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Biomedical subjects

A Assi

Publications and source records attributed to A Assi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Occult sporadic medullary microcarcinoma with lymph node metastases.

A sporadic form of medullary occult microcarcinoma was cytologically diagnosed, by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), on metastatic cervical lymph nodes. The cytologic specimens were partially smeared and partially zinc-formalin-fixed, so that a microinclusion clot for immunohistochemical studies would be possible. The reactivity to calcitonin of neoplastic cells obtained from metastatic cervical lymph nodes supported the search for a thyroid tumor, which only a careful echographic study revealed. Under sonographic guidance, FNAB on a 0.5-cm hypoechoid nodule was performed. The smears were diagnostic of medullary carcinoma. A total thyroidectomy with node dissection was made. Diagn. Cytopathol. 1999;21:203-206.

Biopsy, Needle

Estimation of the retinal nerve fibre layer thickness in the papillomacular area of long standing stage IV macular holes.

AIM: To compare the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in the papillomacular area of patients with long standing stage IV macular holes with age matched controls, using a scanning laser polarimeter. METHODS: The nerve fibre analyser (NFA) was used to measure the mean thickness of the RNFL around the optic nerve head, the thickness values of temporal and nasal 45 degrees sectors and the integral values in 10 patients with macular holes and in 10 age matched controls. RESULTS: The mean RNFL thickness around the optic nerve head was 79.71 (SD 15.06) microm in the macular hole group and 75.1 (10.8) microm in the control group (p = 0.44). The mean thickness in the temporal sector was 63.69 (12.08) microm in the macular hole group and 58.65 (8.9) microm in the control group (p = 0.3). The mean ratio between the temporal and nasal sector thickness values was 0.8441 in the macular hole group and 0.7819 in the controls (p = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the thickness of the RNFL in the papillomacular area in the two groups. This suggests that there may be no changes in the thickness of the RNFL in patients with long standing macular holes.

Adult

[Renal hydatid cyst: cytological diagnosis using fine needle biopsy (FNA)].

We report the case of a 21 years old man with renal cholics in whom the diagnosis of renal hydatid disease was established by FNA. Considering the high risk of anaphylactic shock reactions and dissemination of daughter cysts, the use of FNA for the diagnosis of hydatid disease has to be limited to unexpected cases with unusual primary localization.

Adult

Cyclic presentation of central macular oedema.

We present the case of a young lady with unilateral pars planitis and associated cystoid macular oedema in whom visual symptoms fluctuated regularly during successive menstrual cycles. To date no such presentation of central macular oedema has been reported in the literature.

Adult

Functional hemianopias on Humphrey visual field analysis.

We report two cases of uniocular hemianopia that we first detected on Humphrey visual field analysis, with one patient having additional constriction of his peripheral visual fields bilaterally. These field defects were confirmed to be functional in nature after characteristic changes on Goldmann perimetry and spontaneous improvement towards normal. This type of functional field loss is rare and the unusual pattern on computerised perimetry should be recognised for managing the patient appropriately.

Adult

Melanotic schwannoma of the sympathetic ganglia: a histologic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study.

We describe the case of a 46-year-old male patient who presented with pain in the left thigh, often accompanied by lumbar pain. These symptoms were sustained by a neoplasm, which was located in the sympathetic ganglia, at the level of the 3rd left lumbar spinal root and which was completely excised. Immunohistochemical positivity for S100, HMB45, and NSE antibodies suggested that the lesion was a melanotic schwannoma (MS), with both schwannian and melanocytic differentiations, the latter containing melanosomes at ultrastructural examination. Non-recurrence after 16 months of follow-up further supports our diagnosis of MS.

Ganglia, Sympathetic

[Renal oncocytoma in the single kidney after previous surgery of renal carcinoma. Apropos of 2 cases].

