Cardiovascular pathology in vasculitis.

Vasculitides are diseases that can affect any vessel. When cardiac or aortic involvement is present, the prognosis can worsen significantly. Pathological assessment often plays a key role in reaching a definite diagnosis of cardiac or aortic vasculitis, particularly when the clinical evidence of a systemic inflammatory disease is missing. The following review will focus on the main histopathological findings of cardiac and aortic vasculitides.

Mesothelioma and Colorectal Cancer: Report of Four Cases with Synchronous and Metachronous Presentation.

There is evidence that asbestos could play a role in the carcinogenesis of digestive cancers. The presence of asbestos fibres in histological samples from gastric, biliary, colon cancers has been reported, but the mechanism is still controversial. It has been hypothesised that asbestos reaches these sites, especially through contaminated water; however, some experimental studies have shown that the inhaled fibres are mobile, so they can migrate to many organs, directly or via blood and lymph flow. We report four unusual cases of colorectal cancers in patients with a long history of asbestos exposure who also developed synchronous or metachronous mesothelioma. We evaluated the roles of BRCA associated protein-1 (BAP1) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) in colon cancer and mesothelioma to support the hypothesis that BAP-1 and CDKN2A are tumour suppressor genes involved in disease progression, recurrence, or death in both digestive cancers and mesothelioma. Potentially, these markers may be used as predictors of worse prognosis, but we also stress the importance of clinical surveillance of exposed patients because asbestos could induce cancer in any organ.

A novel BRD4-LEUTX fusion in a pediatric sarcoma with epithelioid morphology and diffuse S100 expression.

Malignant epithelioid soft tissue tumors encompass a wide spectrum of lesions. Among them, Epithelioid Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors (MPNST) constitute a distinct subgroup, accounting for <5% of all MPNST. Epithelioid MPNST are infrequently associated with neurofibromatosis type 1, occasionally arise in a schwannoma and show diffuse S100 and CD34 expression, often combined with INI-1 loss. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis of epithelioid MPNST remain largely unknown. We describe a case of a 10-year-old girl with an epithelioid malignancy of the orbit. The tumor proved positive for S100, CD34 and SOX10, and, although INI-1 expression was maintained, the overall features suggested the possibility of an epithelioid MPNST, arising in an unusual location. NGS analysis revealed a novel in-frame BRD4-LEUTX fusion gene. LEUTX plays an important role in embryonal genome activation and its expression is mostly suppressed postnatally. We were able to detect increased levels of LEUTX transcript in the tumor, indicating that BRD4-LEUTX fusion leads to LEUTX re-activation. To our knowledge, this fusion has never been reported previously. Whether the current case represents an example of epithelioid MPNST or a distinct tumor entity remains to be determined.

Legionnaires' disease arising with hirsutism: case report of an extremely confusing event.

BACKGROUND: Legionella bacteria is a common cause of pneumonia, but the infection may affect several organs in the most serious cases. A systemic involvement ab initio could be non-specific, leading to a diagnostic misinterpretation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 33-year-old woman had been complaining of mental confusion, restlessness, aggressiveness, and, subsequently, hirsutism. After 3 weeks, the patient developed pneumonia and died during the hospitalization. The autopsy examination revealed a multi-organ necrotizing exudative disease involving the lung, the heart and the brain. The microbiological tests of tracheal aspirate were positive for Legionella pneumophila serotype 1. CONCLUSION: The Legionella infection may show a proteiform clinical course and an extra-pulmonary manifestation may be the first sign of the disease. Herein, we report a case of Legionella infection in a young female, presenting with non-specific neurological symptoms and hirsutism at onset, misdiagnosed as a metabolic disease.

Morphometric analysis of the branching of the vascular tree in the chick embryo area vasculosa.

The chick embryo includes the area vasculosa is subdivided into 2 concentric zones, the inner transparent area pellucida vasculosa and the surrounding less transparent area opaca vasculosa, peripherally limited by the sinus terminalis. In this study, we have analyzed by a modern morphometric approach the total length of the vascular network, the number of vascular branches, of the branching points density, the modality of vessel ramification, and spatial arrangement of the vascular network in four consecutive stages of development of the area vasculosa. The results have shown that there is a significant 15% increase in the total length of the vascular network associated with a progressive increase of the number of vascular branches and of the branching points density. Moreover, the results indicated that vascular spatial disorder significantly decreased during development in area vasculosa, suggesting a more uniform occupancy of the tissue by the vascular pattern. Finally, a more regular pattern of branching was observed, as indicated by the significant decrease of topological disorder of the vascular tree.

Deceptive appearance of a rapidly growing left atrial myxoid sarcoma with pancreatic metastasis.

The third case reported in the literature of a left atrial neoplasm characterized by a very deceptive, low grade cellular component at its early stage of growth, so as to be diagnosed as a myxoma is presented. Two months after surgical excision, regrowth of the mass occurred, producing a pancreatic mass also. The new atrial mass was excised; a left atrial myxoid sarcoma and a pancreatic metastasis were diagnosed. One week later the atrial sarcoma grew again. This time surgery was contraindicated and the patient underwent chemotherapy with a satisfactory control of the sarcoma growth. The myxoid sarcoma may present with the deceptive appearance of a myxoma in their early stages. Therefore, patients who have undergone surgical removal of a myxoma should have a close follow-up to monitor unexpected malignant turnover.

Dp71 Expression in Human Glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Dp71 is the most abundant dystrophin (DMD) gene product in the nervous system. Mutation in the Dp71 coding region is associated with cognitive disturbances in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, but the function of dystrophin Dp71 in tumor progression remains to be established. This study investigated Dp71 expression in glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive primary tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). METHODS: Dp71 expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and immunoblotting in glioblastoma cell lines and cells isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) bioptic specimens. RESULTS: Dp71 isoform was expressed in normal human astrocytes (NHA) cell lines and decreased in glioblastoma cell lines and cells isolated from human glioblastoma multiforme bioptic specimens. Moreover, Dp71 was localized in the nucleus in normal cells, while it was localized into the cytoplasm of glioblastoma cells organized in clusters. We have shown, by double labeling, that Dp71 colocalizes with lamin B in normal astrocytes cells, confirming the roles of Dp71 and lamin B in maintaining nuclear architecture. Finally, we demonstrated that decreased Dp71 protein in cells isolated from human bioptic specimens was inversely correlated with the Ki-67 tumor proliferative index. CONCLUSION: A decreased Dp71 expression is associated with cancer proliferation and poor prognosis in glioblastoma.

Sickle cell diseases: What can nuclear medicine offer?

