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Biomedical subjects

G Cenacchi

Publications and source records attributed to G Cenacchi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Hypertrophic inflammatory neuropathy involving bilateral brachial plexus.

BACKGROUND: The present case is an example of hypertrophic inflammatory neuropathy (HIN). This entity is a rare tumor-like, chronic inflammatory, focal or multifocal, mainly demyelinating neuropathy of unknown origin, most frequently involving the brachial plexus. CASE DESCRIPTION: The authors describe a 67-year-old man presenting with a nodular mass in his right supraclavicular fossa. A nodular mass grossly resembling a schwannoma originating from a single nerve fascicle was surgically removed from the right C6 spinal nerve. Histologically, endoneurial edema, fibrosis, focal chronic inflammation, and extensive "onion bulb" formation were seen. Electron microscopy studies and immunohistochemistry proved that the onion bulb-forming cells were schwannian in nature and that the whorls of onion bulbs surrounded a generally demyelinated axon. Three months following surgery the patient developed acute painless paralysis of his right biceps brachii muscle that rapidly reversed; after that he remained neurologically asymptomatic. MRI revealed multiple fusiform mass lesions involving the brachial plexus bilaterally. Electrophysiologic studies demonstrated a bilateral, asymmetrical, mainly demyelinating neuropathy involving the brachial plexus; they failed to reveal any abnormality suggestive of generalized neuropathy. CONCLUSION: HIN is different from other focal tumor-like neuropathies and in particular from localized hypertrophic neuropathy (LHN).

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Oncocytic and granular cell neoplasms of the central nervous system and pituitary gland.

Oncocytic transformation is an infrequent event within the central nervous system and is limited to neoplasms of the choroid plexus, meninges, and pituitary gland. Oncocytic modifications in choroid plexus tumors seem to occur predominantly in adult patients and in the fourth ventricle and do not seem to reflect any particular biological behavior. Meningiomas showing oncocytic differentiation have been recently described and this variant probably behaves more aggressively. Pituitary oncocytomas are regarded as a subtype of null cell adenomas. Oncocytic tumors have a significantly higher risk of progression with a higher recurrence rate after radiotherapy. Oncocytic changes in astrocytic neoplasms are rare. More frequently, astrocytomas can show granular changes that result in neoplasms composed of cells with granular cytoplasm and eccentric nuclei resembling foamy macrophages. Granular cell astrocytomas may mimic non-neoplastic lesions such as cerebral infarction and demyelinating disease. Cells with granular bodies are frequent in pilocytic astrocytoma, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, and ganglion cell tumors. Their presence is considered a useful diagnostic finding to distinguish these low-grade lesions from malignant gliomas. A rare neoplasm is the granular cell tumor of the infundibulum that, when symptomatic, has to be differentiated from pituitary adenomas and other more common lesions of the sellar region.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1999

Malignant large cell calcifying Sertoli cell tumor of the testis (LCCSCTT). Report of a case in an elderly man and review of the literature.

Malignant Large Cell Calcifying Sertoli Cell Tumor of the Testis (LCCSCTT) is a rare histological variant of sex cordstromal tumors. It usually arises in young males, sometimes is associated with endocrine abnormalities and has a benign course. It is exceptional in elderly men and the outcome is rarely fatal. We report a case of LCCSCTT in a 73 year-old man with fatal outcome. The tumor involved the right testis and several areas of the tunica albuginea were grossly invaded. Serum levels of HCG, LH and testosterone were normal. Lymphoangiography performed after orchiectomy showed an involvement of the iliac and preaortic lymph nodes. X-ray of the chest showed no lung metastases. A thorough study of the light microscopic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural appearances was performed. Immunohistochemistry revealed positivity to vimentin, S-100 and NSE. Our observations confirm the previous findings concerning malignant LCCSCTT and point out the histogenesis of the tumor from Sertoli cells.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1998

Primary endocervical extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma/PNET.

A 36-year-old woman presented with intermenstrual spotting and was found to have a cystic mass involving the uterine cervix on a pelvic ultrasound examination. A necrotic and hemorrhagic tumor was excised by hysterectomy and processed for light and electron microscopic investigation and molecular analysis. Microscopic examination revealed a small round cell tumor that immunohistochemical studies (including staining for the highly restricted surface antigen p30/32MIC2) and ultrastructural studies indicated was an extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma (EES)/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). This diagnosis was established by detection of EWS/ERG fusion transcript through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with nested primers. Full body computed tomography failed to detect any extrauterine tumor, and the patient is clinically free of disease 18 months after hysterectomy. This case represents the first report of a primary EES/PNET arising in the uterine cervix.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Nonrandom gain of chromosome 7 in central neurocytoma: a chromosomal analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization study.

