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Mohiedean Ghofrani

Publications and source records attributed to Mohiedean Ghofrani.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Discrepancies in the diagnosis of intraductal proliferative lesions of the breast and its management implications: results of a multinational survey.

To measure discrepancies in diagnoses and recommendations impacting management of proliferative lesions of the breast, a questionnaire of five problem scenarios was distributed among over 300 practicing pathologists. Of the 230 respondents, 56.5% considered a partial cribriform proliferation within a duct adjacent to unequivocal ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), 37.7% of whom recommended reexcision if it were at a resection margin. Of the 43.5% who diagnosed the partially involved duct as DCIS, 28.0% would not recommend reexcision if the lesion were at a margin. When only five ducts had a partial cribriform proliferation, 35.7% considered it as DCIS, while if >or=20 ducts were so involved, this figure rose to 60.4%. When one duct with a complete cribriform pattern measured 0.5, 1.5, or 4 mm, a diagnosis of DCIS was made by 22.6, 31.3, and 94.8%, respectively. When multiple ducts with flat epithelial atypia were at a margin, 20.9% recommended reexcision. Much of these discrepancies arise from the artificial separation of ADH and low-grade DCIS and emphasize the need for combining these two under the umbrella designation of ductal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (DIN 1) to diminish the impact of different terminologies applied to biologically similar lesions.

Breast↗

The value of onsite adequacy assessment of thyroid fine-needle aspirations is a function of operator experience.

BACKGROUND: Cytotechnologists and pathologists often perform onsite evaluations of thyroid fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) to provide immediate feedback regarding whether adequate material has been obtained for cytologic diagnosis. The current study was designed to determine whether onsite adequacy assessment results in a significant decrease in nondiagnostic specimens between ultrasound (US)-guided FNAs of the thyroid and those performed by palpation alone. METHODS: A search was performed to identify in-house thyroid FNAs performed between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2003 that were obtained under US guidance or by palpation only. It was then recorded whether an onsite adequacy assessment was performed. The submitting physician and final diagnosis also were recorded for each case. Contingency tables were constructed and evaluated using chi-square analysis. RESULTS: Of 1502 in-house thyroid FNAs included in the current study, 981 (65.3%) were performed under US guidance and 521 (34.7%) were performed with palpation alone. Onsite adequacy assessment of the aspirated material was performed in 323 cases (21.5%), whereas 1179 cases (78.5%) were performed without onsite evaluation. Of the 418 palpation-guided FNAs that were performed without adequacy assessment, 70 (16.7%) were reported to be nondiagnostic, whereas of the 103 palpation-guided FNAs with immediate evaluation, only 7 (6.8%) were determined to be inadequate for diagnosis. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.025). Of 761 US-guided FNAs without immediate adequacy assessment, 54 (7.1%) were nondiagnostic, which was not statistically different from the nondiagnostic rate of 4.5% (10 of 220 cases) for US-guided FNAs with onsite evaluation. However, when these US-guided FNAs were divided further into 2 groups based on the experience of the radiologist performing the FNA, the nondiagnostic rate in the group of experienced radiologists was only 5.4% (or 32 of 592 US-guided FNAs), even though onsite evaluation was not performed. Among radiologists with less experience, adequacy assessment significantly reduced the nondiagnostic rate from 13.0% (22 of 169 FNAs without adequacy assessment) to 4.5% (10 of 220 FNAs with adequacy assessment) (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study demonstrate that onsite adequacy assessment of thyroid FNAs significantly reduces the number of nondiagnostic aspirates. However, the benefit of onsite evaluation, at least for US-guided FNAs, depends on the experience of the radiologist. In the current study, experienced radiologists with a relatively low nondiagnostic rate did not benefit from onsite adequacy assessment. This finding confirms the importance of experience in the performance of FNA, but suggests that onsite adequacy assessment may assist the less experienced operator.

Biopsy, Fine-Needle↗

Lobular intraepithelial neoplasia [lobular carcinoma in situ] with comedo-type necrosis: A clinicopathologic study of 18 cases.