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the best known haemoglobinopathy, caused by a mutation substituting valina for glutamic acid at position 6 of the beta-globin chain of adult hemoglobin A, resulting in hemoglobin S (HbS). The homozygous HbS disease (HbSS), an autosomal recessive disorder, is the most common form and the Mediterranean area, along with sub-Saharian African and India, have the highest prevalence (1%-15%). In particular, Sicily with a prevalence of 2%-5%, is among the most interested regions. However, migratory flows have led to a wider diffusion of the disease no longer confined to endemic areas. In Europe, the yearly estimate of affected births are 1,300 but more than 90% of children with SCD survive into adulthood thanks to screening programs and early available care; however, their lifespan remains shortened by two or three decades compared to general population. In Greece, the number of affected births surpassing 100,000 yearly and the total number of newborns carrying two deleterious genes, if no prevention measures are taken, is estimated to be about 120-130/year. Diagnosis of SCD is based on analysis of haemoglobin through protein electrophoresis or chromatography, that are cheap and widely available techniques, even if haemoglobin mass spectrometry and DNA analysis are techniques with high-throughput testing. Prenatal diagnosis is used in many European countries, so the number of affected newborns has significantly decreased during the last 3 years. Over the course of SCD, sickling process may cause acute and chronic abdominal pain due to vaso-occlusive crisis, bone pain often in long bones due to bone marrow infarction, chronic hemolytic anemia, splenic sequestration with rapid enlargement of the spleen, delayed sexual maturation and cholelithiasis, with important inter-indivuidual variability. Sickle hepatopathy reflects liver sickling process within hepatic sinusoids and includes gallstone disease, hepatic sequestration, hepatic sideroris, acute sickle cell hepatic crises (ASHC) and sickle cell intrahepatic cholestasis (SCIC). Clinically, it appears with fever, right upper quadrant pain, jaundice and increased serum liver function tests. These patients are repeatedly esposed to trasfused red cells that contributes to iron overload and may contribute to hepatic haemosiderosis. Increased bone turnover and resorption by osteoclasts and by marrow expansion due to activation of hematopoiesis. The hematopoietic system may expand physiologically. Computed tomography (CT) is an easily reproducible imaging method that allows the morphologic whole-body evaluation although with a high dose of radiation exposure and possible side effects from intravenous contrast media. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a noninvasive technique without radiation chosen to image cholangiopathy and may be followed by the execution of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in case of gallstone disease. Otherwise it can be helpful in identifying extramedullary hematopoiesis sites. Dual-energy X-rays absorptiometry (DEXA) is performed to evaluate deficit of bone mineral density (BMD), in which reduction of osteoblastic activity, high risk for necrosis may induce to fragility fractures. We recently had the experience of a typical case of a 56 years old Albanian woman with SCD, with jaundice after a long history of recurrent vaso-occlusive crisis. She was submitted to splenectomy and cholecystectomy 5 years before and since then she was treated with hydroxyurea. Hemocromatosis was excluded by genetic analysis. Hepatic biopsy (Pearl's stain) showed sinusoidal dilatation and diffuse iron accumulation in hepatocytes and Kupffer cells. Endo-hepatic jaundice was observed in MRCP images. It was interesting that DEXA examination was within normal range in both right proximal femur. This may probably be due to the presence of sclerotic lesions in the vertebrae, as was seen in the CT images. Technetium-99m-methylen bisphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) skeletal scintigraphy is a higly sensitive whole-body diagnostic nuclear medicine technique able to evaluate early bone metabolic changes. Multimodality SPET/CT allows to correlate scintigraphic findings with anatomical images with higher sensitivity and specificity. The higher uptake of 99mTc-MDP in SCD patients is due to the activation of hematopoetic system and relies on the osteoblastic response to bone resorption as in our patient. The 99mTc-MDP scan may be better than fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) to show sclerotic lesions. Technetium-99m nanocolloids bone marrow scintigraphy (BMS) provides information about the assessment of the reticulum-endothelial system (RES), the whole-body distribution of functional red bone marrow and the presence and the extent of extramedullary hematopoiesis, especially in liver, spleen and bone marrow. Fluorine-18-FDG PET/CT completes the whole-body assessment with an integrated multimodal approach with high spatial resolution that evaluates the metabolic activity and the standardized uptake value (SUV) in SCD patients. Modern genetic diagnosis and gene treatment give promise for having fewer cases of SCD in the future.

Mast cells and primary systemic vasculitides.

Vasculitides are characterized by inflammation and necrosis of blood vessels leading to vessel occlusion and ischemic damages of tissues. Among the inflammatory cells involved in vasculitides, neutrophils, T cells, and macrophages have been identified as the predominant cell type. This review article is focused on the role of mast cells in these chronic inflammatory processes. Mast cells are characterized by their complex plasticity. Increasing evidences document that mast cells exert both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions depending on the cell types and the microenvironment they reside in. In this context, mast cell mediators able to modulate progression of vasculitides at different levels and the anatomic localization of mast cells in different vasculitides will be described. Finally, therapeutic approach including inhibition of recruitment of mast cells to the inflammatory infiltrate and blockade of their proinflammatory effects and proangiogenic functions as potential new targets for the treatment of these diseases will be discussed.

Lethal endomyocarditis caused by chronic "Krokodil" intoxication.

