Lumbar malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor: a rare case in a young patient

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare soft tissue sarcoma that originate from peripheral nerves or from cells associated with the nerve sheath. We report the case of a 30‑year‑old male patient with a history of neurofibromatosis type I (NF-1) and a MPNST located in the lumbar region. The mass was resecated but surgical margins weren't clear. Recurrence of disease was observed after few months. A close monitoring of subjects with NF-1 is crucial to diagnose MPNST at an earlier stage and allow a complete surgical resection

Water reservoirs monitoring through Google Earth Engine: application to Sentinel and Landsat imagery

Water reservoirs are subjected to increasing hydrological stresses, therefore continuous and accurate monitoring of these resources is essential to ensure their sustainable management. This work proposes a methodology to remotely monitor the surface extent of water reservoirs through the analysis of satellite multispectral and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. In particular, a segmentation strategy was implemented within Google Earth Engine (GEE) to distinguish water bodies from the surrounding land surface and measure their extension, by applying three different approaches to Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat-8 imagery. The first approach is based on the use of the Automatic Water Extraction Index (AWEI) and the self-adaptive Otsu's thresholding method, the second approach is based on the image conversion from RGB (Red-Green-Blue) to HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) and the use of a parametric threshold, the third approach is based on the use of SAR imagery and an empirically selected threshold. A "static"validation strategy was developed from scratch and standard segmentation metrics were computed to evaluate the accuracy of the three approaches. The average values of the F1 scores on the Sentinel imagery were equal to 0.95, 0.90, and 0.84 for the three approaches, respectively. The same metric on the Landsat imagery was 0.95 for the first approach and 0.93 for the second approach. The best approach, i.e. the AWEI-based method, was then applied to three water bodies in which the effects of the 2022 drought were particularly significant: Sawa lake (Iraq), Poyang lake (China), and Po river (Italy). The results visually highlighted the good performance of the approach in segmenting the water bodies from the surrounding areas

Does prostate acinar adenocarcinoma with Gleason Score 3 + 3 = 6 have the potential to metastasize?

Background: There is a worldwide debate involving clinicians, uropathologists as well as patients and their families on whether Gleason score 6 adenocarcinoma should be labelled as cancer. Case description: We report a case of man diagnosed with biopsy Gleason score 6 acinar adenocarcinoma and classified as low risk (based on a PSA of 5 ng/mL and stage cT2a) whose radical prostatectomy specimen initially showed organ confined Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6, WHO nuclear grade 3, acinar adenocarcinoma with lymphovascular invasion and secondary deposit in a periprostatic lymph node. When deeper sections were cut to the point that almost all the slice present in the paraffin block was sectioned, a small tumor area (<5% of the whole tumor) of Gleason pattern 4 (poorly formed glands) was found in an extraprostatic position. Conclusion: The epilogue was that the additional finding changed the final Gleason score to 3 + 3 = 6 with tertiary pattern 4 and the stage to pT3a. Virtual Slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/ vs/13000_2014_19

Adult primary paratesticular mesenchymal tumors with emphasis on a case presentation and discussion of spermatic cord leiomyosarcoma

Background: The aim of this report is related to adult primary paratesticular mesenchymal tumors with emphasis on a case presentation and discussion of the spermatic cord leiomyosarcoma. Primary paratesticular tumors are rare, only accounting for 7% to 10% of all intrascrotal tumors. In adults, more than 75% of these lesions arise from the spermatic cord, 20% being leiomyosarcoma. Tumor grade, stage, histologic type, and lymph node involvement are independently predictive of prognosis. Findings: The case report concerns a 81-year-old man presented with a 3-year history of painless lump in the right hemiscrotum. Scrotal examination demonstrated a 5.1-cm, firm-to-hard mass attached to the spermatic cord. Scrotal ultrasound scan revealed a heterogeneous mass separate from the testis. He was treated with an radical orchi-funicolectomy. Histologically the lesion is composed of spindled cells with often elongated, blunt-ended nuclei and variably eosinophilic cytoplasm. Areas with pleomorphic morphology are present. The level of mitotic activity is equal to 3/10 HPF in the areas with spindle cell morphology and to 12/10 HPF in the areas with pleomorphic morphology. The final diagnosis was that a leiomyosarcoma of the spermatic cord, with grade 1 and grade 2 areas, stage pT2b cN0 and cM0. The patient has been followed up for 3 months with CT scans and shows no signs of recurrence. Conclusions: Spermatic cord leiomyosarcoma, although rare, should be one of the first differential diagnoses for a firm-to-hard lump in the cord. Apart from radical orchi-funicolectomy, there has been added benefit of adjuvant radiotherapy to prevent any loco-regional lymph node recurrenc

Prostate Cancer in 2021: Novelties in Prognostic and Therapeutic Biomarker Evaluation

The 2021 novelties in prognostic and therapeutic tissue markers in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) can be subdivided into two major groups. The first group is related to prognostic markers based on morphological and immunohistochemical evaluations. The novelties in this group can then be subdivided into two subgroups, one involving morphologic evaluation only, i.e., PCa grading, and the other involving both morphologic and immunohistochemical evaluations, i.e., aggressive variant PCa (AVPCa). Grading concerns androgen-dependent PCa, while AVPCa represents a late phase in its natural history, when it becomes androgen-independent. The novelties of the other major group are related to molecular markers predicting significant disease or response to therapy. This group mainly includes novelties in the molecular evaluation of PCa in tissue material and liquid biopsies

