Dmitry Y. Baschinsky

Pathologic Findings in Reduction Mammaplasty Specimens

Reduction mammaplasty (RM) is a common surgical procedure that yields a variable amount of tissue for pathologic examination. Occult breast carcinomas are detected rarely in these specimens. We evaluated the pathologic findings in RM specimens performed in our institution during an 11.5-year period (July 1989 to December 2000). A total of 560 patients who had undergone RM were identified, 503 bilateral and 57 unilateral. The average number of blocks submitted per breast was 3.9 (range, 1-23). Pathologic changes were present in 338 cases (60.4%). Unsuspected carcinomas (small invasive carcinomas, 3; ductal carcinoma in situ, 1) were found in 4 cases (0.7%). Atypical ductal and/or atypical lobular hyperplasia were identified in 8 cases (1.4%). Lesions associated with a mildly increased carcinoma risk (moderate/florid ductal hyperplasia, sclerosing adenosis, and papilloma) were identified in 52 cases (9.3%). Other findings included fibrocystic changes, fibrosis, mild ductal hyperplasia, fibroadenoma, and adenosis. Pathologic examination of RM specimens provides important clinical information and should be performed routinely.

Carcinosarcoma of the Urinary Bladder—An Aggressive Tumor With Diverse Histogenesis A Clinicopathologic Study of 4 Cases and Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE Carcinosarcomas of urinary bladder are rare malignant neoplasms. Seventy-eight cases have been previously described. The histologic composition of these tumors is variable, but diagnosis requires the presence of both epithelial and mesenchymal malignant components. We report 4 additional cases, with an emphasis on unusual histologic features. METHODS Histologic and immunohistochemical examinations were performed on bladder tumors from 4 patients. Clinicopathologic features of previously reported and current cases were reviewed and summarized. RESULTS Four patients (3 men, 1 woman) age 54 to 77 years were found to have polypoid masses in the urinary bladder. In all cases, histologic examination showed biphasic neoplasms with distinct mesenchymal and epithelial components. The morphologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumors varied. One of the cases was remarkable for the presence of liposarcoma, malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, and micropapillary urothelial carcinoma. Two of the patients died 2 years after diagnosis, which is consistent with the previously reported aggressive nature of urinary bladder carcinosarcomas. CONCLUSIONS Carcinosarcomas of the urinary bladder are rare, aggressive malignant neoplasms. To our knowledge, a liposarcomatous component has been reported in only 1 case previously, and components of micropapillary urothelial carcinoma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor have not been reported previously in carcinosarcomas of the urinary bladder. Because of the aggressive biologic behavior of these tumors, they should be identified promptly and treated appropriately.

Seminal vesicle cystadenoma : A case report and literature review

Primary tumors of the seminal vesicle are rare; most reported cases are carcinomas, with occasional reports of primary seminal vesicle sarcoma and an uncommon group of mixed epithelial-stromal tumors. The latter have been variably reported in the literature as cystadenoma, phyllodes tumor, and mullerian adenosarcoma-like tumor. We describe a 37-year-old man who presented with symptoms of bladder outlet obstruction and was found to have a pelvic mass. Resection of the mass yielded a biphasic tumor characterized by cystically dilated glandular spaces admixed with spindle-shaped stromal cells. There was no significant cytologic atypia or mitotic activity. The histologic features are most consistent with the reported cases of cystadenoma. The patient is alive, with no evidence of disease, 6 months after surgery. This case adds to the gradually growing body of literature on mixed epithelial-stromal tumors of the seminal vesicle.

Diffuse leiomyomatosis of the uterus: a case report with clonality analysis

Diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis is a rare condition distinguished from the common uterine leiomyomata by involvement of the entire myometrium by innumerable, ill-defined, often small and confluent, histologically benign smooth-muscle nodules. Fourteen cases have been previously described in the literature. We report a case of diffuse leiomyomatosis in a 39-year-old woman. Several microscopic foci of the process were microdissected for clonality analysis. All samples showed a non-random X-chromosome inactivation pattern, and thus were consistent with a monoclonal neoplastic population of cells. However, in different foci of tumor, different X chromosomes were inactivated, supporting the independent origin of neoplastic clones and rejecting the possibility of a single clonal origin of all tumor cells. The results of the molecular analysis suggest that diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis may be an exuberant example of diffuse and uniform involvement of the entire myometrium by multiple leiomyomata. HUM PATHOL 31:1429-1432.

Gastric carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells.

Extraskeletal neoplasms with osteoclast-like giant cells are uncommon. These tumors are most frequently reported in the breast and pancreas, and are relatively rare in other sites. We report a case of primary gastric adenocarcinoma with an infiltrate of osteoclast-like giant cells. The patient is a 64-yr-old black woman who presented with epigastric pain and was found to have a mass in the gastric antrum. Histological examination showed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with an infiltrate of osteoclast-like giant cells. The giant cells were present both in the primary gastric adenocarcinoma and in the lymph node metastases. Immunohistochemical stains demonstrated that the giant cells were of monocytic/histiocytic origin and probably represent a distinctive host response to the tumor. The patient is alive and well 12 months after resection. This is the second published report of gastric carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells. Based on this limited experience, gastric carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells may represent a distinct clinicopathological entity with a more favorable prognosis.

