Comparison of the specimen quality of endobronchial ultrasound-guided intranodal forceps biopsy using standard-sized forceps versus mini forceps for lung cancer: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a diagnostic procedure with adequate performance; however, its ability to provide specimens of sufficient quality and quantity for treatment decision-making in advanced-stage lung cancer may be limited, primarily due to blood contamination. The use of a 0.96-mm miniforceps biopsy (MFB) permits true histological sampling, but the resulting small specimens are unsuitable for the intended applications. Therefore, we introduced a 1.9-mm standard-sized forceps biopsy (SFB) and compared its utility to that of MFB. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled patients from three institutions who presented with hilar/mediastinal lymphadenopathy and suspected advanced-stage lung cancer, or those who were already diagnosed but required additional tissue specimens for biomarker analysis. Each patient underwent MFB followed by SFB three or four times through the tract created by TBNA using a 22-gauge needle on the same lymph node (LN). Two pathologists assessed the quality and size of each specimen using a virtual slide system, and diagnostic performance was compared between the MFB and SFB groups. RESULTS: Among the 60 enrolled patients, 70.0% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. The most frequently targeted sites were the lower paratracheal LNs, followed by the interlobar LNs. The diagnostic yields of TBNA, MFB and SFB were 91.7%, 93.3% and 96.7%, respectively. The sampling rate of high-quality specimens was significantly higher in the SFB group. Moreover, the mean specimen size for SFB was three times larger than for MFB. CONCLUSION: SFB is useful for obtaining sufficient qualitative and quantitative specimens.

Diagnostic Utility and Safety of Non-Intubated Cryobiopsy Technique Using a Novel Ultrathin Cryoprobe in Addition to Conventional Biopsy Techniques for Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Transbronchial cryobiopsy enables high-quality sample collection around the probe tip. Meanwhile, existing cryoprobes have less flexibility and a higher risk of bleeding. The ultrathin cryoprobe with a 1.1-mm diameter addresses these problems and allows specimens to be directly retrieved through the working channel of a thin bronchoscope. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the diagnostic utility and safety of non-intubated cryobiopsy using an ultrathin cryoprobe added to conventional biopsy for diagnosing peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). METHODS: The data of patients who underwent conventional biopsy followed by non-intubated cryobiopsy to retrieve specimens through the thin bronchoscope's working channel for diagnosing PPLs at Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital from July 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively collected. They were analyzed to evaluate the diagnostic utility and safety of adding non-intubated cryobiopsy to conventional biopsy for PPLs. The characteristics of PPLs that obtain additional diagnostic benefits from cryobiopsy over conventional biopsy were also investigated. RESULTS: The analysis included 113 patients. The diagnostic yields of conventional biopsy and non-intubated cryobiopsy were 70.8% and 82.3%, respectively (p = 0.009). The total diagnostic yield was 85.8%, higher than conventional biopsy alone (p < 0.001). Although one moderate bleeding occurred, no severe complications developed. The additional diagnostic benefits of non-intubated cryobiopsy over conventional biopsy were demonstrated when the radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) showed "adjacent to" (60.3% vs. 82.8%, p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Non-intubated cryobiopsy using an ultrathin cryoprobe has high diagnostic utility and safety for diagnosing PPLs, with additional diagnostic benefits over conventional biopsy depending on the R-EBUS image.

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome associated with disseminated toxoplasmosis involving the liver after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A case report.

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a fatal complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Only a few complications after HSCT have been reported as risk factors for SOS, including sepsis. Here, we report the case of a 35-year-old male diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia who underwent peripheral blood HSCT from a human leukocyte antigen-matched unrelated female donor in remission. Graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis contained tacrolimus, methotrexate, and low-dose anti-thymoglobulin. The patient was treated with methylprednisolone for engraftment syndrome from day 22. On day 53, he presented worsening fatigue, breathlessness, and abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant that had persisted for 4 days. Laboratory tests showed severe inflammation, liver dysfunction, and positive for Toxoplasma gondii PCR. He died on day 55. An autopsy showed SOS and disseminated toxoplasmosis. Hepatic infection with T. gondii was identified in zone 3 of the liver, which overlapped with the pathological features of SOS. In addition, the timing of the exacerbation of hepatic dysfunction coincided with the onset of systemic inflammatory symptoms and T. gondii reactivation. This rare case of toxoplasmosis is the first to suggest that hepatic infection with T. gondii is strongly associated with SOS after HSCT.

