Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis mimicking advanced gallbladder carcinoma - Analysis of 8 cases.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is a rare destructive inflammatory disease of the gallbladder. It is frequently misdiagnosed as gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) as it mimics latter with regard to clinical manifestations, imaging and intraoperative findings, often leading to extended surgical resection in these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic dilemma of XGC cases clinico-radiologically diagnosed with GBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2017 to June 2019, a total of eight cases histopathologically diagnosed as XGC, were misdiagnosed with GBC based on preoperative and intra-operative findings. The clinical characteristics, imaging, intra-operative findings, and surgical data of these patients were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 2154 cholecystectomy specimens were received in the histopathology section during the study period. Sixty-nine cases (3.2%) were histologically diagnosed as XGC, of which 8 cases (11.6%) were preoperatively diagnosed with GBC. These cases were predominantly seen in males in the age range of 24-62 years. The most common clinical presentation was chronic cholecystitis. Gallstones were present in all the 8 cases. Six cases presented with heterogeneous enhancement within thickened gallbladder walls on imaging. Intraoperatively, adhesions to adjacent organs were observed in seven cases. All these eight cases misdiagnosed with GBC underwent aggressive surgical treatment following which histopathology ultimately revealed XGC. CONCLUSION: Neither clinical manifestations nor laboratory tests/radiological methods can provide an effective means of differentiating between XGC and GBC. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult, and histopathology remains the gold standard to differentiate the two entities.

Recently Described Entity of Intracholecystic Papillary Neoplasm of Gallbladder with Coexisting Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis: an Unusual Association.

Intracholecystic papillary neoplasm (ICPN) of the gallbladder is a relatively new concept and is suspected to share clinicopathologic features with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB). The literature on the clinicopathologic characteristics of preinvasive intraepithelial neoplasms of the gall bladder is fairly limited, partly owing to variability in its definition and terminology. We report an extremely rare case of coexistent xanthogranulomatous inflammation and intracholecystic tubulo-papillary neoplasm with low-grade dysplasia in a 48-year-old male patient. Although there are many case reports of simultaneous carcinoma gallbladder with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC), however, the association of ICPN with XGC has not been previously described. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of ICPN of gallbladder coexisting with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis.

Video projected practical examination as an introduction to formative assessment tool for undergraduate examination in pathology.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of the medical students includes theory as well as practical assessment. Traditional practical examination in pathology which includes viva and spots is now increasingly being questioned because of their inherent lack of validity and reliability, time consumption, and human resource requirement. Therefore, a need was felt for another form of practical examination which can be used as formative assessment, and if found feasible, can be employed in summative assessment too. AIM: The aim of the study was to develop and implement a new method of video projected practical examination (VPPE) as a formative assessment tool for MBBS second professional students so as to improve their learning and academic performance in practical pathology and also to obtain students' perception regarding the effectiveness of VPPE. METHODOLOGY: The study was carried out with the MBBS second professional students before their end-of-semester examination in the Department of Pathology. In this new method, slide video projection was used as a formative assessment tool during practical examination. Students were randomly divided into two groups. Group I was subjected to VPPE, while simultaneously conventional practical examination was held for Group II. Assessment results of VPPE were compared with conventional practical examination. Faculty and students feedback was also taken at the end of the examination. RESULTS: Mean marks of the students who undertook VPPE was higher than those who gave conventional practical examination. Majority (95.3%) of the students agreed that VPPE is better than conventional practical examination. Most of the faculty members also felt that it is a more valid and reliable assessment tool. CONCLUSIONS: Introducing VPPE as a formative assessment tool in practical pathology enhanced their learning and academic performance. Opinion of examiners and students also showed that VPPE has several advantages over conventional practical examination.

Isolated lingual cysticercosis: A rare case diagnosed on cytology.

Cysticercosis is caused by larval stage of Taenia solium called cysticercus cellulosae. Cysticercosis most commonly infects skeletal muscles, subcutaneous tissues, brain and ocular tissue. On extensive search of literature, only around 64 cases of lingual cysticercosis have been reported till date. We report a case of cysticercosis of tongue in a 35-year-old male who presented with a painless, slowly growing swelling over the lateral border of tongue. Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed wavy integument of cysticercus cellulosae alongwith inflammatory cells. The findings were confirmed on histopathology. No other cystic swelling was encountered in the body on retrospective examination and investigations. This case is being presented on account of its rarity as well as the utility of FNAC as a primary diagnostic technique in evaluation of parasitic lesions.

