Bone Marrow Burkitt Lymphoma in a Child.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive but potentially curable disease as long as adequately treated within due time. BL may occur primarily and exclusively in the bone marrow as a form of peripheral and extranodal disease. BL cases with isolated bone marrow involvement are challenging in regard to a prompt diagnostic process. We report a case of a sporadic extranodal subtype of isolated bone marrow BL in an 11-year-old boy. Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry along with cytogenetics are compulsory in order to achieve the adequate diagnosis.

[Analysis of sentinel lymph node in early breast cancer patient - Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka]. / Analiza limfnog cvora cuvara u bolesnica s ranim invazivnim rakom dojke - Klinicki bolnicki centar Rijeka.

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is an accurate method for the detection of axillary metastases in early breast cancer patients and is of value as a replacement for axillary dissection. However, variations in the methods and protocols used for the pathological evaluation of SLN exist in everyday practice. Therefore, standardization how to detect, dissect, process, stain, assess and report SNL is required in order to stratify patients into adequate prognostic groups. The aim of this study was to present our experience in SLN analysis in patients with early breast cancer and clinical stage T1-2 and N0. In the period between 2003 and 2011, 1071 consecutive patients or 1915 SLN were analyzed. The protocol included intraoperative analysis of histological frozen sections and cytological imprint, followed by analysis of paraffin sections according to the protocol that included sections of whole SLN with the interval of 250 prm. According to the accepted protocol 75% of SLN were negative. The obtained results were correlated with literature data.

Comparison of three postoperative follow-up methods in patients with oral cancer.

The goal of this research was to determine the existence of the significant time differences in the identification of the recurrences and neck metastases in the patients surgically treated for the oral cavity cancer by comparing three postoperative follow up methods. The study included 286 patients surgically treated for oral and pharyngeal cancer in period from 1991 to 2007 at three different institutions, divided into three groups based on the different postoperative follow up protocol. In this study we were able to show that the period of identification of recurrences and neck metastases was significantly shorter in the group of patients whose follow up included neck ultrasound, along with methods of inspection and palpation of the oral cavity and the neck. In conclusion, implementation of more contemporary methods such as the neck ultrasound is needed along with usual follow up methods, such as inspection and palpation of the oral cavity and the neck. Also, follow up of the patients surgically treated for the oral cavity cancer should be conducted systematically. Ultrasound examination of the neck should be recommended due to its low cost, harmlessness, possible frequent usage, high quality visual imaging and possibility of combination with the fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the suspicious lymph nodes.

Fine needle aspiration cytology in the evaluation of parotid gland tumors.

Main objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) diagnosis of parotid masses to distinguish reliably between benign and malignant lesions. In the period of 5 years, 214 parotid glands were resected at the Rijeka University Hospital Center (Croatia), but 176 patients had cytopathological and histopathological diagnoses and therefore fulfilled the criteria for study. The results of the FNAC were analyzed and compared to the corresponding histopathological diagnosis obtained from the surgical specimen. Histological evaluation revealed 17malignant and 159 benign lesions. There were 13 true positive, 147 true negative, 3 false negative, and 13 false positive. Sensitivity of FNAC was 81%, and specificity was 98%. FNAC results provide useful predictive preoperative information and better preparation the surgeon and patient for surgical procedure.

Spontaneous regression of Merkel cell carcinoma in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive primary cutaneous neuroendocrine malignant tumor. The tumor has a high rate of local recurrence after surgical removal. Spontaneous regression appears to be relatively common in this rare type of tumor. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the clinical course, cytological and histological findings of a Merkel cell carcinoma in a 70-year-old Caucasian woman, simultaneously diagnosed with chronic lymphatic leukemia. The tumor showed clinical regression after fine needle aspiration. At primary presentation, the tumor had no apparent leukocyte infiltration, but was completely cleared by T-cell mediated immunity within 3 weeks after fine needle aspiration. CONCLUSION: Fine needle aspiration may have acted as a mechanical trigger involved in the activation of cell-mediated immunity, leading to the clinical and histological regression of the tumor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of spontaneous regression of Merkel cell carcinoma in a patient with a co-malignancy, that is to say, chronic lymphocytic leukemia.