Endometrial Stromal Nodule: Report of a Case

Endometrial stromal nodule (ESN) is the least common of the endometrial stromal tumors. They are rare neoplasms which are diagnosed in most instances by light microscopy. Although such nodules are benign, hysterectomy has been considered the treatment of choice to determine the margins of the tumor required for diagnosis and to differentiate it from invasive stromal sarcoma Whose prognosis is totally different. We report a case of a 45 years old woman, with presurgical diagnosis of adnexal mass or uterine tumor. She underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy. Pathologic examination revealed an endometrial stromal nodule. Through this observation, we insist on the fact that the ESNs are rare and benign entities which must be differentiated from the other invasive malignant stromal tumors; this can change the final prognosis

Primary hepatoid carcinoma of the ovary: A case report

Primary hepatoid carcinoma of the ovary (HCO) is a very rare type of high-grade invasive malignant ovarian tumor with hepatic differentiation and production of á-fetoprotein (AFP). We describe a 78-year-old Moroccan woman who presented to our hospital with abdominal distension andpurplish nodules infiltrating the para umbilical skin with weight loss and impairment of her performance status. Excisional biopsy of the paraumbilical nodule revealed a cutaneous localization of moderately   differentiated adenocarcinoma and pelvic ultrasonography noted the presence of a tumoral right adnexal mass. The patient underwent an exploratory laparoscopy which found peritoneal carcinomatosis with pelvic adhesions allowing only a peritoneal biopsy. Diagnosis of primary hepatoid carcinoma of the ovary was established on the basis of classic   histopathologic findings, immunohistochemical staining and marked elevation in serum of á-fetoprotein more than the carbohydrate antigen 125. The patient received 3 cycles of chemotherapy based on Carboplatin and Paclitaxel with disease progression. No second line chemotherapy was given because of the drop of patient's performance status to 3. The patient died one month later

Impact of intercurrent introduction of steroids on clinical outcomes in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (Nsclc) patients under immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ici)

Background: Baseline steroids before ICI have been associated with poor outcomes, particularly when introduced due to cancer symptoms. Methods: Retrospective analysis of advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICI. We collected the use of intercurrent steroids (≥10 mg of prednisone-equivalent) within the first eight weeks of ICI. We correlated steroid use with patient outcomes according to the indications. Results: 413 patients received ICI, 299 were steroids-naïve at baseline. A total of 49 patients received intercurrent steroids (16%), of whom 38 for cancer-related symptoms and 11 for other indications, such as immune-related events. Overall, median (m) progression-free survival (PFS) was 1.9 months (mo.) [95% CI, 1.8-2.4] and overall survival (OS) 10 mo. [95% CI, 8.1–12.9]. Intercurrent steroids under ICI correlated with a shorter PFS/OS (1.3 and 2.3 mo. respectively, both p < 0.0001). Intercurrent steroids for cancer-related symptoms correlated with poorest mPFS [1.1 mo.; 95% CI, 0.9–1.5] and mOS [1.9 mo.; 95%CI, 1.5–2.4; p < 0.0001)]. No mOS and mPFS differences were found between cancer-unrelated-steroid group and no-steroid group. Steroid use for cancer-related symptoms was an independent prognostic factor for poor PFS [HR 2.64; 95% CI, 1.2–5.6] and OS [HR 4.53; 95% CI, 1.8–11.1], both p < 0.0001. Conclusion: Intercurrent steroids during ICI had no detrimental prognostic impact if the indication was unrelated to cancer symptoms

Composition chimique et activité antimicrobienne des huiles essentielles de Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut. et Thymus ciliatus (Desf.) Benth. du Maroc

Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut. and Thymus ciliatus (Desf.) Benth. essential oils of Morocco. The aim of this work is to study the chemical composition and antibacterial and antifungal activity of essential oils of Thymus algeriensis Boiss. & Reut. and Thymus ciliatus (Desf.) Benth. of Morocco against seven microorganisms. The essential oils of T. ciliatus are characterized by the presence of thymol (44.2%), β-E-ocimene (25.8%) and α-terpinene (12.3%) as principal chemical components. The essential oils of T. algeriensis are formed mainly by camphor (27.7%) and α-pinene (20.5%). The oil of T. ciliatus showed a strong antibacterial and antifungal activity against all tested bacteria and fungi. This bioactivity is due mainly to the richness of this essential oil in thymol known for its effectiveness against the microbial agents