Unusual Histology in Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Report of an Interesting Case.

Hodgkin's lymphoma has a significant presence in the Indian subcontinent. Microscopically, the hallmark of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is the Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cell, which is usually surrounded by a cellular infiltrate of non-malignant inflammatory cells that constitute the majority of the tumor tissue. Cells which are known to be histologic mimics of HRS cells include immunoblasts, plasmablasts and rarely dendritic cells. We report a case of a 70-year-old male who presented with fever and lymphadenopathy. In the present case, the large cells with prominent nucleoli stained positively for both CD15 and CD30 and hence the possibility of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy which was considered on the H&E-stained sections was excluded. In addition, noteworthy microscopic features in this case were angiogenesis and the presence of mast cells, both associated with a poor prognosis. The clinical impression was that of disseminated tuberculosis, but on histopathology, the final opinion was 'Hodgkin's lymphoma not classifiable with an unusual histology'. The aim of reporting this case is to highlight the unusual presentation in the form of prominent angiogenesis and mast cell infiltration in a case of HL, which is indicative of a poor prognosis.

Coexistence of tuberculosis and malignancy: a mere coincidence or a causal association.

Tuberculosis (TB) and malignancy are among the most important current global health problems. Many authors suggest that their coexistence is a chance association owing to their high prevalence. There is, however, enough evidence that one condition may predispose the other. In our retrospective report of two cases, TB in draining lymph nodes was discovered incidentally on histopathology, following surgical resection for malignancy. The possibility of coexistent lesions, especially in regions endemic for TB, mandate a detailed histopathological examination to prevent the chances of diagnostic failure and thus therapeutic error.

Malignant Melanoma Presenting as a Mediastinal Malignant Melanoma Presenting as a Mediastinal Unknown Primary Origin?

The most common site of primary malignant melanoma is the skin, however, virtually any organ system may be involved. Metastatic melanoma of unknown primary origin accounts for approximately 2-6% of all melanoma cases. The mediastinum as the site for malignant melanoma is extremely rare, both as a primary or metastatic lesion. Primary malignant melanoma of mediastinum is very rare with only a handful of reports in the literature. We hereby report a rare case of malignant melanoma of mediastinum in a 31 year old male who was initially misdiagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology as adenocarcinoma for which he received chemotherapy with clinical deterioration. Even on extensive meticulous search, no primary was discovered.

A Critical Appraisal of the Spectrum of Image Guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology: A Three Year Experience from a Tertiary Care Centre in Delhi.

OBJECTIVE: Image guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a safe, simple, rapid, cost effective and accurate modality in evaluation of deep seated lumps (abdominal, pelvic and intrathoracic masses) which are unapproachable by blind FNAC. In this study, a critical analysis of the utility of image guided FNAC in deep seated and otherwise inacessible mass lesions was carried out. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifty-four ultrasound (USG) or computed tomography (CT) guided FNACs from lumps at any location in the body, that is, thoracic, abdominal, pelvic etc over a period of 3 years (January 2012- December 2014) were included in the study. The most common site aspirated, the indications for a guided aspiration and the accuracy of aspiration cytology in comparison to the histological diagnosis were evaluated, wherever possible. RESULTS: Fifty-four image guided FNACs were performed (46 USG guided and 8 CT guided). Inconclusive, inflammatory, benign tumors, suspicious and malignant lesion rates were 5.6%, 29.6%, 11.1%, 5.6%, and 48.1%, respectively. The most common site was the liver (25.5%), followed by the thyroid (18.5%), lung (14.8%), gallbladder (11.1%), and lymph nodes (7.4%). Cytohistological correlation could be performed in 32 cases with a diagnostic accuracy of 100%. CONCLUSION: FNAC coupled with a diagnostic imaging technique such as USG or CT can improve the diagnostic yield and a definite diagnosis can be reached in most of the cases.