"Krokodil" is a home-made opioid drug obtained by synthesizing desomorphine from codeine and combining it with other low-cost additives. Initially introduced in the former Soviet countries, it was then imported to Western Europe as a heroin substitute. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an Italian case of lethal krokodil abuse, that occurred in a 39-year-old man, who died suddenly after transportation to the Emergency Department (ED) for hyperthermia associated with sweating, dyspnoea and tachycardia. Post-mortem examination revealed extensive necrotic ulcerative lesions on the forearms, and autopsy showed a hypertrophic heart with ample endocardial vegetation on the aortic valve and patency of the foramen ovale. Histopathological examination of the heart showed ulcero-vegetative lesions of the aortic valve with an abscess on the annulus and extension to the periaortic adipose tissue, as well as diffuse myocardial interstitial inflammatory neutrophilic infiltrates. Toxicological analysis demonstrated a desomorphine metabolite in urine. On the basis of all these findings the cause of death was ruled to be congestive heart failure caused by endocarditis and myocarditis, correlated with chronic abuse of krokodil.

Autoimmune Hepatitis: Factors Involved in Initiation and Methods of Diagnosis and Treatment.

Autoimmune hepatitis is an acute or mostly chronic liver disease that can affect both adults and children and has a clear prevalence for the female sex. A definite etiology has not been established, but it is known that genetic predisposing profiles and exogenous trigger factors are involved. The main diagnostic criteria include typical histological features, the occurrence of serum auto-antibodies, and increased levels of transaminases and gamma-globulins. Instances of autoimmune hepatitis sharing features with other autoimmune liver diseases have also been observed. An imbalance of the immune system with persistent activation of effector T cells has been emphasized to account for the sustained liver injury. Clinical manifestations are variable both at presentation and throughout the course of the disease, ranging from an asymptomatic state or the occurrence of non-specific symptoms to the features of end-stage liver disease such as jaundice, ascites, and gastrointestinal bleeding. A clinical and biochemical remission is achieved in at least 80% of patients receiving corticosteroids with or without the addition of azathioprine. Alternative therapeutic schedules have been proposed for unresponsive and intolerant patients. Given that relapse often occurs after therapy withdrawal, maintenance treatment is usually required.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease: an uncommon cause of neck swelling.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease (KFD) is a rare, benign condition characterized by histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis predominantly in the cervical region and prolonged fever. It has a higher prevalence in the Japanese and Asian populations although it may be seen in a wide geographic distribution, but rare are the cases reported in Europe. While symptoms resolve spontaneously between 2 weeks and 2 months, complications are described in: CNS, eyes, respiratory tract, kidney and liver. KFD also described an association with systemic lupus erythematosus. This paper describes a rare case of Kikuchi-Fujimoto lymphadenitis and discusses the features of the disease. A 24-year-old man presented with fever and a swollen 3-cm lymph node in the left side of the neck. The definitive diagnosis was established, after excision of level VB nodes on the left, by histologic examination. It revealed structurally intact tissue with scalloping in the paracortical area presenting activated T cells, focal monocytoid B cells, sinus histiocytosis and normally polarized follicles. Other two samples presented focal alterations of the tissue structure due to broad areas of necrosis, conspicuous nuclear debris, large lymphoid cells as well as numerous histiocytes. Immunohistochemistry revealed CD3+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes and histiocytes expressing CD68/PGM-1 (specific for macrophage lineage) and myeloperoxidase (MPO, specific for myeloid lineage). Correct, prompt diagnosis should be established through the findings of imaging and pathologic studies to avoid unnecessary investigation and ineffective therapies.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma with Residential Asbestos Exposure. Report of a Case with Long Survival (Seventeen Years) Analyzed by Cgh-Array.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive tumor with limited therapeutic options. We report a case of a malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) epithelioid type, with environmental asbestos exposure, in a 36-year-old man, with a long survival (17 years). The patient received standard treatment which included cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). METHODS AND RESULTS: Molecular analysis with comparative genomic hybridization (CGH)-array was performed on paraffin-embedded tumoral samples. Multiple chromosomal imbalances were detected. The gains were prevalent. Losses at 1q21, 2q11.1→q13, 8p23.1, 9p12→p11, 9q21.33→q33.1, 9q12→q21.33, and 17p12→p11.2 are observed. Chromosome band 3p21 (BAP1), 9p21 (CDKN2A) and 22q12 (NF2) are not affected. Conclusions: the defects observed in this case are uncommon in malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Some chromosomal aberrations that appear to be random here, might actually be relevant events explaining the response to therapy, the long survival and, finally, may be considered useful prognostic factors in peritoneal malignant mesothelioma (PMM).

