Retroperitoneal perivascular epithelioid cell tumours: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: The perivascular epithelioid cell tumour (PEComa) family of tumours mainly includes renal and hepatic angiomyolipomas, pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and clear cell "sugar" tumour of the lung. Several uncommon tumours with similar morphological and immunophenotypical characteristics arising at a variety of sites (abdominal cavity, digestive tract, retroperitoneum, skin, soft tissue and bones) are also included in the PEComa family and are referred to as PEComas not otherwise specified. CASE SUMMARY: We present a 37-year-old female patient who underwent resection of an 8.5 cm × 8 cm × 4 cm retroperitoneal tumour, which eventually was diagnosed as PEComa of uncertain biological behaviour. Three years after the operation, the patient remains without any evidence of recurrence. A search was performed in the Medline and EMBASE databases for articles published between 1996 and 2018, and we identified 31 articles related to retroperitoneal and perinephric PEComas. We focused on sex, age, maximum dimension, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumour, follow-up and long-term outcome. Thirty-four retroperitoneal (including the present one) and ten perinephric PEComas were identified, carrying a malignant potential rate of 44% and 60%, respectively. Nearly half of the potentially malignant PEComas presented with or developed metastases during the course of the disease. CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal PEComas are not as indolent as they are supposed to be. Radical surgical resection constitutes the treatment of choice for localized disease, while mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors constitute the most promising therapy for disseminated disease. The role of mTOR inhibitors as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies needs to be evaluated in the future.

Asymptomatic calcitonin-secreting tumor of the pancreas. A case report.

CONTEXT: Pancreatic endocrine tumors are unusual tumors arising from cells belonging generically to the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation system. CASE REPORT: We present a case of a calcitonin-secreting pancreatic endocrine tumor in a 59-year-old male who presented at our Center with elevated calcitonin values. The patient was asymptomatic. Further investigation revealed a tumor, 80 mm in diameter, in the pancreatic body and tail along with three metastatic lesions in segments III, V, and VIII of the liver. Following a distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy and wedge resection of segments III and V along with radiofrequency ablation of the segment VIII lesion, his serum calcitonin reached normal values. CONCLUSIONS: Calcitonin-secreting pancreatic endocrine tumors are often malignant and have a poor prognosis. We believe that an aggressive surgical approach may improve survival.

HER2/neu expression and gene alterations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a comparative immunohistochemistry and chromogenic in situ hybridization study based on tissue microarrays and computerized image analysis.

CONTEXT: HER2/neu overexpression is observed in many cancers including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Although immunohistochemistry remains the basic method for evaluating HER2/neu protein expression, significant information regarding gene status cannot be assessed. DESIGN: Using tissue microarray technology, fifty histologically confirmed pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas were cored twice and re-embedded in one paraffin block. Immunohistochemistry (clone TAB 250) and chromogenic (HER2/neu amplification Spot Light kit) in situ hybridization protocols were performed. The immunostained slides were evaluated by conventional eye microscopy and digital image analysis. The chi square test and the kappa statistic were applied by running the SPSS package. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The levels of staining intensity were estimated by the performance of a semi automated image analysis system. RESULTS: HER2/neu gene amplification was detected in 8/50 cases (16%). Chromosome 17 aneuploidy was detected in 19 cases (38%). Significant improvement in interobserver agreement (kappa=0.76 vs. 0.94) was achieved correlating the immunohistochemical results obtained by conventional eye and digital microscopy, especially in the cases of overexpression (2+, 3+). Finally, 29 (58%), 11 (22%), 6 (12%) and 4 (8%) cases were characterized as 0, 1+, 2+ and 3+, respectively. HER2/neu protein expression was significantly associated with grade (P=0.019), but not with stage (P=0.466). in addition, chromosome 17 and gene status were not correlated with stage and grade. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that a subset of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas is characterized by HER2/neu gene amplification. In contrast to breast cancer, protein overexpression does not predict this specific gene deregulation mechanism. This event may reflect the different biological role of the molecule in those two solid tumours, affecting the response to novel targeted agents, such as monoclonal anti-HER2/neu antibodies. Furthermore, evaluation of HER2/neu protein expression based on digital image analysis and not only on conventional eye microscopy improves the accuracy and reliability of immunohistochemical estimation, although that does not demonstrate clinical significance and prognostic value in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Chest radiograph of an asymptomatic man.

Case report: An asymptomatic man undergoes a chest radiograph http://ow.ly/4nmyfG.

Microvessel Landscape Assessment in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Unclear Value of Targeting Endoglin (CD105) as Prognostic Factor of Clinical Outcome.

OBJECTIVES: Tumor angiogenesis based on microvessel density assessment has been associated with poor prognosis in several studies of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Expression of endoglin (CD105), a tumor-induced vascularization marker, has been found to represent a negative prognostic factor in many malignant tumors. The aim of our study was to assess the value of tumoral microvascularity both with pan-endothelial markers and endoglin as well, in correlation with the clinical outcome of patients with PDAC. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with PDAC, 36 males and 22 females, with a mean (SD) age of 65.4 (10.0) years were included in the study. Deparaffinized sections from formalin-fixed areas both from the center and periphery (invasion front) of the tumors were immunostained for CD105 as well as for the endothelial markers CD31 and CD34. Tumoral angiogenesis was assessed on the basis of microvessel density (number of vessels per square millimeter) and on microvascular area (square micrometers) as well. RESULTS: High intratumoral microvascular area, in endoglin-stained sections, was found to be of marginal prognostic significance for recurrence (log rank, P 0.05). Survival was also marginally associated with CD31 intratumoral microvascular area (log rank, P 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed before endoglin replaces the conventional angiogenesis markers in PDCA.

Selective induction of colon cancer cell apoptosis by 5-fluorouracil in humans.

To assess the mechanism of action of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) apoptosis (AI) and proliferation (PI) indices were determined histochemically in colon carcinoma and normal colon tissue of 7 patients treated preoperatively with 5-FU (300 mg/m2/day for 5 days) and 11 controls. 5-Fluorouracil induced apoptosis selectively in malignant colonocytes (AI in 5-FU-group: 0.126 +/- 0.016 [mean +/- SEM] vs. 0.065 +/- 0.012 in controls; P < 0.05), but not in normal colonocytes. 5-Fluorouracil had no effect on the PI of either normal or malignant colonocytes. 5-Fluorouracil-induced apoptosis did not correlate with clinical outcome at 24 months. We conclude that 5-FU: (a) induces apoptosis selectively in colon cancer cells, while it spares the normal colonic mucosa, and (b) has no effect on colonocyte proliferation under the conditions of our protocol. This effect of 5-FU may contribute to its chemotherapeutic activity in human colon cancer.