[Document standards for pathology reports in digital medicine]. / Dokumentenstandards für Pathologiebefundberichte in einer digitalisierten Medizin.

Pathology reports are important clinical documents for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of often severe diseases. They are subject to a series of formal and substantive requirements that are anchored in several jurisdictions, which also apply to the digital form of these records. Only a few of the currently used digital document formats meet these requirements and are at the same time interoperable, regardless of the computer platforms used. Practically, they are only partially used in pathology laboratories, practice management, and hospital information systems. The consistent use of these standard formats for pathological findings reports provided a clear digital added value for both pathologists and clinicians as well as their patients.

["Digital Pathology in Diagnostics" guideline : Reporting on digital images]. / Leitfaden "Digitale Pathologie in der Diagnostik" : Befunderstellung an digitalen Bildern.

BACKGROUND: The digitization of medicine is gaining momentum in pathology. Long-known technologies have reached such a degree of maturity that their use in primary diagnostics in routine pathology will be possible. In spite of the complexity of technological solutions and the far-reaching consequences in terms of diagnostic reliability, as well as due to the high investments, the decision for a specific product may become highly sophisticated for a pathologist. AIM: An implementation guide for Digital Diagnostics in Pathology is presented to describe technical and legal conditions for making this new technology feasible for the single pathologist. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: For more than two years, the Digital Pathology Commission of the Federal Association of German Pathologists developed and discussed this implementation guide for digital diagnostics, especially for the use of virtual microscopy in the daily pathology routine in Germany. The key is the principal comparability of diagnostic reliability between conventional stained microscopic slides and their digital images, which have to be shown by the potential user. In eight chapters, the validation procedure as well as technical minimum requirements in slide scanners, the visualization pipeline, archiving, and integration in the pathology workflow are described.

BASAL CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HEAD-AND-NECK REGION: A SINGLE CENTER ANALYSIS OF 1,750 TUMORS.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignancy in humans with a pre-dominance for the sun-exposed head-and-neck region. Its incidence is rising world-wide. Early detection and appropriate treatment ensures an excellent prognosis. We analyzed patients with BCC of the head-and-neck region treated at our Department from January 2008 to December 2012 with a follow-up between 2 to 6 years. Data were collected retrospectively. During a 4-year period, 1,750 BCC lesions of head-and-neck region were excised from 1,380 patients. Distribution of gender among the patients was nearly even. Mean age of patients was 74.3±11.4 years. Solid histological subtype dominated the series. Most tumors were removed surgically by delayed MOHS technique (77.0%). The recurrence rate of BCC was 1.6%. The highest recurrence rate of 15.5% was seen in cases of morphea-like BCC compared to 3.9% among solid BCC. The recurrence rate among R0 resected tumors was 0.24% compared to 19.8% among R1-resections (Pearson's Chi-square 56.000). The majority of recurrences occurred within the first 5 year-interval (64%). Multivariate analysis of risk factors for recurrences demonstrated an Odd's ratio for recurrences of 54.89 (95% confidence interval, 21.16, 142.37) in case of R1-resection status. Gender had a minor influence with a slight benefit toward males versus females (Odd's ratio 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.28, 0.92). The age of the patients had no impact on recurrence rate. Although there is relatively low mortality attributable to BCC, the morbidity and cost of treatment are significant. Surgical excision remains the mainstay of treatment. For head-and-neck BCC, delayed MOHS surgery offers significantly lower recurrence in both primary BCC and recurrent (secondary) BCC.

Nodular epitheloid sarcoma of the upper limb. A case report and review of the literature.

Epitheloid sarcoma is a rare malignant soft tissue sarcoma. We present a 36-year-old male patient with a primary tumour on his wrist and subcutaneous spread in a sporotrichoid pattern along the upper extremity. Early surgical treatment with micrographic control of all margins provides best long term outcome as long as a solitary lesion is present. In case of cutaneous and internal spread of the disease treatment options are only palliative. Early diagnosis, therefore, is most crucial.

[Uncommon solid abdominal tumor]. / Seltener solider abdominaler Tumor.

HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 67-year-old female patient got ill during holidays in USA with acute abdominal pain. She was discharged after symptomatic treatment and presented afterwards in Germany for further clarification and treatment. INVESTIGATIONS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: Following abdominal sonography, gastroscopy and CT scan with contrast medium, a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) was assumed. Thereupon a tumor extirpation with cholecystectomy and liver resection was performed. After laparotomy a solid fibrous abdominal tumor could be diagnosed histologically. There was no indication for an adjuvant treatment. CONCLUSION: In the international literature reports about these tumors are rare. A complete resection is essential; there is no data for an adjuvant treatment.

[Oncological data elements in histopathology]. / Onkologische Datenelemente in der Histopathologie.

