Chondroepitrochlearis Muscle--A Phylogenetic Remnant with Clinical Importance.

We report on an infant, presenting with a cord-like accessory muscle crossing the anterior axillary fold. The accessory structure appeared as an axillary web and caused tethering of the humerus together with an abnormal shape of the shoulder. The chondroepitrochlearis muscle is thought to be of phylogenetic origin. In our patient the tendinous sling was resected at the age of 7 month with normalization of function and cosmetics.

Inverse association of p16 INK4a and p14 ARF methylation of the CDKN2a locus in different Gleason scores of prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Promoter hypermethylation is an important epigenetic mechanism in the regulation of several key modulators of prostate carcinoma progression. Recent studies suggest that the polycomb-group (PcG) protein BMI1 may have an impact on epigenetic regulation of several targets, including the CDKN2a locus. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the association of BMI1 expression, promoter methylation of CDKN2a (p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF)) and TMS1 with pathological variables (Gleason score, TNM stage, perineural invasion) in prostate cancer (PCa). RESULTS: Methylation of p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF) revealed an inverse association with Gleason score 7b and Gleason score 6. No significant association could be demonstrated for BMI1 -overexpression and promoter methylation of p16(INK4a), p14(ARF) and TMS1 as well as pT category. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the CDKN2a locus is a switch in PCa with methylation of p16(INK4a) being a marker for more aggressive tumours of Gleason score 7b, but no association with BMI overexpression was observed.

[Histopathological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of colorectal serrated polys: findings of a consensus conference of the working group "gastroenterological pathology of the German Society of Pathology"]. / Histopathologische Diagnostik und Differenzialdiagnostik serratierter Polypen im Kolorektum : Ergebnisse einer Konsensuskonferenz der AG "Gastroenterologische Pathologie der DGP"

Until recently, two major types of colorectal epithelial polyps were distinguished: the adenoma and the hyperplastic polyp. While adenomas - because of their cytological atypia - were recognized as precursor lesions for colorectal carcinoma, hyperplastic polyps were perceived as harmless lesions without any potential for malignant progression, mainly because hyperplastic polyps lack cytological atypia. Meanwhile, it is evident that the lesions formerly classified as hyperplastic represent a heterogeneous group of polyps, some of which exhibit a significant risk of neoplastic progression. These lesions show characteristic epigenetic alterations not commonly seen in colorectal adenomas and progress to colorectal carcinoma via the so-called serrated pathway (CIMP pathway). This group of polyps is comprised not only of hyperplastic polyps, but also of sessile serrated adenomas (SSA), traditional serrated adenomas (TSA) and mixed polyps, showing serrated and "classical" adenomatous features. In a consensus conference of the working group of gastroenterological pathology of the German Society of Pathology, standardization of nomenclature and diagnostic criteria as well as recommendations for clinical management of these serrated polyps were formulated and are presented herein.

[Squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (WHO 2005). Precancerous lesions of the head and neck region]. / Intraepitheliale Plattenepithelneoplasie (WHO 2005). Präkanzeröse Läsion im Kopf-Hals-Bereich.

The recent WHO classification 2005 applies the concept of intraepithelial neoplasia to the head and neck region. Precursor lesions of the head and neck mucosa are classified as squamous intraepithelial neoplasia (SIN) and are graded as mild, moderate and severe (SIN 1-3). SIN 3 is equivalent to former carcinoma in situ. Each precursor lesion is associated with an ascertained risk of progression to carcinoma, which is important for further diagnostic or therapy.

[Rare sialadenoma papilliferum in the hard palate: case report and survey of the literature]. / Das seltene Sialadenoma papilliferum am harten Gaumen : Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht.

Sialadenoma papilliferum is a rare tumour of the salivary glands that usually occurs in the oral cavity. Following the course of the salivary glands of the oral mucosa, the hard and soft palate are the most common locations of this tumor. In the international literature, only a few case reports about this entity can be found. We present a 63-year-old patient with a sialadenoma papilliferum accidentally found during diagnostic procedures for progredient dysphagia. Suffering from infrabifurcal cancer of the oesophagus, the patient had undergone partial oesophagectomy 1 year before. Histological verification was performed with a tumor biopsy at the border of hard and soft palate, on the right side. This case is compared with 39 further cases reported in the literature. The therapy of choice is resection of the tumor. Because of the high frequency of recurrence, in sano resection should be planned.

