Ridvan Ilhan

Increased False Negative Rates in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsies in Patients with Multi-Focal Breast Cancer

There are few data about the reliability of sentinel node biopsy in patients with multi-focal breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the identification and accuracy of the sentinel node, comparing multifocality with other variables, using peritumoral isosulfan blue dye injection technique alone. Between 1998 and 2001, 122 patients with clinically negative nodes from a single institute were eligible for sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNBs). All patients underwent conventional axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). SLNs were identified in 111 of 122 (91%) cases, and analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin. Twenty-one patients with multi-focal breast cancer were determined by clinical or pathologic examination (gross or microscopic). Success in locating the sentinel node was unrelated to patients age, tumor size, type, location, histological or nuclear grade, multifocality, or a previous surgical biopsy. SLNBs accurately predicted the status of the axilla in 104 of the 111 patients (93.7%), while 18 of the 21 patients with multi-focal breast cancer (85.7%) had successful lymphatic mapping. The false negative (FN) rate was 11.3% among patients with successful SLNBs. Multifocality and tumor size (>2 cm) were associated significantly with decreased accuracy and increased FN rates (for multifocality, p = 0.007 and p = 0.006, and for tumor size >2 cm, p = 0.04 and p = 0.05, respectively) in binary logistic regression analysis, whereas excisional biopsy, tumor location in the upper outer quadrant and patients age did not significantly affect the accuracy and FN rates in univariate analysis. These results suggest sentinel lymph node biopsy using peritumoral isosulfan blue injection method alone can accurately predict axillary status in patients with clinically negative nodes, but patients with multi-focal disease and large tumor size may not be ideal candidates.

The values of intratumoral mast cell count and Ki-67 immunoreactivity index in differential diagnosis of uterine smooth muscle neoplasms

In this study, the role of the count of intratumoral mast cells was examined and compared with the proliferative activity exhibited by Ki‐67 indices in the differential diagnosis of uterine smooth muscle tumors. Sixteen cases of leiomyosarcoma, nine cases of atypical leiomyoma and 16 cases of ordinary leiomyoma were included. The pathological features of the cases were determined by reviewing the archive materials including the patient records and hematoxylin‐eosin‐stained sections. Toluidine blue stain was used to highlight the intratumoral mast cells and they were counted in at least 40 high power fields. A standard streptavidin–biotin method was applied to the sections to highlight the Ki‐67 immunoreactive tumor cell nuclei. These proliferative cells were counted in at least 10 high‐power fields. Atypical leiomyomas tended to have a higher quantity of intratumoral mast cells than leiomyosarcomas and ordinary leiomyomas (P= 0.027 and P= 0.021, respectively). Leiomyosarcomas tended to have higher Ki‐67 immunoreactivity rates than atypical leiomyomas, although the difference was not statistically significant (P= 0.82). We concluded that the quantity of intratumoral mast cells is useful in the differential diagnosis between leiomyosarcomas and atypical leiomyomas, while the cell proliferation rate expressed by Ki‐67 immunoreactivity has a limited value.

Progesterone profiles in luteal-phase defects associated with recurrent spontaneous abortions

AbstractPurpose: Histologically documented luteal-phase defects (LPD) have been detected in 20–40% of women with recurrent spontaneous abortions. In 28 patients with recurrent spontaneous abortions, luteal-phase serum progesterone (P) levels (days 19, 21, 23, 25) and endometrial biopsies were evaluated. Methods: On the basis of endometrial biopsy findings, the patients were separated into two groups: Group 1, recurrent spontaneous abortions with LPDs (n=18); and Group 2, recurrent spontaneous abortions with normal biopsies (n=7). The data are shown in the table below. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the P values found in Group 1 were significantly lower than those in Group 2, almost throughout the luteal phase. The results also indicate a close relationship between the P profile in the luteal phase and endometrial biopsy.

Hamartomatous endocervical polyp with heterologous mesenchymal tissue

We present an endocervical polyp with heterologous elements. Although a few neoplastic cervical lesions with cartilaginous and adipocytic heterologous tissue have been reported, an endocervical polyp with heterologous cartilage and adipose tissue has not been reported before our case. The patient was a 33‐year‐old woman who presented with abnormal uterine bleeding. On physical examination, there were no remarkable findings other than a cervical polyp protruding into the cervical canal. The polyp was removed. Pathological examination revealed an endocervical polyp with typical epithelial features. The stroma of the polyp contained mature cartilage islands and adipose tissue. There were also many thick‐walled vascular structures. Neither stromal periglandular condensation nor atypia was found. Mitotic figures were not observed. Arteriolar structures did not contain internal elastic lamina. In our opinion, these pathological findings are all consistent with a hamartomatous lesion rather than with a true neoplasm.

