Pneumonitis and Pulmonary Mucormycosis in a Covid-19 Positive Patient-A Case Report.

In the wake of second wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19), an increased number of mucormycosis cases were reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India. A total of 45 432 cases of mucormycosis were reported till mid-July 2021, with 4252 fatalities. Mucormycosis and other fungal infections are most commonly seen as an opportunistic infection. They are found in those with low underlying immunity either due to a diabetes, cancers particularly hematological malignancies, and so on, or as a side effect of prolonged/irrational use of certain drugs like steroids, immunosuppressive drugs for management of other disorders including Covid-19. The Health Authorities in India stated that although it is not a new disease, its true incidence during the beginning of the second wave was unknown as it was not a notifiable disease. As per reports, the most common presentations of mucormycosis included rhinocerebral (77.6%), cutaneous (4.3%), and pulmonary (3.0%). We present a case of pulmonary mucormycosis and pneumonitis in a Covid-19 positive patient brought for autopsy. The patient was an under trial prisoner sent for treatment to our facility who was reported Covid positive.

Cytological diagnosis of microfilaria coexistent with suspected malignancy of breast and ovary in a young pregnant female.

Filariasis is a major health issue of tropical and subtropical regions and is endemic in India. It is rarely seen in cytological smears, exfoliative scrapings or in effusions. We present the case of a 29-year old female with filaria found on cytological examination of both breast and ovary.

Immunohistochemical study of the expression of HER-2/neu oncogene in ovarian lesions.

To evaluate the expression of HER-2/neu in various ovarian lesions, 75 cases of ovarian tissues (25 cases of benign lesions and 50 cases of carcinoma) were studied in the department of pathology, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak. Besides conventional H&E staining, representative sections were processed for immunohistochemical staining for HER-2/neu detection. Two (8%) of benign cases were 1+ positive and 19 (38.0%) of malignant lesions were positive for HER-2/neu staining with intensity 1+/2+ in 16 cases (32.0%), 3+ in 2 cases (4%) and 4+ in 1 case (2%). It was observed that HER-2/neu expression was significantly associated with high grade ovarian tumours, however intensity of positivity did not correlate with the grade of tumour.

Evaluation of role of alpha-methyl acyl-coenzyme A racemase/P504S and high molecular weight cytokeratin in diagnosing prostatic lesions.

BACKGROUND: In recent years basal cell markers (high molecular weight cytokeratin [HMWCK]) and prostate biomarker alpha-methyl acyl-coenzyme A racemase (AMACR) have been used as adjuvant to morphology in diagnostically challenging cases with a very high sensitivity and specificity. This has increased the diagnostic accuracy of prostate cancer worldwide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, total of 50 cases including 37 cases of malignant lesions and 13 cases of benign lesions of the prostate were taken. Tumor grade was determined according to Gleason's grading system. AMACR and HMWCK expressions were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The obtained results were analyzed and evaluated using Chi-square statistical test (SPSS version 20). RESULTS: AMACR was not expressed in any of the 13 cases of benign lesions of the prostate while in malignant lesions of prostate it was expressed in 33 of 37 (89.18%) cases. All 4 (100%) cases of well-differentiated carcinoma were positive for AMACR expression. 21 of 25 (84%) moderately differentiated and all 10 (100%) cases of poorly differentiated tumors were positive for AMACR. There was statistically significant difference in expression of AMACR between benign and malignant lesions of the prostate, indicated byP = 0.001. In benign lesions, HMWCK was expressed in all the 13 (100%) cases while in malignant lesions of prostate it was not expressed in any of the (0%) case. All 13 benign lesions were positive for HMWCK only. AMACR expression was not seen in any of the benign lesion. Out of 37 malignant cases, 4 cases were negative for both, 33 cases were positive only for AMACR, but no case was positive only for HMWCK. CONCLUSIONS: As an adjunct to biopsy, AMACR and HMWCK have value for resolving diagnostically challenging cases.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the orbit.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare spindle-cell neoplasm originating from the mesenchyme. It was originally thought to occur exclusively in the intrathoracic region but has been recently described in extrapleural sites including the orbit. SFT of the orbit is a rare lesion, which can be misdiagnosed as hemangiopericytoma, fibrous histiocytoma, meningioma, or neurofibroma. Immunohistochemistry plays an important role. We report an orbital SFT in a 39-year-old female presented with painless, progressive proptosis, and diminished vision in the right eye for the duration of 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated well-defined enhancing mass lesion. The patient underwent complete tumor removal through a right fronto-orbital approach, and a pathological diagnosis of the solitary fibrous tumor was made. Postoperatively, the patient was symptom-free. Clinical and pathological findings including immunohistochemistry are presented along with a brief discussion of literature.

