoblotting. Moreover, proteolytically cleaved soluble forms of amphiregulin were identified in tumor extracts. Considered together, the results suggest that ADAM17 may contribute to the progression and growth of GIST through shedding of EGFR ligands and consequent EGFR stimulation. ADAM17, as a major sheddase in GIST, could be potentially a suitable target in anticancer treatment of imatinib-resistant GISTs.

[Autopsy case of abdominal compartment syndrome in a patient with schizophrenia].

A 61-year-old man who had taken several kinds of psychotropic agents for schizophrenia from eighteen was admitted due to acute abdomen. In spite of any treatment he died after arrival. The autopsy revealed marked dilation of gastrointestinal tracts without necrosis through stomach to rectum and pathological examination disclosed hypoganglionosis of whole gastrointestinal wall. We thought that he died of abdominal compartment syndrome as a result of acute on chronic secondary pseudo-obstruction of gastrointestinal tracts due to acquired hypoganglionosis, megacolon, and aerophagia.

[Two cases of primary unresectable and/or recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumors of small intestine presenting hemoperitoneum caused by administration of imatinib mesylate].

Case1 was a 52-year-old man who had recurrence of postoperative intra-abdominal disseminations from gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the jejunum. Case2 was a 66-year-old man who had GIST of the jejunum with multiple liver metastases. Two cases presented hemoperitoneum caused by administration of imatinib mesylate, and we conducted emergent surgery. In spite of surgically non-curative cases, it is suggested that the surgical management for GIST of high grade group with peritoneal exposure should be followed by the administration of imatinib mesylate.

Histological diversity of reactive and atypical proliferative lymph node lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Localized or generalized lymphadenopathy, which may be associated with systemic symptoms such as fever, is frequently found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Histologically, the lymph node lesion is characterized by varying degrees of coagulative necrosis with hematoxylin bodies or reactive follicular hyperplasia. The former histology is unique to SLE, but is rarely seen in biopsied specimens. In this review, we describe a histologic variation of SLE lymphadenopathy based on the findings of our own cases, and discuss several problems related to the differential diagnosis of various benign and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs). Among 33 cases we encountered, 17 (51%) cases exhibited atypical LPDs: (i) reactive follicular hyperplasia with giant follicles (RFHGFs), 3 cases; (ii) histologic findings of Castleman's disease (CD), 5 cases ; (iii) atypical paracortical hyperplasia with lymphoid follicles (APHLFs), 7 cases; and (iv) atypical lymphoplasmacytic and immunoblastic proliferation (ALPIBP), 2 cases. This finding indicates that atypical LPDs frequently appear in SLE. Moreover, the majority of patients with atypical LPDs exhibited follicular hyperplasia (RFHGF, 3 cases; histologic findings of CD, 5 cases; and APHLF, 7 cases). Previously, follicular hyperplasia was usually considered a non-specific change and therefore has received little attention in the literature. However, the present review indicates that reactive follicular hyperplasia in lymph nodes from SLE occasionally poses serious problems in the differential diagnosis of various benign and malignant LPDs. The presence of numerous copies of Epstein-Barr virus was determined by in situ hybridization studies in only two (8%) of the 26 cases examined. As previously suggested, the absence of EBV, as determined by ISH studies, in the majority of LPDs associated with SLE indicates that EBV is not related to the lymphoproliferative process, and suggests that the underlying cause of the patient's lymphadenopathy may reside in the immune deficit of SLE in the majority of reactive and atypical LPDs associated with SLE.

Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Producing Interferon-α (IFN-α) and Inducing Mx1 Play an Important Role for CD4(+) Cells and CD8(+) Cells in Necrotizing Lymphadenitis.

We confirmed the characteristic clinical features of necrotizing lymphadenitis (NEL) in 66 cases (23 male, 43 female) in Japan, which included high fever (38-40°), painful cervical lymphadenopathy (62/66, 93.9%), and leukopenia (under 4,000/mm(3)) (25/53, 47.2%), without seasonal occurrence, in a clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, electron microscopic serological study. Patient age varied from 3-55 years, and 72.7% (44/66) of patients were younger than 30 years. Histopathology of NEL was characterized by the presence of CD8(+) immunoblasts, CD123(+) cells (plasmacytoid dendritic cells; PDCs), histiocytes and macrophages phagocytizing CD4(+) apoptotic lymphocytes, but no granulocytes or bacteria. The number of PDCs and CD8(+) cells in lesions tended to increase with time, and PDCs tended to be larger and irregular in the lesions compared with the non-lesion tissue of the lymph nodes. In addition, PDCs showed no temporal morphological change in the lymph nodes. The number of CD4(+) cells in the lymph node lesions sharply decreased from the 2nd to the 4th week, and then tended to increase; however, CD4(+) cells gradually decreased with time in non-lesion tissue. PDCs may produce interferon-α (IFN-α), which induces Mx1 expression. Strong Mx1 immunoreactivity is indicative of IFN-α production. IFN-α induces transformation of CD8(+) cells into immunoblasts, as well as phagocytosis of apoptotic cells derived from CD4(+) cells by macrophages. Thus, PDCs may play an important role with immune cells, including CD8(+) and CD4(+) cells, in necrotizing lymphadenitis.

Hepatocyte growth factor and c-Met immunoreactivity are associated with metastasis in high grade salivary gland carcinoma.

