A Comprehensive Study on Aberrant CD20-Positive Mycosis Fungoides: Clinical and Prognostic Insights.

BACKGROUND: As the majority of T-cell lymphomas lack CD20 expression, cases of mycosis fungoides (MF) exhibiting aberrant CD20 expression are exceedingly uncommon. OBJECTIVES: We aim to comprehensively evaluate the clinical, histopathological, and prognostic features of 7 patients diagnosed with CD20-positive MF. METHODS: This retrospective study examines seven cases of MF with aberrant CD20 expression. The study provides details of demographics, clinical features, histopathology and treatment outcomes. Key time points include initial diagnosis of MF, detection of CD20 expression and follow-up, with a mean follow-up of 46 months. RESULTS: Aberrant CD20-positive MF was diagnosed at an average age of 58.6 years, approximately 5.6 years after first MF diagnosis. Following CD20 detection, patients presented with advanced disease stages, requiring treatments such as chemotherapy, brentuximab vedotin, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Four patients died from lymphoma, with an average survival time of 52 months. CONCLUSIONS: Aberrant CD20 expression in MF is rare but indicates a progressive course associated with poor prognosis. This often requires systemic chemotherapy and, in certain instances, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This study provides important insights into the clinical attributes, disease progression, and treatment options for MF patients with aberrant CD20 expression. Further research is necessary to validate the effectiveness of emerging therapies and enhance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and prognostic determinants specific to this unique MF subgroup.

Combined tumour of aberrant cytokeratin expressing acral lentiginous melanoma and poroma: Diagnostic challenge.

Combined tumours are uncommon and therefore these tumours may pose a diagnostic challenge. In the current case report, it is aimed to present the clinicopathological features of a combined tumour including melanoma with aberrant cytokeratin expression and poroma.

Integrated diagnosis of nevi with severely atypical features and impact of second opinions.

BACKGROUND: A subset of melanocytic proliferations is difficult to classify by dermatopathology alone and their management is challenging. OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of correlation with dermatoscopy and to evaluate the utility of second opinions by additional pathologists. METHODS: For this single center retrospective study we collected 122 lesions that were diagnosed as atypical melanocytic proliferations, we reviewed dermatoscopy and asked two experienced pathologists to reassess the slides independently. RESULTS: For the binary decision of nevus versus melanoma the diagnostic consensus among external pathologists was only moderate (kappa 0.43; 95% CI 0.25-0.61). If ground truth were defined such that both pathologists had to agree on the diagnosis of melanoma, 13.1% of cases would have been diagnosed as melanoma. If one pathologist were sufficient to call it melanoma 29.5% of cases would have been diagnosed as melanoma. In either case, the presence of dermatoscopic white lines was associated with the diagnosis of melanoma. In lesions with peripheral dots and clods, melanoma was not jointly diagnosed by the two pathologists if the patient was younger than 45 years. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of atypical melanocytic proliferations may be diagnosed as melanoma if revised by other pathologists. The presence of white lines on dermatoscopy increases the likelihood of revision towards melanoma. Peripheral clods indicate growth but are not a melanoma clue if patients are younger than 45 years.

Postauricular linear basal cell carcinomas related to medical mask cords: a possible association.

Linear basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a distinct clinical morphological variant of BCC. Although it has been speculated that trauma and the Koebner phenomenon may be linked to linear BCC, the pathophysiology has not yet been shown. Herein, 5 cases of BCC were presented that developed in the postauricular region as a result of trauma caused by the cords of the medical face masks worn during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Subungual Glomangiomyoma.

Glomus tumors are relatively rare benign tumors originated from normal glomus bodies. These tumors make up approximately 2% of all hand tumors and are most commonly found in the nail matrix and proximal nail bed of the hands. Histopathologically, they are classified into solid glomus tumor, glomangioma, and the least common type glomangiomyoma. Here we report an unusual case of subungual glomangiomyoma of the toe with dermatoscopic and histopathologic findings.

Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans of the Neck: A Brief Review of the Literature.