Central neurocytoma is a benign, slow-growing neoplasm with favourable prognosis. Biomolecular analysis has failed to demonstrate significant alterations, and no cytogenetic alterations have been reported. In this study we demonstrate chromosome 7 gain in three of nine neurocytomas (33%). Traditional cytogenetic analysis performed in four of the nine cases identified trisomy 7 as the sole chromosomal abnormality in one case. Interphase cytogenetics utilizing fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on cell suspensions from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour tissue performed in all nine cases detected trisomy 7 in two more cases and tetrasomy in another. Our results suggest that chromosome 7 gain is a feature of neuroectodermal tumorigenesis, possibly conferring growth advantage on the neoplastic cells. FISH on interphase nuclei is a valuable adjunct in the genetic evaluation of rare central nervous system neoplasms with low baseline proliferative activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

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↗
PubMed1997

Extraventricular neoplasms with neurocytoma features. A clinicopathological study of 11 cases.

The clinicopathological features of a series of neuronal and mixed neuronal and astrocytic neoplasms of the CNS are described. Patients were aged 5 to 63 years. Six cases were composed predominantly of small round cells with clear cytoplasm resembling central neurocytoma but lacked the characteristic intraventricular location of that tumor. The remaining five cases had similar neurocytomatous features associated with a benign astrocytic component. Ganglion cells and hyalinization vessels were observed in both groups. The growth fraction evaluated with monoclonal antibody Ki67Mib1 was low, ranging from 1 to 1.5%. Immunohistochemical detection of synaptophysin played a crucial role in identifying the neuronal nature of these neoplasms and was instrumental in distinguishing them from oligodendrogliomas, with which they are readily confused. The neuronal nature of the oligodendroglial-like cells was confirmed ultrastructurally in one case. The present cases, together with others reported previously, suggest that neoplasms of the CNS with "neurocytic" components are more frequent than generally assumed and expand the morphologic spectrum of neuronal and mixed neuronal-glial tumors. Except for one patient who died postoperatively, all patients were alive at follow-up ranging from 6 to 80 months.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Leiomyosarcoma of the pulmonary vein: case report with immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings.

We report a case of neoplasia of pulmonary vein in a 45-year-old woman who presented with increasing dyspnea. As a consequence, the neoplasia filled the entire left atrium and appeared to be attached to the left superior pulmonary vein on surgical excision. Histologically, it was composed of a proliferation of sarcomatous cells, with a high mitotic rate and diffuse immunohistochemical positivity for smooth muscle actin, consistent with a leiomyosarcoma. The microscopic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural findings are discussed.

Female↗
PubMed1996

Medullocytoma (lipidized medulloblastoma). A cerebellar neoplasm of adults with favorable prognosis.

This study describes three cases of neuroectodermal cerebellar neoplasms occurring in adults, characterized by a monomorphic population of round cells with scanty cytoplasm and focal areas of lipid accumulation. Astrocytic and neuronal differentiation was confirmed in these cells by glial fibrillary acidic protein and synaptophysin immunoreactivity. Electron microscopy performed in two cases showed neuritic processes, synapses, and dense-core granules. Patients included two men and one woman, and the age at diagnosis was 36, 37, and 57 years, respectively. Two patients refused any postoperative treatment. One of these had two surgically removed recurrences after 10 and 11 years and died postoperatively from intracranial hemorrhage. The second had two recurrences after 10 and 15 years and is alive and in good health at the last follow-up. The third patient received postoperative radiotherapy and is alive and well after 2 years. Review of the literature revealed seven cases of cerebellar neoplasms with histological features similar to those observed in our series. These lesions have been considered a variant of medulloblastomas. The age of patients ranged from 42 to 77 years (mean age, 51 years); four were women, 3 men. Follow-up information available in two cases indicates a 5-year survival with surgery alone. These data indicate that these cerebellar neuroectodermal neoplasms have morphologically unique features and indolent biologic behavior that distinguish them from the highly aggressive medulloblastoma; the term medullocytoma for this form is suggested.

Adipocytes↗
PubMed1995

In vitro infection of human epidermal Langerhans' cells with HIV-1.

Epidermal Langerhans' cells (LC) from human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1)-infected patients harbour HIV-1 proviral DNA and RNA. In the present study, we investigated whether LC from epidermis of normal, HIV-seronegative subjects could be infected in vitro with HIV-1. Epidermal cells (EC) spontaneously detached from epidermal sheet cultures were enriched for LC (10-25% of CD1a+/CD4+ cells), deprived of contaminating T cells and then incubated with HIV-1IIIB. After 24 hr, purified LC and LC-depleted EC fractions were obtained by immunomagnetic separation. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed the presence of HIV-1 proviral DNA (gag) only in purified LC. In addition, LC-enriched EC, purified LC, LC-depleted EC or the non-permissive cell line, TF-1, the latter having being previously challenged with HIV-1IIIB for the same length of time as the EC, were co-cultivated with C8166 cells, and the co-cultures assessed for the presence of HIV DNA by PCR. Co-cultures of C8166 cells with purified LC or LC-enriched EC previously exposed to HIV-1IIIB exhibited a time-dependent increase in HIV proviral DNA. In contrast, PCR analysis of C8166 cells co-cultured with either LC-depleted EC or TF-1 cells gave negative results. Finally, C8166 cells co-cultured with HIV-infected LC formed syncytia, showed membrane budding and released numerous retroviral particles. The results indicate that LC from normal subjects can be infected in vitro with HIV and can transmit infection to myeloid cells. This in vitro model may help in understanding the regulation of HIV infection of LC.

