Mediastinal hibernoma.

A 46-year-old asymptomatic male was detected to have a posterior mediastinal mass on a routine check-up. He underwent thoracotomy to remove the mass, which was found to be a hibernoma. The mediastinum is an extremely rare site for an even rarer tumor like the hibernoma. An additional unique feature was the very large tumor size despite which the patient was asymptomatic. Imaging studies are not helpful in revealing its clinically indeterminate nature, hence a surgical specimen is necessary to establish the correct diagnosis. Total excision is advocated for cure, as there is no known malignant potential.

Asymptomatic pulmonary cryptococcosis diagnosed on fine needle aspiration cytology. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcosis can be a life-threatening mycosis in immunocompromised patients. However, it has a somewhat better prognosis in immunocompetent hosts. AIDS has led to an increase in the incidence of the disease. Clinically, the lesions can be confused easily with malignancy. CASE: A 25-year-old, asymptomatic male presented for a routine health check-up. The chest radiograph showed a subpleural left apical area of consolidation, suspicious for either a neoplasm or infection. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) revealed a granulomatous lesion with refractile yeast forms of Cryptococcus, both within the multinucleate giant cells and extracellularly. This was subsequently confirmed by culture and histology. CONCLUSION: The cytomorphology of cryptococcosis is characteristic, and FNAC is a useful modality for diagnosing the infection in asymptomatic patients but needs a high index of suspicion, especially in nonimmunocompromised patients.

Pineal region cavernoma--case report.

A 45-year-old male presented with a rare pineal region cavernoma. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging confirmed the preoperative diagnosis. The tumor was totally excised. The patient was subsequently cured. Analysis of 15 reported cases found a slight female preponderance. The second and third decades were the most common age group. The course of pineal cavernomas can be complicated by hemorrhage, occlusion of cerebrospinal fluid pathways, and focal neurological and neuroendocrine symptoms but no specific clinical features. However, MR imaging has high sensitivity and the specificity for the diagnosis of pineal cavernoma. Total microneurosurgical excision is the treatment of choice, and patients had an excellent outcome. Stereotactic biopsy can be potentially dangerous because of the risk of hemorrhage. The use of radiosurgery requires evaluation of long-term risks and safe dose levels. Total excision of the pineal cavernoma using microsurgical techniques is the choice of treatment in young and healthy patients since there is an increased risk of recurrent hemorrhage and progressive neurological decline. A conservative approach is preferred in older patients.

Cellular blue nevus with nevus cells in regional lymph nodes: a lesion that mimics melanoma.

We report the case of a young man who had a large, firm, nodule covered by darkly pigmented skin over the outer aspect of the right ankle and palpable right inguinal lymph nodes. The mole had enlarged rapidly during the past month, contained deeply pigmented cells with increased cellularity and mitotic activity and groups of intensely pigmented nevus cells within the marginal sinus of the inguinal nodes. The excised mass with inguinal lymphadenectomy was reported as benign cellular nevus with benign nevus cell aggregates in lymph nodes. The purpose of this report is to emphasize how cellular blue nevus can masquerade as malignant melanoma and to increase clinical awareness of this benign variant of melanocytic nevus. We have attempted to elaborate its natural history and comprehensive criteria for diagnosis, so that inappropriate surgery and chemotherapy can be avoided in this lesion which occurs conceivably often enough to be more than just a curiosity.

Clear cell hidradenoma of the eyelid: a case report.

Sweat gland tumours are extremely rare in the eyelids. We report a case of a clear cell hidradenoma (nodular hidradenoma) in an elderly female, who had presented with a nodular swelling in a eyelid. Clear cell hidradenomas arise as intradermal nodules from eccrine sweat glands. Ultrastructural and enzyme histochemical studies have shown nodular hidradenomas to be intermediate between eccrine poroma and eccrine spiradenoma. No apocrine differentiation has ever been observed in these tumours. Malignant forms are distinctly unusual. This case is being documented for the extremely uncommon presentation of this tumour as an eyelid mass. Complete primary excision is advocated and local steroid preparations should bot be used.