Project description:We have encountered pancreatic tumors with unique histologic features, which do not conform to any of the known tumors of the pancreas or other anatomical sites. We aimed to define their clinicopathologic features and whether they are characterized by recurrent molecular signatures. Eight cases were identified; studied histologically and by immunohistochemistry. Selected cases were also subjected to whole-exome sequencing (WES; n?=?4), RNA-sequencing (n?=?6), Archer FusionPlex assay (n?=?5), methylation profiling using the Illumina MethylationEPIC (850k) array platform (n?=?6), and TERT promoter sequencing (n?=?5). Six neoplasms occurred in females. The mean age was 43 years (range: 26-75). Five occurred in the head/neck of the pancreas. All patients were treated surgically; none received neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy. All patients are free of disease after 53 months of median follow-up (range: 8-94). The tumors were well-circumscribed, and the median size was 1.8?cm (range: 1.3-5.8). Microscopically, the unencapsulated tumors had a geographic pattern of epithelioid cell nests alternating with spindle cell fascicles. Some areas showed dense fibrosis, in which enmeshed tumor cells imparted a slit-like pattern. The predominant epithelioid cells had scant cytoplasm and round-oval nuclei with open chromatin. The spindle cells displayed irregular, hyperchromatic nuclei. Mitoses were rare. No lymph node metastases were identified. All tumors were positive for vimentin, CD99 and cytokeratin (patchy), while negative for markers of solid pseudopapillary neoplasm, neuroendocrine, acinar, myogenic/rhabdoid, vascular, melanocytic, or lymphoid differentiation, gastrointestinal stromal tumor as well as MUC4. Whole-exome sequencing revealed no recurrent somatic mutations or amplifications/homozygous deletions in any known oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. RNA-sequencing and the Archer FusionPlex assay did not detect any recurrent likely pathogenic gene fusions. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis revealed that these tumors display a likely mesenchymal transcriptomic program. Unsupervised analysis (t-SNE) of their methylation profiles against a set of different mesenchymal neoplasms demonstrated a distinct methylation pattern. Here, we describe pancreatic neoplasms with unique morphologic/immunophenotypic features and a distinct methylation pattern, along with a lack of abnormalities in any of key genetic drivers, supporting that these neoplasms represent a novel entity with an indolent clinical course. Given their mesenchymal transcriptomic features, we propose the designation of "sclerosing epithelioid mesenchymal neoplasm" of the pancreas.
Project description:Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a rare and aggressive soft tissue sarcomathought to originate in fibroblasts of the tissues surrounding tendons, ligaments and muscles. Minimally responsive to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapies, greater than 50% of SEF patients experience relapse and/or metastatic disease. SEF is most commonly discovered in middle-aged and elderly adults, but also rarely in children. A common gene fusion occurring between the EWSR1 and CREB3L1 genes has been observed in 80-90% of SEF cases. We describe here the youngest SEF patient reported to date (a 3-year-old Caucasian male) who presented with numerous bony and lung metastases. Additionally, we perform a comprehensive literature review of all SEF-related articles published since the disease was first characterized. The patient described in this report experienced persistent disease progression despite being heavily treated
with multiple surgeries, radiation, numerous chemotherapies and targeted therapeutics. Primary tumor, metastatic and relapse sites were sequenced by whole genome, whole exome, and deep transcriptome next generation sequencing with comparison to a patient-matched normal blood sample. Consistent across all sequencing analyses was the disease-defining EWSR1-CREB3L1 fusion as a single feature consensus. We provide an analysis of our genomic findings and a discussion as to potential therapeutic strategies for SEF.
Project description:Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a rare and aggressive soft tissue sarcomathought to originate in fibroblasts of the tissues surrounding tendons, ligaments and muscles. Minimally responsive to conventional cytotoxic chemotherapies, greater than 50% of SEF patients experience relapse and/or metastatic disease. SEF is most commonly discovered in middle-aged and elderly adults, but also rarely in children. A common gene fusion occurring between the EWSR1 and CREB3L1 genes has been observed in 80-90% of SEF cases. We describe here the youngest SEF patient reported to date (a 3-year-old Caucasian male) who presented with numerous bony and lung metastases. Additionally, we perform a comprehensive literature review of all SEF-related articles published since the disease was first characterized. The patient described in this report experienced persistent disease progression despite being heavily treated
with multiple surgeries, radiation, numerous chemotherapies and targeted therapeutics. Primary tumor, metastatic and relapse sites were sequenced by whole genome, whole exome, and deep transcriptome next generation sequencing with comparison to a patient-matched normal blood sample. Consistent across all sequencing analyses was the disease-defining EWSR1-CREB3L1 fusion as a single feature consensus. We provide an analysis of our genomic findings and a discussion as to potential therapeutic strategies for SEF.