Interactions between hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, c-Met, have been associated with invasion, metastasis and carcinogenesis in in vitro experiments. We investigated the relationship between HGF/c-Met immunoreactivity and the clinical features of 33 patients with high grade salivary gland carcinomas. c-Met and stromal HGF (expression of HGF in fibroblasts adjacent to tumor nests) were found to significantly correlate with regional lymph node and distant metastasis (p<0.05), but not with HGF expression, in tumor cells. Stromal HGF was also found to correlate with tumor size (p<0.05). In addition, a significant correlation between c-Met and stromal HGF expression (p<0.0001) was observed. Overall survival in patients with c-Met and stromal HGF immunoreactivity was significantly worse than in patients without c-Met and stromal HGF immunoreactivity (p=0.0002). The present findings suggest that HGF may bind to c-Met in a paracrine fashion, thereby enabling metastasis of high grade salivary gland carcinomas. Thus, HGF/c-Met immunoreactivity might be associated with a poor prognosis in patients with high grade salivary gland carcinomas.

Necrotizing lymphadenitis (NEL) is a systemic disease characterized by blastic transformation of CD8+ cells and apoptosis of CD4+ cells.

This clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, electron microscopic, and serological study of 382 cases (148 male, 234 female) of necrotizing lymphadenitis (NEL) in Japan confirms NEL as a self-limited disease with characteristic clinical features: high fever (38-40 °C), painful cervical lymphadenopathy (88.3 %), and leukopenia (under 4,000/mm(3)) without seasonal occurrence. Patient age varied from 5 to 80 years, but 62.8 % was younger than 30 years. There were five recurrent cases and four familial cases. In several cases, elevated serum aminotransaminase and antinuclear antibodies were found. Early in the disease, peripheral blood CD8+ cells were more abundant than CD4+ cells, but CD8+ cells decreased gradually with clinical progression, leading to an increasing ratio of CD4+/CD8+ cells during clinical course. Morphological features of involved lymph nodes are numerous CD8+ large immunoblasts, smaller CD4+ lymphocytes, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, histiocytes, and macrophages, the latter with phagocytized CD4+ apoptotic lymphocytes. Granulocytes are generally absent. These characteristics suggest that NEL is a reactive disease characterized by diploid disrupted CD4+ cells and CD8+ cells transforming to blastic cells. The etiology of the disease remains unknown, although viral infection is suggested, and its pathogenesis might include autoimmunity. Clinical characteristics and cytological and histological findings on lymph node biopsies can improve NEL diagnosis.

Identification of the source of Francisella tularensis infection by multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis.

Tularemia is a zoonotic disease caused by Francisella tularensis. Most patients in Japan have reportedly acquired such infections through direct contact with infected Japanese hares. We recently encountered a patient who contracted tularemia after skinning and butchering a dead hare. Because the remains of the hare were available, we attempted to determine whether the patient actually contracted infection by handling the carcass. F. tularensis-specific sequences were successfully amplified by PCR from the patient specimens as well as from the remnants of discarded hare carcass. PCR amplification of the ISFtu2 and RD1 regions indicated infection by F. tularensis subsp. holarctica, which was considered as a prevalent strain in Japan. Furthermore, high-resolution multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) showed that the combination of repeat numbers in sequences from the patient and hare were indistinguishable, thus indicating that the patient had been infected with F. tularensis strain that had also infected the hare. These findings demonstrated that MLVA is a useful epidemiological investigational tool to identify possible sources of certain zoonotic diseases such as tularemia.

Granulomatous lymphadenitis.

In this review, representative types of granulomatous lymphadenitis (GLA) are described. GLA can be classified as noninfectious GLA and infectious GLA. Noninfectious GLA includes sarcoidosis and sarcoid-like reaction. The cause of sarcoidosis remains unknown, but it has good prognosis. Sarcoid-like reaction, which is considered to be a biological defense mechanism, is observed in regional lymph nodes with many underlying diseases. Infectious GLA can be classified as suppurative lymphadenitis (LA) and nonsuppurative LA. Suppurative LA generally shows follicular hyperplasia and sinus histiocytosis in the early phase. In tularemia and cat scratch disease, monocytoid B lymphocytes (MBLs) with T cells and macrophages contribute to the formation of granuloma. However, none of the epithelioid cell granulomas of Yersinia LA contains MBLs like in cat scratch disease. In addition, almost all have a central abscess in granulomas induced by Gram-negative bacteria. In terms of the lymph nodes, tularemia and cat scratch disease are apt to affect the axillary and cervical regions while Yersinia LA affects the mesenteric lymph node. Nonsuppurative LA includes tuberculosis and BCG-histiocytosis. These are induced by delayed allergic reaction of M. tuberculosis. Tuberculosis LA mainly appears in the cervical lymph node. Organisms are histologically detected by Ziehl-Neelsen staining in the necrotic area. Toxoplasmosis is also a nonsuppurative protozoan infection (Toxoplasma gondii). In toxoplasma LA, MBLs can also be seen, but round and organized, well-formed granulomas are not found in this disease. Furthermore, necrosis is not induced and there are no accompanying neutrophils, eosinophils and fibrosis. GLA described above is associated with characteristic histological findings. An accurate pathological diagnosis using the above findings can lead to precise treatment.

Incidental early lung adenocarcinoma after surgery for catamenial pneumothorax.

A 40-year-old female patient underwent surgery at our hospital for recurrent pneumothorax. A defect on the right diaphragm was diagnosed as ectopic endometriosis. However, air leakage continued 2 days after surgery. Chest computed tomography identified a 5-mm ground glass opacity in the right S3 field, suggestive of lung cancer. Ten days after the initial surgery, she underwent curative surgery for both pneumothorax and the lung tumor. The tumor was diagnosed as bronchioloalveolar carcinoma, but no other endometriosis was identified. The patient has remained well with no recurrence of lung cancer or pneumothorax since the second surgery.