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G Collina

Publications and source records attributed to G Collina.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[Mature cystic teratoma of the ovary with a small ganglioneuroma].

A case of ganglioneuroma arising within a cystic mature teratoma of the ovary in a 34-year-old woman is reported. Patient underwent right adnexectomy. The ovary was completely replaced by a bilocular cystic lesion, measuring 8 cm in diameter and filled with adipose tissue and pilosebaceous material. Microscopically the cyst was composed by a mature cystic teratoma containing skin with dermal appendages, fatty tissue and bronchial epithelium. Furthermore a nodule (0.5 cm in size) composed of mature ganglion cells, axons and Schwann cells, was identified. Ganglion cells were positive for NSE and synaptophysin, while Schwann cells stained positively with S100 protein and GFAP. To the best of our knowledgment this is the first reported cases of ganglioneuroma arisen within a cystic mature teratoma of the ovary.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Quality control in pathological anatomy: 10 years' experience].

The quality assurance scheme in use at the Section of Anatomic Pathology of the University of Bologna-Bellaria Hospital is described. Since 1992 a quality assurance (QA) scheme has been set up in this Institution. The scheme and results have been reported in this same Journal previously 1-3: here are reported the changes to the scheme that have intervened in the last four years. All data collected from January 1999 to December 2002 have been reviewed for monitoring the laboratory performance. Emphasis has been given to changes that have been introduced recently to improve QA.

Autopsy↗
PubMed2002

Atypical cutaneous mycobacteriosis diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction.

Atypical mycobacteria are important human pathogens. Although they often cause systemic disease, mycobacterial infection may present solely as cutaneous lesions. It is not easy to detect nontuberculous mycobacteria by the traditional histochemical Ziehl-Neelsen stain, or by culture on specific media. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be used to identify nontuberculous mycobacteria in skin lesions. We report a 40-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman, both of whom were immunocompetent and kept fish, who had skin lesions on the backs of their right hands. Ziehl-Neelsen staining and culture on Lowenstein-Jensen media were negative. Mycobacterial DNA was detected by amplification of 16S ribosomal DNA. In both cases, PCR-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed a positive signal when probes for Mycobacterium (universal probe) and M. chelonae were used, and in one patient M. fortuitum was also discovered. Antibiotic therapy with clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily was begun. After 6 months of treatment, the skin lesions were cured.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Follicular baso-squamous melanocytic tumour of the skin.

AIMS: We describe a previously unrecognized pigmented tumour of the skin and suggest a possible relationship with the follicular bulb. METHODS AND RESULTS: A pigmented epithelial neoplasm clinically simulating a malignant melanoma of the skin was present in a 92-year-old woman, on her left leg. It was composed of three cell types: squamous cells with trichilemmal keratinization, basaloid cells and dendritic melanocytes. The presence of three cell types was confirmed by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The tumour showed differentiation towards the hair follicular bulb and the descriptive term of follicular baso-squamous melanocytic tumour is suggested.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum occurring in an HIV-positive Ghanaian immigrant to Italy. Identification of H. capsulatum DNA by PCR from paraffin sample.

Histoplasmosis, which is highly endemic in the United States, is rare in Europe, usually imported but sometimes autochthonous. In Africa, histoplasmosis capsulati coexists with "African histoplasmosis", a characteristic skin infection caused by H. capsulatum var. duboisii. Histoplamosis due to H. capsulatum is one of the 12 secondary infections listed in the surveillance definitions of AIDS. We report the case of a 36-year-old black man with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who was living in Italy but originally came from Ghana. Histoplasmosis was disseminated with fever and cutaneous manifestations. The diagnosis was demonstrated morphologically based on the presence of yeast, observed by light microscopy, in skin lesions and by identification of H. capsulatum var. capsulatum DNA by nested PCR from a paraffin sample. No clinical reports of histoplamosis capsulati in Ghana have been published until now. The present case stresses the role of immigration of subjects from outside Europe who have been infected in their native country.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2001

Gemcitabine-associated CD8+ CD30+ pseudolymphoma.

We describe a 69-year-old man with a non-small cell carcinoma of the lung, stage III B, who developed bilateral multiple erythematous lesions in the abdominal-inguinal area following treatment with gemcitabine. Histologically, the lesion was characterized by a heavy lymphocytic infiltrate with large CD30+ cells. The lesion was highly suggestive of cutaneous involvement by malignant lymphoma, but complete regression was observed after cessation of gemcitabine. Although rarely reported, gemcitabine therapy can induce skin lesions. Pathologists should be aware of this possibility in order to avoid a misdiagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

[Congenital fetal neuroblastoma].

