Intercostal leiomyoma in a child: review of the literature

Leiomyomas of the chest wall are very rare. In a review of the current literature twelve cases were found, of which only one concerns of an intercostal leiomyoma of the chest wall. We report a case of 1 year old male child with intercostal leiomyoma who presented with a painless rigid swelling of the right chest wall. The radiological control revealed a solid mass in the right anterior sixth intercostal space. En-bloc excision of the mass by abrading of the sixth rib through right anterior thoracotomy was performed. Histopatological analysis showed a localized intercostal leiomyoma. The patient has a close follow-up for 6 months without evidence of recurrence. This is the first case of a primary intercostal leiomyoma in a child which was excised totally without reconstruction of the chest wall

An unusual case of Multiple Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumors of the lung

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the lung is a rare, usually solitary lesion that is considered nowadays as a true neoplasm with unpredictable clinical course. Herein we describe a case of multiple, bilateral IMTs of the lung in a 70 year-old asymptomatic woman, where diagnosis was established by CT guided core biopsy. To our knowledge only 10 cases of bilateral IMTs have been reported in a few case series and in only 2 cases of pulmonary IMTs, CT guided biopsy could establish the correct diagnosis

Nasal mucosal melanoma presenting as central type vertigo: a case report

Nasal mucosal melanoma presents usually with epistaxis, nasal obstruction and facial pain. However melanoma tends to give distant metastases at an early stage, having rare clinical presentations

Anabolic Androgen-induced Intrahepatic Cholestasis Presented With Normal AND#947;-Glutamyl-Transpeptidase

The indisputable hepatotoxicity of anabolic androgen steroids has already been well substantiated in the literature, eventhough the exact pathophysiologic mechanisms are still being elucidated. Androgen-induced liver injury presents primarily with acute intrahepatic cholestasis accompanied by markedly elevated cholestatic enzymes and diverse levels of aminotransferases. A case report of a young male with remarkable jaundice due to acute anabolic androgen-induced cholestasis is presented. Interestingly, and #947;-glutamyl transpeptidase remained normal throughout the patient's diagnostic workup. Histopathology was indicative of pure, and ldquo;bland and rdquo; intrahepatic cholestasis with minimal inflammation but significant fibrosis. The patient was successfully treated with ursodeoxycholic acid and glucocorticosteroids. The significance of normal and #947;-glutamyl transpeptidase along with the histopathological findings and the possible pathophysiological mechanisms are finally discussed. [J Interdiscipl Histopathol 2014; 2(2.000): 98-103

Evidence for Beneficial Physiological Responses of the Land Snail <i>Cornu aspersum</i> to Probiotics’ (<i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i>) Dietary Intervention

A large variety of microorganisms ingested with food constitute animals’ intestinal microflora, enhancing and maintaining the homeostasis of the host. Rations enriched with probiotics are a method recommended to prevent undesirable conditions. To date, research has been limited to farmed animals and reared fish, creating a knowledge gap concerning the effect of probiotics on the growth rate, physiological responses, and energy metabolism of invertebrates such as the land snail Cornu aspersum. Herein, juvenile snails (26.23 ± 0.5 mm shell diameter and 8.23 ± 1.02 g body weight) were fed L. plantarum probiotic-enriched rations in two different proportions (1.25 mg and 2.5 mg), and their growth rate was monitored for three months. Additionally, the RNA/DNA and Bax/Bcl-2 ratios, HSP gene expression and protein levels, and ND2 expression, were measured in the hepatopancreas, digestive tract, and mantle. Although the snails’ growth rate was not affected, the RNA/DNA ratio presented an increase in various tissues, indicating an intense physiological response. Also, probiotic administration demonstrated low levels of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. HSP levels were higher in the presence of probiotics, probably signaling an attempt by the animal to face potentially stressful situations. Finally, ND2 expression levels in the hepatopancreas indicate intense metabolic and antioxidant activity

Development of Analytical Strategies for the Determination of Olive Fruit Bioactive Compounds Using UPLC-HRMS and HPLC-DAD. Chemical Characterization of <i>Kolovi</i> Lesvos Variety as a Case Study

