Heterotopic ossification following biopsy--a sheep in wolf's clothing.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Leader.
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The DNA content of 168 consecutive T3,N0,M0 (Dukes' B, Astler-Coller B2) colorectal cancers was studied using image analysis on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. 72 cases (43%) were classified as diploid and the remaining 96 (57%) as non-diploid. After a median follow-up period of 6.7 years, a significant survival advantage was found for diploid compared with non-diploid cases (logrank test; P = 0.008). The long-term (8 year) survival rate was 70% for diploid and 46% for non-diploid tumours. Subgroup analysis showed that the survival advantage conferred by tumour diploidy was greatest in large (> or = 5 cm) cancers and was found both in colonic and rectal cancer cases. These data indicate that tumour ploidy status measured by image analysis might be useful in determining risk of colorectal cancer recurrence and death in patients following resection of early colorectal cancer.
We report a case of primary chondroblastoma presenting as a submucosal lump on the nasal bridge of a 15-year-old female. The lesion was curetted and the patient remains well after one year follow-up. This case report describes a primary chondroblastoma arising in an unusual site and in an unusual age group.
Hepatitis C virus has been implicated as a major precipitating factor in porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). To determine whether hepatitis C infection alone is sufficient to induce PCT, we screened two groups of patients with hepatitis C infection. The first group comprised women who had become HCV positive secondary to immunization with anti-D immunoglobulin (group 1). Group 2 included males and females who were HCV positive but HIV negative secondary to intravenous drug abuse. Though both groups had very abnormal liver function tests, we found no significant abnormalities in porphyrin metabolism in these groups of patients. Therefore, in this study population, we conclude that HCV infection alone is insufficient to cause porphyrin metabolic derangement.
AIMS: To compare differences in cell proliferation indexes and apoptotic indexes between cutaneous basal and squamous cell carcinomas, in an attempt to suggest an explanation for the differences in their biological behaviour. METHODS: Forty cases of cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 40 cases of moderately and well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were retrieved from the archives. Sections, 4 microns thick, were cut from formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded tissue in each case and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. These were then examined for mitotic and apoptotic figures per 1000 cells. Sections from the same cases were also immunostained with the mouse monoclonal antibody Ki67 (MIB1); positive nuclear staining was counted per 1000 cells. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the mitotic indexes and apoptotic indexes in these tumours. There was, however, a significant difference in Ki67 (MIB1) staining, with greater staining in the squamous cell carcinomas. CONCLUSION: Estimation of the mitotic and apoptotic indexes did not reveal any differences between these two tumour types. The proliferation indexes, assessed by Ki67 immunostaining, did differ. This may be one of the factors underlying the more aggressive behaviour of SCC.
DNA ploidy of 57 gastric carcinomas with metastases (12 liver, 1 adrenal, 4 ovary and 48 lymph node) were measured by flow cytometry. DNA anueploidy was significantly related to liver metastases: 9 out of 12 gastric carcinomas with liver metastases were anueploid (75%) as compared to 13 out of 45 (28.8%) of cases without liver metastases (P < 0.01); the one gastric carcinoma with adrenal metastasis was also anueploid. DNA ploidy was not related to ovarian or lymph node metastases. Another interesting finding was that all of 3 gastric carcinomas with liver metastases which showed a diploid DNA pattern, expressed p53 protein, while all of 3 carcinomas with liver metastases but no p53 protein expression were anueploid. The expression of p53 protein was not related to ovarian metastases. The results suggested that an anueploid DNA pattern and the expression of p53 protein are both objective markers valuable in predicting high risk potential of metastases to the liver, and that the combined detection of these markers can be a most useful method in the follow-up of patients with gastric carcinoma in detecting those at high risk of developing metastases following surgical resection. Also the poorer prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoma showing an anueploid DNA pattern may be related to the development of distant organ metastases through the blood vascular system. Furthermore, the clone of gastric carcinoma cells which accumulate p53 protein or show an anueploid DNA pattern may have a causative role in the development of liver (& adrenal) metastases.
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ploidy was quantified in 84 ocular melanomas (median follow-up, 11-years) by flow cytometry, CAS 200 interactive image analysis, and Pathology Image Processing Environment (PIPE; Department of Quantitative Pathology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) automatic image analysis (75). Overall, 32.1% of the melanomas were aneuploid, 2.3% were tetraploid, and 66.6% were diploid. Pathology Image Processing Environment analysis estimated DNA ploidy in 12 tumors that were unprocessable by flow cytometry. Of 10 tumors that were diploid by flow cytometry, PIPE detected stemline aneuploidy in five and some aneuploid cells in five more. Seven tumors were aneuploid by PIPE but diploid by CAS 200, five of which contained occasional DNA aneuploid cells on the CAS 200 histograms. Pathology Image Processing Environment analysis quantified tumor samples with an average of 500 (250 to 1,050) cells in less than 10 minutes. All cells classified as spindle A according to the Callender system (more than 10,000) were diploid. Spindle B and epithelioid cells occupied both diploid and aneuploid peaks on the DNA histograms. Dioxyribonucleic acid variables did not correlate with established prognosticators, such as Callender cell type, largest tumor dimension, or glaucoma, nor did they reach significance by univariate and multivariate analyses. The value of these findings as a diagnostic support in uveal melanoma, particularly in combination with fine needle aspiration biopsy, is discussed.
