Spinal biopsies: a clinicopathologic review of 53 cases diagnosed between 2011 and 2018 at a tertiary hospital in Kampala, Uganda

Background Early diagnosis of spinal cord neoplasia serves patients from developing a number of complications and even death. Methods After obtaining ethical approval, retrospectively, a total of 53 tissue blocks of patients attended at the spinal ward were reviewed. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 20.0, and p value of less than 0.05 was applied to establish the existence of statistical significance between the compared categorical variables. Results The mean age of the patients was 30.7 ± 15.96 years. Most of the patients 32.1% (n = 17) were aged ≤ 19 years, and majority of the neoplasia 77.3% (n = 41) were extramedullary. Also, majority of the neoplasia 60.4% (n = 32) were benign and the malignant ones were 35.8% (n = 19). The mean duration of onset of symptoms for benign and malignant neoplasia in this study was 13.1 ± 16.4 and 3.4 ± 2.8 years, respectively, with statistical difference (95% CI 2.09–17.35, p = 0.014). Conclusion The patients with spinal cord neoplasia in the present study were of young age, and majority of them had benign neoplasia that were extramedullary located. The mean duration of onset of symptoms for patients with malignant neoplasia was significantly shorter than that of benign neoplasia.

A Sinister Disease Hides Behind Recalcitrant Mucocutaneous Disorder

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is a rare autoimmune disorder associated with underlying benign or malignant neoplasia. Its signs and symptoms may be the first presentation of a concealed malignancy. Due to late diagnosis, prognosis of PNP is not good, so early diagnosis and treatment is of paramount importance. We present a case of 22 years old female who presented to our out patient department (OPD) with history of recurrent, severe, recalcitrant, painful oral ulcers; lichenoid lesions over the hands and feet and widespread blistering and erosions involving the soles. Histopathological examination was consistent with paraneoplastic pemphigus and showed features of lichenoid dermatitis. CT scan revealed retroperitoneal mass suggestive of Castleman disease. The patient was referred to surgical team for further management.

Potential Role of Hydroxyapatite Nanocrystalline for Early Diagnostics of Ovarian Cancer

Calcification is one of the clinical and morphological manifestations of ovarian tumors and it begins at the initial stages of carcinogenesis. Thus, this process can be used for the early diagnostics of some malignant ovarian tumors. We compared the results of ultrasound and histology and found that calcifications of a size less than 200 μm are not detected by ultrasound. These calcified structures are round fragile particles of different sizes. In the EDX (Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) spectra, the main lines were from Ca and P, and the ratio of these elements corresponds to hydroxyapatite. Thus, we established that hydroxyapatite is the main mineral component of ovarian psammoma bodies and could be used for early diagnostics of ovarian malignant neoplasia.

Bovine Papillomatosis in a One-Year-Old Kedah Kelantan Cross Cattle Calf

Bovine papillomatosis is an infectious disease, characterized by the presence of multiple benign mass that can regress spontaneously or progress into malignant neoplasia caused by bovine papillomavirus. Epidermal proliferation causes the lesion to have the keratotic surface that resembles a cauliflower. In this case report, bovine papillomatosis that was encountered in a farm at UMK Bachok, Kelantan will be discussed. A year-old male Kedah Kelantan (KK) cross cattle calf was presented with a presence of multiple, circular, around 1-2cm in diameter, wart-like lesion localized on the ventral part of the mandible and on the chin. A series of diagnostic approaches had been conducted to reach the definitive diagnosis, which includes biopsy for histopathology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fecal examination.

Biological bases of cancer: a proposal of minimum contents for health schools

Cancer constitutes the second most common cause of death worldwide and is expected to become the leading one, even above cardiovascular diseases. The understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of cancer has led not only to the proper development of chemotherapy but also of target therapies. Although these advances are related with improved survival rates among cancer patients, it has poorly impacted its incidences. In this regard, the lack of knowledge regarding the impact that the several carcinogenic factors and their interactions have on different types of cancers may explain at least in part the difficulties to reduce incidence rates. However, is worth noticing that in several health schools of Chilean universities, cancer does not constitute a formal course, being only partially approached during other courses, such as cell biology, internal medicine, and surgery. Thus, the aim of our work is to provide students a simple and resumed manuscript about essential topics necessary to understand the biological basis of cancer. First, the reader will find some fundamentals about human biology including the cell cycle and the central dogma of molecular biology, which offers an overview of the physiological mechanisms leading to malignant neoplasia. Then, we will provide current definitions of neoplasia, benign and malignant tumors are provided. Finally, the different stages of tumor progression will be approached to allow the understanding of cancer development. These stages include (i) initiation, (ii) promotion, and (iii) progression. For the last one, metastasis, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix degradation, migration, and immune evasion will also be addressed. This work will not consider the metabolic hypothesis of cancer.

