Paranasal Sinus Neuroendocrine Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Neuroendocrine neoplasms are defined as epithelial neoplasms with predominant neuroendocrine differentiation. They can arise in almost every organ of the body although they are most commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system. Nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses are a rare site for neuroendocrine carcinoma. In contrast to the other regions, neuroendocrine tumours of the sinuses have been reported to be recurrent and locally destructive. Very few cases of paranasal sinus neuroendocrine carcinoma have been reported till date. Difficulty in pathologic diagnosis and rarity of this malignancy have hindered the progress in understanding the clinical course and improving outcomes. We herein report a case of poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumour of ethmoid and sphenoid sinus with invasion of orbit and intracranial extension. The patient had complete response at the end of chemoradiation and he was disease-free for 9 months duration after which he developed bone metastasis without regional recurrence

Significance of preoperative thrombocytosis in epithelial ovarian cancer

<b>Background:</b> Reactive thrombocytosis is reported in a variety of solid tumors. A few studies have documented preoperative thrombocytosis in ovarian cancer and identified it as a marker of aggressive tumor biology. <b>Aim:</b> To study the incidence of preoperative thrombocytosis (platelets greater than 400x10) in epithelial ovarian cancer and its association with other clinicopathologic factors. <b> Materials and Methods:</b> Sixty-five patients with invasive ovarian epithelial cancer were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed for the association preoperative thrombocytosis with other clinical and histopathological prognostic factors. Means were analyzed by Student&#x2032;s t test; proportions were determined by Chi-square analysis. <b> Results:</b> Twenty of 65 (37.5&#x0025;) patients had thrombocytosis at primary diagnosis. Patients with preoperative thrombocytosis were found to have lower hemoglobin (P &lt; 0.0002), more advanced stage disease (P &lt; 0.05) and higher grade tumors (P &lt; 0.02). Patients with thrombocytosis had greater likelihood of subpotimal cytoreduction. <b> Conclusions:</b> Preoperative thrombocytosis is a frequent finding in ovarian carcinomas and their association with advanced stage disease and higher grade denotes that platelets play a role in the tumor growth and progression