An autopsy case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with massive iron deposition in juxtacortical lesions.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a severe demyelinating disease caused by JC virus infection of oligodendrocytes. Little has been reported on iron deposits in patients with PML. Herein, we report a case of PML with massive iron deposition in the juxtacortical regions attaching white matter lesions in a 71-year-old woman who developed bilateral visual disturbance and progressive aphasia after 16 months of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone treatment for follicular lymphoma. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed white matter lesions in the left parietal and other lobes with massive iron deposition in the juxtacortical lesions. A PCR test for JC virus was positive, confirming the diagnosis of PML. Despite treatment with mefloquine and mirtazapine, the patient died six months later. At autopsy, demyelination was found dominantly in the left parietal lobe. Moreover, hemosiderin-laden macrophages and reactive astrocytes containing ferritin were abundant in the juxtacortical regions adjacent to the white matter lesions. This is a previously unreported case of PML after lymphoma, in which iron deposition was confirmed both radiologically and pathologically.

Safety profile and risk factors for bleeding in transbronchial cryobiopsy using a two-scope technique for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

BACKGROUND: A balloon occlusion technique is suggested for use in cryobiopsy for interstitial lung diseases because of the bleeding risk. However, it may interfere with selection of the involved bronchus for peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). A two-scope technique, in which two scopes are prepared and hemostasis is started using the second scope immediately after cryobiopsy, has also been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and diagnostic utility of transbronchial cryobiopsy using the two-scope technique for PPLs. METHODS: Data of patients who underwent conventional biopsy followed by cryobiopsy using the two-scope technique for PPLs from November 2019 to March 2021 were collected. The incidence of complications and risk factors for clinically significant bleeding (moderate to life-threatening) were investigated. Diagnostic yields were also compared among conventional biopsy, cryobiopsy, and the combination of them. RESULTS: A total of 139 patients were analyzed. Moderate bleeding occurred in 25 (18.0%) patients without severe/life-threatening bleeding. Although five cases required transbronchial instillation of thrombin, all bleeding was completely controlled using the two-scope technique. Other complications included two pneumothoraces and one asthmatic attack. On multivariable analysis, only ground-glass features (P < 0.001, odds ratio: 9.30) were associated with clinically significant bleeding. The diagnostic yields of conventional biopsy and cryobiopsy were 76.3% and 81.3%, respectively (P = 0.28). The total diagnostic yield was 89.9%, significantly higher than conventional biopsy alone (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The two-scope technique provides useful hemostasis for safe cryobiopsy for PPLs, with a careful decision needed for ground-glass lesions.

[Pulmonary infiltration of acute monoblastic leukemia diagnosed by transbronchial lung biopsy].

A 65-year-old woman was urgently admitted to our hospital for antibiotic-resistant fever, hypoxemia, and hyperleukocytosis and was diagnosed with acute monoblastic leukemia. Chest computed tomography revealed interlobular septal thickening, central ground-glass opacity, and a nodular shadow in the left lower lobe. Although several treatments for infectious disease and acute heart failure were administered, they were less effective. Transbronchial lung biopsy was performed on day 7 of hospitalization, and subsequently, pulmonary leukemic infiltration was confirmed. Based on the diagnosis, we decided to start intensive chemotherapy. Consequently, the abnormal lung shadow on computed tomography vanished, and complete hematological remission was achieved. Although acute myeloid leukemia is frequently associated with lung infiltration during onset, it is often difficult to distinguish it from other pulmonary complications. In clinical practice, intensive chemotherapy is often initiated based on the clinical evaluation without pathological confirmation of the lung disease. Our patient was accurately diagnosed based on the pulmonary leukemic infiltration observed pathologically and recovered well. Here we report our case along with a discussion of the relevant literature.