Dermatofibrosarcome protuberance (DFSP) is a rare, slow growing soft tissue sarcoma with fibroblastic origin, which has a great, potential of local invasion and recurrence. Because of its unspecific appearance and slow growth features it is commonly misdiagnosed as other benign lesions that leads to a late accurate diagnosis or an inadequate initial treatment. A young female patient with DFSP on the neck who was initially misdiagnosed as lipoma and then underwent inadequate initial resection is presented in this case.

Placenta, Secret Witness of Infant Morbidities: The Relationship Between Placental Histology and Outcome of the Premature Infant.

OBJECTIVE: The microscopic and macroscopic features of the placenta can contribute to the clinical understanding of premature delivery. The aim of our study was to figure out the relationship between the histopathological findings of the placentas of premature deliveries and its effects on neonatal morbidity and mortality. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The placentas of 284 singleton preterm infants with < 35 weeks of gestation were examined. Three groups were created as the normal, chorioamnionitis and vasculopathy groups according to the histopathological findings in the placentas of the subjects. RESULTS: The mean gestational age of the infants in the study group was 30.5 ± 3.2 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 1588 ± 581 g. The pathology was normal in ninety-six (33.8%), vasculopathy in 153 (53.9%) and chorioamnionitis in 35 (12.3%). The gestation age of the infants was lower in the chorioamnionitis group. Moreover, retinopathy of prematurity, early onset neonatal sepsis, and duration of respiratory support were found to be higher in the chorioamnionitis group. In the vasculopathy group, preeclampsia and small for gestational age were found to be significantly higher. CONCLUSION: Histopathological findings of the placentas from preterm deliveries provided important data in determining the etiology of preterm delivery and outcomes of infants. Infants delivered by mothers with chorioamnionitis were particularly found to be more preterm, and these preterm infants would have a longer hospital stay, higher respiratory support requirement, and more serious morbidities.

Sellar Embryonal Tumor: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) are aggressive, poorly differentiated tumors in children and young adults. However, the embryonal tumor group did not include the central nervous system (CNS) PNET title and ependymoblastoma subtitle in the 2016 World Health Organization CNS tumor classification. Here, we report the case of a 6-year-old boy with a sellar embryonal tumor and present a review of the related literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of an endoscopically operated sellar embryonal tumor in the pediatric age group.

Long-Term Follow-Up Results of Topical Imiquimod Treatment in Basal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Imiquimod 5% topical cream is approved for treatment of superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Data on the long-term efficacy and usage in other BCC subtypes are scarce. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of long-term safety and efficacy of topical imiquimod treatment in various BCC subtypes and locations, with individualized treatment duration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histopathologically confirmed BCCs treated solely with topical imiquimod were identified retrospectively and included in this study. Clinical and histopathologic tumor clearances were the primary end point. After treatment was concluded, patients were examined every 3 to 6 months. RESULTS: In total, 24 BCC samples from 22 patients (F:M = 9:13; mean age: 73.5 years, SD: 10.767) were evaluated. The majority of the lesions were located in the head and neck area (83%). Mean treatment duration until complete clearance was 15.7 ± 6.9 weeks (6-28 weeks). Imiquimod was discontinued in 3 lesions, due to either clinically or histopathologically insufficient response. During follow-up, 2 lesions recurred, at 42 and 50 months after treatment. During a mean follow-up time of 72.7 (SD = 9) months, 79.1% of the lesions were cured without local recurrence. CONCLUSION: Although imiquimod is only approved for superficial BCC, treatment success was high among the study patients with various histological subtypes, with good long-term cosmetic results.

Nail apparatus melanoma initially diagnosed as nail matrix blue nevus: a case report with dermatoscopy and dermatopathology.

We present a case of nail apparatus melanoma in a 50-year-old woman presenting as new and changing longitudinal melanonychia of the right thumb. Very heavy melanin pigmentation involving both the epidermis and dermis interfered with dermatopathological assessment, which initially leads to a diagnosis of nail matrix blue nevus. After consultation with a specialist multidisciplinary clinic the diagnosis was revised to invasive melanoma, a diagnosis consistent with the clinical and dermatoscopic assessment.