Immunohistochemical analysis of chromatin remodeler DAXX in high grade urothelial carcinoma

Background/Aims: The chromatin remodeler DAXX, a predominantly nuclear protein, regulates the status of chromatin organization. The aim of this exploratory immunohistochemical study was to evaluate DAXX protein expression in high grade invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the bladder as a biological regulator of aggressiveness. Methods: Quantitative analysis was made on DAXX immunostained nuclei in tissue sections from 5 cases of bladder normal urothelium (NU) and 5 cases of bladder pT1 UC. Carcinoma in situ (CIS) and high grade papillary carcinoma (HGPCa) were identified in 2 out of 5 UC cases. Results: The nuclei in UC show an open configuration of the chromatin composed of granules varying in size and distribution and a mean nuclear area 1.7 times greater than that in NU (UC: mean and SD 24.4 ± 11.4 square microns; NU: 14.8 6.5 square microns. The differences are statistically significant). 70% of the NU nuclei are immunostained, whereas 90% of UC nuclei are positive. The mean gray level value in UC, related to the intensity of nuclear immunostaining, is lower than in NU by a factor of 0.94 (UC: mean and SD 100 ± 15; NU: 106 ± 15. The differences are statistically significant). In particular, the value in the nuclei adjacent to the stroma in UC is slightly lower than in the intermediate cell layers by factor of 0.98, whereas in NU it is slightly greater by a factor 1.02 and 1.04 compared to the intermediate and superficial cell layers. The values in CIS and HGPCa are similar to those in UC. Conclusions: The quantitative immunohistochemical analysis shows an altered protein expression of chromatin remodeler DAXX in UC and in its preinvasive phases, when compared to NU. DAXX evaluation, if associated with markers related to global DNA methylation and histone acetylation, could be used in clinical practice as a marker of aggressiveness. Virtual slides: The virtual slides for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/139845729710237

Contemporary grading of prostate cancer: 2017 update for pathologists and clinicians

The Gleason grading system for prostate cancer (PCa) was developed in the 1960s by DF Gleason. Due to changes in PCa detection and treatment, the application of the Gleason grading system has changed considerably in pathology routine practice. Two consensus conferences were held in 2005 and in 2014 to update PCa Gleason grading. This review provides a summary of the changes in the grading of PCa from the original Gleason grading system to the prognostic grade grouping, as well as a discussion of the clinical significance of the percentage of Gleason patterns 4 and 5

Androgen Receptor Signaling Pathway in Prostate Cancer: From Genetics to Clinical Applications

Around 80–90% of prostate cancer (PCa) cases are dependent on androgens at initial diagnosis; hence, androgen ablation therapy directed toward a reduction in serum androgens and the inhibition of androgen receptor (AR) is generally the first therapy adopted. However, the patient’s response to androgen ablation therapy is variable, and 20–30% of PCa cases become castration resistant (CRPCa). Several mechanisms can guide treatment resistance to anti-AR molecules. In this regard, AR-dependent and -independent resistance mechanisms can be distinguished within the AR pathway. In this article, we investigate the multitude of AR signaling aspects, encompassing the biological structure of AR, current AR-targeted therapies, mechanisms driving resistance to AR, and AR crosstalk with other pathways, in an attempt to provide a comprehensive review for the PCa research community. We also summarize the new anti-AR drugs approved in non-metastatic castration-resistant PCa, in the castration-sensitive setting, and combination therapies with other drugs

Narrative review of prostate cancer grading systems: will the Gleason scores be replaced by the Grade Groups?

The Gleason grading system, proposed by Dr. Donald F. Gleason in 1966, is one of the most important prognostic factors in men with prostate cancer (PCa). At consensus conferences held in 2005 and 2014, organized by the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP), the system was modified to reflect the current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In particular, in the 2014 Conference, it was recognized that there were weaknesses with the original and the 2005 ISUP modified Gleason systems. Based on the results of a research conducted by Prof. JI Epstein and his group, a new grading system was proposed by the ISUP in order to address some of such deficiencies: i.e., the five distinct Grade Groups (GGs). Since 2014, results of studies have been published by different groups and societies, including the Genitourinary Pathology Society (GUPS), giving additional support to the prognostic role of the architectural Gleason patterns and, in particular, of the GGs. A revised GG system, taking into account the percentage of Gleason pattern (GP) 4, cribriform and intraductal carcinoma, tertiary GP 5, and reactive stroma grade, has shown to have some advantages, however not ready for adoption in the current practice. The aim of this contribution was to review the major updates and recommendations regarding the GPs and GSs, as well as the GGs, trying to give an answer to the following questions: “How has the grade group system been used in the routine?” and “will the Gleason scoring system be replace by the grade groups?” We also discussed the potential implementation in the future of molecular pathology and artificial intelligence in grading to further define risk groups in patients with PCa