In this study, an overall survey regarding the determination of several bioactive compounds in olive fruit is presented. Two methodologies were developed, one UPLC-Q-TOF-MS method for the determination of olive fruit phenolic compounds and one HPLC-DAD methodology targeting the determination of pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), tocopherols (α-, β, -γ, δ-) and squalene. Target and suspect screening workflows were developed for the thorough fingerprinting of the phenolic fraction of olives. Both methods were validated, presenting excellent performance characteristics, and can be used as reliable tools for the monitoring of bioactive compounds in olive fruit samples. The developed methodologies were utilized to chemical characterize the fruits of the Kolovi olive variety, originating from the island of Lesvos, North Aegean Region, Greece. Twenty-five phenolic compounds were identified and quantified in Kolovi olives with verbascoside, hydroxytyrosol, oleacein and oleomissional found in significantly high concentrations. Moreover, 12 new bioactive compounds were identified in the samples using an in-house suspect database. The results of pigments analysis suggested that Kolovi variety should be characterized as low pigmentation, while the tocopherol and squalene content was relatively high compared to other olive varieties. The characterization of Kolovi olive bioactive content highlighted the high nutritional and possible economic value of the Kolovi olive fruit

Adjuvant dose-dense sequential chemotherapy with epirubicin, CMF, and weekly docetaxel is feasible and safe in patients with operable breast cancer

Currently, randomized phase III trials have demonstrated that docetaxel is an effective strategy in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. However, previous attempts to incorporate docetaxel with an anthracycline in a dose-dense regimen have been unsuccessful. Therefore, new schedules containing both drugs should be explored. Forty-four patients with high-risk operable breast cancer entered this feasibility study. They were treated with three cycles of epirubicin 110 mg/m(2) every 2 wk with G-CSF followed by three cycles of “intensified” CMF (840 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide; 57 mg/m(2) methotrexate; 840 mg/m2 fluorouracil) every 2 wk with G-CSF followed 3 wk later by nine weekly cycles of 35 mg/m(2) docetaxel (E-CMF-doc). Totally, 39 patients (89%) received all cycles of chemotherapy. The vast majority (92%) of cycles were administered at full dose. Therefore, dose intensity was sufficiently maintained for all drugs. Toxicity was generally mild to moderate. Most frequently recorded side effects apart from alopecia were neutropenia (54%) and nausea/vomiting (89%). Infection developed in nine patients. Two cases of febrile neutropenia were reported. The E-CMF-doc regimen, as used in this study, is feasible and well tolerated. Its impact on survival should be evaluated in phase III trials

Mismatch repair deficiency and aberrations in the Notch and Hedgehog pathways are of prognostic value in patients with endometrial cancer.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of the Hedgehog (Gli, Patched-1, Shh, Smo) and Notch (Jag1, Notch2, Notch3) pathway members, in comparison to a panel of proteins (ER, PgR, HER2/neu, Ki67, p53, p16, PTEN and MMR) previously suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer, in association with clinical outcome and standard clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 204 patients with histological diagnosis of endometrial cancer treated from 2004 to 2013 were included. The evaluation of protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Univariate analysis showed that higher Ki67 labeling, expression of PTEN, p16, Notch2 and Notch3 proteins, as well as MMR proficiency were associated with increased relapse and mortality rate. Additionally, Patched-1 protein expression was associated with worse DFS, while p53 overexpression was associated with worse OS. In multivariate analyses, patients with MMR proficient tumors had more than double risk for death than patients with MMR deficient (MMRd) tumors (adjusted HR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.05-4.58, p = 0.036). Jag1 positivity conferred reduced mortality risk (HR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.23-0.97, p = 0.042). However, as shown by hierarchical clustering, patients fared better when their tumors expressed high Jag1 protein in the absence of Notch2 and Notch3, while they fared worse when all three proteins were highly expressed. Patched-1 positivity conferred higher risk for relapse (HR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.05-3.96, p = 0.036). Aberrant expression of key components of the Notch and Hedgehog signaling pathways, as well as MMRd may serve as independent prognostic factors for recurrence and survival in patients with endometrial cancer