Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Metastatic poorly differentiated monophasic synovial sarcoma to lung with unknown primary: a molecular genetic analysis

Poorly differentiated synovial sarcomas are diagnostically challenging soft tissue tumors. They can be indistinguishable from other “small blue cell tumors” based on morphology and even immunohistochemical studies. Here we report a rare case of poorly differentiated metastatic synovial sarcoma to lung without known primary, diagnosed with molecular genetic analysis. The tumor was negative for EMA and cytokeratin, previously reported as the most sensitive immunostaining markers for synovial sarcomas. SYT-SSX gene fusion, characteristic for synovial sarcoma, was identified in this case by FISH and RT-PCR assays

Cytokeratin-Positive Osteosarcoma Simulating Sarcomatoid Metastatic Carcinoma

Osteosarcoma, the most common primary malignant bone tumor, rarely stains positive for epithelial markers such as cytokeratin on immunohistochemical analysis. We describe a 52-year-old man with a destructive distal femoral metaphyseal lesion who was initially treated for metastatic sarcomatoid carcinoma based on extensive radiographic and histopathologic evaluation. Ultimately, wide resection of the distal femur was performed, revealing high-grade conventional osteosarcoma with intense and diffuse cytokeratin positivity. Such immunohistochemical staining in osteosarcoma is rare, making it difficult to distinguish cytokeratin-positive osteosarcoma from metastatic carcinoma. The presence of a cytokeratin-positive bone neoplasm with malignant osteoid formation on histological studies as well as integration with clinical and radiologic data can help confirm osteosarcoma as the ultimate diagnosis

Follicular Adenoma with Extensive Extracellular Mucin Deposition: Report on Two Cases

We report two cases of follicular adenoma of the thyroid with extensive extracellular mucin deposition. Fine needle aspiration in Case 1 showed singly discohesive polygonal cells in a granular mucinous background. They contained abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, nuclear irregularities, and frequent nuclear inclusions with occasional bizarre mitoses. A right lobectomy was done. In Case 2, a 47-year-old Caucasian woman with multinodular goiter had total thyroidectomy and a yellow-tan nodule was found within the right lobe. Both tumors were well-encapsulated masses with thick capsules. Each was characterized by microfollicles without papillae in a mucinous stroma. Tumor cells were positive for thyroglobulin and negative for calcitonin, CEA, galectin-3, HBME-1, and CK19. The extracellular mucin stained with Alcian-blue and colloidal iron but not with mucicarmine and D-PAS. No BRAF gene mutation was detected. Because there were neither capsular nor vascular invasions, both cases were diagnosed as follicular adenomas of the thyroid with extensive extracellular mucin deposition, which as proposed by the WHO classification can be categorized as a mucinous variant of follicular adenoma. Retrospectively, frequent nuclear inclusions and the absence of nuclear grooves in the mucin-containing background of cytologic smears and histologic sections were shared by those of mucin-producing papillary carcinoma. It is unclear whether it belongs to an existing category of thyroid neoplasm with mucin production or whether it is truly a new tumor variant. Furthermore, pathologists should pay attention to avoid misdiagnosis of this variant of follicular neoplasm that shows an overlapping cytology with that of papillary carcinoma

Needle biopsies on autopsy prostates: sensitivity of cancer detection based on true prevalence

BACKGROUND: It is difficult to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of biopsy for prostate cancer because men with negative biopsy do not undergo radical prostatectomy and thus have no confirmation of biopsy findings. METHODS: We performed 18-core needle biopsies on autopsy prostates from 164 men who had no history of prostate cancer. Six-core biopsies were taken from each of the mid peripheral zone (MPZ), the lateral peripheral zone (LPZ), and the central zone (CZ). We tested associations between age and tumor characteristics and analyzed the sensitivity of biopsies at each site. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Prostate cancer was present in 47 (29%) prostates. Of the 47 cancers detected, 20 were clinically significant according to histologic criteria. Tumor volume was associated with tumor grade (P = .012) and with age (P<.001). The biopsies from the CZ did not detect any cancer that was not present in biopsies of either the MPZ or LPZ. The sensitivity of the biopsies taken from the MPZ and LPZ together (53%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 38% to 68%) was therefore the same as that of 18-core biopsies and was superior to that of biopsies of the MPZ alone (30%, 95% CI = 17% to 45%) (P = .003). The sensitivities of biopsies from the MPZ for clinically significant and insignificant cancer were 55% (95% CI = 32% to 77%) and 11% (95% CI = 2% to 29%), respectively, compared with 80% (95% CI = 56% to 94%) and 33% (95% CI = 17% to 54%) for those from the MPZ and LPZ combined. CONCLUSIONS: The ability to detect prostate cancer was more related to the biopsy site than to the number of biopsy cores taken. The 12-core biopsies, six cores each from the MPZ and LPZ, were most likely to detect the majority of clinically significant cancers but also detected many insignificant cancers. When the six-core biopsies from the CZ were added, no increase in sensitivity was observed

IgG4-related inflammatory pseudotumor of the central nervous system responsive to mycophenolate mofetil

Orbital apex and skull base masses often present with neuro-ophthalmic signs and symptoms. Though the localization of these syndromes and visualization of the responsible lesion on imaging is typically straightforward, definitive diagnosis usually relies on biopsy. Immunohistochemistry is important for categorization and treatment planning. IgG4 –related disease is emerging as a pathologically defined inflammatory process that can occur in multiple organ systems. We present two patients with extensive inflammatory mass lesions of the central nervous system with immunohistochemistry positive for IgG4 and negative for ALK-1 as examples of meningeal based IgG4-related inflammatory pseudotumors. In both patients, there was treatment response to mycophenolate mofetil

Association of <i>MnSOD</i> AA Genotype with the Progression of Prostate Cancer

<div><p>Purpose</p><p>To investigate whether manganese superoxide dismutase (<i>MnSOD)</i> genetic polymorphism is associated with the clinical significance of prostate cancer.</p><p>Materials and Methods</p><p>Prostates were obtained from 194 deceased men 45 years or older who did not have a history of prostate cancer. Serial sections and histological examinations of the prostate were performed. The <i>MnSOD</i> genotypes of the specimens were determined by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.</p><p>Results</p><p>Of the 194 men, 31 and 26 had clinically insignificant and significant prostate cancer. Clinically significant cancer comprised 29% and 58% of the cancers in men <70 and >70 years old, respectively. The age-specific proportion of significant cancer significantly increased with the advance of age (<i>p</i><0.001). <i>MnSOD</i> AA, as compared with the other genotypes (VA and VV together), was associated with significant prostate cancer across all ages, odds ratio (OR) 2.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99-5.49, and in men older than 69 years (OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.51-15.8), but not in men younger than 70 years. The genotype was not associated with clinically insignificant cancer regardless of age. The comparison between significant and insignificant cancer, the OR (95% CI) for <i>MnSOD</i> AA was 5.04 (1.05-24.2) (sensitivity 0.57, specificity 0.78, positive predictive value 0.78) in men older than 69 years.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p><i>MnSOD</i> polymorphism is strongly associated with the clinical significance of prostate cancer in men older than 69 years, but not in men younger than 70 years suggesting that oxidative stress may be involved in the progression of the disease. <i>MnSOD</i> may be a clinically useful marker to predict the potential of progression of prostate cancer.</p></div

Sensitivity, specificity and predictive value for <i>MnSOD</i> AA genotype for the differentiation of significant from insignificant PCa.

<p>Sensitivity, specificity and predictive value for <i>MnSOD</i> AA genotype for the differentiation of significant from insignificant PCa.</p