Cell Movement↗
PubMed1995

The morphology of elastin in non-specific and inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms. A comparative transmission, scanning and immunoelectronmicroscopy study.

The maintenance of the mechanical properties of the vessels results from the correct arrangement of smooth muscle cells and extracellular fibrous proteins (elastin and collagen) in their wall. The morphology of extracellular matrix modifications, particularly of elastin, was investigated in inflammatory (IA) and non specific (NSA) abdominal aortic aneurysms by scanning (SEM), transmission (TEM) and immunoelectron microscopy. Both NSAs and IAs were significantly characterized by extensive extracellular matrix remodelling, including different patterns of elastin degradation. Elastic and collagen fibres distribution appeared to be extensively altered in IAs, while it conformed more to a normal pattern in NSAs. With respect to NSAs, the morphology of elastic fibres in IAs was modified to such an extent that their identification by TEM had a rely on immunocytochemical methods and by SEM on back-scattered electron analysis. The observed ultrastructural changes are indicative of the central role of extracellular matrix modifications in the pathogenesis of IAs and NSAs.

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal↗
PubMed1994

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy with ataxia and late onset.

We report two brothers affected by a dominantly inherited form of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN), characterized by clinical features of sensory ataxia, and by late onset in the 6th decade. Sural nerve biopsy in the proband showed almost complete loss of myelinated fibers, and relative sparing of unmyelinated fibers. This family showed an atypical presentation of HSAN, which is usually characterized by acrodystrophic manifestations of infantile or juvenile onset. Although a few reports of HSAN presenting with late onset and/or ataxia appeared, this is the first report of a family with dominant HSAN characterized by late onset sensory ataxia.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Peripheral neuropathy associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Clinical and electrophysiological signs of peripheral neuropathy were found in 10 of 46 patients (21.7%) with primary Sjögren's syndrome, symmetric polyneuropathy in seven (mainly sensory in five, mainly autonomic in two), sensory neuronopathy in two patients, and mononeuropathy multiplex in one patient. Peripheral neuropathy was the presenting manifestation in five patients (10.9%). Onset of the disease after 50 years was significantly more common in the polyneuropathy group (six of seven) than in non-neuropathic patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (14 of 36; p = 0.034). No other difference in clinical or laboratory variables between neuropathic and non-neuropathic patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome was found. Neurophysiological study showed variable findings predominantly suggesting an axonopathy. Nerve biopsy showed moderate remyelination and regeneration in four patients, and fibre loss, mainly of large size, in three. Necrotising vasculitis was not seen but alterations of the endoneurial microvessels were prominent.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

A new polychrome stain and simultaneous methods of histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical stainings performed on semithin sections of Bioacryl-embedded human tissues.

We describe a new polychrome stain and simultaneous methods of histological, histochemical and immunocytochemical staining performed on sections from human tissues embedded in the new hydrophilic resin Bioacryl. The polychrome stain involves the sequential use of Harris' Haematoxylin, silver methenamine, Light Green and Eosin or Safranin dyes and provides a highly specific visualization of the overall cytological tissue architecture. When histochemical, immunocytochemical, and polychrome stains are performed together on the same section, crisp images are obtained, yielding simultaneous data of histochemical and immunological reactivities with clear tissue architecture.

Acrylic Resins↗
PubMed1993

Content and turnover of extracellular matrix protein in human "nonspecific" and inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Inflammatory aneurysms (IAs) have peculiar macroscopic and histological aspects which make them very different from nonspecific aneurysms (NSAs). These morphological differences seem to be determined by significant modifications of the extracellular matrix. Extracellular matrix protein component concentrations were determined biochemically in infrarenal aortic biopsies from 10 NSAs, five IAs and five non-aneurysmal aortic controls. The concentration of each wall component was expressed in % w/w (relative concentration) and in mg/wall longitudinal cm (absolute concentration) with reference to total protein recovered after hydrolysis and amino acid analysis. The biochemical results were correlated with the histological and ultrastructural features of the specimens. A significant increase in total collagen was observed in the two groups of aneurysms, with respect to the controls (NSA = 285%, IA = 382%). In contrast the 80-90% decrease in the relative concentration of elastin observed in both types of aneurysm was less marked (NSA = 55%, IA = 39%). This fall was not significant when expressed in mg/cm, although elastin derived peptide (EDP) levels in the plasma of these patients was significantly higher than in age-matched controls. The concentration of the soluble collagen fraction appeared significantly higher (Mann-Whitney, p < 0.05) in the IAs with respect to the NSAs, whilst no differences were observed between the two groups regarding the concentration of insoluble elastin and of wall and plasma EDPs. As well as providing evidence of increased elastin turnover, this study emphasises the conspicuous modifications of collagen deposition in the wall of abdominal aortic aneurysms which appeared more marked in the inflammatory group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