Yasuko Sato

Strumal carcinoid of the ovary: histological, ultrastructural, and immunohistological studies with anti-human thyroglobulin.

Abstract A strumal carcinoid arising in a benign cystic teratoma of the right ovary was reported in a 40-year-old woman. The solid tumor was histologically a trabecular carcinoid tumor associated intimately with thyroid follicle-like structures. By electron microscopy, spherical dense core secretory granules were found in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Final diagnosis of strumal carcinoid, however, was established in the present tumor by the immunohistological confirmation of thyroid tissue with anti-human thyroglobulin.

Argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium

Abstract Out of 11 endometrial adenocarcinomas examined with Grimelius staining, an argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma was found in a 64-year-old gravida 3, para 1 woman. Her chief complaint was irregular genital bleeding. Numerous polypoid tumor masses occupying the uterine cavity were revealed by surgery. The tumor was diagnosed at first as a well-differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma with mucin production, by conventional pathology. Most of the tumor cells, however, were found to contain the argyrophil granules, especially in the apical portion of cytoplasm. This appears to be the first reported case of argyrophil cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising in a benign cystic teratoma of the ovary

Abstract A rare case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising in a benign cystic teratoma of the right ovary is reported in a 42-year-old nulliparous married woman. Two-thirds of the tumor was occupied by a benign cystic teratoma, from which the remaining solid tumor was arising. The solid tumor was composed of both fibrous and histiocytic elements, showing diverse histologic findings: a storiform pattern of the fibrous elements, admixture of histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells, clumps of foam cells, and a patchy infiltrate of lymphocytes. The malignancy of the present tumor was established by assessing the bizarre neoplastic giant cells in the sarcomatous areas and also by the metastatic recurrence. This appears to be the first reported case of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma arising in a benign cystic teratoma.

Clinical significance of argyrophilia in endometrial carcinomas

The clinical significance of argyrophilia in endometrial carcinomas was studied in 187 patients with the endometrioid form of adenocarcinoma. Argyrophil cells were tentatively subgrouped into two types: type I cells resembling the enterochromaffin cells and type II cells loaded with argyrophil granules in the apical portion or throughout the cytoplasm. The patients with endometrial carcinoma containing argyrophil cells were associated more frequently with hypertension and diabetes mellitus than those with usual endometrial carcinoma. In grade 1 carcinomas, argyrophilia was parallel with the frequency of metastases to lymph nodes and with the degree of myometrial invasions. Also, a life table showed a worse survival rate in grade 1 carcinomas with argyrophilia, especially of type I, than in those without it. Although argyrophilia was considered to be at least one of the minor prognostic factors, further clinicopathologic studies are needed in relation to a more proper subtyping of argyrophil cells.