Establishment of a New Scirrhous Gastric Cancer Cell Line with FGFR2 Overexpression, OCUM-14.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of scirrhous gastric carcinoma (SGC), which is characterized by rapid infiltration and proliferation of cancer cells accompanied by extensive stromal fibrosis, is extremely poor. In this study, we report the establishment of a unique SGC cell line from a gastric cancer patient in whom an autopsy was performed. METHODS: A new SGC cell line, OCUM-14, was established from malignant ascites of a male patient with SGC. A postmortem autopsy was performed on the patient. Characterization of OCUM-14 cells was analyzed by microscopic examination, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, immunohistochemical examination, CCK-8 assay, and in vivo assay. RESULTS: OCUM-14 cells grew singly or in clusters, and were floating and round-shaped. Most OCUM-14 cells had many microvilli on their surfaces. The doubling time was 43.1 h, and the subcutaneous inoculation of 1.0 × 107 OCUM-14 cells into mice resulted in 50% tumor formation. mRNA expressions of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) were observed in OCUM-14 cells. FGFR2, but not HER2, overexpression was found in OCUM-14 cells. The heterogeneous overexpression of FGFR2 was also found in both the primary tumor and metastatic lesions of the peritoneum, lymph node, bone marrow, and lung of the patient. The FGFR2 inhibitors AZD4547 and BGJ398 significantly decreased the growth of OCUM-14 cells, while paclitaxel and 5-fluorouracil significantly decreased the proliferation of OCUM-14 cells, but cisplatin did not. CONCLUSION: A new gastric cancer cell line, OCUM-14, was established from SGC and showed FGFR2 overexpression. OCUM-14 might be useful for elucidating the characteristic mechanisms of SGC and clarifying the effect of FGFR2 inhibitors on SGC.

Optimal Biopsy Protocol to Evaluate Histological Effectiveness of Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Patients with Eosinophilic Esophagitis.

OBJECTIVE: Recent guidelines propose that both proton pump inhibitor (PPI) responders and nonresponders are included in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Although multiple biopsies should be required to diagnose EoE because of patchy distribution of esophageal eosinophils, it is unclear whether multiple biopsies are required to evaluate histological effectiveness of PPI therapy. This study aimed to determine the optimal biopsy protocol after PPI therapy in patients with EoE. METHODS: Of 110 EoE patients, 22 PPI nonresponders were enrolled. Intraepithelial eosinophils were counted in areas of high density in multiple biopsy specimens after PPI therapy. The prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia and peak eosinophil counts after PPI therapy was analyzed according to the biopsy sites and endoscopic findings. Positive predictive value (PPV) was calculated according to the number of biopsies. RESULTS: Of 124 biopsies, 59 (47.6%) specimens showed esophageal eosinophilia (≥15 per high-power field). Eosinophil counts were significantly higher in specimens from the lower esophagus than in those from the upper esophagus but not in those from the middle esophagus. Prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia was 76.2, 40.9, and 24.3% in the lower, middle, and upper esophagus respectively. PPI nonresponders were diagnosed in all cases with 4 biopsy specimens obtained from the lower and middle esophagus, showing that PPV for non-effectiveness of PPI therapy was 0.910 (95% CI 0.773-1.000). The prevalence of esophageal eosinophilia and peak eosinophil counts was higher in cases with white plaques and linear furrows. CONCLUSION: Multiple biopsies should be required to evaluate histological effectiveness of PPI therapy in patients with EoE. Four biopsies from the lower and middle esophagus may be sufficient.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma metastatic to the breast: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is an extremely rare neoplasm that tends to occur in the lower limbs of children and adolescents. Metastatic breast tumors constitute 0.5-2.0% of all malignant mammary neoplasms, and cases of ASPS with mammary metastases are very rare. CASE PRESENTATION: Three years ago, an 11-year-old girl presented to the hospital with pain in the right jaw after becoming aware of a mass in the right cheek. After detailed examination, the patient was diagnosed with ASPS with the primary tumor in the right cheek and multiple lung metastases, and chemotherapeutic treatment was initiated. One year later, accumulation of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was observed in the right front of the skull (standardized uptake value (SUV)-max 2.8) and left breast (SUV-max 2.4) using FDG-positron emission tomography (PET) / computed tomography (CT). Ultrasonography revealed the mammary tumor as a hypoechoic, internally heterogeneous mass measuring 22.4 × 16.2 × 21.1 mm with a rich blood supply. Using pathological findings of core-needle biopsy, we diagnosed it as ASPS. Based on the above information, we made a diagnosis of ASPS with left mammary and cranial metastases. Due to chemoresistance, surgical excision was selected as the mode of treatment; resection of the metastatic cranial bone was performed first, and partial mastectomy of the left breast was performed in two stages. Postoperative conditions were good, and we are currently performing regular follow-ups (visual palpation every 3 months and semi-annual mammary gland ultrasonography). CONCLUSIONS: We have reported an extremely rare case of ASPS with mammary metastasis with some reference-based discussion. In our case, disease control was obtained by a combination of drug therapy and surgical treatment.