A case of acanthosis nigricans as a paraneoplastic syndrome with squamous cell lung cancer.

A 55-year-old man presented with oral mucosal ulcers, blackening of both hands, and hyperpigmentation on axillary, anal, and inguinal regions for the last 3 months, which were all progressive. The patient was referred to the oncology department with the diagnosis of acanthosis nigricans for investigation of an underlying malignancy. He was a smoker. A computed tomography scan of thorax revealed enlarged mediastinal lymphadenopathies and a lesion on the left upper lobe. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the mediastinal lesion was consistent with squamous cell carcinoma, and biopsies of the skin and oral mucosal lesion also further confirmed the diagnosis of acanthosis nigricans. After docetaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy, a significant improvement in his skin and mucosal lesions was observed with almost complete resolution of the pulmonary lesion and the mediastinal lymph nodes.

Development of poorly differentiated invasive squamous cell carcinoma in giant Bowen's disease: a case report with dermatoscopy.

Bowen's disease (BD) is an in situ form of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), often occurring in the chronically UV-damaged skin of elderly people. The risk of progression of BD to invasive SCC varies between 3% and 5%, and one-third of invasive tumors may metastasize. Herein we discuss the dermatoscopic findings of a case of giant Bowen's disease, which progressed to poorly differentiated invasive SCC.

Dermatoscopic findings of atrophic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an uncommon locally aggressive mesenchymal tumor with a high local recurrence rate. Atrophic DFSP is a rare variant of DFSP characterized by a non-protuberant lesion. We report on a 23-year-old female, who presented with an atrophic, asymptomatic macule on the right side of her back 2 cm in diameter. Dermatoscopic examination revealed homogenous pigment network on a purplish erythematous background. The histopathological finding of the incisional biopsy material was consistent with DFSP. To our knowledge, this is the second case of atrophic DFSP discussing the dermatoscopic features of this relatively rare condition.

Does extracellular matrix of the varicose vein wall change according to clinical stage?

OBJECTIVE: The etiology and pathophysiology of chronic venous disease is not fully understood. This study aimed to determine the variation of the extracellular matrix proteins in varicose vein wall according to clinical stage. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty varicose and 10 control veins were sampled from the saphenofemoral junction. The Clinical Etiologic Anatomic Pathophysiologic (CEAP) classification was used in patients with varicose veins. Samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome, EVG (Elastica-van Gieson) stain and with laminin, fibronectin, tenascin antibodies. Stained samples were examined immuno-histochemically. Changes in extracellular matrix were determined semi-quantitatively using light microscopy. RESULTS: It was observed that in the early stages (C2-C3) of chronic venous disease, fibrosis is increased in the intima and media layers, with fragmentation in lamina elastica interna, and increased tenascin expression in the intima layer. In advanced stages (C4-C6), the accumulation of tenascin in the intima continued along with fibrosis in the media layer, the thickness of the media layer increased and fibronectin deposition was observed. CONCLUSION: This study showed that changes first occur in the intima during the early stages of the disease with addition of alterations in the media layer at later stages.

Primary pineal glioblastoma: a case report.

Glioblastoma is very rare in the pineal region. We report a case of glioblastoma in this region. This is the 18th case of primary glioblastoma in the pineal region and the second case that survived over two years according the literature. A 60-year-old man admitted with headache and ataxia that continued for the last 3 months. Physical examination was normal. Neurological examination revealed ataxia. There was no motor or sensory deficit. Computer tomography showed triventricular hydrocephalus and isodense rounded mass in the pineal region. Magnetic resonance images revealed a regular-edged heterogeneous contrast-enhanced tumor in pineal region. A ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted for hydrocephalus. After surgery, the ataxia and hydrocephalus were improved. Ten days later, serial stereotactic biopsies were performed. Histopathological specimens revealed glioblastoma. The patient was recommended to undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The patient is still surviving without deficit two years after biopsy and shunt operation.