Renal oncocytoma is a neoplasm which rarely occurs in patients with solitary kidney, the other being absent because of a previous nephrectomy performed for renal cancer. We present two case reports and a literature review. We have studied some important problems such as the histogenesis, the potential for malignancy, the diagnosis, the treatment and the follow up. The high incidence of coexistence of renal oncocytoma and renal cell carcinoma has important clinical implications. We would like to emphasize the importance of preoperatory FNAB, nephron sparing surgery and very careful follow up.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell

[Papillary cystadenoma of the epididymis. 2 case reports].

Tumors of the epididymis are very rare. They are benign tumors in 75 per cent of the cases. Papillary cystadenoma represents 4-9 per cent of epididymal benign tumors. Often associated with the syndrome of von Hippel Lindau and infertility, histologically it can be confused with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We report two cases of papillary cystadenoma located in the head of the right epididymis, with no concomitance with the syndrome of von Hippel Lindau, cured by the removal of the neoplastic nodule. There was no recidivation, in confirmation of the neoplastic benignity.

Adult

Multivariate analysis of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. Prognostic significance and impact on treatment of clinical and pathologic variables.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of the histologic and clinical features of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and their impact on therapy and outcome have been evaluated infrequently in the same series. METHODS: Fifty-tree patients with MTC (32 females, 21 males; 44 sporadic, 9 familial MTC [4 families]; mean age: 46.11 +/- 14.04 years) who were operated on consecutively between 1970 and 1992 were studied. All pathology slides were reviewed. Patients were followed with clinical examination, serum calcitonin (CT), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay, and imaging procedures (median follow-up: 4 years; mean: 5.66 +/- 4.85 years; range: 0-19 years). Impact on survival was evaluated with Kaplan-Meier survival curves compared with the log rank test for these variables: familiarity, sex, age, pT, N, M, stage, histotype, necrosis, calcitonin, gene-related peptide (CGRP), CT, CEA, thyroglobulin, chromogranin A, chromogranin A PHE5, neuron-specific enolase, amyloid, argyrophilia, synaptophysin Y38, external radiotherapy, chemotherapy, 131I therapy, postsurgical serum CT, and postsurgical serum CEA, Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox's proportional hazards model for statistically significant factors (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Ten- and 15-year cause-specific survival were 71% and 54%. Nineteen patients (35.8%) appeared to be cured and 8 (15.1%) were alive with high serum CT levels but no proven metastases. Eight recurrences as distant sites and four at the cervical region were diagnosed. Stage M, N, necrosis, and postsurgical CT and CGRP were significant prognostic factors for survival by univariate analysis, but only the stage was significant by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Stage and postsurgical serum CT level are the most powerful and the most useful prognostic factors for MTC, while survival did not correlated significantly with the majority of available immunohistochemical markers.

Adult

Parasitic nodule of the right carotid triangle.

We present the case of a woman in whom intraoperatory examination of a laterocervical mass in the right carotid triangle (thought to be a glomus tumor) disclosed thyroid tissue. Although the overwhelming majority of cases of "thyroid parenchyma in the laterocervical region" represent a lymph node metastasis from a primary occult thyroid carcinoma, the rare occurrence of a parasitic nodule, as in our case, must be considered.

Adult

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the colon. Report of the second case with immunohistochemical study.

Sarcomatoid Carcinomas are rare tumors composed of mixed malignant epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Only one case is reported in the colon, up to date. We describe the second case in an 86-year-old woman. The tumor, replacing the intestinal wall, consisted of carcinomatous and sarcomatous areas. The former was composed of differentiated superficial adenocarcinoma and of infiltrating epithelioid undifferentiated solid portion. The latter was mostly composed of undifferentiated spindle cells with focal chondrosarcomatous and pleomorphic anaplastic areas. A strong Cytocheratin (CK) and Epithelial Membrane Antigen (EMA) immunoreactivity (IR) with focal CA 125 positivity was detected in differentiated adenocarcinomatous areas. Solid carcinoma-like areas coexpressed CK and Vimentin (VIM). The sarcomatous spindle-cell component of the tumor was largely VIM positive, with focal CK IR. Both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies for Carcino-Embryonic Antigen (CEA) did not display any reaction.

Aged