Significance of re-biopsy for recurrent breast cancer in the immune tumour microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Immune responses in a tumour microenvironment can be evaluated by analysing tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density; this has been verified in the clinical setting. Although there are many reports on TIL density in primary tumours, little is known about its density in recurrent tumours. METHODS: Of 300 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy during the study period, 29 were considered for evaluation of TIL density in primary and recurrent tumours. We performed a retrospective analysis of the association between TIL density and prognosis. RESULTS: TIL density was significantly lower in recurrent tumours than in primary tumours (P = 0.007). There was no correlation between post-recurrence survival and TIL density in core-needle biopsy specimens obtained from primary tumours (P = 0.837). However, patients with high TIL density in recurrent tumours had significantly better post-recurrence survival than did the corresponding group with low TIL density (P = 0.041). Multivariate analysis revealed that high TIL density contributed significantly towards improving post-recurrence survival in all patients (P = 0.035; hazard ratio, 0.167). CONCLUSIONS: In recurrent breast cancer, a decrease in TILs density was observed as compared to the primary tumour, and this affects the poor prognosis after relapse.

Use of the tumor-infiltrating CD8 to FOXP3 lymphocyte ratio in predicting treatment responses to combination therapy with pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel for advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and docetaxel (TPD) regimen is strongly recommended as a treatment option for first-line therapy for advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2-positive breast cancer. Monitoring the host microenvironments in cancer plays a significant role in predicting prognoses and curative effects. It is important to clarify the role of immune related gene expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we evaluated the impact of chemotherapy with a TPD regimen, on immune micro environments in HER2-positive breast cancer using immune related proteins as indicators. METHODS: The subjects consisted of 30 patients who received the TPD regimen. The expression levels of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Ki67, CD8, forkhead box protein (FOXP) 3, programmed death (PD) 1, programmed death ligand (PD-L) 1, CD163, phosphatase and tensin homolog and lymphocyte activation gene 3 were evaluated in biopsy specimens, by immunostaining. RESULTS: CD8+, CD8/FOXP3 ratio (CFR)high and PD-L1- group had significantly longer PFS than the CD8-, CFRlow and PDL1+ group (p = 0.045, log-rank) (p = 0.007, log-rank) (p = 0.040, log-rank), respectively. The CFRhigh group had significantly better OS than the CFRlow group (p = 0.034, log-rank). In the univariate analysis, CD8+, CFRhigh groups extended PFS significantly (p = 0.027, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.162) (p = 0.008, HR = 0.195), respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses showed that the results for CFR [area under the curve (AUC): 0.708] were better than those for other factors (AUC: CD8 = 0.681, FOXP3 = 0.639, PD1 = 0.528, PD-L1 = 0.681). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows with the TPD regimen, a high CFR leads to a high ORR and long PFS in HER2-positive breast cancer. CFR, therefore, may be one of the important prognostic factors for this disease.

Study on the progression types of cancer in patients with breast cancer undergoing eribulin chemotherapy and tumor microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the concepts of progression due to pre-existing lesions (PPL) and progression due to new metastasis (PNM) have been proposed to differentiate the progression types of treatment-resistant cancers. Previously, the differences between these two progression types did not affect the determination of treatment strategies since both PPL and PNM are classified as progressive disease based on the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) diagnostic criteria. On the other hand, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are effective when used as indicators for monitoring the immune tumor microenvironment (iTME) in the cancer host, and TILs play an important role as biomarkers in predicting prognosis and therapeutic effects. This study focused on the progression types of cancer in patients undergoing eribulin chemotherapy. In addition, the iTME in individuals with PPL and PNM was evaluated using TILs as a marker. METHODS: Of the 52 patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy with eribulin, 40 remained in the study, and 12 patients were dropout cases. The antitumor effect was evaluated based on the RECIST criteria using version 1.1. TILs were defined as the infiltrating lymphocytes within tumor stroma and were expressed in proportion to the field investigated. In PPL cases, the high-TIL group was considered as type I and the low-TIL group was classified as type II. In PNM cases, the high-TIL group was considered as type III and the low-TIL group was classified as type IV. RESULTS: In 19 cases, individuals with type I progression had significantly longer progression free survival and overall survival (OS) compared to those with type III progression (p = 0.040, p < 0.001, log-rank). Individuals with type I progression had significantly prolonged survival post progression compared to those with type II progression (p = 0.048, log-rank). A multivariate analysis that validate the effect of OS showed that these were independent factors of good prognosis (p = 0.003; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.065) (p = 0.006; HR = 0.105). CONCLUSIONS: The effects of eribulin chemotherapy suggested that patients with progressive-type breast cancer that proliferates in a good iTME may have a good prognosis.

