Rare Paravertebral and Skull Base Metastases in Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed visceral cancer in the United States. A majority of cases exhibit an insidious course and nonaggressive tumor behavior. Prostate cancer can manifest as lesions which remain localized, regionally invading or metastasize to lymph nodes, bones, and lungs. Here, we report a unique case of metastatic prostate cancer to the right upper mediastinum, presenting as a paravertebral mass within 2 years of initial tissue diagnosis. Paravertebral spread has not been described for prostate cancer, and herein, we discuss the clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and possible therapeutic options available in light of the literature.

Plasma Cell Leukemia Presenting as a Chest Wall Mass: A Case Report.

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is an uncommon neoplasm of plasma cells, with an aggressive clinical course and poor outcome, even with current standard of care. It can occur either de novo (primary PCL) or as a progression of multiple myeloma (MM). This disease has unique diagnostic criteria but certain genetic markers and clinical features may overlap with MM. Due to the low prevalence of PCL, guidelines on its management are extrapolated from the management of MM and based on small retrospective studies and cases reports/series. We present an interesting case of PCL in a middle-aged African-American male, who was diagnosed incidentally after chest wall imaging for an unrelated complaint. The diagnostic approach, management and outcomes of PCL are discussed.

Hepatoid Adenocarcinoma of the Duodenum: An Unusual Location.

Hepatoid adenocarcinoma (HAC) is a rare extrahepatic tumor distinguished by having both hepatoid and adenomatous features, which can make the diagnosis challenging. Although it mostly originates in the stomach, several other sites of origin have been reported. We report a case of HAC originating in the duodenum, a very unusual location. We also discuss an approach to the diagnosis of HAC using morphological and immunohistochemical features, and explore possible therapeutic options.

Brodie's Abscess in a Patient Presenting with Sickle Cell Vasoocclusive Crisis.

First described by Sir Nicholas Brodie in 1832, Brodie's abscess is a localized subacute or chronic infection of the bone, typically seen in the metaphases of long bones in children and adolescents. The diagnosis can prove to be enigmatic due to absence of clinical signs and symptoms of systemic disease. We report a very interesting case of Brodie's abscess masquerading as sickle cell vasoocclusive crisis in a 20-year-old female with sickle cell disease and review the literature.

Aromatase Inhibitor-Induced Erythrocytosis in a Patient Undergoing Hormonal Treatment for Breast Cancer.

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are most commonly used for breast cancer patients with hormone receptor positive disease. Although the side effect profile of aromatase inhibitors is well known, including common side effects like arthralgia, bone pain, arthritis, hot flashes, and more serious problems like osteoporosis, we present a case of an uncommon side effect of these medications. We report the case of a postmenopausal woman on adjuvant hormonal therapy with anastrozole after completing definitive therapy for stage IIIB estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, who was referred to hematology service for evaluation of persistent erythrocytosis. Primary and known secondary causes of polycythemia were ruled out. On further evaluation, we found that her erythrocytosis began after initiation of anastrozole and resolved after it was discontinued. We discuss the pathophysiology of aromatase inhibitor-induced erythrocytosis and reference of similar cases reported in the literature.

Mixed acinar-neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas with neuroendocrine predominance.

Background. Pancreatic tumors are rare and could arise from either the exocrine (ductal and acinar cells) or the endocrine (neuroendocrine cells) components of the pancreas. In some instances, the occurrence of pancreatic tumors comprising both acinar cells and neuroendocrine cells, with neuroendocrine cells making up more than 30% of the tumor, has been identified. This unique entity has been referred to as mixed acinar-neuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC). Only about 20 such cases have been reported in the literature. Case Report. We report an interesting case of MANEC with neuroendocrine cell predominance in a woman presenting with epigastric pain secondary to a pancreatic mass with acinar and endocrine differentiation. She underwent surgical resection of the tumor and was offered adjuvant treatment chemotherapy with carboplatin, etoposide, and radiotherapy for positive tumor resection margins. Conclusions. Given the paucity of the cases of MANEC, continuous reporting of these cases when identified should be encouraged to aid oncologists in understanding the disease and help establish standardized management.

Utilizing endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in identifying molecular targets for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer remains a devastating disease, with poor survival rates and high recurrence rates with current treatment regimens. Over the years we have come to understand the complex biology of this cancer, involving cross-talking signaling pathways that proffers resistance to current therapy. Several molecularly targeted agents remain in development. At the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, an abstract (#4051) was presented which explored using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of pancreatic cancer tissue to identify molecular targets, and argued for the feasibility of personalizing pancreatic cancer therapy based on the activated molecular pathways identified. We summarize their findings and discuss the possibility of utilizing this model to obtain a better understanding of pancreatic cancer at each stage of its metamorphosis and target therapy at these different levels.