Neuroblastoma are pediatric tumors of neural crest origin, most often localized in adrenal glands and infrequently congenital. We report two fetal cases found at autopsy, performed at 24 and 28 weeks of gestation, respectively. The 24 week old fetus did not show any malformation; systematic histological analysis found neuroblastoma cells in both the adrenal glands and the retroperitoneal fat tissue. The 28 week old fetus was hydropic and exhibited a nodule (3 cm) in the posterior mediastinum, next to the thoracic spinal cord. This tumor responded to a neuroblastoma associated with small metastatic foci in the adrenal glands, the liver and the frontal brain cortex. The placenta was abnormally heavy and showed hemorrhagic and necrotic areas. Microscopically plugged clumps of neuroblastoma cells were found inside fetal vessels. Immunohistochemistry was employed in both cases and the cells showed immunoreactivity for NSE, NB 84, chromogranin, synaptophysin and neurofilaments, while desmin, MIC 2, and protein S-100 were negative. Congenital neuroblastomas are rare and, to our knowledge this is the thirteenth report of congenital neuroblastoma associated with placental metastasis.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed2001

[Endocrine differentiation in basocellular carcinoma].

Three (propositus) cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) showing endocrine differentiation at the immunohistochemical level were studied using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to determine the presence of mRNA of chromogranin A. Moreover, 20 (consecutive) cases of BCC were studied with immunohistochemistry alone using chromogranin A, synaptophysin, S100 protein, cytokeratin 20, and neuron-specific enolase antibodies (NSE). The three propositus cases of BCC showed positive results when RT-PCR for mRNA of chromogranin A was performed. Eleven out of 20 consecutive cases of BCC were focally positive for chromogranin A antibody. These results confirm the presence of endocrine differentiation in BCC, demonstrated both with immunohistochemistry and with RT-PCR.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed2000

Adult rhabdomyoma: report of two cases of rhabdomyoma of the lip and of the eyelid.

We describe two cases of adult rhabdomyoma. One was located in the lip of a 66-year-old woman and was removed because it was clinically suspicious for infiltrating carcinoma. The other arose in the eyelid of a 60-year-old woman with a glass eye and was initially interpreted as a reactive process due to the prosthesis. Both lesions were composed of cells with oval nuclei and deeply eosinophilic cytoplasms with occasional cross striations. Immunoreactivity for desmin and myoglobin excluded the diagnosis of other tumors with similar morphology. The unusual association of the eyelid tumor with the prosthesis suggests a role for chronic irritation in the pathogenesis of rhabdomyoma.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Hyperkeratosis follicularis et parafollicularis in cutem penetrans (Kyrle's disease). Description of a case].

A case of hyperkeratosis follicularis et parafollicularis in cutem penetrans Kyrle's disease in a 41-year-old woman is described. It was a recurrence of a lesion surgically removed and originally diagnosed as invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Kyrle's disease is a rare dermatosis and should not be confused with neoplastic conditions i.e. squamous cell carcinoma. Pathologists should be aware of such conditions in order to avoid misdiagnosis, which can imply over treatment for the patient.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Actin-rich desmoplastic malignant melanoma: report of three cases.

We report three cases of desmoplastic malignant melanoma (DMM) rich in smooth muscle actin. They occurred in two men (Cases 1 and 3) and in one woman (Case 2). Cases 1 and 2 were recurrent lesions from common melanomas excised, respectively, 3 and 1 years previously. In Case 3, DMM was associated with lentigo maligna at the time of presentation. Morphologically, DMMs were composed of spindle neoplastic cells organized in haphazardly orientated long fascicles separated by collagen bundles. Perineural invasion was present and mitotic activity was prominent in all cases. The neoplastic spindle cells were intensely positive with S100 protein and smooth muscle actin antisera and negative with HMB45 and Melan-A (Mart-1) antibodies. Double staining for smooth muscle actin and S100 protein revealed no definite coexpression of the two antigens. Follow-up was available for patients 1 and 2 who had local recurrences and are still alive. It is possible that actin rich elements differentiate toward mesenchymal elements, paralleling the phenotypic changes seen in sarcomatoid carcinomas. Therefore, multidirectional differentiation may explain the mesenchymal (sarcomatoid) differentiation of neoplastic melanocytes and may be responsible for the different biologic behavior of DMMs, which is closer to mesenchymal tumors than to conventional melanomas.