Ileal stricture following Meckel's diverticulitis: a rare cause of intestinal obstruction.

We report a very rare case of Meckel's diverticulitis with ileal stricture at the base of the diverticulum in a young adult as a cause of recurrent small bowel obstruction lasting for 7 years. None of the pre-operative investigations were able to diagnose the cause of obstruction. The patient had undergone appendicectomy 3 years ago but without any relief. Thereafter he was given a therapeutic trial of anti-tubercular drugs, but his symptoms rather worsened with this treatment. Finally, the diagnosis of Meckel's diverticulitis with ileal stricture was made on exploratory laparotomy. The patient recovered well following segmental ileal resection including the stricture and inflamed Meckel's diverticulum. This unusual case highlights that such a rare clinical entity should be considered as a differential diagnosis while dealing with cases of recurrent distal ileal obstruction so as to avoid misdiagnosis and mismanagement as happened in the present case.

Follicular Dendritic Cell Sarcoma of Lymph Node: A report of a Patient with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Imatinib.

Follicular dendritic cells or dendritic reticulum cells are important components of the immune system essential for antigen presentation. Malignancies arising from these cells are uncommon and the first case was reported in 1986. The most common sites of follicular dendritic cell sarcomas are lymph nodes, especially cervical, axillary and mediastinal regions, but extranodal sites including head and neck and gastrointestinal tract may be affected in one-third of patients. Immunohistochemistry plays an important role in its diagnosis to differentiate it from morphologically similar malignancies The present report describes a case of follicular dendritic cell sarcoma in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treated with imatininb mesylate for 6 years. This case deserves reporting due to rarity of the disease and hitherto unreported association with CML. Furthermore, the pathological diagnosis is challenging and requires a close-knit effort between the pathologist and haematologist.

Subcutaneous leiomyosarcoma of scrotum presenting as an exophytic mass: An unusual presentation.

Paratesticular leiomyosarcoma originates from testicular tunica (48%), spermatic cord (48%), epididymis (2%) and dartos muscle, as well as subcutaneous tissue of the scrotum (2%). Leiomyosarcomas of the scrotum, not involving the testis, epididymis or spermatic cord, are rare, and belong to the group of subcutaneous superficial leiomyosarcomas. To the knowledge of the authors, less than 10 cases of leiomyosarcoma of the scrotum have so far been reported from India. The tumor usually presents as a painless, slow-growing scrotal mass in middle-aged or elderly men. The current approach is wide local excision, often with adjuvant therapy. The prognosis is usually good following complete excision, though a local recurrence rate of 40% has been reported. Long term follow-up is, therefore, necessary to monitor for recurrence. Herein we present the case of 35-year-old male who presented with an exophytic scrotal mass. Histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of the mass were consistent with leiomyosarcoma.

Significance of p53 and ki-67 expression in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is a major health problem throughout the developed world. Tumor grade is one of the most important prognostic factors of prostate cancer. At present, adequate prognostic markers for prostate cancer progression are still lacking, in spite of intensive investigation. Accordingly, we studied the role of immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of p53 and Ki-67 as a prognostic factor in carcinoma prostate and correlated their expression with Gleason's grade. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, a total of 60 cases including 50 cases of prostate carcinoma and 10 of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were taken. Tumor grade was determined according to Gleason's grading system. p53 and Ki-67 expressions were determined by IHC staining. The obtained results were analyzed and evaluated using Spearman's statistical test (SPSS version 20). RESULTS: In BPH, p53 was expressed in only 2 of 10 (20%) cases while in carcinoma it was expressed in 38 of 50 (76%) cases. Ki-67 was expressed in only 1 of 10 (10%) BPH cases while in carcinoma it was expressed in 32 of 50 (64%) cases. In present study, 1 of 4 (25%) well differentiated, 23 of 31 (74.19%) moderately differentiated and 14 of 15 (93.33%) poorly differentiated tumors revealed p53 immunopositivity and a statistically significant correlation was observed between p53 expression and increased Gleason's grade (P = 0.038). All 4 (100%) cases of well-differentiated carcinoma were negative for Ki-67 expression. Nineteen of 31 (61.29%) moderately differentiated and 13 of 15 (86.66%) poorly differentiated tumors were positive for Ki-67 and a statistically significant correlation was observed between Ki-67 positivity and increased Gleason's grade (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Both p53 and Ki-67 were significantly up-regulated in malignant lesions as compared to benign lesions and a strong relationship with the Gleason's grading was noticed, therefore, we propose that these markers can be applied along with other prostate cancer prognostic factors.

