1/383. Axillary metastases of an occult primary carcinoma of the breast-discovered only by 99mTc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy. Recent reports consider 99mTc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy to be a powerful new diagnostic tool for discriminating malignant from benign breast disease. We report on a woman suffering from histologically confirmed axillary metastases of a primary unknown, occult carcinoma, whose origin was suspected within the breast. All the diagnostic procedures performed to discover any lesion failed or were inconclusive. The primary cancer was clearly visualized, however, in the right breast by means of 99mTc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy. Conclusion. We suggest that 99mTc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy is a powerful method to detect breast cancer, especially when other diagnostic imaging procedures are inconclusive. ( info) |
2/383. Inflammatory metastatic melanoma. An 87-year-old woman developed erythema, induration and tenderness of the skin overlying each breast. One year before, she had undergone an axillary lymph node dissection because of metastases from melanoma. The primary site was unknown. A skin biopsy showed pigmented tumor nests within the dermal lymphatic vessels, and immunohistochemistry confirmed the melanocytic origin. The diagnosis of inflammatory metastatic melanoma was made. ( info) |
3/383. Diffuse metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma into skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle is one of the most unusual sites of metastasis from any malignancy. We report a patient with rapidly progressive contractures due to metastatic infiltration of a carcinoma of unknown origin into the skeletal muscle. This 61-year-old man presented with a 1-month history of rapidly evolving, painful restriction of mobility of his right arm and his legs. Computed tomography showed diffuse metastatic nodules in all muscles, particularly in the hip abductors. Muscle biopsy revealed extensive infiltration of the muscle with carcinoma cells. ( info) |
4/383. Data to the clinical manifestation of the Krukenberg tumour. Ovarian cancer is one of the most frequent malignant tumours in the female population. The screening of this tumour type is unsolved. The tumours are usually diagnosed in the advanced stage; thus the results of survival are unfavourable. Their histopathological appearance has a wide variety, with the occurrence of numerous metastatic forms. In these metastatic cases the choice of treatment is more difficult and prognosis is also worse. Among the metastatic tumours, the primary tumours of the gastrointestinal tract occur the most frequently. They are known as the Krukenberg tumour. Authors present two cases of Krukenberg tumours in order to summarize our knowledge on this rare tumour type and to give some practical advice. ( info) |
5/383. Resection of a right atrial metastatic melanoma with unknown origin of primary tumor. Cardiac involvement of malignant melanoma is generally part of a widespread tumor dissemination, which is mostly multifocal. Hence the disease is usually not amenable to surgical intervention. We report successful resection of a large intracavitary melanoma to the right atrium, the primary origin of which was unknown. The right atrium was reconstructed with an autologous pericardial patch. At 12-month follow-up the patient remains asymptomatic. ( info) |
6/383. Carcinoid syndrome with unknown primary: a case report. Carcinoid syndrome usually is associated with a classic presentation, the diagnosis of which is supported by elevations in neuroendocrine substances such as 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and by localization and pathologic identification of a neuroendocrine tumor. The authors report a patient for whom there was a 7-year delay in diagnosis and even then a primary tumor could not be localized. ( info) |
7/383. chylothorax, chylopericardium and lymphoedema--the presenting features of signet-ring cell carcinoma. This report describes a patient with chylous pleural and pericardial effusions in conjunction with severe lymphoedema resembling elephantiasis. The chylous effusions and generalized lymphoedema were associated with a signet-ring cell carcinoma. ( info) |
8/383. Cervical metastasis of occult papillary thyroid carcinoma associated with epidermoid carcinoma of the larynx. An occult, laterocervical papillary thyroid carcinoma tissue was found in a functional neck dissection for larynx cancer. The patient was a 76-year-old man with a history of smoking and alcohol ingestion who presented with a supraglottic carcinoma of the larynx located at the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis, left aryepiglottic fold, band and left ventricle with extension to the left vocal cord. light microscopy showed a lymph node with a fibrous stroma with lymphoid follicles that presented a total substitution of the parenchyma by a papillary thyroid carcinoma. Although examination of the thyroid gland by seriated sections did not reveal any neoplasm, we argue that the papillary thyroid tissue is metastatic. ( info) |
9/383. pancreaticoduodenectomy for metastatic tumors to the periampullary region. Although operative resection of metastatic lesions to the liver, lung, and brain has proved to be useful, only recently have there been a few reports of pancreaticoduodenectomies in selected cases of metastases to the periampullary region. In this report we present four cases of proven metastatic disease to the periampullary region in which the lesions were treated by pancreaticoduodenectomy. Metastatic tumors corresponded to a melanoma of unknown primary site, choriocarcinoma, high-grade liposarcoma of the leg, and a small cell cancer of the lung. All four patients survived the operation and had no major complications. Two patients died of recurrence of their tumors, 6 and 63 months, respectively, after operation; the other two patients are alive 21 and 12 months, respectively, after operation. It can be inferred from this small but documented experience, as well as a review of the literature, that pancreaticoduodenectomy for metastatic disease can be considered in selected patients, as long as this operation is performed by experienced surgeons who have achieved minimal or no morbidity and mortality with it. ( info) |
10/383. Metastatic adenocarcinoma masquerading as basal pontine tuberculoma. Tuberculous infection of the central nervous system is common in hong kong. A 39-year-old woman presented with isolated right sixth nerve palsy which was non-progressive for 10 months. Neuro-imaging revealed a right pontine lesion. cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed lymphocytic meningitis with negative bacteriological and cytological studies. Empirical antituberculous drugs with initial corticosteroid resulted in improved CSF parameters. A diagnosis of cerebral tuberculoma complicated by meningitis was made. She subsequently deteriorated clinically and radiologically. Despite a number of clinical features which were atypical of leptomeningeal metastasis, adenosquamous carcinoma was found on biopsy. Her relatively indolent clinical course might be due to the initial corticosteroid treatment. This report illustrates the importance of early tissue diagnosis in uncertain cases of chronic lymphocytic meningitis. ( info) |