ADENOMYOLIPOMA OF THE UTERUS: A CASE REPORT

Summary Adenomyolipoma of the uterus is a rare, benign, polypoid lesion considered to be of hamartomatous origin or represent an unusual type of benign Müllerian mixed tumour with a heterologous element. The authors present a case of uterine adenomyolipoma and discuss its pathogenesis. A 62‐yearold woman complained of lower abdominal pain and postmenopausal bleeding. Imaging techniques revealed a solid ovarian mass and a polypoid intrauterine lesion. The frozen section diagnosis of the ovarian mass was a thecoma. A total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy were performed. On gross examination a pedunculated, polypoid lesion of 7 2 4.5 2 3cm was found in the uterine cavity. Microscopically, the polypoid lesion contained both epithelial and mesenchymal elements. The epithelial elements were endometrial glands of various size, formed by proliferative endometrial cells. The mesenchymal elements were composed of endometrial stroma, smooth muscle and mature adipocytes. Both the epithelial and the mesenchymal elements showed a benign appearance, were intermingled with each other and periglandular stromal condensation was absent. The lesion had an irregular surface. Microscopic diagnosis was an adenomyolipoma. The peculiar shape and microscopic features of this lesion suggested that it was a variant of benign Müllerian mixed tumour.

A Selected Immunohistochemical Panel Aids in Differential Diagnosis and Prognostic Stratification of Subtypes of High-grade Endometrial Carcinoma: A Clinicopathologic and Immunohistochemical Study at a Single Institution

This study aimed to investigate whether a selected immunohistochemical panel (estrogen receptor, p53, ARID1A, PPP2R1A, HNF-1&bgr;) could contribute to the diagnostic process of high-grade endometrial carcinomas (HG-ECs). We also aimed to analyze the correlation of these immunohistochemical results with several morphologic variables and survival data. After revising the diagnosis of 78 HG-ECs, immunohistochemical analysis was performed for each case. After immunohistochemical analysis, a specific diagnosis of prototypic HG-EC was established in most of the cases that were uncertain due to morphologic ambiguity. In the univariate analysis, older patient age, type II morphology, undifferentiated carcinoma and carcinosarcoma type of histology, altered p53 immunostaining, strong membranous staining of PPP2R1A, presence of lymphovascular invasion in serous carcinoma, and microcystic, elongated, and fragmented-type infiltration pattern in endometrioid carcinoma were significantly related to poor prognosis. In the multivariate analysis, only older patient age and carcinosarcoma or undifferentiated/dedifferentiated carcinoma type histology were found to be significantly poor prognostic factors (P=0.011), whereas advanced FIGO stage and type II histology were found to be correlated with poor prognosis, but did not reach statistical significance. We suggest that immunohistochemistry should be used in the differential diagnosis of HG-ECs, especially those with ambiguous morphology. Markers used in this study made a valuable contribution to the diagnostic process as well as prediction of prognosis.

Loss of ARID1A expression is associated with poor prognosis in invasive micropapillary carcinomas of the breast: A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study with long-term survival analysis

Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of the breast is a highly aggressive and a rare subtype of breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate differences between pure and mixed IMPCs of the breast in terms of clinicopathologic features, and also to analyze the significance of expressions of ARID1A and bcl‐2 regarding prognosis. Sixty‐nine of IMPCs consisting of 21 pure and 48 mixed type diagnosed at Pathology Department of Istanbul Medical Faculty between 2000 and 2011, who had complete follow‐up data, were collected to analyze ARID1A and bcl‐2 expressions immunohistochemically with prognosis. The median follow‐up period was 94 months. No significant difference was found between pure and mixed type IMPC, as well as in luminal subgroups in terms of prognostic and clinicopatologic features. ARID1A and human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 (Her‐2) status were found to be independent prognostic factors of both overall survival (OS) (HR=6.1, 95% CI 1.4‐26.6, P=.02; HR=15.9, 95% CI 3.5‐71.5, P<.0001, respectively) and disease free survival (DFS) (HR=4, 95% CI 1.1‐14.9, P=.04; HR=7.2, 95% CI 2‐25.4, P=.002, respectively) in multivariate analysis using Cox regression. The loss of ARID1A expression was significantly related with 10 year‐OS (P=.001) and 10 year‐DFS (P=.05). Statistically significant effect of ARID1A expression was also stated on DFS and OS in Luminal B group (P=.05 and P=.001 respectively). Pure and mixed type IMPCs are similar in terms of clinicopathologic and prognostic features. The loss of ARID1A expression and Her‐2 positivity have significant adverse effect clinical outcomes of IMPC patients.