Project description:BackgroundSclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is an extremely rare, aggressive malignant subtype of fibrosarcoma. Only dozens of cases of primary SEF in the bone have been reported so far, without case involving fibula reported in literature to date. Herein we report the first case of primary SEF in the right fibula in a 19-year-old man. In this case report, we firstly give a comprehensive description of fibula SEF, including its complete clinical course and radiological findings.Case presentationA 19-year-old man presented with a half-year history of soreness in the right lower leg. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the right lower leg were performed. Based on the radiological examinations, a diagnosis of malignant tumor arising in the fibular diaphysis was made. Final diagnosis of primary SEF in the right fibula was confirmed by histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations after surgical resection. The patient had no signs of recurrence or metastasis during a 24-month follow-up.ConclusionWe report an exceedingly rare case of primary SEF in the right fibula and its radiological features with CE-CT and MRI.
Project description:Introductionand importance: Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (SPN) or Frantz's tumor is a rare tumor of low malignant potential common in young women. The aim of this paper is to present and discuss a case of a solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas occurring in a 19-year-old female.Case presentationA 19-year-old girl presented to our department with epigastric pain for two months, she had no clinical findings on physical examination. Abdominal Computed tomography scan (CT scan) showed the presence of a well-defined tumor arising from the pancreatic head measuring 9,1 × 8.1 × 8.5 cm, heterogeneous and with solid and necrosis components. The patient was subjected to surgery and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas.Clinical discussionThis is an interesting case report of a rare tumor, in so far as without any adjuvant chemotherapy Prognosis of the tumor is better than other pancreatic tumors. surgical resection seems to be the best strategy in the management of SPT.ConclusionClose follow up is necessary for early detection of the recurrence and metastasis.
Project description:UnlabelledIn sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF), a rare variant of low-grade fibrosarcoma, treatment results and therapeutic options are poorly characterized. We systematically analyzed the data of all 89 patients (43 female, 46 male; mean age, 47 years [range, 14-87 years]) reported in the literature concerning clinical presentation, histopathology, differential diagnosis, treatment, survival rates, and prognosis, and we present an additional case. Information detailing treatment, disease control, and followup was available in 60 (67%), 75 (84%), and 68 patients (76%), respectively. Case history was variable with one-third of patients reporting a painful, enlarging mass. Ten patients (13%) presented with metastases, 23 (31%) had metastases develop after diagnosis, and 28 (37%) had local recurrence. Low cellularity, mild pleomorphy, and sclerotic hyaline matrix of SEF suggest a benign clinical behavior, and cell morphology allows for the wide differential diagnosis of benign, pseudosarcomatous, and malignant proliferations. In addition to surgery, 11 patients (15%) had chemotherapy, 22 (29%) had postoperative radiation therapy, and three (4%) had a combination of both. Twenty-three patients (34%) died from their disease after a mean of 46 months, 24 (35%) were alive with disease, and 20 (31%) were alive without evidence of disease. Patients with SEF of the head and neck had the worst prognosis.Level of evidenceLevel III, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Project description:A primary liver perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) is an extremely rare entity. In this article, we present a case report with a review of the literature on the patients diagnosed with primary liver PEComa and an elaboration of diagnostic and treatment modalities. A systematic literature search was conducted using the terms "perivascular epithelioid cell tumor", "PEComa", "liver", and "hepatic". All articles describing patients diagnosed with primary liver PEComa were included. We identified a total of 224 patients of primary liver PEComa from 75 articles and a case from the present study with a significant preponderance of females (ratio 4:1) and with a mean age of 45.3 ± 12.1 years. Most of the patients (114 out of 224, 50.9%) were asymptomatic. A total of 183 (81.3%) patients underwent surgical hepatic resection at the time of diagnosis, while 19 (8.4%) underwent surveillance. Recurrence and metastases were detected in seven (3.1%) and six (2.7%) patients, respectively. In conclusion, surgical resection remains the cornerstone of therapy; however, the presence of nonspecific imaging features makes it difficult to reach a definite diagnosis preoperatively. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach should be the gold standard in selecting the treatment modality.