Correlation of Hormone Receptor Expression with Histologic Parameters in Benign and Malignant Breast Tumors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is the commonest cancer of Indian women. Estrogen and Progesterone expression is seen in benign breast lesions and in breast carcinoma associated with good prognostic parameters and it correlates well with response to hormone therapy. Although a lot of studies have been conducted in the past on hormone receptor expression in breast cancer and few have correlated them with other prognostic parameters of breast cancer, the present study was intended to document the prevalence of hormone receptor positive breast carcinomas in our population; their importance in benign breast diseases; to document a reliable scoring system of hormone receptors expression by Quick scoring; to correlate them with most of the proven prognostic parameters of breast carcinoma. METHODS: Tissue specimens from 25 patients with benign breast disease and 50 patients with breast carcinoma were assayed for estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors using Quick scoring. ER/PR expression in breast carcinomas was correlated with various prognostic parameters including patients' age, menopausal status, tumor size, type, MBR grade, NPI, lymphatic vessel invasion, lymph node stage, lymphomononuclear invasion, elastosis and HER2/neu status. RESULT: Scoring of steroid receptors paralleled intensity of hyperplasia in benign breast diseases but in breast carcinoma, it was inversely correlated with grade of tumor, NPI, HER2/neu status, tumor necrosis, lymphomononuclear infiltrate and elastosis. We found no relationship with tumor size, lymph node status or age. CONCLUSION: Assessment of hormone receptors for clinical management of breast cancer patients is strongly advocated to provide prognostic information and best therapeutic options.

Significance of Morphometric Parameters in the Categorization of Breast Lesions on Cytology.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the utility of the morphometric parameters in cytological aspirates in the categorization of breast lesions. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study was carried out on 50 females presenting with a breast lump for fine needle aspiration cytology. Air-dried smears from the aspirate were stained with Leishman and Giemsa stains while alcohol-fixed preparations were stained with the PAP stain. They were subsequently categorized into benign, borderline and malignant categories on light microscopy. Morphometry was performed on the stained smears. The morphometric parameters studied were mean nuclear area, mean cytoplasmic area, perimeter and nuclear/cytoplasm ratio. RESULTS: Morphometric parameters revealed a progressive and statistically significant increase in values from benign to borderline to malignant cases. On comparing benign with borderline and malignant, all the four parameters were found to be statistically significant with a p-value of less than 0.05 while on comparing borderline with malignant, two of the parameters, i.e. mean nuclear area and mean cytoplasmic area, were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study introduces morphometry as a highly objective tool to supplement the entirely subjective fine needle aspiration cytology in the crucial differentiation of benign from malignant lesions and especially the borderline cases in the gray zone comprising of atypical ductal hyperplasia and ductal carcinoma in situ.

Immunohistochemical expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein and CAM5.2 in glial tumors and their role in differentiating glial tumors from metastatic tumors of central nervous system.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has become an important tool in the diagnosis of metastatic brain tumors. The judicious use of a panel of selected immunostains is unquestionably helpful in diagnostically challenging cases. In our study, the best combination of immune markers useful in differentiating metastatic carcinoma from high-grade gliomas in central nervous system (CNS) are glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and cytokeratin (CK) (CAM5.2). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 80 cases of glial tumors including metastatic tumors to the CNS. Histopathological diagnosis was established on routine hematoxylin and eosin staining of the sections. Special IHC markers, GFAP, and CAM5.2 were used to differentiate glial from metastatic tumors. RESULT: Of total 80 cases, 40 cases of astrocytic tumors, 2 cases of ependymoma, 2 cases of mixed glial tumors, and 16 cases of glioblastoma multiforme were positive for GFAP. Twelve cases of oligodendroglioma were negative for GFAP. The sensitivity of GFAP in glial tumors was statistically significant as 81.1% and specificity 100%, whereas sensitivity and specificity of CAM5.2 in metastatic tumors were 100%. CONCLUSION: IHC plays an important role in diagnosing tumors of CNS and markers such as GFAP and CK (CAM5.2) are quite effective in differentiating glial tumors from metastatic tumors of CNS.

Basaloid carcinoma of descending colon.

A 24-year old woman presented with abdominal pain and diarrhea. Examination showed distension and tenderness of the abdomen. At laparotomy, she had a circumferential obstructing growth in the descending colon, with hemorrhagic ascites and metastases in the liver and lymph nodes. Microscopy showed features of basaloid variety of cloacogenic tumors.

Mesoblastic nephroma of infancy.

This report presents features of mesoblastic nephroma, a rare benign tumor of kidney observed in perinatal period of life and highlights the role of imaging investigations in the proper management of this tumor. Awareness of this tumor may facilitate prevention and management of severe obstetric and neonatal complications and inadvertent and vigorous therapy compatible with that of Wilms' tumor can be avoided.

Significance of mucin secretion in carcinoma of uterine cervix.

Biopsies from 300 cases with clinical diagnosis of carcinoma cervix were subjected to H&E staining, PAS with diastase and alcian blue at pH 2.5. Interpretation of cases on basis of H&E staining alone and on basis of H&E and mucin stains was done and results compared with each other. Categorization into squamous cell carcinoma (well, moderately & poorly differentiated), adenocarcinoma and mixed carcinoma was done. Morphologic assessment of cases of H&E stain revealed 282 (94%) cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 8 (2.66%) cases of adeno carcinoma and 10 (3.38%) cases of mixed carcinoma respectively. While on the basis of H&E and mucin stains, squamous cell carcinoma case turned out to be 266 (88.66%) in number; mixed carcinomas which included adenosquamous carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma with mucin secretion accounted for 26 (8.66%) of cases, number of adenocarcinoma was unchanged i.e. 8 (2.66%). 16 of 282 cases (5.6%) diagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma on H&E stain alone were reclassified as mixed carcinoma on inclusion of mucin stains. Thus mucin stains are very helpful in deciding the types of carcinoma cervix and should be done in all cases of carcinoma cervix in order to avoid errors in diagnosis and to detect poorly differentiated mixed carcinomas, which may escape detection by H&E staining.

Significance of mucin stain in differentiating benign and malignant lesions of prostate.

In an attempt to assess the significance of mucin stains in benign and malignant lesions of prostate, 200 prostatic biopsies in the department of Pathology, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak were studied. All the biopsies were subjected to PAS and alcian blue staining along with H&E stain. Neutral mucin (PAS positive) was more frequently observed in benign prostatic lesions (93.3%) as compared to carcinoma (36%) while acid mucin (AB positive) was found more in carcinoma prostate (68%) as compared to benign prostatic lesions (16%). The positivity for acid mucin was more in well differentiating tumour decreasing significantly in high grade malignancies. With both types of mucin, luminal positivity was slightly more as compared to cytoplasmic positivity.

Solitary amyloid tumour of breast--a case report.

45 years old woman with solitary amyloid tumor of breast is described. Clinically, the breast mass was hard and was suspicious of carcinoma. Microscopically there was no neoplasia. Instead there was extensive fibrosis with amyloid deposition in perivascular periductal areas and also in intervening stroma. The presence of amyloid was confirmed by Special stains and by Polarised microscope. Investigations revealed no evidence of systemic amyloidosis or amyloid related illness.

Primary malignant lymphoma of the breast.

Primary malignant lymphomas of the breast (PBL) are uncommon constituting only 0.04 to 0.53% of malignant breast neoplasms. We wish to report the clinical, cytological and histologic findings of PBL diagnosed in a 52 years old female.

Progressive muscular dystrophy of heart: diagnosis easily missed by clinicians.

Muscular dystrophy connotes a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders characterized by progressive wasting and weakness of the skeletal muscles. In several forms of muscular dystrophy, cardiac dysfunction occurs, and cardiac disease may even be the predominant manifestation of the underlying genetic myopathy. We present a case of progressive muscular dystrophy of the heart in which the initial and only manifestation was sudden death in a young man.

Small lymphocytic lymphoma of the thyroid mimicking plasmacytoma.

Primary thyroid gland lymphomas (PTLs) typically occur in middle-to older-aged individuals in the setting of lymphocytic thyroiditis with a predilection for females. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most frequent histologic subtype of thyroid lymphomas. Small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) belongs to the least common subtypes of thyroid lymphoma. It is often associated with the involvement of lymph nodes, bone marrow, spleen, liver and, extremely rarely, other organs. PTLs with plasmacytic differentiation or extensive infiltration by plasma cells have been observed in marginal zone B-cell lymphomas in the thyroid but have never been described in a setting of SLL. Here, we present a case of primary SLL of the thyroid mimicking extramedullary plasmacytoma on fine-needle aspiration cytology.