Does histoid leprosy represent a locally hyperimmune variant of lepromatous leprosy?

BACKGROUND: Histoid leprosy is a subtype of leprosy with distinct clinical presentation and histologic features. It accounts for <4% of leprosy cases. The exact location of histoid leprosy along the immune spectrum and its relation to other subtypes is unclear. AIM: To evaluate the local immune phenomenon which define histoid leprosy. DESIGN: Parallel skin biopsies from histoid lesions and from unremarkable skin in patients with histoid leprosy were evaluated and the histologic findings compared. METHODS: Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue sections from lesional and non-lesional biopsies were assessed for changes in epidermis and dermis; type and extent of infiltrate, presence or absence of pseudocapsule and associated reactions. Bacillary index was evaluated using Wade Fite stain for lepra bacilli. RESULTS: Amongst 208 leprosy cases, six cases of histoid leprosy were identified (2.88%). The cases showed presence of nodules, patches and plaques overlying clinically unremarkable skin. Fourteen skin biopsies were evaluated of which the lesional biopsies showed equal proportion of fusocellular, fusocellular epithelioid and fusocellular-vacuolated histology. A greater circumscription was noted in lesional biopsies; however the cellular content of the infiltrate was similar in lesional and non-lesional biopsies. A case of erythema nodosum leprosum in histoid leprosy was also seen. CONCLUSIONS: Ours is the first study comparing normal and lesional skin in histoid leprosy. Though the histoid lesions appear to have a derivation from lepromatous leprosy, the local histologic and clinical alterations may be a result of heightened local immunity or reactive local modifying factors.

Everolimus-associated Acute Kidney Injury in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Recently, everolimus (Evl) has been introduced in the management of hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer, in combination with aromatase inhibitors. Evl-induced acute kidney injury has hitherto been described in other malignancies, especially renal cell cancer, but only once before in a patient with breast cancer. We describe two cases of Evl-associated nephrotoxicity in patients with breast cancer, one of whom underwent a renal biopsy showing acute tubular necrosis. Both our patients improved after withdrawal of the offending agent and have normal renal functions on follow-up.

Profile of gynecologic malignancies reported at a tertiary care center in India over the past decade: comparative evaluation with international data.

OBJECTIVE: Comprehensive statistics on gynecologic malignancies reported from India are deficient. This study was performed to ascertain the profile of gynecologic cancers reported at our center regarding incidence, histologic subtypes, frequency of involvement at various sites and stage at presentation. We endeavored to compare our data with gynecologic cancers reported at other national and international centers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of records of gynecologic cancers obtained from Departments of Pathology and Gynecology, at a tertiary care center, Delhi from January 2000 to December 2009 was performed. Comparison with international data was performed using Fishcher's exact test and chi square tests. RESULTS: A total of 1315 gynecologic cancers were reported. Cervical malignancies were the commonest at our center as compared to uterine malignancies in data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of United States and European Union. All malignancies except cervical cancers affected a younger age group at our center than in the US population. Cervical cancer presented at a relatively more advanced stage, ovarian cancers at more localized stages, whereas uterine cancers presented at similar stages as compared to Western data. CONCLUSIONS: Our registry presents composite data from North India. Higher age and advanced stage at presentation of cervical cancers suggests lacunae in screening programs available. Ovarian malignancies were more localized at presentation than in the Western population for which environmental or genetic factors may be causative.