An ovarian mature cystic teratoma evolving in squamous cell carcinoma: A case report and review of the literature

Mature cystic teratomas (MCT), also known as dermoid cysts, are the most common ovarian germ cell tumors and the most common ovarian neoplasms in patients younger than 20 years. Malignant transformation (MT) is a rare complication of MCTs which may occur in 1–2% of the cases. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most frequent histology arising from MCTs and its appearance depends on diverse risk factors such as patient's age, the size of the tumor and levels of serum tumor markers. Diagnosis and treatment constitute a big challenge due to the rarity and the aggressive course of this entity. Adjuvant chemotherapy has a leading role in the treatment of MCT-arising SCC, while the use of radiotherapy or chemoradiation is still under consideration. Herein, we report a case of a post-menopausal woman, presenting with mild symptoms and a large pelvic mass deriving from the left ovary occurring as dermoid cyst. Simultaneously, we review the literature stressing out the prognostic factors and the treatment options for MCT arising SCC according to traditional and new therapy-strategies

Clinicopathological changes of perinatal mortality during the last 20 years in a tertiary hospital of Greece

Introduction: Perinatal period is the period that includes fetuses weighing > 500 grams (22nd week of gestation) and newborns aged up to seven days. Perinatal mortality is one of the earliest quantitative measurements of quality in obstetric care and affects approximately 0.5% to 1% of all pregnancies. Aim: The purpose of this study was the identification, classification, and frequency of causes of perinatal mortality in premature infants during 20 years (1992-2012) in a tertiary Maternity Hospital in Athens. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study based on Pathology Department record and contains autopsy findings of fetuses, newborns, and membranes of the period 1992-2012 in conjunction with clinical information. The authors excluded pharmaceutical miscarriage and those containing vague variables. The total population birth to the mentioned years in this Hospital was 23,703 and there were 278 deaths. The authors used the classification system of ReCoDe (2005) which best suited the present data. Changes in perinatal death cause were estimated and compared every five years during this period (1993-1997, 1998-2002, 2003-2007, and 2008-2012) and also divided according to the following gestational ages: 22-27, 28-31, 32-36, and 37-43 weeks using the SPSS 19.0. Results: Perinatal mortality was reduced up to 72.3% during these years. The vast majority of stillbirths were in their 22-27 week of gestation. Almost half of the fetal deaths were caused by fetal abnormalities, while in 78% the placenta had a main or secondary role. A detailed description of embryo-membranes and clinical status of the mother was performed. Finally the authors identified 15 newborns who had reached the 28th day of their life, of which 12 (80%) were premature. The majority were females and the mean age of the mothers was 28 years. Seven out of 12 newborns died of fetal problems, while three out of 12 due to intrapartum pathology. Conclusion: Pathogenesis of perinatal mortality is often unclear and associated to multiple causes. Impressive reduction of neonatal mortality has been realized during recent years due to the developments in obstetric and neonatal intensive care, but still many improvements are needed to be done

The land snails of Lichadonisia islets (Greece)

The Lichadonisia island group is located between Maliakos and the North Evian Gulf, in central Greece. Lichadonisia is one of the few volcanic island groups of Greece, consisting mainly of lava flows. Today the islands are uninhabited with high numbers of visitors, but permanent population existed for many decades in the past. Herein, we present for the first time the land snail fauna of the islets and we compare their species richness with islands of similar size across the Aegean Sea. This group of small islands, provides a typical example on how human activities in the current geological era, i.e., the Anthropocene, alter the natural communities and differentiate biogeographical patterns. © 2021. All rights reserved

A reporting system for endometrial cytology: Cytomorphologic criteria—Implied risk of malignancy

Background: There have been various attempts to assess endometrial lesions on cytological material obtained via direct endometrial sampling. The majority of efforts focus on the description of cytological criteria that lead to classification systems resembling histological reporting formats. These systems have low reproducibility, especially in cases of atypical hyperplasia and well differentiated carcinomas. Moreover, they are not linked to the implied risk of malignancy. Methods: The material was collected from women examined at the outpatient department of four participating hospitals. We analyzed 866 consecutive, histologically confirmed cases. The sample collection was performed using the EndoGyn device, and processed via Liquid Based Cytology, namely ThinPrep technique. The diagnostic categories and criteria were established by two cytopathologists experienced in endometrial cytology; performance of the proposed reporting format was assessed on the basis of histological outcome; moreover, the implied risk of malignancy was calculated. Results: The proposed six diagnostic categories are as follows: (i) nondiagnostic or unsatisfactory; (ii) without evidence of hyperplasia or malignancy; (iii) atypical cells of endometrium of undetermined significance; (iv) atypical cells of endometrium of low probability for malignancy; (v) atypical cells of endometrium of high probability for malignancy; and (vi) malignant. The risk of malignancy was 1.42% ± 0.98%, 44.44% ± 32.46% (nine cases), 4.30% ± 4.12%, 89.80% ± 8.47%, and 97.81% ± 2.45%, respectively. Conclusion: We propose a clinically oriented classification scheme consisting of diagnostic categories with well determined criteria. Each diagnostic category is linked with an implied risk of malignancy; thus, clinicians may decide on patient management and eventually reduce unnecessary interventional diagnostic procedures. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:888–901. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc