Novel Application of Photo-Crosslinked Urocanic-Acid-Modified Chitosan in Corneal Wounds.

In the last few years, the use of tissue adhesives in corneal perforation has gained immense popularity in clinical practices. The present study aimed to devise a new application of urocanic-acid-modified chitosan (CS) with methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizer for the development of a photo-crosslinked tissue adhesive. In particular, the curing time was controlled with the aid of a 650 nm red diode. Under the same irradiation condition, the mechanical properties were tuned using the photosensitizer at different concentrations. In vitro tests revealed that the gel was ductile and biocompatible. The application of the gel to a perforated cornea model stopped the leakage of aqueous humor, immediately after the gel was photo-crosslinked. The blue appearance of the gel provided high precision when applied to corneal wounds. Importantly, the crosslinked gel became transparent within 24 h, owing to the dissipation of MB from tears, and the gel spontaneously sloughed off without artificial removal. Altogether, the study reported the development of a novel photo-crosslinkable urocanic-acid-modified CS gel that exhibited significant potential to be utilized in the healing of corneal perforation.

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma in a 9-year-old boy: case report.

Poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma (PDTC) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis in children. We describe a 9-year-old boy with a thyroid nodule composed of cystic and solid components, which became completely solid and hypoechoic and was subsequently proved to be PDTC. The tumor consisted of small- to intermediate-size round cells in a trabecular or insular pattern with hyperchromatic nuclei and mitotic figures. The tumor cells were positive for thyroid transcription factor 1 and thyroglobulin. PDTC is morphologically and prognostically between the well-differentiated and anaplastic carcinomas. It must be distinguished from the solid variant of papillary carcinoma and well-differentiated follicular carcinoma with a predominantly solid/trabecular growth pattern. The tumor stage was T2N0M0. The patient was treated with total thyroidectomy, left-sided neck level VI lymph node dissection, recombinant human thyrotropin-stimulated 131I ablation therapy, and thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression. Malignancy should be suspected in a cystic thyroid nodule that becomes solid and hypoechoic.

Antifibrotic Effect of Bletilla striata Polysaccharide-Resveratrol-Impregnated Dual-Layer Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Sponge for The Prevention of Epidural Fibrosis after Laminectomy.

The application of antifibrotic materials can alleviate epidural fibrosis by restricting excessive fibroblast proliferation and mitigating scar tissue formation. Here, a biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP)-resveratrol (RES) sponge was fabricated to inhibit scar tissue formation post laminectomy surgery. Fibroblasts NIH/3T3, myoblasts C2C12, neural cells PC-12, and Schwann cells RSC96 were used to evaluate the in vitro cytocompatibility. Laminectomies on 10 Sprague-Dawley rats with/without the application of the CMC-BSP-RES sponge were performed. The severity of adhesion between the dura mater and formed scar tissue was qualitatively scored. All cell lines exhibited good viability with no significant difference in cytotoxicity when cultured with variable extractions of the CMC-BSP-RES sponge. S100a4 and P4hb expressions were downregulated in NIH/3T3 cultured in the CMC-BSP-RES sponge, implying that this sponge potentially inhibits fibroblast activity. No post-operative shrinkage or dura mater expansion along the surgical site was detected. The peel-off tests revealed that the tenacity of adhesion de-creased. Histopathological examinations verified that the average number of fibroblasts in the CMC-BSP-RES group considerably decreased. The CMC-BSP-RES sponge is a biocompatible and effective material for alleviating post-operative epidural fibrosis and mitigating fibroblast expression following laminectomy.

Head and Neck Mesenchymal Neoplasms With GLI1 Gene Alterations: A Pathologic Entity With Distinct Histologic Features and Potential for Distant Metastasis.

Soft tissue tumors with GLI1 gene fusions or amplifications have been recently described as a unique pathologic entity with an established risk of malignancy. We herein expand these findings by investigating a cohort of 11 head and neck lesions with GLI1 alterations, including 8 from the tongue, for their clinicopathologic and molecular features. The tumors commonly affected males in their 30s (male:female ratio 2.7:1; range: 1 to 65). Tumors showed a multinodular growth pattern, nested architecture separated by a delicate, arborizing vascular network, monotonous round to ovoid nuclei, and clear cytoplasm. Tumor protrusion into vascular spaces was common. Genetic alterations were investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or targeted RNA sequencing. Seven tumors harbored GLI1 fusions with the following partners: ACTB (n=4), PTCH1 (n=2), or MALAT1 (n=1). The remaining 4 cases showed coamplifications of GLI1 with CDK4 and MDM2 genes. Tumors were commonly positive for S100 protein and CD56. CDK4, MDM2, and STAT6 were positive in GLI1-amplified tumors. Two of 6 patients with available follow-up (1 each with GLI1 amplification and PTCH1-GLI1 fusion) developed distant metastases. Both tumors showed a high mitotic index and tumor necrosis. The head and neck region, particularly tongue, is a common location for GLI1-related mesenchymal tumors. Although a morphologic overlap was noted with the previously reported "pericytoma with t(7,12) translocation," often occurring in the tongue, our findings expand the original findings, to include a more variable immunophenotype, propensity for late distant metastases, and alternative mechanisms of GLI1 oncogenic activation, such as various GLI1 fusion partners or GLI1 coamplifications with MDM2 and CDK4 genes.

Tumor-to-Tumor Metastasis: Lung Carcinoma Metastasizing to Thyroid Neoplasms.

Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is extremely rare in the thyroid glands, and only seven cases of lung carcinoma metastasizing to thyroid tumors have been reported in the literature. We report another two cases of lung carcinoma metastasizing to thyroid neoplasms and review of the literature. The first case was a 64-year-old man presenting with neck mass, hoarseness, and easy choking for 2 months. Image studies showed several nodular lesions within bilateral thyroid glands. A histological examination after radical thyroidectomy revealed lung small cell carcinoma metastasizing to a thyroid follicular adenoma. The second case was a 71-year-old woman with a history of lung adenosquamous carcinoma. The PET/CT scan showed left lower lung cancer and a hypermetabolic area in the right thyroid lobe, highly suspicious for malignancy. Radical thyroidectomy and left lung lobectomy were performed, and the thyroid gland revealed lung adenosquamous carcinoma metastasizing to a papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Desmoplastic medulloblastoma arising from an ovarian teratoma: a case report and review of the literature.

The primary neuroectodermal tumor of the ovary is extremely rare, and it manifests in 3 forms: differentiated, primitive, and anaplastic. The medulloblastoma belongs to the subgroup of primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the ovary. Only 3 cases of ovarian medulloblastoma have been reported in the literature, and all of them are presented without information about the specific pathological subtype. We present the fourth case of a 26-year-old woman who presented with abdominal fullness for months. Ultrasound exam showed a right adnexal mass with cystic feature and foci solid components. A partial oophorectomy was performed, and the mass was a desmoplastic medulloblastoma arising from an ovarian teratoma.