Project description:Intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasms of the pancreas are very rare tumors characterized by intraductal tubulopapillary growth, ductal differentiation, scant intracellular mucin production and cellular dysplasia. Here, we report the first case of an intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas with clear cell morphology. The tumor was detected during the diagnostic work-up of acute pancreatitis in a 43- year old female. Histological examination revealed a tumor with the typical architecture of an intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas with tumor cells showing abundant clear cytoplasm and Di-PAS negativity. Immunohistochemistry revealed positivity for Pan-CK, CK7, CK8/18, MUC1, MUC6, carbonic anhydrase IX, CD10, EMA, β-catenin and e-cadherin. Sanger sequencing did not detect mutations for β-catenin, BRAF, KRAS, PIK3CA and GNAS. Altogether, histology, immunohistochemical expression profile (MUC1+, MUC6+, MUC2-, MUC5AC-, thrypsin-, chymotrypsin-, CDX2-) and sequencing results led to the diagnosis of intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm. However, the neoplasm consisted of cells showing abundant clear cytoplasm, a morphological pattern not being described so far in the current classification of pancreatic intraductal neoplasms. Potential differential diagnosis and the molecular basis of clear cell morphology are discussed. In conclusion, we consider this tumor as intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas with unique clear cell phenotype. After surgery and without adjuvant therapy, the patient's clinical course has been uneventful for over two years now.Virtual slidesThe virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1051828790117127.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of the pancreas is an extremely rare neoplasm with a favorable prognosis. On the other hand, pancreatic invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is known to be an aggressive malignancy. To the best of our knowledge, there is no report of SPN combined with IDC of the pancreas. CASE PRESENTATION:A 66-year-old woman presented with abnormal genital bleeding and was diagnosed with inoperable cervical cancer. During computed tomography for cancer staging, the patient was incidentally diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After radiation therapy for the cervical cancer, distal pancreatectomy with D2 lymph node dissection was performed. A postoperative pathological examination revealed SPN with ossification and well-differentiated IDC in the pancreatic body. On immunohistochemical staining, SPN tumor cells showed positive ?-catenin and CD10 staining, whereas IDC cells were negative for both. The tumor boundaries were clear. Accordingly, the final pathological diagnosis was synchronous SPN and IDC of the pancreas. Moreover, pathological findings such as the ossification and small number of SPN cells suggested that SPN may have existed long before IDC initiation. CONCLUSIONS:Here, we report the first case of SPN combined with IDC of the pancreas. They may occur independently, and the long-term presence of SPN may lead to the development of IDC.
Project description:Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular tumor with limited clinical data that can guide treatment choices. The diagnosis of EHE is based on its unique histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular characteristics. Differential diagnoses are broad and include autoimmune diseases. Treatments include hepatic resection, liver transplantation, systemic/regional chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. We describe EHE in a patient with weight loss and general weakness. The prognosis of EHE is variable, with few cases demonstrating an indolent clinical course, whereas others tend to metastasize. In our case, hepatic EHE had metastasized to the lungs and brain. Histopathological examination of the liver tissue revealed an epithelial hemangioendothelioma. On CK7 staining, hepatocytes were clearly reactive and arranged in the plates (CK7: negative), with positive immunohistochemical staining for CD34 (CD34: positive) alone. Surveillance was conducted and the clinical course was better than expected, probably due to her relatively good general condition, the lack of genetic factors associated with her familial medical history, and normal levels of tumor markers such as α-fetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). During a follow-up examination, she was asymptomatic with a healthy general appearance. The prognosis of EHE is variable, with few cases demonstrating an indolent clinical course, whereas others tend to metastasize. The treatment method for EHE should be determined according to the patient's condition.