Giovanni Cecchetto

Clear cell sarcoma of tendons and aponeuroses in pediatric patients: a report from the Italian and German Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cooperative Group.

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) of tendons and aponeuroses is extremely rare in childhood and little information is available on its clinical management. Originally believed to be a type of melanoma of soft tissue origin, CCS is now considered a distinct clinicopathologic entity that behaves like a high‐grade soft tissue sarcoma. We report on a series of 28 pediatric patients treated from 1980 to 2000 by the Soft Tissue Sarcoma Italian Cooperative Group and the German Cooperative Group.

Epithelioid sarcoma in children and adolescents: a report from the Italian Soft Tissue Sarcoma Committee.

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is an uncommon malignant soft tissue tumor. To the authors knowledge, little information is available to date concerning its clinical features and management in children and adolescents, particularly with regard to the recently described proximal‐type variant. The current study concerns 30 patients age < 18 years who were enrolled in the Italian Soft Tissue Sarcoma Committee protocols.

Rhabdomyosarcoma in infants younger than one year old: a report from the Italian Cooperative Group

The management of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in patients age < 1 year is particularly problematic and requires a tailored therapeutic approach. We report on the Italian Cooperative Groups 20‐year study of 50 children with RMS who were age < 1 year at diagnosis.

Outcomes and prognostic factors after recurrence in children and adolescents with nonmetastatic rhabdomyosarcoma

Although > 90% of children with nonmetastatic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) achieve complete remission with current treatment, up to one‐third of them experience a recurrence. Survival rates are not always poor in patients who develop recurrences; thus, prognostic factors are needed to tailor salvage treatment.

Hemangiopericytoma in pediatric ages: a report from the Italian and German Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cooperative Group.

Hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is very uncommon in childhood and comprises two different clinical entities, the adult type and the infantile type, occurring in the first year of age. We report on a series of 27 pediatric patients treated from 1978 to 1999 by the Italian and German Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cooperative Group.

Role of Surgery for Nonmetastatic Abdominal Rhabdomyosarcomas A Report from the Italian and German Soft Tissue Cooperative Groups Studies

In the current study, the authors aim to evaluate clinical features and treatment results observed in patients from the German and Italian studies who had nonmetastatic abdominal rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS).

Localized Unresectable Non-Rhabdo Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Extremities in Pediatric Age Results from the Italian Studies

Treatment of initially unresectable nonrhabdo soft tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) in pediatric age is debated, due to their different chemosensitivity. The authors objective was to evaluate clinical features and treatment results observed in a series of Italian patients over a 24‐year period.

Primary transcrotal excision for paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma: is hemiscrotectomy really mandatory?

To evaluate the role of primary reexcision (PRE) with scrotal resection in patients with paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma enrolled in the German‐Italian Cooperative Studies. The authors compared patients who underwent this procedure, according to the protocol guidelines, with those who did not.

Histological Diagnosis of Myocardial Sarcoidosis in a Fatal Fall from a Height

Abstract:u2002 The major issues of medico‐legal relevance in fatal falls from a height are the manner of death and the reconstruction of the event. We present a peculiar case of a fatal fall from a height of about 9u2003m, involving a 27‐year‐old woman. At the death scene investigation, no suicide notes, housebreaking marks, or signs of fight were found, thus weakening both the suicide and homicide hypotheses. Combining circumstantial, autopsy and toxicology data, the kinematic analysis of the jump/fall, and the histological evidence of a myocardial sarcoidosis involving the left ventricle, we hypothesized that the young woman might have accidentally fallen from the window because of a sudden loss of consciousness related to cardiac disease undiagnosed during life. We believe that our brief report is a good example of the powerful additional information that histological investigations can offer for reconstructing the dynamics of the event in falls from a height and other traumatic fatalities.

Fatal Drowning Accident and Undiagnosed Hydrocephalus

Abstract:u2002 Bodies found in water present several diagnostic challenges for the forensic examiner, such as the identification of the time and mechanism of death, the postmortem submersion time, and above all the circumstances of drowning. We report the case of a 33‐year‐old security guard found dead in Venice, in the water of the lagoon, who at autopsy presented a previously undiagnosed hydrocephalus with macrocephaly. The victim remained asymptomatic until 2u2003months before death and had never undergone a neurological or radiological examination. In the article, we emphasize the need to perform a thorough autopsy in all suspected drownings, discuss the etiopathogenesis of the neurological disease and hypothesize a possible relationship between the hydrocephalus and the drowning accident. Finally, we discuss the major clinical and forensic implications of macrocephaly and hydrocephalus in adults.