Dietary Supplementation of Calcium may Counteract Obesity in Mice Mediated by Changes in Plasma Fatty Acids

The scope of this study was to assess the impact of calcium and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on plasma fatty acid profiles and to evaluate potential synergistic effects of both compounds against dietary obesity. Mice separated into five experimental groups were followed: control (C), high-fat diet (HF), HF with calcium (Ca), HF plus CLA and HF with both Ca and CLA. Plasma metabolites and fatty acids were determined by commercial kits and gas chromatography, respectively. Both dietary calcium and CLA supplementation contributed to lower body fat gain under a HF diet. Maximum efficacy was seen with calcium; no additional effect was associated with the combined treatment with CLA. Plasma leptin, adiponectin and HOMA index were in accordance with an altered glucose/insulin homeostasis in the HF and HF + CLA groups, whereas control levels were attained under Ca-enriched diets. Plasma fatty acids showed minor changes associated to CLA treatment, but a high impact on PUFA was observed under Ca-enriched diets. Our results show that the mechanism underlying the anti-obesity effects of calcium supplementation is mediated mainly by changes in PUFA plasma profile. In addition, the lack of synergy on body weight reduction in combination with associated lipid profiles of calcium and CLA suggests that calcium may interfere with absorption and/or bioactivity of CLA, which can be of relevance when using CLA-fortified dairy products against human obesity

Activité antifongique des huiles essentielles de Thymus bleicherianus Pomel et Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm. & Link contre les champignons de pourriture du bois d'oeuvre

Antifungal activity of the Thymus bleicherianus Pomel and Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm. & Link essential oils againstwood-decay fungi. Essential oils and their constituents have a long history of applications as antimicrobial agents, but theiruse as wood preservatives has rarely been reported. This study deals with the antifungal activity of two medicinal and aromaticplants essential oils of the Moroccan flora against four wood-decay fungi, in order to find new bioactive natural products. Thechemical composition of essential oils extracted by hydrodistillation from the aerial parts of Thymus bleicherianus Pomel andThymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm. & Link was analyzed by GC and GC-MS. The major components of T. bleicherianus oil wereα-terpinene (42.2%) and thymol (23.9%). Carvacrol (70.92%) was the predominant constituent in the essence of T. capitatus.Minimal inhibitory concentrations of the essential oils added to malt agar medium in defined concentrations were determinedby a screening test with the agar dilution method. The oils, object of the survey, showed a strong antifungal activity againstall tested fungi

A Case of a Metastatic Disease to the Pancreas from a Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Documented by a CT-Scan-Guided Trucut Biopsy: The Diagnostic Role of Cytomorphology and Immunohistochemistry

Unlike primary pancreatic carcinoma, metastatic lesions of the pancreas are uncommon and account for approximately 2% of pancreatic malignancies. Small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) represents a group of highly malignant tumors giving rise to early and widespread metastasis at the time of diagnosis. However, the pancreas is a relatively infrequent site of metastasis by this neoplasm, and reports on metastatic small-cell carcinoma (SCC) in the pancreas, either of pulmonary or extrapulmonary origin, to be diagnosed by CT-scan-guided trucut biopsy (CT-TCB) are very rare. A 56-year-old man presented with a laterocervical lymphadenopathy associated to a mixed-density lung mass and a mass in the pancreatic body. CT-TCB slides from the pancreatic mass contained small, round tumor cells with extensive nuclear molding. The cytomorphological and histological diagnosis was metastatic SCC. Immunocytochemical staining showed that a variable number of neoplastic cells were positive for cytokeratin 7, TTF1, chromogranin A, and synaptophysin but negative for leukocyte common antigen and cytokeratin 20 with a very high expression of KI67. The transbronchial needle biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of an SCC. This case represents a rare metastatic lesion in the pancreas from SCLC, diagnosed by CT-TCB histological and immunohistochemical studies