A rare case of primary rectal choriocarcinoma and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Primary choriocarcinoma of the colon is an extremely rare neoplasm which has a poor prognosis. Only 18 cases have been previously reported in English medical literature. Here we present a case of primary rectal choriocarcinoma with a good response to chemotherapy and review the literature on this uncommon tumor. CASE REPORT: A 36-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging revealed 6.9 × 5.3 × 6.4 cm hypervascular mass posterior to uterus very close to rectum. Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) level was markedly elevated. Low anterior resection of the rectum with lymph node dissection and total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed. Pathologic diagnosis was reported as colonic choriocarcinoma with a focal component of adenocarcinoma. Post-operative magnetic resonance imaging detected multiple metastatic lesions throughout the liver. The patient was treated with systemic chemotherapy using bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP protocol). After three cycles, ß-hCG level decreased to normal and magnetic resonance imaging showed regression of liver metastasis. However, the patient died of respiratory failure due to bleomycin toxicity and pneumonia accompanied by rapid disease progression. DISCUSSION: This is an extremely rare case of primary rectal choriocarcinoma. Due to poor prognosis of the disease, it seems very important to start prompt treatment to improve patient's survival.

Tumor cell seeding in the biopsy tract and its clinical significance in osteosarcomas.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The reasons behind the removal of the biopsy tract in osteosarcomas are not well known, and studies about tumor seeding in the biopsy tract have generated conflicting results. This study is designed to evaluate the presence and possible clinical significance of tumor cell seeding in the biopsy tract of osteosarcomas. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 55 cases of osteosarcomas for tumor cell seeding and other clinical and pathologic prognostic parameters. RESULTS: Eleven cases (20%) involved microscopic tumor foci in the biopsy tract. The higher local recurrence rates (P = 0.005) and worse recurrence-free survivals ( P = 0.009) were observed in patients with tumor cell foci in the biopsy tract. Mitotic rate, tumor cell pleomorphism, and matrix production in main tumor foci were higher in cases with tumor seeding ( P = 0.047, P = 0.012, and P = 0.005, respectively) CONCLUSIONS: Tumor seeding in the biopsy tract is a fact in osteosarcomas. The higher local recurrence rates are more likely to occur in cases with tumor seeding.

Intraductal Oncocytic Papillary Neoplasms: Clinical-Pathologic Characterization of 24 Cases, With An Emphasis on Associated Invasive Carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Intraductal oncocytic papillary neoplasm (IOPN) of the pancreas is a rare tumor. Recent molecular data indicate that it is distinct from other intraductal neoplasms; however, its clinicopathologic characteristics, especially the frequency/significance of an invasive carcinoma component, and biologic behavior remain to be fully defined. DESIGN: Clinicopathologic characteristics and survival of 24 IOPNs were analyzed. By definition, all tumors exhibited intraductal growth and oncocytic morphology. RESULTS: The female:male ratio was 1.7, and mean age was 59. In 44% of the patients, the IOPN was discovered incidentally; however, the working diagnosis was "ductal adenocarcinoma" in 42%. Fourteen IOPNs occurred in the head of the pancreas. The median tumor size was 4.5 cm. The tumors often grew along adjacent benign ducts, mimicking invasion, but only 29% exhibited unequivocal invasive carcinoma, mostly in the form of microscopic foci (pT1a=4, pT1b=1, pT2=2), and only 6% had lymph node metastasis. Invasive carcinoma was predominantly composed of small tubular units lined by oncocytic cells, or individual oncocytic cells infiltrating the periductal stroma. Follow-up information was available for 18 patients (median=6.8 y). No patients died from the disease, and the overall 10-year survival was 94%. Patients with invasive carcinoma trended toward a lower 5-year recurrence-free survival than those with noninvasive IOPNs (66% vs. 93%, P=0.066), but overall survival was not impacted by the presence of invasion (P=0.38). CONCLUSIONS: IOPN is a distinct tumor type in the pancreas. Despite its morphologic complexity and often extensive pagetoid spread to adjacent ducts, conventional invasive carcinoma is seen in only 29% and usually as microscopic foci. Thus, it is not surprising that IOPN exhibits indolent behavior even when invasion is present.