Prediction of treatment responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer by analysis of immune checkpoint protein expression.

BACKGROUND: "Avoiding immune destruction" has recently been established as one of the hallmarks of cancer. The programmed cell death (PD)-1/programmed cell death-ligand (PD-L) 1 pathway is an important immunosuppression mechanism that allows cancer cells to escape host immunity. The present study investigated how the expressions of these immune checkpoint proteins affected responses to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 177 patients with resectable early-stage breast cancer were treated with NAC. Estrogen receptor, progesteron receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, Ki67, PD-L1, PDL-2 and PD-1 status were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: There were 37 (20.9%) patients with high PD-1 expression, 42 (23.7%) patients had high PD-L1 expression, and 52 (29.4%) patients had high PD-L2 expression. The patients with high PD-1 and PD-L1 expressions had a significantly higher rate of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (p = 0.041) (p < 0.001). In TNBC, patients with high PD-1 and PD-L1 expressions had significantly higher rates of non-pCR (p = 0.003) (p < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that PD-1 and PD-L1 expressions also significantly shortened disease free survival in TNBC (p = 0.048, HR = 3.318) (p = 0.007, HR = 8.375). However, multivariate analysis found that only PD-L1 expression was an independent prognostic factor (p = 0.041, HR = 9.479). CONCLUSIONS: PD-1 and PD-L1 expressions may be useful as biomarkers to predict treatment responses to NAC in breast cancer. Above all, PD-L1 expression may also be useful as biomarkers for more effective chemotherapy in TNBC.

An autopsy case of globular glial tauopathy presenting with clinical features of motor neuron disease with dementia and iron deposition in the motor cortex.

Globular glial tauopathy (GGT) is a 4-repeat (4R) tauopathy in which 4R tau accumulates to form globular glial inclusions (GGIs), predominantly in oligodendroglia. To date, little has been reported on iron deposits in patients with GGT. We report a case of GGT with iron deposits in a 78-year-old woman presenting with an 8-year history of slowly progressing limb weakness and cognitive decline. Susceptibility-weighted imaging revealed a low signal intensity in the right precentral gyrus, suggesting iron deposition. A clinical diagnosis of motor neuron disease with dementia was made 4 years after onset. At autopsy, gross pathological findings showed atrophy of the frontal and temporal lobes. A localized area of the precentral gyrus corresponding to the most severely affected limb showed the strongest atrophy, macroscopically, and displayed 4R tau-immunoreactive GGIs and microscopically many ferritin-immunoreactive neurons. We diagnosed this patient as having GGT. This is the first GGT case with iron deposition confirmed both radiologically and pathologically.

Prediction of survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer by evaluation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and residual cancer burden.

BACKGROUND: The tumor immune environment not only modulates the effects of immunotherapy, but also the effects of other anticancer drugs and treatment outcomes. These immune responses can be evaluated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which has frequently been verified clinically. On the other hand, residual cancer burden (RCB) evaluation has been shown to be a useful predictor of survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). In this study, RCB and TILs evaluations were combined to produce an indicator that we have termed "RCB-TILs", and its clinical application to NAC for breast cancer was verified by subtype-stratified analysis. METHODS: A total of 177 patients with breast cancer were treated with NAC. The correlation between RCB and TILs evaluated according to the standard method, and prognosis, including the efficacy of NAC, was investigated retrospectively. The RCB and TILs evaluations were combined to create the "RCB-TILs". Patients who were RCB-positive and had high TILs were considered RCB-TILs-positive, and all other combinations were RCB-TILs-negative. RESULTS: On multivariable analysis, being RCB-TILs-positive was an independent factor for recurrence after NAC in all patients (p < 0.001, hazard ratio = 0.048), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients (p = 0.018, hazard ratio = 0.041), HER2-positive breast cancer (HER2BC) patients (p = 0.036, hazard ratio = 0.134), and hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (HRBC) patients (p = 0.002, hazard ratio = 0.081). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that RCB-TILs is a significant predictor for breast cancer recurrence after NAC and may be a more sensitive indicator than TILs alone.