Parallelism of DOG1 expression with recurrence risk in gastrointestinal stromal tumors bearing KIT or PDGFRA mutations.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are characterized by mutations of KIT (v-kit Hardy-Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog) or PDGFRA (platelet-derived growth factor receptor α) that may be efficiently targeted by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Notwithstanding the early responsiveness to TKI, the majority of GISTs progress, imposing the need for alternative therapeutic strategies. DOG1 (discovered on GIST-1) shows a higher sensitivity as a diagnostic marker than KIT, however its prognostic role has been little investigated. METHODS: We evaluated DOG1 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 59 patients with GISTs, and correlated its levels with clinical and pathological features as well as mutational status. Kaplan-Meier analysis was also applied to assess correlations of the staining score with patient recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: DOG1 was expressed in 66% of CD117(+) GISTs and highly associated with tumor size and the rate of wild-type tumors. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a strong DOG1 expression demonstrated by IHC correlated with a worse 2-year RFS rate, suggesting its potential ability to predict GISTs with poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a prognostic role for DOG1, as well as its potential for inclusion in the criteria for risk stratification.

The Rarity in the Rarity: Presentation of Two Rare and Unusual Cases of Nodular Fasciitis and Proliferative Fasciitis.

Nodular fasciitis (NF) and proliferative fasciitis (PF) are benign, reactive mesenchymal neoplasms that can mimic malignancies due to their rapid growth and histological characteristics. NF typically affects the subcutaneous tissue, occasionally involving muscles and fascia, predominantly in young adults, and appears frequently in the upper extremities, trunk, and head/neck. PF, a pseudosarcomatous lesion, primarily occurs in the subcutaneous tissue of adults aged 40-70 years and is uncommon in younger populations. This article presents two pediatric cases of NF and PF in unusual locations: a six-year-old girl with a vulvar NF and a 10-year-old girl with a gluteal PF. Both cases demonstrated rapid growth and distinct histological features, confirmed by immunohistochemical analyses and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). These cases underscore the importance of accurate histological recognition to avoid misdiagnosis and ensure appropriate treatment, highlighting the rarity of such occurrences in children and the need for awareness among clinicians and pathologists.

Kinase Fusions in Spitz Melanocytic Tumors: The Past, the Present, and the Future.

In recent years, particular interest has developed in molecular biology applied to the field of dermatopathology, with a focus on nevi of the Spitz spectrum. From 2014 onwards, an increasing number of papers have been published to classify, stratify, and correctly frame molecular alterations, including kinase fusions. In this paper, we try to synthesize the knowledge gained in this area so far. In December 2023, we searched Medline and Scopus for case reports and case series, narrative and systematic reviews, meta-analyses, observational studies-either longitudinal or historical, case series, and case reports published in English in the last 15 years using the keywords spitzoid neoplasms, kinase fusions, ALK, ROS1, NTRK (1-2-3), MET, RET, MAP3K8, and RAF1. ALK-rearranged Spitz tumors and ROS-1-rearranged tumors are among the most studied and characterized entities in the literature, in an attempt (although not always successful) to correlate histopathological features with the probable molecular driver alteration. NTRK-, RET-, and MET-rearranged Spitz tumors present another studied and characterized entity, with several rearrangements described but as of yet incomplete information about their prognostic significance. Furthermore, although rarer, rearrangements of serine-threonine kinases such as BRAF, RAF1, and MAP3K8 have also been described, but more cases with more detailed information about possible histopathological alterations, mechanisms of etiopathogenesis, and also prognosis are needed. The knowledge of molecular drivers is of great interest in the field of melanocytic diagnostics, and it is important to consider that in addition to immunohistochemistry, molecular techniques such as FISH, PCR, and/or NGS are essential to confirm and classify the different patterns of mutation. Future studies with large case series and molecular sequencing techniques are needed to allow for a more complete and comprehensive understanding of the role of fusion kinases in the spitzoid tumor family.