Epithelioid fibrous histiocytoma EMA positivity: a case report.

A case of epithelioid fibrous histiocytoma diagnosed in a 5-year-old female with a skin lesion: morphological description and immunohistochemical investigations performed.

Intraparenchymal serous papillary cystadenoma of the testis: a case report.

A case is presented of a 58-year old man with a double multilocular cystic intratesticular tumour exhibiting the morphological features described by the WHO for diagnosis of a serous papillary cystadenoma of the ovary. We classified this tumour as the male analogue of a respective ovarian growth.

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the thyroid gland associated with multinodular goiter: case report and review of the literature.

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma (SEP) is a rare malignant neoplasm arising from plasma cells most commonly occurring in the nasal cavity, nasopharynx and larynx. Thyroid involvement is rare and less than 75 cases of SEP of the thyroid gland have been reported to date. A 74-year-old woman with an history of multinodular goiter presented with dysphonia and painful neck swelling, related to a rapidly growing nodule in the right thyroid lobe. Thyroid function tests showed subclinical hypothyroidism; no evidence of Hashimoto's disease was found. Ultrasound confirmed the presence of an isoechoic nodule, 35 mm in diameter, with a CDIII vascular pattern. FNAC showed a monotonous population of atypical cells, interpreted as suspicious for malignant neoplasia (Thyr. 4). The patient underwent total thyroidectomy. Histopathological examination showed a unencapsulated neoplasm composed of atypical tumour cells characterized by abundant cytoplasm and eccentric nuclei. At immunohistochemistry, tumour cells revealed diffuse reactivity for CD138 and CD45RB and predominant staining for kappa chains. Pan-cytokeratins, TTF1, thyreoglobulin, calcitonin, CD20 and CD79a were negative. Clinically, a complete multiple myeloma workup was negative. On this basis, a definitive diagnosis of SEP was made. At 16 months follow-up, the patient showed good clinical conditions without evidence of multiple myeloma. In conclusion, SEP should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a rapidly enlarging thyroid nodule. Clinical correlation and immunocytochemistry are crucial in avoiding pitfalls. Surgery remains the best modality of treatment whenever the lesion is localized and easily removable.

Reactive pseudo-glandular mesothelial hyperplasia in testis tunica vaginalis: a case report.

A case of benign reactive pseudo-glandular mesothelial hyperplasia arising in the context of chronic vaginitis in presented: morphological and immunohistochemical investigations and differential diagnoses are described.

Identification of a 16SrII-E Phytoplasma in Calendula arvensis, Solanum nigrum, and Chenopodium spp.

Epidemiological surveys were performed in Northern Sardinia (Italy) in a 10-year-old vineyard affected by "Bois noir" disease. Samples collected between May and October 2003 from chlorotic and stunted weeds belonging to 14 different taxonomic groups were indexed molecularly for detection of phytoplasmas. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using primers specific for the phytoplasma 16SrDNA gene showed three of six Calendula arvensis, one of two Solanum nigrum, and one of seven Chenopodium spp. assayed positive. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses and sequencing of amplified 16SrDNA fragments identified a putative phytoplasma in the ribosomal subgroup 16SrII-E. Further characterization of the rps3 gene, coding a ribosomal protein, confirmed the identification. However, the weeds and leafhop-per species collected in the vineyard tested negative by PCR assays for the Stolbur phytoplasma, the causal agent of "Bois noir". This is the first report of a phytoplasma of the 16SrII-E subgroup infecting C. arvensis, S. nigrum, and Chenopodium spp.