The recent finding that lobular, and not ductal intraepithelial neoplasia (DIN) displays loss of E-cadherin expression has greatly facilitated the categorization of a large proportion of morphologically ambiguous intraepithelial neoplasias into ductal or lobular types. One reason for such morphologic ambiguity is the presence of comedo-type necrosis within an intraepithelial lesion that otherwise shows archetypal cytologic and architectural features of lobular intraepithelial neoplasia (LIN). The clinicopathologic features of 18 such cases are described in this report. These 18 cases of classic LIN were accumulated from the recent databases of 6 institutions. All cases, by definition, showed no expression of E-cadherin. The 18 patients, all women, were 41 to 85 years of age (mean 61.3). The lesions were initially identified in an excisional biopsy or mastectomy in 12 cases and in an incisional/core biopsy in the remaining 6 cases. An associated invasive carcinoma was present in 12 (67%) of 18 cases (7 classic lobular, 1 pleomorphic lobular, 1 ductal, 1 mixed lobular and ductal, 1 tubular, and 1 case with ductal and lobular carcinomas as separate foci). The average age of the 6 patients with pure LIN (ie, LIN without an invasive component (62.5 y) was not significantly different from the 12 patients in which there was an invasive component (60.7 y) (P = 0.78). The lesions had associated calcifications, typically within the necrotic foci, in 10 (55%) of 18 cases. Immunoreactivity for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor (in >10% of lesional cells), and high-molecular weight keratin was present in 17/18 (94%), 15/18 (83%) and 17/18 (94%) of cases, respectively. Overexpression of HER2/neu, as assessed immunohistochemically, was absent in all 15 cases available for such evaluation. Foci of DIN, separate from the lobular lesions, were present in 6 (33%) of 18 cases. LIN with necrosis seems to occur at an older age than classic LIN, is commonly associated with invasive carcinoma and is significantly more frequently associated with lobular than ductal invasive carcinoma. When present without an invasive component, it may be mistaken for DIN 2 (grade 2 ductal carcinoma in situ). Although the necrosis suggests a ductal phenotype for these intraepithelial proliferations, architectural and cytologic features, high-molecular weight keratin[+], estrogen receptor[+], progesterone receptor[+], and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 /neu[-] immunoprofile, frequent association with invasive lobular carcinoma, and lack of immunoreactivity for E-cadherin, strongly suggests that these lesions are within the morphologic spectrum of lobular neoplasia. Long-term follow-up studies are required to define the true natural history of these lesions. However, because classic LIN with necrosis is apparently rare in its pure form, reexcision is recommended when this lesion is detected in isolation in a core biopsy.

Adult↗

The significance of benign endometrial cells in cervicovaginal smears.

The success of the routine Papanicolaou (pap) smear in reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer has been chronicled extensively. Unfortunately, endometrial cancer, the most common malignancy of the gynecologic tract, continues to lack a screening modality of comparable efficacy. It is generally accepted that the Papanicolau test has a low sensitivity for detecting endometrial disease. Nonetheless, it remains true that endometrial cells are not uncommonly identified on routine cervicovaginal smears and along with each case comes an associated responsibility for pathologists to assess cytologic features, assign a potential clinical significance, and make a decision on reporting this finding. When endometrial cells with an entirely normal cytologic appearance are identified on an otherwise unremarkable cervicovaginal smear, the central question raised is whether such cells are exfoliating physiologically or whether their exfoliation is pathologic in response to an underlying endometrial disease. Additionally, in the former scenario, could subsets of patients be defined in which the reporting of this finding is deemed unnecessary in the cytologic report? In this contribution, we explore the clinical significance of finding normal endometrial cells in cervicovaginal smears based on a review of the medical literature of the last half-century. The historical and evidentiary basis for the Bethesda 2001 recommendations, which calls for the reporting of cytologically benign endometrial cells only in patients 40 years and older, is reviewed in detail.

Endometrial Neoplasms↗

Fine needle aspiration of poorly differentiated oxyphilic (Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Poorly differentiated oxyphilic (Hürthle cell) carcinomas are a more recently described variant of poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma and are characterized by a prominent Hürthle cell component in a solid or trabecular arrangement. Clinically, poorly differentiated oxyphilic carcinomas behave more aggressively as compared to classic Hürthle cell carcinomas, which have a predominantly follicular pattern. Although the histology of these rare thyroid tumors has been reported in the literature, the cytologic features on fine needle aspiration biopsy have not been described before. CASE: A 73-year-old man with a long history of radioactive iodine and levothyroxine therapy for multinodular goiter presented with a painful, rapidly expanding, 6-cm, left thyroid mass with aggressive radiologic features. Fine needle aspiration biopsy of the mass yielded extremely cellular smears with a dual population of medium-sized follicular cells and numerous Hürthle cells. Subsequent thyroidectomy confirmed the malignant nature of this Hürthle cell-rich tumor, warranting a diagnosis of poorly differentiated oxyphilic (Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Poorly differentiated oxyphilic thyroid carcinoma is an aggressive variant of Hürthle cell carcinomas and must enter the differential diagnosis when fine needle aspiration biopsy of a radiologically aggressive thyroid mass yields extremely hypercellular smears with a prominent Hürthle cell component.

Adenocarcinoma↗