MicroRNAs in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: A State of the Art Review of the Regulatory Mechanisms and Future Perspectives

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare malignant neoplasia with a variable clinical course, with complete remission often difficult to achieve. Genetic alterations lead to fundamental changes not only in hereditary MTC but also in the sporadic form, with close correlations between mutational status and prognosis. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) have become highly relevant as crucial players in MTC etiology. Current research has focused on their roles in disease carcinogenesis and development, but recent studies have expounded their potential as biomarkers and response predictors to novel biological drugs for advanced MTC. One such element which requires greater investigation is their mechanism of action and the molecular pathways involved in the regulation of gene expression. A more thorough understanding of these mechanisms will help realize the promising potential of miRNAs for MTC therapy and management.

Masses of the Lacrimal Gland: Evaluation and Treatment

Lacrimal gland lesions account for approximately 9 to 10% of all biopsied orbital masses. Potential causes include nongranulomatous and granulomatous inflammation, autoimmune disease, lymphoproliferative disorders, benign epithelial proliferation, malignant neoplasia, and metastatic disease. Inflammatory lesions and lymphoproliferative disorders are the most common and may be unilateral or bilateral; they may also be localized to the orbit or associated with systemic disease. Both benign and malignant epithelial lacrimal gland masses tend to be unilateral and involve the orbital lobe, but a more rapid onset of symptoms and periorbital pain strongly suggest malignant disease. On orbital imaging, both inflammatory and lymphoproliferative lesions conform to the globe and surrounding structures, without changes in adjacent bone, whereas epithelial lacrimal gland masses often show scalloping of the lacrimal gland fossa. Malignant epithelial lacrimal gland tumors can also have radiographic evidence of bony invasion and destruction. Masses of the lacrimal gland may be due to a broad range of pathologies, and a good working knowledge of common clinical characteristics and radiographic imaging findings is essential for diagnosis and treatment. All patients with inflammatory, lymphoproliferative, and epithelial neoplastic lesions involving the lacrimal gland require long-term surveillance for disease recurrence and progression.

Diagnostics of stomach cancer in Russia: fi rst results of the multicenter study “RADIUS” (Early diagnosis of stomach cancer in dyspepsia)

The aim of the study was to evaluate the timeliness and eff ectiveness of the diagnosis of precancerous diseases and early forms of gastric cancer in primary health care. Materials and methods. A multicenter retrospective descriptive study was conducted with an analysis of the medical records of 426 patients who were diagnosed with malignant neoplasm of the stomach at the time of going to outpatient facilities. We used data from 125 outpatient facilities in 7 centers for the period from 2009 to 2019. Results. The average age of patients with a fi rst established diagnosis of malignant neoplasia was 61,7 (95% CI 58.6 ÷ 64.8) years. The prevailing form of malignant neoplastic disease was the option “Adenocarcinoma, intestinal cancer” — 77,7%, diff use type cancer — 12,7%, other histological types — 9,6%. The diagnosis of malignant neoplastic disease at the III and IV stages of the disease was fi rst established in 67,4% of patients. The number of years lived by patients with a diagnosis of gastric gastric cancer was 2,0 years. Over a 10-year follow-up, 75% of patients died. Risk factors for gastric cancer were identifi ed in 41% of respondents. Signs of dyspepsia syndrome were observed in 31,5% of patients, and they appeared on average 4,6 (95% CI 4,4 ÷ 4,8) years before the diagnosis of gastric malignancy. Among people with gastric cancer, dyspepsia symptoms occur every day in every third patient. The features of the manifestations of dyspepsia in the observed patients were: daily manifestations of symptoms (33,3%), symptoms at night — 9,4%, an increase in the intensity of dyspepsia (21,3%), the lack of a clinical response to the therapy (proton pump inhibitors, prokinetics, eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection) in 58% of cases. Anxiety symptoms were recorded 2,4 years before a diagnosis of stomach cancer.