Actins↗
PubMed1999

[Quality control of the "M. Malpighi" Anatomy, Histology, and Pathologic Cytology Section, Oncology Department, University of Bologna, Bellaria Hospital].

The quality control scheme in use at the Department of Anatomic Pathology of the University of Bologna-Bellaria Hospital Since 1993 a quality assurance (QA) scheme has been set up in our Department, modified from the protocol in use at the Department of Pathology of Yale University and published by J. Rosai in his textbook. A QA committee has been appointed and each member is responsible for a specific branch of the total workload; the areas involved are: 1. review of frozen section diagnoses with the final diagnoses 2. randomized review of biopsies (1:25) 3. quality control of cytological cases 4. quality control of specimen adequacy 5. quality control of immunohistochemistry and in situ Hybridization 6. quality control of the cytogenetics laboratory 7. quality control of autopsies All data collected from january 1996 to february 1999 have been reviewed and analyzed in order to provide references for other laboratories and for the purpose of monitoring our laboratory' performance.

Hospitals, University↗
PubMed1998

Merkel cell differentiation in trichoblastoma.

Four cases of trichoblastoma rich in Merkel cells (MCs) are reported. They occurred in two men and two women, with ages ranging from 58 to 76 years (mean 67.5 years). MCs were detected immunohistochemically with antibodies to keratin 20, chromogranin A and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). In an attempt at better definition of the nature and role of MCs in trichoblastoma, the distribution of MCs in normal adult and fetal skins obtained at autopsy was studied. In addition, ten cases of sebaceous naevus of Jadassohn (NSJ) were evaluated along similar lines. MCs made up 2-20% of the tumour cells in trichoblastomas; they were present in normal fetal skin and were rare in normal adult skin. All but one of the cases of NSJ showed numerous positive cells in the epidermal component of the lesion with all three antibodies. Six basal cell carcinomas and one syringocystadenoma papilliferum associated with NSJ were negative with keratin 20, chromogranin A and NSE antibodies, whereas a minute trichoblastoma arising against the same background was positive for these markers. Hair follicle cell tumours may recapitulate the skin embryogenesis, as numerous MCs are present in fetal follicles, but only occasional such cells are seen in adult skin.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

[Malignant melanoma with pseudoepitheliomatous reaction marker. A case report].

Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia or pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia (PEH) is characterized by a downward expansion of the epidermis, which can simulate a squamous cell carcinoma (SC). It is usually associated to chronic inflammatory conditions, but rarely it can hide a tumour. In the present paper a case of melanoma (M) associated with a prominent PEH is described. The patient is a 79-year old woman who presented a polypoid, ulcerated lesion of the left thigh. The lesion was entirely removed. The patient is free of disease 5-years after surgery. On histology, the malignant melanomatous proliferation was closely admixed to sheets of squamous cells. The possibility of SC was excluded as the squamous component did not show architectural disarray, prominent nucleoli and atypical mitoses. Siringomatous metaplasia was observed in the deeper portion of the lesion. On the basis of these findings the diagnosis of melanoma (M) associated to prominent PEH was considered the most likely.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Atypical dermal nodules in benign melanocytic naevi.

AIMS: The prognosis of deeply invasive melanoma can be poor and to a large extent it is unresponsive to treatment once metastases have occurred. It is therefore important that any dermal melanocytic lesions that have some features suggestive of melanoma but are nevertheless benign, should be identified. METHODS AND RESULTS: A series of 40 benign melanocytic naevi is described in which the clinical presenting feature was a central focus of increased pigmentation. This was found histologically to correspond to dermal nodules of large melanocytes showing some, usually mild, nuclear atypia but low indices of cellular proliferation. The nodules are found within otherwise typical melanocytic naevi. The clinical and histological differential diagnosis included invasive melanoma but in follow-up, which is admittedly short (mean 24 months), none have recurred or metastasized. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the nodules represent terminal differentiation of melanocytes rather than proliferative changes. They should be distinguished from melanoma and regarded as a variant of benign melanocytic naevi.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Syringoid eccrine carcinoma: a case report.

We report a case of syringoid eccrine carcinoma, a rare syringomatous tumor of the skin, occurring in a 70-year-old woman. Histological and immunohistochemical criteria are given to differentiate this neoplasm from other primary carcinomas of the skin as well as from skin metastases of internal malignancies.

Aged↗