1/80. Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma. Report of a case with fine needle aspiration biopsy findings.BACKGROUND: Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma is a rare, benign tumor occurring exclusively in the supraclavicular and suprasternal regions. To the best of our knowledge, there are no English-language reports on its cytologic findings. CASE: A fine needle aspiration specimen from a mass in the suprasternal region in a 63-year-old male revealed epithelial cell nests, spindle cells, a cluster of mature adipocytes and a small number of lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: Although ectopic hamartomatous thymoma is very rare, fine needle aspiration cytology may contribute to the correct diagnosis in conjunction with the characteristic clinical findings.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = spindle cell, spindle (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/80. Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation (SETTLE) of the thyroid with prominent mitotic activity and focal necrosis.Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation (SETTLE) is a rare, apparently low-grade spindle cell tumor of the thyroid gland occurring in young individuals and thought to be derived from thymic or branchial pouch remnants. Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation has little to no mitotic activity, and focal necrosis has been reported in one case. We present a case of SETTLE in a 29-year-old man that was initially evaluated by fine-needle aspirate biopsy and ultimately found to be consistent histologically with SETTLE. In this case, there were numerous mitotic figures among the spindle cells and focal necrosis. Spindle epithelial tumor with thymus-like differentiation has been considered to be a tumor of low malignant potential with metastases developing some years after diagnosis. This is the first case in which prominent mitotic activity and necrosis is reported perhaps representing an aggressive variant.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = spindle cell, spindle (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/80. Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma: a case study and review of the literature.Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma is a rare and distinctive tumor found in the deep soft tissues of the neck, which is characterized histopathologically by a mixture of spindle, epithelial, and adipose cell elements. We present a case of this lesion occurring in a 39-year-old male. The characteristic histochemical and immunohistochemical findings of these tumors are demonstrated. In addition, review of the reported histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings is presented together with a table of clinical findings in the tumors so far described. A brief discussion of theories of histogenesis and possible differential diagnosis is included.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.30247302783986keywords = spindle, soft (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/80. Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma of the neck: report of two cases complicated by pulmonary metastases.BACKGROUND: Follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcoma is an uncommon neoplasm occurring primarily in lymph nodes but also in extranodal sites. A correct diagnosis can be difficult to make, especially in the latter sites. methods: Two patients with FDC sarcoma of the cervical soft tissues that metastasized to the lungs are reported. Both were initially misdiagnosed as having CASTLE (carcinoma showing a thymus-like element). Additional immunohistochemical stains were performed. RESULTS: The primary tumors showed jigsaw puzzle-like lobulation resembling thymic epithelial tumor and consisted of spindly cells arranged in fascicles, whorls, and a storiform pattern. The spindly cells had indistinct cell borders, vesicular nuclei, and distinct nucleoli. Perivascular spaces were present. lymphocytes were sprinkled throughout the tumor in one case but were sparse in the other. The metastatic deposits in the lungs appeared 27 and 2 years, respectively, after the initial presentation and were histologically similar to the original tumors. The FDC nature of the primary and metastatic tumors was confirmed by positive staining with CD21/CD35 cocktail and CD23 and by negative staining for cytokeratin. In one case, in direct continuity with the main tumor, there was a lobulated lesion composed of small lymphocytes punctuated by large cells with vesicular nuclei, histologically reminiscent of thymoma. The large cells were shown by immunohistochemistry to represent FDCs forming complex interconnecting meshworks. It is unclear whether this contiguous mass represents a precursor lesion or an unusual-looking component of the neoplasm. CONCLUSIONS: FDC sarcoma can look deceptively like a thymic epithelial tumor histologically. A correct diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and immunohistochemical evaluation. The tumor shows a propensity to metastasize to the lungs, which can be delayed until more than 20 years after initial presentation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2737022672368keywords = sarcoma, soft (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/80. Two cases of ectopic hamartomatous thymoma.Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma (EHT) is a rare benign neoplasm. Since it was named by Rosai et al. in 1984, 24 cases have been reported. We herein report two cases of EHT, one of which presented with massive myoid cells, and review the literature related to EHT. Both of our cases displayed the typical features of EHT: (1) nests of epithelial cells, including solid, cystic, or glandular epithelial islands; (2) spindle cells dominating the microscopic picture; and (3) adipose cells which intermingle haphazardly to impart a hamartomatous quality to the tumor. In this paper, we observed massive myoid cells and the transition from spindle epithelial cell to myoid cell in one of our cases. Immunohistochemical examinations showed that the main component of EHT, spindle cells, was positive for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). Intriguingly, the myoid cells simultaneously expressed cytokeratin, EMA, myoglobin, and creatine kinase-mm, suggesting that myoid cells may originate from epithelial cells and are an intermediate state between epithelial cells and muscular cells.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.3023288162084keywords = spindle cell, spindle (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/80. Infections in patients with immunodeficiency with thymoma (Good syndrome). Report of 5 cases and review of the literature.Immunodeficiency with thymoma (Good syndrome, GS) is a rare, adult-onset condition that is characterized by thymoma, hypogammaglobulinemia, and low numbers of peripheral B cells. CD4 T lymphopenia and an inverted CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio may be present. Here we report 5 patients with GS and infectious complications who were seen at 3 institutions between 1983 and 1999. Three patients had recurrent sinopulmonary infections, 3 had severe cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, and 1 had pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. review of the literature identified 46 other reports of infections in GS patients. The infections reported in all 51 patients included recurrent sinopulmonary infection (19 cases with documented respiratory pathogens), generally with encapsulated bacteria, most often haemophilus influenzae (11 cases); CMV disease (5 cases); bacteremia (7 cases); oral or esophageal candidiasis (6 cases); persistent mucocutaneous candidiasis (5 cases); chronic diarrhea (5 cases with documented stool pathogens); urinary tract infections (4 cases); P. carinii pneumonia (3 cases); tuberculosis (2 cases); Kaposi sarcoma (1 case); disseminated varicella (1 case); candidemia (1 case); wound infection with clostridium perfringens (1 case); mycoplasma arthritis (1 case); and other infections. patients with GS present with a spectrum of sinopulmonary infections and pathogens similar to common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). Compared with patients with CVID, opportunistic infections, including severe CMV disease, P. carinii pneumonia, and mucocutaneous candidiasis, appear to be more common in patients with GS, and patients with GS may have a worse prognosis. GS should be ruled out in patients with thymoma or CVID who develop severe, especially opportunistic, infections. Treatment with intravenous immune globulin is recommended for all patients with GS.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.18193686508648keywords = sarcoma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/80. Histologic types of thymoma associated with pure red cell aplasia: a study of five cases including a composite tumor of organoid thymoma associated with an unusual lipofibroadenoma.The histologic type of thymomas associated with pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) has generally been regarded to be predominantly the spindle cell type. The 5 thymomas associated with PRCA we studied showed various histologic types and none of them was a spindle cell thymoma. Some cases reported as spindle cell thymoma associated with PRCA in the literature might not be spindle cell type. The discrepancy could be due to the lack of consensus in the histologic classification of thymomas in the past. Our study showed that thymomas associated with PRCA lacked a strong correlation with a particular histologic type and the pathogenesis of PRCA associated with thymoma did not seem to be related to the histologic type. One of our cases was an unusual composite tumor of an organoid thymoma (WHO type B1) and a hitherto undescribed "lipofibroadenoma." The clinical outcome was influenced by the invasive character and the histologic type of the thymoma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = spindle cell, spindle (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/80. thymoma with pseudosarcomatous stroma.thymoma with psuedosarcomatous stroma is a recently described, rare variant of thymomas that are characterized by having