Differential Upregulation of Th1/Th17-Associated Proteins and PD-L1 in Granulomatous Mycosis Fungoides.

Granulomatous Mycosis Fungoides (GMF) is a rare form of mycosis fungoides (MF) characterized by a granulomatous infiltrate associated with the neoplastic lymphoid population and is considered to have a worse prognosis compared with regular MF. The upregulation of the T helper (Th) axis, especially Th17, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory/infectious granulomatous cutaneous diseases, but its role in GMF is still not elucidated to date. In this study, we evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of Th1 (Tbet), Th2 (GATA-3), Th17 (RORγT), T regulatory (Foxp3), and immune checkpoint (IC) (PD-1 and PD-L1) markers in a cohort of patients with GMF and MF with large cell transformation (MFLCT). Skin biopsies from 49 patients (28 GMF and 21 MFLCT) were studied. Patients with GMF were associated with early clinical stage (p = 0.036) and lower levels of lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.042). An increased percentage of cells positive for Tbet (p = 0.017), RORγT (p = 0.001), and PD-L1 (p = 0.011) was also observed among the GMF specimens, while a stronger PD-1 intensity was detected in cases of MFLCT. In this cohort, LCT, RORγT < 10%, Foxp3 < 10%, age, and advanced stage were associated with worse overall survival (OS) in univariate analysis. GMF demonstrated Th1 (cellular response) and Th17 (autoimmunity) phenotype, seen in early MF and granulomatous processes, respectively, which may be related to the histopathological appearance and biological behavior of GMF. Further studies involving larger series of cases and more sensitive techniques are warranted.

Sarcomas Harboring EWSR1::PATZ1 Fusions: A Clinicopathologic Study of 17 Cases.

Soft tissue sarcomas harboring EWSR1::PATZ1 are a recently recognized entity with variable morphology and a heterogeneous immunohistochemical profile. We studied 17 such tumors. The tumors occurred in 12 men and 5 women (median age, 50 years; range, 15-71 years), involved the thoracoabdominal soft tissues (14 cases; 82%), lower extremities (2 cases; 12%), and tongue (1 case; 6%), and ranged from 0.7 to 11.3 cm (median, 4.7 cm). All but 1 patient received complete surgical resection; 7 were also treated with neoadjuvant chemo/radiotherapy. All cases showed typical features of EWSR1::PATZ1 sarcoma, including uniform round to spindled cells, fibromyxoid matrix, fibrous bands, hyalinized vessels, and pseudoalveolar/microcystic spaces. Unusual features, seen in a subset of cases, included degenerative-appearing nuclear atypia, epithelioid cytomorphology, mature fat, abundant rhabdomyoblasts, high mitotic activity, and foci with increased cellularity and nuclear atypia. Positive immunohistochemical results were desmin (16/17, 94%), MyoD1 (13/14, 93%), myogenin (6/14, 43%), GFAP (10/10, 100%), S100 protein (15/17, 88%), SOX10 (7/13, 54%), keratin (10/17, 59%), CD99 (4/11, 36%), H3K27me3 (retained expression 9/9, 100%), p16 (absent expression 1/4, 25%), and p53 (wild type 3/3, 100%). Fusion events included EWSR1 exon 8::PATZ1 exon 1 (14/17, 82%), EWSR1 exon 9::PATZ1 exon 1 (2/17, 12%), and EWSR1 exon 7::PATZ1 exon 1 (1/17, 6%). No evaluated tumor had alterations of CDKN2A/B and/or TP53, or MDM2 amplification. Clinical follow-up (16 patients: median, 13.5 months; range, 1-77 months) showed distant metastases in 3 patients (1/3 at time of presentation) and no local recurrences. At the time of last follow-up, 14 patients were disease free, 1 was alive with disease, 1 was dead of disease (at 13 months), and 1 had an indeterminant pulmonary nodule. We conclude that the morphologic spectrum of EWSR1::PATZ1 is broader than has been previously appreciated. Although more long-term follow-up is needed, the prognosis of these very rare sarcomas may be more favorable than previously reported.