Granulomatous Eccrinotropic Lymphomatoid Papulosis

We describe 9 patients with a novel variant of lymphomatoid papulosis characterized by prominent localization of the infiltrate around the eccrine coil, resulting in nodular expansion of the coil accompanied by variable granulomatous inflammation. Light microscopy, immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies to CD2, CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, and CD30 in 6 cases, and polymerase chain reaction--single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis for T-cell receptor gamma chain gene rearrangement in 5 cases revealed 2 cytomorphologic patterns (large cell dominant with polymorphous inflammation, small cell lymphocyte--rich with an inconspicuous large cell component [phenotypes, CD30+/CD3+/CD4+/CD7-for large atypical cells; reactive for small lymphocytes]) and clonal restriction in 4 and polyclonality in 1 of the lymphocyte-dominant cases. During an average 6-year follow-up, no lymphomas developed. Recognition of this variant is important--accentuation of the infiltrate around the eccrine coil and cutaneous nerves, presence of granulomatous inflammation, dominance of small lymphocytes in the dermis, and variable extension into the panniculus may lead to diagnostic confusion with entities such as discoid lupus erythematosus, Jessner lymphocytic infiltrate of skin, subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and persistent arthropod bite reaction. Our findings suggest that pruritus, a younger age at diagnosis, and a more indolent course are defining clinical features.

Cytokeratin 5/6 immunostaining in hepatobiliary and pancreatic neoplasms.

Immunohistochemistry with different cytokeratin subsets has been successfully used in the differential diagnosis of various human epithelial neoplasms. Cytokeratin 5/6 antibody, which recently became commercially available, has been found useful in the diagnosis of mesothelioma. Studies have reported only infrequent staining in adenocarcinomas. We investigated the pattern of immunoreactivity for cytokeratin 5/6 in hepatobiliary and pancreatic tumors to determine its diagnostic utility in the morphologic evaluation of these neoplasms. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 10 hepatocellular carcinomas, seven hepatocellular adenomas, 10 cholangiocarcinomas, 10 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, and 13 pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinomas were immunostained with anti–cytokeratin 5/6 after heat-induced antigen retrieval utilizing a modified avidin-biotin complex technique. Positive and negative controls stained appropriately. Two pathologists evaluated the slides. Strong but focal cytoplasmic immunoreactivity was observed in five of 10 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and two of 10 cholangiocarcinomas. No immunoreactivity was identified in any cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (0/10), hepatocellular adenoma (0/7), or pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (0/13). Additionally, occasional cytokeratin 5/6 immunoreactive benign ductal epithelial cells were seen in the background in some cases. Fifty percent of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and 20% of cholangiocarcinomas are positive with anti–cytokeratin 5/6 immunostaining. For the evaluation of poorly differentiated neoplasms in the liver, immunoreactivity with cytokeratin 5/6 may help to exclude the possibility of hepatocellular carcinoma. Cytokeratin 5/6 may be helpful as a component in the panel of immunostains to differentiate between poorly differentiated neoplasms.

Exfoliative cytology of atypical polypoid adenomyoma. A case report.

BACKGROUND An atypical polypoid adenomyoma (APA) is a well-defined entity. It occurs in the endometrium, lower uterine segment and endocervix. It is usually composed of atypical complex glands with squamous metaplasia admixed with myofibromatous stroma. CASE A 35-year-old female presented with one-year history of irregular menstrual periods. A diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in situ was rendered on her cervicovaginal smear. Pelvic examination revealed an enlarged uterus due to a leiomyoma. Colposcopic examination revealed a 0.6-cm, sessile, polypoid mass at the junction of the endocervix and ectocervix. A cone biopsy of the lesion showed irregular, endometrial-type glands embedded in a prominent myofibromatous stroma. The atypical glandular component of the mass demonstrated varying degrees of architectural complexity, ranging from simple to complex hyperplasia. In tissue sections the lesion was diagnosed as APA of the cervix. The patient underwent a hysterectomy for the leiomyoma. The hysterectomy specimen showed an 8.5-cm leiomyoma. The cervix and uterine corpus revealed no residual APA. CONCLUSION APA of the cervix should be considered among the differential diagnoses of atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance. The diagnosis of APA cannot be made on cytology; the final diagnosis requires histologic confirmation.

Mediastinal Teratoma With Additional Malignant Components: A Case With Prominent Angiosarcomatous Elements Admixed With Yolk Sac Tumor and Rhabdomyosarcoma

Mediastinal teratomatous germ cell tumors with additional sarcomatous components are rare neoplasms. This report describes a 53-year-old man who had chest pain, dyspnea, and cough, and on further evaluation was found to have a large anterior mediastinal mass. Histologically, the tumor was complex and showed elements of mature teratoma admixed with the additional components of yolk sac tumor, angiosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma. After surgical excision, the tumor was treated with 2 cycles of chemotherapy. Nine months after surgery, there is radiologic evidence of local recurrence. Mediastinal teratomas with additional germ cell and sarcomatous components are highly malignant neoplasms that require aggressive clinical intervention. Prompt recognition of these tumors by pathologists is important to warrant an appropriate therapeutic approach.