a biphasic histologic pattern which consists of both an epithelial and a spindle cell stromal component. So far only 11 cases having similar histologic findings have been reported worldwide. At this time we report a case of this rare variant of thymoma which occurred in a 53-year-old Korean man. This previously healthy patient presented with coughing and an anterior mediastinal mass was then detected radiographically. Mediastinal exploration revealed a 9 x 8 x 8 cm-sized well- encapsulated, ovoid, cystic mass. Histological examination showed a biphasic neoplasm composed of anastomosing nests of epithelial cells and somewhat cellular stromal spindle cells that had advanced degenerative changes. Immunohistochemical staining using the antibodies for cytokeratins, EMA, e-cadherin, and p75NGFR showed a strong expression of these markers in the epithelial component but no expression in the spindle stromal cells. The epithelial tumor cells showed no reactivity to CD5 and L26 and a high proportion of the infiltrated lymphocytes were the cortical type that expressed CD99 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Ultrastructural examinations revealed tonofilaments in the spindle cells. Follow up has been done for 5 years after the surgical excision and the patient has been free of disease during that period. Similar to previous reports, this patient had a benign clinical course that was unassociated with myasthenia gravis which appears to be a characteristic of this histologic variant of thymoma. However, our case also showed advanced degenerative features and we could demonstrate ultrastructural evidence of epithelial differentiation in the stromal spindle cells that were not mentioned in the previously reported cases. Based on the results of our studies, we suggest this entity is a distinct type of organotypic thymoma that shows cortical differentiation and abundant cellular stroma.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5.2120131416408keywords = spindle cell, spindle, sarcoma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/80. Pigmented spindle cell carcinoid tumour of the thymus with ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone secretion: report of a rare variant and differential diagnosis of mediastinal spindle cell neoplasms.AIMS: A variety of histological variants of thymic carcinoid tumour have been described. A rare case of pigmented spindle cell carcinoid tumour of the thymus is documented and compared with the reported cases of thymic pigmented carcinoid tumour in the literature, with a discussion of the differential diagnosis of spindle cell tumours of the mediastinum. methods AND RESULTS: A thymic tumour with ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion was resected from a 24-year-old man suffering from Cushing's syndrome. Histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural studies revealed an ACTH-producing spindle cell carcinoid tumour harbouring pigmented melanocytes. Among four thymic pigmented carcinoid tumours reported before, only one was similar to the present case by being also an ACTH-secreting pigmented spindle cell thymic carcinoid tumour. The clinicopathological features of this tumour distinguish it from a spindle cell thymoma, spindle cell thymic carcinoma, and other mediastinal spindle cell tumours. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates an extremely rare variant of thymic carcinoid tumour exhibiting a spindle cell morphology and harbouring pigmented melanocytes. awareness of this histological variant is important in the differential diagnosis of spindle cell tumours of the mediastinum.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 17keywords = spindle cell, spindle (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/80. thymoma associated with hypogammaglobulinemia (Good's syndrome): report of a case.A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia with thymoma (Good's syndrome). Tests for immunological function showed an abnormality in humoral immunity with decreases in the proportion of cells bearing B-cell markers in the peripheral blood and bone marrow. The patient was found to have campylobacter fetus sepsis caused by the hypogammaglobulinemia due to humoral immunodeficiency, and he was given gamma-globulin supplement. thymectomy was performed due to enlargement of the thymoma after 4 years of follow-up and the pathological diagnosis was thymoma of the non-encapsulated, epithelial spindle cell type. Although there was no recurrence of thymoma, the hypogammaglobulinemia remained unchanged and the patient continued to suffer from repeated infections. Thus, we describe the case of a patient with Good's syndrome associated with independent humoral immunodeficiency in whom the effect of thymectomy for hypogammaglobulinemia was negative. In this respect, thymectomy was only beneficial when the thymoma proliferated and seemed to be more threatening than the hypogammaglobulinemia for the patient.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = spindle cell, spindle (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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