Melanotic medullary carcinoma of thyroid – report of a rare case with brief review of literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Melanin production in medullary carcinoma is extremely uncommon.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a rare variant of medullary carcinoma of thyroid with melanin production in a 52-year-old woman who presented with swelling in the thyroid of 3 months duration. This tumor recurred thrice in two years after surgery and patient died with metastasis. Microscopic examination showed typical morphology of medullary carcinoma with numerous cells loaded with melanin pigment as confirmed by bleached Fontana-Masson, negative iron and immunohistochemical stains. Tumor cells were diffusely immunopositive for calcitonin, HMB-45, chromogranin, synaptophysin, CEA but showed focal paranuclear dot positivity for cytokeratin. No C-cell hyperplasia was seen in the adjacent thyroid gland. Nature of the pigment was further confirmed on ultra structural examination.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Melanotic medullary carcinoma is an extremely uncommon entity. There is a need to report more number of cases in the literature for exact categorization and prognostication of this subtype of medullary carcinoma.</p

Primary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung in an adolescent girl with unusual presentation

Primary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) of lung is a rare tumour of lung mostly reported from south-east Asia. It occurs in middle aged persons of either sex and presents with the complaint of cough and haemoptysis.  We report a case of primary LELC of lung in a young girl with unusual presentation

Copper Nanowire Arrays: Growth and Properties

Cu nanowire arrays of three different diameters have been synthesized via template assisted electrode position technique. Morphological, structural, optical, electrical and field emission properties were examined for these three nanowire arrays. Morphological study reveals the nanowire arrays are of uniform diameter throughout the length and of desired dimensions. Structural study shows the face centred cubic structure of nanowires. The crystallite size has been calculated using the Debye-Scherrer relation and micro strain has been calculated using Williamson-Hall analysis. The surface plasmon resonance absorption peak shifts towards red end with increase in diameter of nanowires. I-V characteristics show the ohmic behaviour. Electron field emission properties of Cu nanowire arrays have been studied using Fowler Nordheim theory. The field emission parameters like maximum emission current density, turn on field and field enhancement factor have been calculated for nanowire arrays of different diameters. Cu nanowire arrays of diameter 50 nm exhibit better field emission properties, indicating that thin nanowire arrays have great potential to be used as field emitters

Copper Nanowire Arrays: Growth and Properties

612-618Cu nanowire arrays of three different diameters have been synthesized via template assisted electrode position technique. Morphological, structural, optical, electrical and field emission properties were examined for these three nanowire arrays. Morphological study reveals the nanowire arrays are of uniform diameter throughout the length and of desired dimensions. Structural study shows the face centred cubic structure of nanowires. The crystallite size has been calculated using the Debye-Scherrer relation and micro strain has been calculated using Williamson-Hall analysis. The surface plasmon resonance absorption peak shifts towards red end with increase in diameter of nanowires. I-V characteristics show the ohmic behaviour. Electron field emission properties of Cu nanowire arrays have been studied using Fowler Nordheim theory. The field emission parameters like maximum emission current density, turn on field and field enhancement factor have been calculated for nanowire arrays of different diameters. Cu nanowire arrays of diameter 50 nm exhibit better field emission properties, indicating that thin nanowire arrays have great potential to be used as field emitters

Pierwotny śródczaszkowy bazaloidalny rak płaskonabłonkowy

Primary intracranial squamous cell carcinoma is extremely rare, with most cases arising from malignant transformation of dysembryogenetic lesions such as epidermoid and dermoid cysts. Intracranial squamous cell neoplasm arising de novo is even rarer and has been reported in only four patients to date. We herein describe a case of primary intracranial squamous cell carcinoma arising de novo in the right frontal lobe in a 35-year-old woman treated with a combination of surgery and postoperative conformal radiation. We have also shed light on the biology and the therapeutic options of this enigmatic tumour.Pierwotny śródczaszkowy rak płaskonabłonkowy jest wyjątkową rzadkością i w większości przypadków rozwija się w wyniku zezłośliwienia zmian o charakterze dysembriogenetycznym, np. torbieli naskórkowej lub skórzastej. Śródczaszkowy rak płaskonabłonkowy powstały de novo jest jeszcze rzadszy – dotąd opisano 4 takie przypadki. W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono przypadek nowotworu powstałego de novo w prawym płacie czołowym u 35-letniej chorej, którą z tego powodu poddano leczeniu chirurgicznemu i pooperacyjnej radioterapii konformalnej. Podano również informacje na temat biologii i możliwości leczenia tego zagadkowego guza