In order to cope with increasing demands to supply information to a variety of documentation systems outside pathology, pathologists need to set standards both for the content and the use of the information they generate. Oncological datasets based on a set vocabulary are urgently required for use both in pathology and in further processing. Data elements were defined according to German pathology report guidelines for colorectal cancers in line with ISO 11179 requirements for the relations between data element concepts and value domains, as well as for further formal conditions, which can be exported in XML together with metadata information. Tests on 100 conventionally written diagnoses showed their principal usability and an increasing degree of guideline conformity in diagnoses commensurate with training time. This set of oncological data elements is a valuable checklist tool for pathologists, enabling formatted information export for further use and saving documentation effort.

Atypical fibroxanthoma: a series of 25 cases.

OBJECTIVE: Atypical fibroxanthoma is a rare mesenchymal tumour of skin that develops on skin of elderly patients. We analysed our patients with atypical fibroxanthoma over the last 8 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analysed the pathology files of our hospital for the period 2001-2009. In all cases, histology and immunohistology were performed. Data on co-morbidities, treatment and outcome were obtained. RESULTS: We identified 25 patients (except two female patients, the rest were men) aged 52-95 years (mean: 79.5 years; standard deviation +/- 9.06 years). All tumours were localized in the head and neck region, except a single tumour on the shoulder. Fourteen patients had a cancer history, six had actinic keratoses or Bowen's disease (n = 1). Five patients had cardiac surgery or pacemaker, one each had a renal transplant, systemic sarcoidosis or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Medical history was positive for radiotherapy or chemotherapy in four patients. Histology showed a spindle-shaped dermal and subcutaneous tumour growth intermingled with multinucleated giant cells. The phenotype of tumour cells was vimentin-positive, but S100- and keratin-negative. Some tumours showed a focal expression of CD68. Complete microhistographic controlled surgery ('Mohs like') was possible in all cases followed by mesh-graft transplantation in three patients. Eighteen patients showed a complete remission. Four patients had a relapse within 2 years of follow-up treated by surgery. One patient is still under radiotherapy. All patients with a safety margin of 2 cm had no recurrence or relapse during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Micrographic controlled surgery with wide 2 cm safety margins is the treatment of choice. A regular follow-up for the next 5 years is recommended.

Late recurrence (10 years or more) of malignant melanoma in south-east Germany (Saxony). A single-centre analysis of 1881 patients with a follow-up of 10 years or more.

BACKGROUND: Late recurrent melanoma (MM) is rare. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we analysed the frequency of late recurrent MM in south-eastern Germany. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our centre, 2314 MM patients were documented (1972-2001). A total of 1881 patients in stage I or II (AJCC) with a follow-up of > or = 10 years were selected and screened for late recurrence (> or = 10 years after diagnosis). RESULTS: Twenty patients were identified (1.1%), 13 women and 7 men, median age 44 years (age range 30-74 years). Nineteen suffered from cutaneous MM and one had a uveal MM (excluded from further analysis). The primary cutaneous MM occurred on the trunk (6), on the upper limb/shoulder (4), or on the lower limb (9). MM type was superficial spreading (13), nodular (2), acrolentiginous (1), lentigo maligna-type (1) or unclassified (2). Tumour thickness varied from 0.33 mm to 9.5 mm (median 2.0 mm). Ulceration was seen in four, and spontaneous regression in two MM patients. Invasiveness into blood or lymphatic vessels occurred in seven MM patients. The largest period from primary diagnosis to recurrence was 25.1 years with a median of 13.9 years. Metastatic spread was loco-regional (12 patients) or distant (7). Four patients were survivors and three of these had in-transit metastases only. Overall survival was 14.7 +/- 6.6 years. Statistical analysis could not identify factors significantly associated with late recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Late recurrence is a clinical sign of melanoma dormancy. We conclude that late recurrences argue for a lifelong follow-up of melanoma patients.

[Marjolin's ulcer: malignant transformation of a crural ulcer due to posttraumatic chronic osteomyelitis]. / Das Marjolin-Ulkus : Maligne Transformation eines Ulcus cruris auf dem Boden einer posttraumatischen chronischen Osteomyelitis.

We report on the case of an 81-year-old female patient who developed a squamous cell carcinoma in a long-lasting therapy-resistant crural ulcer of the lower leg due to posttraumatic chronic osteomyelitis. Eventually the lower leg had to be amputated because of massive destruction of soft tissue and the tibia bone. Based on the desolate wound conditions plastic reconstruction by a pivoted muscle flap and surgical covering with mesh graft plastic was also necessary.The amputation stump had completely healed 6 months after surgery and the patient is fitted with an artificial limb ensuring independent mobility even outside the home. Up to the present there is no evidence of any tumor recurrence or progression.