Biomedical subjects

Valerie A White

Publications and source records attributed to Valerie A White.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Lymphocytic infiltration and enlargement of the lacrimal glands: a new subtype of primary Sjögren's syndrome?

PURPOSE: To review the clinical, radiologic, serologic, histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic features of patients having Sjögren's syndrome (SS) with lacrimal gland enlargement. DESIGN: Retrospective case series review. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen patients histopathologically diagnosed with SS with lacrimal enlargement. Twenty-three age- and gender-matched controls were used for comparison on radiologic analysis. METHODS: Clinical and serologic data were determined directly or by chart review. Computed tomography images from patients were compared with those from the control group. Histopathologic sections were reviewed and graded using the Chisholm-Mason scale, and quantitative immunohistochemical analysis was applied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinically, patients were assessed for age, gender, onset, symptoms and signs, systemic features, treatment, and outcome. Existing histologic specimens were reviewed according to the Chisholm-Mason scale, and then the percentages of plasma cells containing immunoglobulin (Ig) A, IgG, and IgM were determined. Imaging was assessed for lacrimal gland thickness, prolapse, density, and margin contour; extraocular muscle size; orbital tissue displacement; and proptosis. RESULTS: Clinical and histopathological data fulfilled the revised American-European criteria for primary SS in 79% of patients. Compared with other large series of primary SS patients, similarities were found with age, xerophthalmia, parotidomegaly, and articular involvement. Differences included a lower incidence of autoantibodies, xerostomia, and extraglandular features and a higher male-to-female ratio. In almost all patients (93%), the percentage of plasma cells positive for IgA was less than 70%, consistent with SS. Compared with controls, the lacrimal glands were enlarged significantly (P<0.0001) and prolapsed (P<0.001). Involved glands had blurred margins (P<0.007), caused displacement of adjacent tissues (P = 0.03), and were associated with hyperdense fat (P = 0.007). Lymphocytic infiltration of orbital fat was present in all patients for whom fat biopsy results were available. Three patients had monoclonal infiltrates, and 1 patient experienced subsequent extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type, 4 years after presentation. CONCLUSIONS: The criteria used to diagnose primary SS are controversial, but both diagnostic and quantitative immunohistochemical criteria suggest that these patients, with lacrimal gland enlargement resulting from lymphocytic infiltration, represent a new subtype of primary SS. This is clinically important in view of the increased risk of lymphoma associated with SS, compared with idiopathic nonspecific lacrimal inflammation.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Mantle cell lymphoma in the ocular adnexal region.

PURPOSE: To study the clinicopathologic features of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in the ocular adnexal region. DESIGN: Retrospective review. METHODS: The slides of 23 suspect patients were reevaluated with a panel of monoclonal antibodies, including anti-CD20, cyclin-D1, CD5, CD3, and p53 immunostains. Patients confirmed to have MCL were examined retrospectively on the basis of chart review. RESULTS: Ten patients with periocular MCL were included in the study on the basis of characteristic histopathologic features and coexpression of nuclear cyclin-D1. This included 1 female and 9 male patients, with an age range of 32 to 84 years (median, 73.5 years). Median follow-up was 20 months (range, 5-172 months). Six of the 10 patients died, all of lymphoma. The orbit (90%) was most commonly involved followed by the lacrimal gland (50%) and lid (50%), with 90% of cases having lymphoma present at 2 or more periocular sites. Most had a primary periocular presentation (80%) that was associated with stage III/IV disease (80%), including atypical cells in the peripheral blood smear (60%) and bone marrow involvement (70%) at presentation. Three cases were CD5-negative, and 2 other cases showed composite histologic findings (MCL and follicular lymphoma and MCL and a plasma cell neoplasm). Fluorescent in situ hybridization performed in these 2 cases demonstrated t(11;14) in the MCL component. Actuarial survivals were median progression-free (PFS) survival, 12 months; median overall survival (OS), 57 months; 5-year PFS, 0; 5-year OS, 39%. CONCLUSIONS: Mantle cell lymphoma presenting in the ocular adnexal region has a male predominance and tends to affect an elderly age group, as is typical of MCL involving nodal sites. A higher frequency of these tumors fail to co-express CD5, and composite lymphomas were observed in 20% of patients. Mantle cell lymphoma presenting in the ocular adnexal region is associated with advanced-stage disease and short PFS but an OS similar to MCL at other sites.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Dissecting karyotypic patterns in malignant melanomas: temporal clustering of losses and gains in melanoma karyotypic evolution.