Cystic Change in Pleomorphic Adenoma: A Rare Finding and a Diagnostic Dilemma.

Pleomorphic adenoma forms the majority of salivary gland neoplasms. Cystic change in pleomorphic adenomas is a diagnostic dilemma and can mimic mucoepidermoid carcinoma, mucocele or carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Hereby we report this interesting and rare case of cystic pleomorphic adenoma in a 32-year-old male.

Coexistence of metastatic breast carcinoma and primary tuberculosis in axillary lymph nodes: a report of a rare case.

Concomitant breast cancer metastasis and tubercular lymphadenitis in axillary lymph node is an extremely rare occurrence. Axillary lymph node metastasis is the most important factor in the staging of breast carcinoma and the number of axillary nodes showing metastases alters the stage. As tuberculosis also produces nodal enlargement, this can mimic or complicate the staging of malignant disease. Dual pathology in an organ can lead to difficulties in interpretation and inappropriate treatment of tuberculosis as well as carcinoma breast. Moreover, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) from such cases may be misleading if only one of the diseases is picked up. Therefore, the need for multiple attempts at FNAC should be stressed upon for all palpable lumps. We report a case of infiltrating duct carcinoma breast in a 45-year-old female where tuberculosis was discovered in axillary lymph nodes in addition to metastases. As the present case led to incidental discovery of tuberculosis with tumor metastasis, it reinforces the possibility of a coexistent lesion in the pathologists' mind, especially in regions endemic for tuberculosis.

Papillary cystic variant of acinic cell carcinoma presenting as parotid tail tumor.

Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon low-grade tumor of the salivary glands that constitutes 2.5-4% of parotid gland tumors. Papillary cystic variant (PCV) of ACC is even rarer and can be diagnosed on histopathological examination only. It is important to diagnose this variant as it carries a poor prognosis when compared with other variants of ACC and is known to be universally fatal in 10 years. The present case describes ACC-PCV in a 20-year-old male, which presented as a slow growing parotid tail tumor and was misdiagnosed as a benign lesion both cytologically and radiologically. This case emphasizes the importance of histopathological examination in parotid masses as well as the need to consider malignant lesion in the differential diagnosis of a parotid tail tumor.

Cellular leiomyoma versus endometrial stromal tumor: A pathologists' dilemma.

Uterine smooth muscle tumors and endometrial stromal tumors (ESTs) are the two major types of mesenchymal tumors of the uterus, the latter being fairly uncommon. Among these, endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) accounts for 0.2-1.5% of all uterine malignancies. Although routine histopathological examination is sufficient to distinguish between ESS and smooth muscle tumors in most of the cases, the distinction between ESTs and highly cellular leiomyomas (CMs), on several occasions becomes a great diagnostic challenge for the pathologist. The differentiation between EST and CM is necessary on account of the variable clinical course and slight variation in the therapy. However, this is difficult due to the tendency of endometrial stromal cells to differentiate into well-developed smooth muscle cells as well as overlapping immunohistochemical profile in some cases. We hereby report a series of cases which posed a diagnostic challenge to us as to whether they are CMs or ESTs. We therefore discuss the histological features which helped us resolve this dilemma as well as the utility of immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a diagnostic aid in arriving at a final diagnosis in such problematic cases.

Microfilariae of wuchereria bancrofti in a patient of chylous haematuria: report of an unusual finding in urine cytology.

Filariasis is a disabling parasitic disease and it constitutes as a major health problem in most of the tropical and sub-tropical countries. One hundred and twenty million people in at least 80 tropical and sub-tropical countries are infected with lymphatic filarial parasite, with one billion people being at risk of the disease. The laboratory diagnosis of filariasis is conventionally made by demonstrating microfilaria in peripheral blood smear. However, microfilaria have been incidentally detected by doing fine needle aspiration of various lesions in clinically unsuspected cases of filariasis. In 1982, detected microfilariae in the sediment smears of cystoscopically catheterized urine samples, but reports on detection of microfilaria in normally voided urine samples are extremely rare. Here, we are reporting, such a case of microfilariae of Wuchereria bancrofti in an 18-year-old boy who presented with chylous haematuria.

