Dr. Dorfman legacy to pathology: beyond Rosai-Dorfman disease

Ronald F. Dorfman (1923-2012), an Emeritus Professor of Pathology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, had significant input in advancing the study of diseases of hematopoietic cells and the lymph nodes, which included identifying a disease that has been named after him. Dr. Dorfman was one of the founders of the field of Hematopathology, and, with Dr. Costan Berard, founded the Society of Hematopathology in 1981, serving as its president from 1982 through 1984, and published a classification of non-Hodgkin lymphomas in 1974, which was a variant of the Rappaport classification

Metastatic congenital neuroblastoma associated with in situ neuroblastoma: case report and review of literature

Although neonatal tumors are rare, neuroblastoma is the most common neoplasia among them. These tumors, which usually involve children in early infancy, are derived from neural crest cells of adrenal gland medulla or sympathetic ganglia. Even though congenital metastatic neuroblastoma presents a favorable prognosis, it may lead to death if not recognized and treated early on. The authors report the case of a 2-month-old child who was born from in vitro fertilization, and whose diagnosis was made after birth. The form of presentation of this case as a metastatic disease concerning this age group is noteworthy

Nominata of the Reviewers of the Volume 1, 2011

The Editors of Autopsy and Case Reports thank the peer reviewers listed below for the excellentcollaborative work, opinions and comments on the papers published in 2011. Their hard work certainlycontributed to maintaining the scientific level of this journal.The Editors of Autopsy and Case Reports thank the peer reviewers listed below for the excellentcollaborative work, opinions and comments on the papers published in 2011. Their hard work certainlycontributed to maintaining the scientific level of this journal

Prenatal detection and postnatal management of an intranasal glioma

Nasal gliomas are rare benign congenital midline tumors composed of heterotopic neuroglial tissue. They have potential for intracranial extension through a bony defect in the skull base. Neuroimaging is essential for identifying nasal lesions and for determining their exact location and any possible intracranial extension. Computed tomography is often the initial imaging study obtained because it provides good visualization of the bony landmarks of the skull base; it is not, however, well suited for soft tissue imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging has better soft tissue resolution and may be the best initial study in patients seen early in life because the anterior skull base consists of an unossified cartilage and may falsely appear as if there is a bony dehiscence on computed tomography. A frontal craniotomy approach is recommended if intracranial extension is identified, followed by a transnasal endoscopic approach for intranasal glioma. A case is presented of a huge fetal facial mass that was shown by ultrasound that protruded through the left nostril at 33 weeks of gestation. Computed tomography of the neonate suggested a transethmoidal encephalocele. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a huge mass occupying the nasopharynx and the nasal cavity and protruding externally to the face but ruled out bony discontinuity in the skull base and, therefore, any intracranial connection. The infant underwent an endoscopic resection of the mass via oral and nasal routes and pathologic examination revealed intranasal glioma. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

World Health Organization classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues, 4th edition, 2008: major changes from the 3rd edition, 2001

The World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (4th edition, 2008)¹ presents an updated version of the 3rd edition published in 2001². A summary of these changes relates to the groups of chronic myeloproliferative disorders, myelodisplasia, acute myeloid leukemias, neoplasms of precursor B and T cells and neoplasms derived of mature B, T and NK cells. A better understanding of molecular genetic changes and results achieved with innovative therapeutic approaches in these groups of diseases requires constant reassessment of the classifications, supporting the major changes discussed here, including interesting comments from literature1, 3-5.A Classificação da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) para os tumores do tecido hematopoético e linfoide (4ª edição, 2008)¹ representa uma atualização da 3ª edição, 2001². Apresentamos a seguir um resumo dessas alterações nos grupos das doenças mieloproliferativas, mileodisplásicas, leucemias mieloides agudas, neoplasias de células precursoras B e T, e neoplasias de células B, T e NK maduras. O entendimento das alterações genético-moleculares e os resultados alcançados com propostas terapêuticas inovadoras nesses grupos de doenças demandam constante reavaliação de sua classificação, justificando as alterações importantes aqui discutidas1,3-5.Universidade de São Paulo Faculdade de Medicina Departamento de PatologiaUSP Faculdade de Odontologi Departamento de PatologiaHospital do Câncer A. C. Camargo Departamento de Anatomia PatológicaUSP Faculdade de Medicina Hospital das ClínicasHospital Israelita Albert Einstein Setor de Citogenética Laboratório ClínicoUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Faculdade de MedicinaFleury Medicina Diagnóstica Laboratório de CitogenéticaSanta Casa de São Paulo Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Departamento de PatologiaUNIFESP, Faculdade de MedicinaSciEL