Malignant melanomas can be divided into two major subtypes, involving either the skin or eye melanomas. Both tumor forms exhibit highly complex karyotypes with nonrandom recurrent chromosomal imbalances. Loss of chromosome 3, the short arm of chromosome 1, and gain of 8q have been suggested to be associated with eye melanomas, whereas gain of 6p and loss of 6q have been more often seen in skin melanomas. Imbalances implicated in tumor progression include among others, -10 and +7. In spite of the abundance of cytogenetic information, with more than 300 published karyotypes, very little is known about the mode of karyotypic evolution or of the presence of possible cytogenetic pathways. In our investigation, we have used 362 melanoma karyotypes, including both the skin and eye subtypes, to identify the most frequently occurring imbalances. Tumor cases were then classified with respect to the presence or absence of these imbalances and statistically analyzed in order to assess the order of appearance of chromosomal imbalances, the presence of karyotypic pathways, as well as possible cytogenetic subtypes. We show that the melanomas develop through one mode of karyotypic evolution, common to both low and high complexity karyotypes, and we establish the temporal order by which the different imbalances occur. By applying several statistical methods, we show that at least two cytogenetic pathways of clonal evolution exist in malignant melanomas, one initiated with -3 and one with +6p, and that these pathways operate in both skin and eye melanomas.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

PubMed2003

Optic nerve sheath meningiomas.

PURPOSE: To study the natural history and growth of optic nerve sheath meningiomas and evaluate their management outcome. DESIGN: Clinicopathologic retrospective noncomparative case series. METHODS: A retrospective study of 88 patients who were treated between 1976 and 1999 at the University of British Columbia and the University of Amsterdam. Clinical reports, imaging studies, and histopathologic findings were reviewed. RESULTS: The mean age at onset of symptoms was 40.3 years, and most were seen in middle-aged females. Patients typically presented with visual loss, frequently associated with optic atrophy or papilledema and occasionally optociliary shunt vessels. On imaging, the optic nerve demonstrated segmental or diffuse thickening of the sheath or globular growth. Calcification was seen in 31% of cases and was associated with slower tumor growth. Tumors with posterior components in the orbit had more frequent intracranial involvement. Intracranial extension was more frequent and had a greater growth rate in younger patients. Irregular margins in the orbit implied local invasion. A presenting visual acuity better than 20/50 correlated with longer preservation of vision. Patients who underwent radiotherapy showed improvement in their visual acuity, and tumor growth was halted. Optic sheath decompression did not preserve vision. En bloc tumor excision was associated with no detectable recurrence in contrast to debulked tumors that recurred. CONCLUSIONS: Meningiomas show characteristic indolent growth. Management therefore should be conservative in most cases. Radiotherapy is indicated in patients with progressive visual deterioration. Surgery, when indicated, should be an en bloc excision.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Pathogenesis of orbital cholesterol granuloma.