An Analysis of Hematological Parameters as a Diagnostic test for Malaria in Patients with Acute Febrile Illness: An Institutional Experience.

OBJECTIVES: Hematological changes are among the most common complications encountered in malaria. This study analyzes and statistically evaluates the hematological changes as a diagnostic test for malaria in patients with acute febrile illness and whether these could guide the physician to institute specific antimalarial treatment. METHODS: The present study was an observational study, conducted from January to December 2012. A total of 723 patients presenting with acute febrile illness at our hospital were evaluated. A complete blood count and malarial parasite microscopy were performed for each patient. RESULTS: The findings showed that 172 out of 723 patients (24%) were diagnosed to have malaria by positive smear report. There were 121 males and 51 females with a male to female ratio of 2.3:1. Maximum number of cases were seen in the 20-30 years age group. There was a statistically significant reduction in hemoglobin (p<0.005), platelet count (p<0.001) and total leukocyte count (p<0.001) levels in patients with malaria compared to those without the disease. Likelihood ratios for a positive result of platelets (6.2) and total leukocyte count (3.4) was relevant as compared to hemoglobin (1.61) and Red cell distribution width (1.79). The negative predictive values for hemoglobin (79%), total leukocyte count (86%), platelets (94%) and Red cell distribution width (93%) were significant. Red cell distribution width values were found to be higher in patients with malaria than in patients without malaria (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that routinely used laboratory findings such as hemoglobin, leukocytes, platelet counts and even red cell distribution width values can provide a diagnostic clue in a patient with acute febrile illness in endemic areas, thus increasing the probability of malaria and enhancing prompt initiation of treatment.

Role of fine needle aspiration, imprint and scrape cytology in the evaluation of intraoral lesions.

AIM: The primary goal of our study was to evaluate the value and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of various intraoral lesions and to correlate the cytological diagnosis with final histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fine needle aspiration was performed in 229 patients presented with different lesions of the oral cavity at our institution. Cytological findings were then compared with final histopathological diagnosis. RESULTS: With a male to female ratio of 1.79:1, 229 patients presented with different lesions of the oral cavity were aspirated. Histopathological correlation was available in 86.9% of cases while inadequate material was obtained in 13.1% cases. The diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration in diagnosing benign, pre-malignant and malignant lesions were 95.8%, 84.6% and 97% respectively. Overall the diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in diagnosing intraoral lesions was 94.9% with sensitivity and specificity of 93.2% and 96.8% respectively. CONCLUSION: FNAC of intraoral lesion is recommended as a valuable procedure for the initial evaluation of all intraoral lesions as it is simple, inexpensive, convenient and comfortable to the patient. Moreover, it can offer a rapid and accurate diagnosis for further management of the patient.

Giant Cell Fibroblastoma: A Case Report.

Giant cell fibroblastoma is a rare intermediate grade soft tissue tumor of childhood which characteristically occurs in males during the first decade of life. It has high incidence of local recurrence but metastasis has never been reported. Giant cell fibroblastoma merits attentive interpretation as they have been misdiagnosed as sarcoma in the past leading to erroneous remedies. Here we are reporting a case of giant cell fibroblastoma in a 3-year-old boy who presented with a painless swelling over the medial aspect of right ankle forthe last five months.

Primary peritoneal adenocarcinoma causes pleural effusion.

CONTEXT: The most common malignancies associated with malignant pleural effusions are carcinomas of the breast, lung, gastrointestinal tract, ovary and lymphomas. Primary peritoneal adenocarcinoma is a very rare cause of malignant pleural effusion. CASE REPORT: A 72-year old female patient presented to us with shortness of breath for the last 2 months. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan of her-thorax revealed only bilateral pleural effusion with absence of any mass lesion or any mediastinal lymphadenopathy. A cytologic examination of pleural fluid revealed adenocarcinoma cells. A CECT of her abdomen and pelvis revealed heterogenous thickening of omentum with nodular appearances and small amount of ascites. Her ovaries were normal and no other mass lesion was detected. A histological examination of a peritoneal lesion was suggestive of adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: The patient was diagnosed with a rare case of primary peritoneal adenocarcinoma with bilateral pleural effusion.