Efficacy of contrast-enhanced FDG PET/CT in patients awaiting liver transplantation with rising alpha-fetoprotein after bridge therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic accuracy and illustrate positive findings of contrast-enhanced fluorine-18 fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) image in patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT) with rising alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) after bridge therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 100 patients who were waiting for LT and who previously underwent locoregional therapy (LRT) of HCC. These patients had rising AFP levels on a routine follow-up examination awaiting LT. All patients underwent a contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/CT examination. We calculated for each patient the maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) of the tumour and the ratio of the tumoral SUVmax to the normal-liver SUVmax. The diagnostic accuracy and positive contrast-enhanced findings of 18F-FDG PET/CT were established by histopathology and clinical and imaging follow-up as the reference standards. RESULTS: Contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/CT detected tumour relapse in 78 patients (13 patients had intrahepatic lesions, 10 patients had extrahepatic metastases and 55 patients with combined lesions). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy values of contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/CT examination in the detection of HCC recurrence were 92.8%, 94.1% and 93%, respectively. A significant correlation was found between the AFP level and SUVmax ratio (r = 0.2283; p = 0.0224). The best threshold for 18F-FDG PET positivity was >1.21. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced 18F-FDG PET/CT is a valuable tool for the detection of intrahepatic HCC recurrence or extrahepatic metastasis following rising AFP levels after LRT of HCC, and should be incorporated during routine workup awaiting LT. KEY POINTS: • 18F-FDG PET/CT is a valuable tool for the detection of HCC recurrence • 18 F-FDG PET/CT should be incorporated during routine workup awaiting liver transplantation • Significant correlation was found between AFP level and SUVmax ratio • The best threshold for 18 F-FDG PET positivity was >1.21 • The ideal cut-off value for AFP was >202.

Prognostic Value of Her2/neu Expression in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: Immunohistochemical Study.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a relatively rare type of neoplasms. In Egypt, it represents 2.5% of gastrointestinal tumors and 0.3% of all malignancies. Most of the GISTs develop in the stomach. AIM: To reveal the significance of Her2/neu immunohistochemical expression in GIST and its correlation with other histopathologic parameters and tumor relapse after regular follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study is a retrospective and prospective cohort. It included 32 patients with GISTs, who were resectable with no distant metastasis. Immunohistochemical staining by Her2/neu was performed after complete surgical resection of the tumors with preservation of the pseudocapsule. RESULTS: In total, 53.1% of cases were men and 46.9% women. Tumors were classified into low-risk (25%), intermediate-risk (21.9%), and high-risk groups (53.1%). Her2/neu expression was negative in 56.3% of GISTs and positive in 43.7%. Its expression was significantly correlated with risk grade (P = .04), tumor size (P = .001), mitotic count (P = .00), and increased risk of relapse (P = .00). Furthermore, tumor relapse was significantly correlated with the tumor mitotic counts (P = .00). Using kappa agreement test, it showed that 4 mitotic counts/50 high-power fields (HPF) was the cutoff value with which the tumor might be associated more with relapse, with 83% sensitivity, 70% specificity, and P value of .003. CONCLUSIONS: Her2/neu might be used as an independent prognostic marker for tumor recurrence after complete resection of GIST, and the cutoff value of mitotic count that might predict tumor relapse is 4/50 HPF. However, more clinical studies with greater number of cases with fluorescent in situ hybridization integration are recommended.

A Case Report: A Third/Fourth Branchial Pouch Anomaly Presented by Solid Thyroid and Lateral Cervical Neck Masses.

Branchial pouch-derived anomalies may arise from remnants of the first, second, or third/fourth branchial arches. Branchial pouch-related structures are found within the thyroid gland in the form of solid cell rests, epithelial lined cyst with or without an associated lymphoid component, thymic and/or parathyroid tissue, and less commonly in the form of heterotopic cartilage. We present a rare case of left solid thyroid swelling nearby two cervical nodules in a seven-year-old female with a clinical diagnosis suggestive of malignant thyroid tumor with metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes. Histopathological examination revealed that it was compatible with third/fourth branchial pouch-derived anomaly composed of mature cartilage and thymic and parathyroid tissues for clinical and radiological correlations.

Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis: Cytologic and Histologic Study of 65 Egyptian Patients.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is unknown, and it is commonly misdiagnosed clinically and/or radiologically as breast cancer. The role of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in its diagnosis is still a matter of debate. The aim of the current study is to assess the value of FNAC in the diagnosis of IGM, and to search for the presence of bacteria in IGM with cystic vacuoles, which was described recently by a few authors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of cytologic smears and histologic tissue sections of 65 Egyptian IGM cases was done along with microbiologic testing. A comparison of the frequency of IGM in Egypt to that of other populations was also made. RESULTS: IGM has typical FNA features which can easily exclude malignancy. Histologically, cystic vacuoles were encountered in 35 out of 65 cases (53.9%), with only 6 (17.14%) of these cases showing Gram-positive bacilli (GPB). The frequency of IGM in Egypt is comparable to those in other Middle Eastern countries but much higher than in Western countries. CONCLUSION: IGM is a common breast disease in Egypt. FNAC in IGM has a high diagnostic accuracy. This study supports the few recent studies that have detected GPB in IGM with cystic vacuoles. Thus, bacteriologic examination in such cases may affect the treatment strategy.