Identification of predictive markers of the therapeutic effect of eribulin chemotherapy for locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The recently developed reagent, eribulin mesylate (eribulin), is a microtubule dynamics inhibitor with a mechanism of action that differs from those of taxanes and vinca alkaloids. This drug is considered to be a promising chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). In this study, we investigated if variables such as tumor expression of ß-tubulin class III, glutathione S-transferase pi (GSTP) 1 or transducin-like enhancer of split (TLE) 3 might act as predictive factors on the therapeutic effect of eribulin chemotherapy. METHODS: The subjects included 52 patients with MBC who underwent chemotherapy with eribulin. The expression levels of Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2, Ki67, ß-tubulin class III, GSTP-1 and TLE-3 were evaluated using immunostaining employing needle biopsy specimens. RESULTS: Patients with TLE3-negative tumors displayed significantly poorer outcomes regarding progression-free survival than patients with TLE3-positive tumors when prognosis within the group of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lesions was analyzed (p = 0.011, log-rank). In contrast, no such difference in prognosis was found in a comparison of TLE-3 positive/negative patients in the group of all patients (p = 0.433, log-rank) or of patients with non-TNBC lesions (p = 0.659, log-rank). Based on a univariate analysis of 22 TNBC cases, a better progression-free survival correlated significantly with a positive TLE3 expression in the tumor (p = 0.025). A multivariate logistic regression analysis including 22 patients with TNBC also showed that a positive TLE3 expression significantly correlated with a better progression-free survival (p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that TLE3 is a useful marker for predicting the therapeutic effect of eribulin chemotherapy for TNBC.

Schwannoma-like tumor in the anterior cranial fossa immunonegative for Leu7 but immunopositive for Schwann/2E.

Schwannoma arising from the olfactory system, often called olfactory groove schwannoma (OGS), is rare, as the olfactory bulb and tract, belonging to the central nervous system, should lack Schwann cells. Another rare entity called olfactory ensheathing cell tumor (OECT) has been reported, which mimics clinical and radiological characteristics of OGS. Here, we report two rare cases of schwannoma-like tumor in the anterior cranial fossa that showed negative staining for Leu7, but positive staining for Schwann/2E, and discuss their origin. Two cases of mass lesions in the anterior cranial fossa in a 26-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were successfully removed. Morphological examination of these tumors was compatible with a diagnosis of schwannoma. Immunohistochemically, both cases were negative for Leu7, yielding a diagnosis of OECT, but were positive for the schwannoma-specific marker, Schwann/2E. Immunohistochemical staining results in our two cases question the current assumption that OGS and OECT can be distinguished only by Leu7 staining pattern. In conclusion, the origins of OGS and OECT remain to be determined, and further studies in larger numbers of cases are needed to characterize these rare tumors in the anterior cranial fossa.

A case of Adrenocoricotrophic hormone -independent bilateral adrenocortical macronodular hyperplasia concomitant with primary aldosteronism.

BACKGROUND: Adrenocoricotrophic hormone (ACTH) - independent bilateral adrenocortical macronodular hyperplasia (AIMAH) is a rare cause of Cushing's syndrome, and is characterized by bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. However, Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a relatively common adrenal disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old man who has been treated hypertension and diabetes mellitus was detected low plasma potassium level with an elevated level of plasma aldosterone concentration and bilateral adrenal swelling. Endocrinological examinations showed autonomous secretion of cortisol and aldosterone, with suppression of plasma ACTH level and renin activity. A selective adrenal venous sampling demonstrated that left adrenal gland was responsible for aldosterone hypersecretion. He was diagnosed preclinical Cushing's syndrome due to ACTH - independent bilateral adrenocortical macronodular hyperplasia (AIMAH) associated with aldosterone producing adenoma of the left adrenal gland. A laparoscopic left adrenalectomy was performed. CONCLUSION: The resected adrenal specimen histologically consisted with a diagnosis of AIMAH. Moreover, tiny cell clusters positive immunostaining for aldosterone synthase was revealed. This is a rare case of AIMAH accompanied by preclinical Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism.

[A Case of Paget-Type Recurrence 20 Years after Breast Conserving Surgery for Invasive Ductal Carcinoma].

We report an 85-year-old female suffered Paget-type recurrence at right remnant breast. The patient had undergone breast conserving surgery(BCS)20 years ago in another hospital for invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast(pT1N0M0, Stage I ). Her chief complain was a skin ulcer of the right nipple. The pathological diagnosis for biopsy specimen from the areola was Paget's disease. She underwent total mastectomy. Paget cells were detected pathologically in the epidermis of the nipple and nearby mammary duct connected with fibrous tissue after BCS, suggesting Paget-type recurrence of invasive breast carcinoma.