Prognostic Stratification of GBMs Using Combinatorial Assessment of IDH1 Mutation, MGMT Promoter Methylation, and TERT Mutation Status: Experience from a Tertiary Care Center in India

AbstractThis study aims to establish the best and simplified panel of molecular markers for prognostic stratification of glioblastomas (GBMs). One hundred fourteen cases of GBMs were studied for IDH1, TP53, and TERT mutation by Sanger sequencing; EGFR and PDGFRA amplification by fluorescence in situ hybridization; NF1expression by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); and MGMT promoter methylation by methylation-specific PCR. IDH1 mutant cases had significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) as compared to IDH1 wild-type cases. Combinatorial assessment of MGMT and TERT emerged as independent prognostic markers, especially in the IDH1 wild-type GBMs. Thus, within the IDH1 wild-type group, cases with only MGMT methylation (group 1) had the best outcome (median PFS: 83.3 weeks; OS: not reached), whereas GBMs with only TERT mutation (group 3) had the worst outcome (PFS: 19.7 weeks; OS: 32.8 weeks). Cases with both or none of these alterations (group 2) had intermediate prognosis (PFS: 47.6 weeks; OS: 89.2 weeks). Majority of the IDH1 mutant GBMs belonged to group 1 (75%), whereas only 18.7% and 6.2% showed group 2 and 3 signatures, respectively. Interestingly, none of the other genetic alterations were significantly associated with survival in IDH1 mutant or wild-type GBMs.Based on above findings, we recommend assessment of three markers, viz., IDH1, MGMT, and TERT, for GBM prognostication in routine practice. We show for the first time that IDH1 wild-type GBMs which constitute majority of the GBMs can be effectively stratified into three distinct prognostic subgroups based on MGMT and TERT status, irrespective of other genetic alterations

Fatal familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis with perforin gene (PRF1) mutation and EBV-associated T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder of the thyroid

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is a rare fatal autosomal recessive disorder of immune dysregulation. The disease presents most commonly in the first year of life; however, symptomatic presentation throughout childhood and adulthood has also been identified. Biallelic mutation in the perforin gene is present in 20%–50% of all cases of FHL. Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) in association with hematological malignancies is known; however, whether mutations in HLH-associated genes can be associated with FHL and hematolymphoid neoplasms is not well documented. Also, Epstein–Barr-virus- (EBV) positive systemic T-cell lymphoproliferative disease (SE-LPD) in the setting of FHL is not clearly understood. Here, we present the case of a young boy who presented with typical features of childhood FHL harboring the perforin gene (PRF1) mutation, and had SE-LPD diagnosed on autopsy, along with evidence of recent EBV infection. The patient expired due to progressive disease. Five siblings died in the second or third decade of life with undiagnosed disease. Genetic counseling was provided to the two surviving siblings and parents, but they could not afford genetic testing. One surviving sibling has intermittent fever and is on close follow-up for possible bone marrow transplantation

Overexpression of Prothymosin Alpha Predicts Poor Disease Outcome in Head and Neck Cancer

In our recent study, tissue proteomic analysis of oral pre-malignant lesions (OPLs) and normal oral mucosa led to the identification of a panel of biomarkers, including prothymosin alpha (PTMA), to distinguish OPLs from histologically normal oral tissues. This study aimed to determine the clinical significance of PTMA overexpression in oral squamous cell hyperplasia, dysplasia and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Immunohistochemistry of PTMA protein was performed in HNSCCs (n = 100), squamous cell hyperplasia (n = 116), dysplasia (n = 50) and histologically normal oral tissues (n = 100). Statistical analysis was carried out to determine the association of PTMA overexpression with clinicopathological parameters and disease prognosis over 7 years for HNSCC patients.<0.001). Chi-square analysis showed significant association of nuclear PTMA with advanced tumor stages (III+IV). Kaplan Meier survival analysis indicated reduced disease free survival (DFS) in HNSCC patients (p<0.001; median survival 11 months). Notably, Cox-multivariate analysis revealed nuclear PTMA as an independent predictor of poor prognosis of HNSCC patients (p<0.001, Hazard's ratio, HR = 5.2, 95% CI = 2.3–11.8) in comparison with the histological grade, T-stage, nodal status and tumor stage.Nuclear PTMA may serve as prognostic marker in HNSCC to determine the subset of patients that are likely to show recurrence of the disease