[Primary sarcomas of the breast]. / Sarcomas primarios de mama.

Primary sarcomas of the breast are extremely rare with less than 1% of all malignant tumours of the breast reported in literature. At our Institution 1315 malignant tumours of the breast were diagnosed between 1999-2004; nine of them corresponded to primary sarcomas: angiosarcoma (3), leiomyosarcoma (1), low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (1), dematofibrosarcoma protuberans (1), liposarcoma (1), osteosarcoma (1), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (1). Histopathological specimens stained with routine techniques and immunoperoxidase were reviewed; proliferation index and p53 over-expression were also determined. Patients' clinical reports were also reviewed to determine prognosis (favorable and unfavorable). The incidence observed (0.7%) is similar to those already published by others authors. Proliferation index was correlated with type of evolution, being an unfavourable prognosis factor when it was equal or major to 30%. Most of the tumours (67%) showed p53 (mayor or equal to 20% of nuclear staining) over-expression but this did not show a direct relationship with the evolution of each neoplasm.

Sarcomas primarios de mama / Primary sarcomas of the breast

Los sarcomas primarios de mama son extremadamente raros y representan menos del 1% de lostumores mamarios comunicados en la literatura. Entre los años 1999 y 2004 se diagnosticaron ennuestra institución 1315 tumores malignos de mama, entre ellos nueve correspondieron a sarcomas primarios:tres angiosarcomas, un leiomiosarcoma, un sarcoma fibromixoide de bajo grado, un dermatofibrosarcoma, unliposarcoma, un osteosarcoma y un tumor maligno de la vaina de los nervios periféricos. Se revisaron los preparadoshistológicos, teñidos con técnicas de rutina y de inmunoperoxidasa, estableciéndose la fracción de crecimiento(FC) y sobre-expresión de proteína p53. Se estudiaron también las historias clínicas de las pacientespara determinar tipos de evolución (favorable y desfavorable). La incidencia observada (0.7%) es similar a lasya publicadas por otros autores. La FC se correlacionó con la evolución, siendo un factor pronóstico desfavorablecuando fue mayor o igual al 30%. La mayoría de los tumores (67%) mostró sobre-expresión de proteína p53(mayor o igual al 20% de tinción nuclear) pero esto no demostró tener una relación directa con la evolución decada neoplasia.

Primary sarcomas of the breast are extremely rare with less than1% of all malignant tumours of the breast reported in literature. At our Institution 1315 malignanttumours of the breast were diagnosed between 1999-2004; nine of them corresponded to primary sarcomas:angiosarcoma (3), leiomyosarcoma (1), low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (1), dematofibrosarcoma protuberans (1),liposarcoma (1), osteosarcoma (1), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (1). Histopathological specimensstained with routine techniques and immunoperoxidase were reviewed; proliferation index and p53 over-expressionwere also determined. Patients´ clinical reports were also reviewed to determine prognosis (favorable andunfavorable). The incidence observed (0.7%) is similar to those already published by others authors. Proliferationindex was correlated with type of evolution, being an unfavourable prognosis factor when it was equal ormajor to 30%. Most of the tumours (67%) showed p53 (mayor or equal to 20% of nuclear staining) over-expressionbut this did not show a direct relationship with the evolution of each neoplasm.

Expression of CD44s and CD44 splice variants in human melanoma.

The ability of tumor cells to adhere and detach from extracellular matrix and endothelial cells, is a crucial step in the metastatic process and may alter the clinical prognosis of some human tumors such as melanomas. CD44, the major cell surface receptor for hyaluronate, has been implicated in cell adhesion and in tumor progression. We studied the expression of standard CD44 molecule (CD44s) and its variants v3 and v6 in 57 human primary melanoma biopsies, without previous treatment. We analyzed the association between CD44 expression and the principal clinicopathological features, including survival. Fifty-six of 57 tumors expressed CD44s, associated to the cytoplasmic membrane. No expression of CD44v3 or CD44v6 was detected. No association between CD44s expression and prognostic factors such as tumor thickness, growth type, stage or anatomic site of the lesion was found. However, a positive correlation between CD44s expression and Clark level (Spearman, p<0.001) was found. While only 33.3% of melanomas Clark I + II showed high expression of CD44s (more than 50% of positive cells), 82.6% of melanomas Clark IV + V did so. Kaplan-Meier analysis revelead that patients whose melanomas had high expression of CD44s showed a reduced relapse free survival (RFS) rate, though without statistical significance. No difference between the level of CD44 expression and overall survival (OS) was found. We conclude that melanomas only expressed CD44s, and that its level was associated with Clark's stage. CD44s seems not to be useful as a tumor marker, because it does not predict either RFS or OS.

Microcalcificaciones mamarias: su metodología diagnóstica / Breast microcalcifications: its diagnostic methodology

Se presenta la metodología para el diagnóstico de las microcalcificaciones mamarias definidas como sospechosas. El procedimiento se basa en su marcación con colorante, bajo control radiográfico, usando un señalador metálico "ad hoc". La pieza operatoria se procesa con apoyo radiológico. Se destaca que el grupo con 20 microcalcificaciones o más, es neoplásico en un 85%. Con esta sistemática se estudiaron 30 pacientes en el Instituto de Oncología Angel H. Roffo, detectando 9 carcinomas (30%) en estadio I, 4 de ellos de la variedad in situ

Tumor hamartomatoso del epidídimo: comunicación de un caso / Hamartomatious tumor of the epididymis: report of a case

Se presenta un caso de tumor adenomatoide del epidídimo. Se resalta la rareza del tumor. Se hacen consideraciones sobre la histogénesis y nomenclatura de la lesión