This study evaluates the feasibility of DNA analysis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III (CIN III) lesions on cervical smear and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET) blocks with a view to extending this type of analysis to milder grades of dyskaryosis. DNA ploidy was determined by image analysis using a CAS 200 Image Analyser. Seventeen patients with a diagnosis of CIN III were studied. Results show that all smear and tissue samples were non-diploid with nine aneuploid and eight tetraploid lesions. In 6/7 patients whose smears and corresponding biopsies were examined there was complete agreement as to the DNA profile. We conclude that DNA quantification is technically feasible in archival, routinely prepared cervical smears. This technique should now be applied to CINI and CINII cervical smears to determine if it is of value in identifying those lesions that will progress to CIN III. This study is particularly timely with the possibility in the near future of estimation of ploidy by image analysis using instruments such as the Highly Optimized Microscope Environment (HOME) system.
A case of jejunal gangliocytic paraganglioma is reported in a 54 year old woman who presented with brisk melaena. The tumour was not encapsulated, involved the mucosa and submucosa, and was composed of epithelial nests, spindle cells, and ganglion cells. These cells were mixed, giving carcinoid-like, paraganglioma-like, and ganglioneuroma-like patterns in different areas of the tumour. The lesion was excised locally and recovery was uneventful. Only four previous cases have been reported at this site.
This study documents the reactions of the monoclonal antibody KP-1, which detects histiocytes in paraffin sections, with 137 sarcomas, 48 lymphomas, 28 carcinomas, 7 malignant melanomas and 8 cystosarcoma phyllodes. The soft tissue sarcomas had been previously immunophenotyped. Positive staining was obtained in all categories of sarcoma except clear-cell sarcomas. Most categories of sarcoma showed staining in less than 10% of tumour cells although a minority of leiomyosarcomas showed more extensive staining. Five of 7 malignant melanomas were also positive while all lymphomas and carcinomas were negative. We conclude that KP-1 positivity is not helpful in supporting the histiocytic origin of a tumour and is of limited value in the differential diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas or their separation from other categories of malignancy.
The Dublin Soft Tissue Sarcoma Panel was established in 1989 with a view to achieving a unified approach to diagnosis and management of soft tissue and visceral sarcomas. This interim report presents data on 265 prospectively-evaluated patients and on a separate retrospective series of 126 patients. The patients in the prospective series were treated by 93 different surgical and medical specialists. Tumours presented in all anatomic sites and ranged in size from 0.2 to 60 cm. Leiomyosarcoma was the commonest tumour type. Eighty-nine tumours were inoperable at clinical presentation. There was a consensus panel diagnosis in over 90%, non-neoplastic reactive lesions and primitive round cell tumours being the most difficult cases diagnostically. Management, including onward referral for chemotherapy or radiation therapy, was inconsistent. The 2-year survival figures were: 43% (1989-91) and 37% (1980-88). These findings should provide a basis for the evaluation of coherent treatment strategies for Irish sarcoma patients.
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An 82-year-old male presented with a two-month history of hoarseness. A 2 cm pedunculated lesion was removed from the base of his epiglottis. Microscopy showed a polypoid atypical spindle cell lesion. Multiple levels failed to reveal an invasive squamous cell carcinoma. On the basis of haematoxylin and eosin stained sections the main differential diagnosis was a pseudosarcoma with an overlying dysplastic squamous mucosa or infiltrating spindle cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry showed positive staining for vimentin but no convincing staining with antibodies to cytokeratin and EMA. Ultrastructural analysis also failed to reveal epithelial characteristics. Ploidy analysis by static cytophotometry of the spindle cell proliferation revealed an aneuploid stem line with a DNA index of 1.67. On the basis of this the process was felt unlikely to be reactive and a diagnosis of a spindle cell squamous carcinoma was made. This diagnosis was subsequently supported by a clinical recurrence of the nodule at a six-month follow-up.