Two cases are presented of orbital cholesterol granuloma associated with gradual proptosis arising in men aged 35 and 41 years. Computed tomography demonstrated osteo-lytic masses in the frontal bone at the lacrimal fossa. Curettage revealed a characteristic histology of foreign body reactions surrounding cholesterol clefts. In both cases abnormal bone, more consistent with fibrous dysplasia than reactive change, was found at the periphery. The finding of abnormal bone associated with orbital cholesterol granulomas suggests that a pre-existing bone anomaly may be present in a subset of these cases.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Induction of proliferative vitreoretinopathy by a unique line of human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: The most widely used models of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) rely on injection of cells into the vitreous of animals. Using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from human PVR membranes may produce a more accurate model of human PVR. We performed a study to determine whether human RPE cells derived from a single epiretinal membrane (ERM) are capable of inducing the same disease in the rabbit eye, and whether the induced ERMs had cellular components similar to those of human PVR membranes. METHODS: Cells were harvested from a human ERM obtained at surgery for PVR. RPE cells were cultured from the membrane and injected into the right eye of 24 New Zealand albino rabbits. The left eyes served as controls. The eyes were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy over 4 weeks. The enucleated eyes were then examined by means of microscopy and histochemical analysis. RESULTS: By day 7, PVR had developed in all but 1 of the 24 experimental eyes, with 8 progressing to localized tractional retinal detachment. By day 21, localized tractional retinal detachment had developed in 17 eyes; 1 eye progressed to extensive tractional retinal detachment by day 28. Immunostaining showed that mostly RPE cells, but also myofibroblasts, glial cells and collagen, were present in the newly formed rabbit PVR membranes. INTERPRETATION: Human RPE cells cultured from a PVR membrane appear to be capable of inducing PVR in rabbits. The resultant ERMs are similar to those formed in human PVR and consist mainly of RPE cells.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Clinicopathologic features and behavior of cutaneous eyelid melanoma.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and histopathologic features of cutaneous eyelid melanomas and identify prognostic factors in the behavior of such tumors. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-three patients with cutaneous eyelid melanomas without conjunctival involvement. METHODS: Patients' charts were reviewed for clinical information, treatment procedure, and disease course (updated at the time of study). Histopathologic sections from all surgical procedures were reviewed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Histologic type of melanoma, tumor growth phase, Clark's level of invasion, tumor thickness, and other microscopic features were evaluated in each case. The width of excision margins was considered and measured histologically when possible. RESULTS: There was no gender predilection. The lower eyelid was more frequently involved than the upper eyelid or canthi. Seventeen cases (74%) were invasive, and six (26%) were in situ melanomas. Lentigo maligna melanoma was the most common histologic type, accounting for 61% (14 cases) of all melanomas and 53% (9 cases) of invasive melanomas. Superficial spreading melanoma accounted for 22% (5 cases) and nodular melanoma for 17% (4 cases) of all melanomas. Surgical excision, as the treatment of choice, was incomplete in nine cases, two thirds of which were lentigo maligna melanoma (in situ or invasive). Tumor reappeared in 77.8% of these cases. Fourteen patients had initial narrow excisions, and three of them (21.4%) had local recurrences. Although recurrence occurred in one each of our "in situ," "thin," and "thick" melanomas, it proceeded to distant metastases and death only in the "thin" one. Adjuvant radiotherapy was used in six patients with successful disease control in two cases. CONCLUSIONS: Eyelid skin melanomas have a relatively good clinical prognosis. The histologic type and thickness of the primary melanoma were not clearly related to the clinical behavior once they were completely excised. The use of very narrow excisions of 5 mm or less was associated with greater frequency of local recurrence. Lentigo maligna melanomas were the largest tumors at presentation and, despite being thinner, were a greater surgical challenge. This type of melanoma is almost certainly underdiagnosed by ophthalmologists.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Primary bone tumors of the orbit.

Primary tumors of orbital bone constitute 0.6% to 2% of all orbital tumors. Our experience over a 24-year period in the Orbital Clinic at the University of British Columbia yielded 62 (1.9%) cases from a total of 3,340 orbital tumors. Although a heterogeneous group, primary orbital bone tumors may be classified on a clinicopathologic basis into benign fibro-osseous or cartilaginous, reactive, neoplastic and vascular disorders. Presentation is usually a gradual mass effect, with infiltration and acute hemorrhage being features of malignant and reactive lesions respectively. The two most commonly encountered entities were fibrous dysplasia and osteoma, accounting for 22 cases. Although both these conditions rarely present a diagnostic challenge, nonspecific histologic and radiologic appearances can result in poor characterization of several of the rarer lesions. Hence, close cooperation between clinician, radiologist and pathologist is essential for accurate diagnosis.

Bone Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infiltrating orbital astrocytic proliferation associated with congenitally malformed eyes.

This report describes the clinical and pathologic findings in two adults with orbital infiltration by astrocytic cells associated with congenitally malformed eyes. Both cases had enlarging orbital masses and underwent complete resection. Histopathology revealed proliferation of astrocytes (fibrillary acidic protein-positive) that invaded the orbital tissues. To the best of our knowledge, there are no similar cases in the literature.

Adult↗