Jacqueline Goedhals

Plasmablastic lymphoma in childhood: A report of two cases

Plasmablastic lymphoma is an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma predominantly seen in adult patients. Only eight cases of plasmablastic lymphoma in children have been published to date. In this report, we present an additional two cases. The first patient was a 9-year-old girl presenting with a nasal mass, while the second was a 15-year-old girl with swelling of the right side of the face and proptosis. Both patients were HIV-positive.

A pelvic paraganglioma presenting as a hypertensive emergency in pregnancy

Paraganglia are neuroendocrine organs that originate from the neural crest cells that are closely associated with the autonomic nervous system. 1 Paragangliomas and phaeochromocytomas are tumours that arise from these organs. Paragangliomas are extra-adrenal tumours that can be divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic, and are further categorised by site. 1 The term “phaeochromocytoma” is reserved for intra-adrenal tumours. The most common location of these extra-adrenal paragangliomas is the inferior para-aortic region (also known as the organ of Zuckerkandl). 1 Other extra-adrenal sites that have been described include the bladder, pelvis, prostate, ovaries and thorax. 1 According to McNicol, the estimated incidence of paragangliomas is 1:300 000. At least 30% of paragangliomas have a hereditary occurrence. Approximately 10% are syndromic. 1 We describe a case of extra-adrenal pelvic paraganglioma that caused hypertension in pregnancy.

A histopathological study of melanocytic and pigmented skin lesions in patients with albinism

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a group of genetic disorders characterized by diminished pigmentation of the skin, hair and eyes. Individuals with OCA are at increased risk to develop sun‐induced skin malignancies. The incidence of malignant melanoma in OCA individuals is, however, very low. The aim of this study was to document pigmented and melanocytic skin lesions occurring in patients with OCA.