The prognostic significance of c-erbB-2 expression was studied in paraffin wax embedded colorectal cancer tissue using a monoclonal antibody. One hundred and sixty-four patients with Dukes' B disease were studied. Membranous staining was not detected in any case. Cytoplasmic c-erbB-2 staining was seen in 55 cancers (33.5%). Cytoplasmic staining was unrelated to patient age (P = 0.31), sex (P = 0.69), tumour site (P = 0.69), size (P = 0.57), histological grade (P = 0.42) or ploidy status (P = 0.21) but was found more frequently in obstructing cancers (P = 0.03). Mean follow up of the patient population was 6.3 years. Five-year-survival estimated by the Kaplan-Meier life-table method was 47% for those with cytoplasmic c-erbB-2 staining and 77% for those without (log rank analysis; P < or = 0.0001). Stepwise regression analysis identified c-erbB-2 staining (relative risk, 2.51; P = 0.0005) and bowel obstruction (relative risk, 1.99; P = 0.015) as independent predictors of survival. It is suggested that cytoplasmic c-erbB-2 expression may provide a useful marker of tumour behaviour in Dukes' B colorectal cancer.
While the histological grade of a renal cell carcinoma is of prognostic significance there is poor concordance amongst pathologists in the use of these grading systems. Many grading systems have been described, but none has achieved widespread acceptance. The objective of this study was to assess the degree of interobserver variation amongst four experienced pathologists in their use of four commonly applied grading systems. The pathologists reviewed a series of 88 cases of renal cell carcinoma. Grades were detailed on a proforma which consisted of a breakdown of each grading system. Cohen's kappa was calculated for each pair of observers for each system. The mean kappa scores for each system were compared using the Tukey honestly significant differences method. Mean kappa was highest for the grading system of Syrjanen and Hjelt and this grading system also had a higher mean kappa than two of the other systems tested. The most striking feature of the results was the degree to which the pathologists differed in their assessments. The grading system of Syrjanen and Hjelt was shown to be subject to less interobserver variability than other commonly used classifications and we are of the opinion that it should become the standard method.
If skilled histopathologists disagree over the same biopsy specimen, at least one must have an incorrect interpretation. Thus, disagreement is associated with, although not the cause of, diagnostic error. The present study aimed to determine the magnitude of variation among 10 observers with a special interest in gastrointestinal histopathology. They independently interpreted the same biopsy specimens for morphological features which may discriminate between patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and normal subjects. Thirty of 41 features had agreement measures significantly better than expected by chance (p < 0.05). The range of agreement in the 45 observer pairs over the final diagnosis was 65-76%. There was good agreement in discriminating between normal slides and those showing confirmed inflammatory bowel disease. For normal slides, however, the term nonspecific inflammation was often applied and without any consistency. In addition, true Crohn's disease slides were often and consistently thought to be ulcerative colitis. Having identified 11 important discriminatory morphological features, two multiple regression analyses were then carried out to produce a scoring system for inflammatory bowel disease. These results suggest there is considerable room for improvement in the reliability of colonic biopsy specimen interpretation and that this could probably be achieved using more exact definitions of morphological features and diseases.
AIMS: To assess the consistency and reproducibility of assessment of c-erbB-2 immunostaining, and to examine some of the problems relating to inter- and intraobserver variability in the documentation of positive staining; to profile the spectrum of cytoplasmic and membranous staining in a wide range of tumour types. METHODS: A total of 283 neoplasms were examined for immunohistochemical expression of the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein. Three independent observers were required to assess intensity both of membrane and cytoplasmic staining on a three point and then a four point scale. Extent of positive staining was also assessed on a two point scale. A minimum of two weeks elapsed between assessments using the differing scales. RESULTS: Positive membrane staining was documented by one or more observers in 16.6% of tumours examined. This positivity was largely restricted to bladder, renal, and breast tumours. The overall level of disagreement as to the presence or absence of membranous staining was 11.3%. Cytoplasmic staining was identified in 55.5% of tumours studied. The level of disagreement as to the presence or absence of cytoplasmic staining was 26.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Intraobserver variability was minimal, indicating that each pathologist was adhering to internal reproducible standards. Interobserver variability was greater, indicating that the interpretation of c-erbB-2 immunostaining may require set guidelines. It is suggested that assessment should be referenced to a standard positive control, that a three tier system for grading of intensity and a two tier system for grading of extent should be adopted, and that the evaluation should be agreed by at least two pathologists. The presence of cytoplasmic staining should continue to be routinely recorded until its biological role and clinical implications are fully understood.
In several tumors of different organ sites, the amount of DNA in a cell (ploidy) is associated with malignancy. We performed DNA quantitation in 21 choroidal melanomas and compared flow cytometry with image analysis in 11 of these melanomas. We modified our preparation technique to overcome problems with pigment and control cell populations in the image analysis group. Fifteen tumors were diploid and two tumors were tetraploid. Four tumors were unprocessable by flow cytometry, but two of these tumors were diploid by image analysis. Image analysis also detected tetraploidy in two tumors that were diploid by flow cytometry. During image analysis, cells were classified according to the Callendar classification and histograms were plotted for each cell type. All spindle A cells were diploid and most tetraploid peaks were formed by epithelioid cells. The use of image analysis on small samples of choroidal melanomas may be of value both in confirmation of diagnosis and prognosis of these lesions, and perhaps therapeutically, for example, in the monitoring of radiation treatment.