Coexistence of autoimmune pancreatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis in a Caucasian patient - a rare cause of cholestasis.

In contrast to Asia, autoimmune pancreatitis is rare in the Western population. The present case report describes the coexistence of primary biliary cirrhosis and autoimmune pancreatitis accompanied by sclerosing cholangitis of the intrahepatic bile ducts and the hilar region. It is important to differentiate sclerosing cholangitis due to autoimmune pancreatitis from primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis, because the former responds to steroids, while the latter do not. The article highlights important diagnostic difficulties and suggests racial differences between Caucasian and Asian patients.

[Hemangiopericytoma (extrapleural solitary fibrous tumour). Exemplified and discussed on the basis of two cases]. / Hämangioperizytom (extrapleuraler solitärer fibröser Tumor). Dargestellt und diskutiert anhand zweier Patientenbeispiele.

BACKGROUND: Hemangiopericytoma was first mentioned in 1942. It is a very uncommon potentially malignant vascular tumour which can occur at every site of the body. According to the WHO, most of the tumours formerly diagnosed as hemangiopericytomas are considered to be extrapleural solitary fibrous tumours. The diagnosis of "hemangiopericytoma" is now only determined if a constant histological picture of hemangiopericytoma is present. The tumour can lead to lymphogenous or hematogenous metastasis. The major location of occurrence is the cutis and subcutis. It originates from the pericytes of the vascular wall. This is reflected in its vascular character and therefore the hemangiopericytoma might clinically be mistaken for a hemangioma. CASE REPORTS: Patient 1: 60 years, female; diagnosis: malignant suboccipital hemangiopericytoma; size: 4.9 x 4.5 x 4.2 cm; pT1bNXMX L0 V0 Pn0; stage IA; grading G1; R0.Patient 2: 38 years, male; diagnosis: benign hemangiopericytoma infraorbital left; size 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 cm. DISCUSSION: Most often the hemangiopericytoma becomes clinically conspicuous as a slowly growing, painless swelling. The consistency ranges from soft to dense, and the color is greyish-blue. The slow and painless growth carries the danger of a clinically wrong diagnosis and thus delayed therapy. The histological diagnosis of hemangiopericytoma is determined by biopsy. Besides histology, MRI and angiography are methods that can be employed to diagnose hemangiopericytoma. The therapy of choice is the complete tumour-resection with a safety margin of 1 cm. In the case of an aggressive growth pattern, adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy is recommended. Until now there has been no documented specific therapy concept for managing incomplete resection and the occurrence of metastasis. There are reports about chemo- and radiotherapy either on their own or combined which evidence differing degrees of success. Lifelong monitoring is necessary because recrudescences and metastases can occur even decades later.

[Prognostic significance of proliferation markers in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)]. / Prognostische Bedeutung von Proliferationsmarkern bei hepatozellulären Karzinomen (HCC).

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of patients with curatively resectable hepatocellular carcinoma depends mainly on anatomic extent of the tumour and on the general condition of the patient. Given the growing evidence that proliferation indices may be of prognostic significance in hepatocellular carcinomas, identification and quantitation of proliferative capacity may be of prognostic importance. METHODS: We have compared four different methods to assess proliferation in a series of 193 curatively (R0-) resected hepatocellular carcinomas: Mitotic count, immunohistochemical assessment of the MIB-1- (Ki-67-), Antigen Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) and silverstained nucleolar organiser regions (AgNOR). The results obtained were compared with pathohistological stage (according to UICC), Edmondson Grade and with survival rate. RESULTS: In each carcinoma, we could demonstrate mitotic figures, MIB-1, PCNA and AgNOR dots in variable proportions. Significant statistical correlations were seen between Mitotic Index, the rate of nuclear positivity for MIB-1 and PCNA and the number of AgNOR dots. In univariate survival analysis tumour stage and Edmondson Grade, Mitotic Index, MIB-1 and PCNA Index and mean AgNOR-number were significant patients' survival influencing factors. Performing multivariate Cox survival analysis, Mitotic Index, concomitant cirrhosis, Edmondson Grade and patient age were the only significant independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that Mitotic Index is an additional prognostic parameter which could provide auxiliary information for patients' outcome.