Erratum to "COVID-19 vaccine-associated granulomatous mass mimicking a sarcoma: A case report" [Radiology Case Reports 17 (2022) 2775-2778].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2022.05.035.].

COVID-19 vaccine-associated ganulomatous mass mimicking a sarcoma: a case report.

Several studies have previously documented the development of complications stemming from injection with one of the various COVID-19 vaccines. No study, however, has discussed the spontaneous development of a soft tissue mass shortly after a COVID-19 vaccine injection. We report on 66-year-old female with concerns of a growing shoulder mass, 2 weeks after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine booster. Initial work-up with X-ray and MRI was concerning for a soft tissue neoplasm, specifically a soft tissue sarcoma. Subsequent ultrasound guided biopsy demonstrated a benign granulomatous lesion. No further management was required as the lesion spontaneously resolved during a 3-month follow-up period.

Gene fusion characterisation of rare aggressive prostate cancer variants-adenosquamous carcinoma, pleomorphic giant-cell carcinoma, and sarcomatoid carcinoma: an analysis of 19 cases.

AIMS: To evaluate the molecular underpinnings of the rare aggressive prostate cancer variants adenosquamous carcinoma, pleomorphic giant-cell carcinoma, and sarcomatoid carcinoma. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrieved 19 tumours with one or more variant(s), and performed ERG immunohistochemistry, a next-generation sequencing assay targeting recurrent gene fusions, and fluorescence in-situ hybridisation (FISH) for ERG and BRAF. Divergent differentiation included: sarcomatoid carcinoma (n = 10), adenosquamous carcinoma (n = 7), and pleomorphic giant-cell carcinoma (n = 7). Five patients had more than one variant. Four had variants only in metastases. ERG rearrangement was detected in nine (47%, seven via sequencing, showing TMPRSS2-ERG fusions and one GRHL2-ERG fusion, and two via FISH, showing rearrangement via deletion). ERG was immunohistochemically positive in the adenocarcinoma in eight of nine (89%) patients, but was immunohistochemically positive in the variant in only five of nine patients (56%, typically decreased). One patient had a false-positive ERG immunohistochemical result in the sarcomatoid component despite a negative FISH result. Two (11%) harboured BRAF fusions (FAM131A-BRAF and SND1-BRAF). CONCLUSIONS: ERG fusions are present in these rare prostate cancer variants with a frequency close to that in conventional prostate cancer (9/19, 47%). ERG immunohistochemistry usually detects rearrangement in the adenocarcinoma, but is less sensitive for the variant histology, with weak to negative staining. Adenosquamous and sarcomatoid variants can, particularly, occur together. Molecular assessment may be an additional tool in selected cases to confirm the prostatic origin of unusual tumours. The presence of two BRAF rearrangements suggests that this gene fusion may be enriched in this setting, as RAF kinase fusions have been previously reported in 1-2% of prostate cancers.

Syphilis presenting with headache and papilloedema.

A 41-year-old homosexual man presented with a 10-week history of headache without pressure features commencing 10 weeks after a new sexual contact. Three days after the headache onset he noticed intermittent, bilateral visual blurring, worse in the right eye. The visual disturbance persisted intermittently and led to his referral to a local ophthalmology department where he was found to have bilateral papilloedema. There were no other abnormal signs on full examination of other systems and no other abnormal ocular findings. Cerebral imaging studies were normal. A lumbar puncture revealed a raised opening pressure of 35 mm cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with a white cell count of 58 cells/mcl (mainly lymphocytes). Venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL), Treponema pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA) and Inno-LIA tests confirmed the presence of neurosyphilis. HIV testing was negative. He was treated with CSF pressure reduction via repeat lumbar puncture and acetozolamide and procaine penicillin intramuscularly. He recovered and remains symptom free at 1 year.