Unusual clinical presentation of anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a well-recognized entity, presents a varied clinical picture and epidemiological characteristics associated with the expression of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) protein. When classic symptoms are present (weight loss, fever, and night sweats) and combine with enlarged and easily accessible peripheral lymph nodes, diagnosis is not that difficult. But when the clinical presentation is nonspecific, a tough diagnostic task is required. HIV infection is highly associated with neoplastic disorders—mainly with those of hematological origin. However, ALCL is exceptionally associated with HIV infection, and the few reported cases are ALK– ALCL. The authors report two cases of ALK+ ALCL with the unusual clinical presentation: one is associated with the HIV infection and the other presents as a fever of unknown origin (FUO) without peripheral lymphadenopathy. The latter was autopsied and was characterized by nodal and extra nodal involvement. The authors call attention to the plurality of clinical presentation of this group of lymphomas, and the early indication of bone marrow examination in cases of an FUO with elevated hepatic enzymes and lactic dehydrogenase

Castleman disease: an uncommon diagnosis in pediatrics

First described by Dr. Benjamin Castleman in 1956, Castleman disease is an uncommon disease of an etiology that is not yet thoroughly known. Three distinct histological subtypes have already been described: hyaline-vascular-, plasma cell-, and human herpes virus 8-associated variant, clinically distinguished in multi or unicentric types. Castleman disease is occasionally diagnosed in children, but more often in young adults, with no gender predominance. The symptoms are rather heterogeneous, varying from an asymptomatic mass in the unicentric Castleman disease type, to life-threatening systemic inflammatory state with systemic symptoms in the multicentric Castleman disease type. The authors report a case of a 15-year-old boy who sought medical attention due to a cervical tumor mass, without systemic symptoms. Pathology exam of the excised mass diagnosed a very typical example of the hyaline-vascular unicentric type of Castleman disease

Indeterminate cell histiocytosis successfully treated with phototherapy

First described in 1985, intermediate cell histiocytosis is a rare disorder of the cutaneous dendritic cell group with a varied clinical presentation and evolution. The pathologic substrate is constituted by the proliferation of indeterminate cells (ICs) that are immunophenotypically characterized by the positivity of CD1a, CD68, and faint/focal S100, plus the negativity for CD207 (langerin). The authors present the case of a healthy elderly woman who presented generalized dome-shaped reddish cutaneous nodules over her trunk, neck, face, and extremities over a period of 18 months. A laboratory and imaging work-up ruled out internal involvement. The skin biopsy was consistent with IC histiocytosis. The patient was treated with narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy, which resulted in an excellent short-term outcom

Acute erythroid leukemia: autopsy report of a rare disease

Acute erythroid leukemia (AEL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia(AML), characterized by predominant erythroid proliferation. The 2008 WorldHealth Organization (WHO) classification of AML defined two AEL subtypes:erythroleukaemia (EL), in which erythroid precursors account for 50% or moreof all nucleated bone marrow cells and myeloblasts account for 20% or more ofthe nonerythroid cell population; and pure erythroid leukemia (PEL), in whicherythroid precursors account for 80% or more of all nucleated bone marrowcells. We report the case of an elderly female patient with wasting syndromeand pancytopenia without evidence of blasts in peripheral blood. A diagnosisof PEL was established on the basis of bone marrow biopsy findings. Thepatient died on postadmission day 20, and an autopsy was performed. Wereclassified the disease as EL on the basis of the autopsy findings, whichincluded myeloblasts accounting for more than 20% of the nonerythroid cellsin the bone marrow, as well as leukemic infiltration and myeloid metaplasia insolid organs, such as the liver, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, and abdominallymph nodes. A rare disease, AEL accounts for less than 5% of all AMLs and ispractically a diagnosis of exclusion. Autopsy reports of AEL are extremely rarein the literature. We demonstrate that in the case reported here, leukemia cellstended to infiltrate solid organs with myeloid metaplasia. Our findings alsoshow that a larger neoplastic bone marrow sample is crucial to the correctdiagnosis of EL, which is based on morphological and quantitative criteria

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis of indeterminate cause: a fatal adult case

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an uncommon life-threatening disorder characterized by wide spread non-neoplastic proliferation and inappropriate activation of mature macrophages resulting in hypercytokinemia.This uncontrollable and ineffective systemic immune response causes fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias and subsequently multiorgan failure. The authors report a case of a 41-year-old male patient with a 30-day history of weight loss, fever, icterus, hepatomegaly, and cytopenias. The diagnosticworkup disclosed hypertriglyceridemia, hypofibrinogenemia, and elevated ferritin. Bone marrow examination and clinical course raised the suspicion of HLH and treatment was started with high-dose corticosteroids and immune globulin. The patient underwent multi-organ failure and expired after 58 days ofhospitalization. The autopsy finding included massive bone marrow infiltration by non-neoplastic histiocytes, many of them showing hemophagocytosis, which immunohistochemical study revealed diffuse CD68-positive histiocytes, which were negative for S100 protein. Hemophagocytosis was also observedin the lungs, lymph nodes and liver. The immediate cause of death was attributed to a massive intestinal bleeding due to extensive ischemic necrosis at the duodenum/jejunal transition area.nul