Diagnostic Pathology最新文献

Introduction: Gastric cancer develops through a series of pre-cancerous changes over decades of chronic inflammation. Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) represents a critical transition in the progression to gastric cancer, though validated histologic markers are needed to more accurately detect and assess the extent of CAG. We previously identified sialyl-Lewis X (sLe^x) as a marker of atrophic gastric epithelium in mice. Here, we establish patterns of sLe^x expression that can be used to detect and distinguish human gastric pre-cancerous lesions.

Methods: We obtained gastric corpus and/or antrum biopsies from 149 adult patients with dyspepsia. Biopsies were stained with hematoxylin/eosin and a commercially available antibody to sLe^x. Histologic diagnoses included normal, chronic non-atrophic gastritis (CNG), or CAG with or without intestinal metaplasia (IM) and were determined by a single pathologist. A second pathologist graded each biopsy according to consensus criteria, based on the presence, intensity, and glandular distribution of sLe^x staining. Log-linear models were used to determine the association between patterns of sLe^x expression and gastric pathology.

Results: The majority of patients (70%) had gastric pathology (CNG or CAG ± IM). The presence of sLe^x could be used to detect gastric pathology (97% sensitivity), and the absence of sLe^x staining could reliably predict normal histology (76% specificity). The intensity of sLe^x staining significantly correlated with gastric pathology. Moreover, a deeper (≥ 50%) glandular sLe^x distribution in the antrum was significantly associated with CAG, while a more superficial (< 50%) distribution significantly correlated with CNG.

Conclusion: Patterns of sLe^x expression can be used to detect and refine the histologic assessment of gastric pre-neoplastic lesion severity.

Background: Mixed epithelial and stromal tumors (MESTs) of the seminal vesicle are exceptionally rare neoplasms composed of both epithelial and stromal elements, posing significant diagnostic challenges due to their rarity and overlapping characteristics with other pelvic neoplasms.

Case presentation: We describe a 45-year-old patient with chronic pelvic pain and obstructive urinary symptoms. Imaging revealed a large cystic and solid mass involving his seminal vesicles, with significant mass effect on adjacent structures. Differential diagnoses included seminal vesicle adenocarcinoma and sarcoma. Complete surgical resection and subsequent histopathological analysis confirmed a low-grade seminal vesicle MEST with biphasic epithelial and stromal components, lacking atypia or notable mitotic activity. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed stromal positivity for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), smooth muscle actin, desmin, and CD34, and epithelial positivity for PAX8, PAX2, CK7, and MUC-6, supporting the diagnosis. The patient remains disease-free 32 months post-surgery.

Conclusion: Seminal vesicle MESTs are rare and histologically diverse tumors, with pathogenesis likely hormonally influenced given ER and PR expression. Diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary approach, including imaging, histopathology, and immunohistochemistry. Surgical excision is the preferred treatment, offering an excellent prognosis for low-grade cases. This case emphasizes the importance of detailed documentation to improve understanding and management of these rare tumors, and its prognosis.

Background: Bilateral salivary gland tumors, both benign and malignant and synchronous or metachronous are very rare.

Case presentation: Here three cases of synchronous bilateral salivary gland tumors are described and discussed. Recognizing the entity is important for diagnostics and treatment planning. The first patient was a 56-year-old female with a bilateral parotid tumor, a malignant tumor, salivary duct carcinoma on the right side and a benign tumor, pleomorphic adenoma on the left side. The second patient was a 50-year old female with a bilateral benign parotid tumor, a pleomorphic adenoma. The third patient was a 51-year old female with a bilateral malignant tumor, an acinic cell carcinoma. Details on the diagnostic work-up, histopathology and treatment are described and discussed.

Conclusions: In the case of a unilateral salivary gland tumor, especially of the major glands, the contralateral gland is always included in the clinical and radiological (MRI) head and neck evaluation prior to surgery, to detect or exclude possible bilateral occurrence.

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological and molecular features, diagnosis, and differential diagnosis of gastric-type cervical adenocarcinoma (GAS).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 100 patients diagnosed with GAS at the National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2017 to January 2025. Clinicopathological data, histological characteristics, and immunohistochemical expression patterns were analyzed. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on 11 cases.

Results: The cohort comprised 100 GAS patients (median age 50 years). Common clinical manifestations included abnormal uterine bleeding and vaginal discharge, with a significant proportion presenting at advanced FIGO stages (II-IV). Histological features were characteristic, and immunohistochemistry, including markers like MUC6, p16, PAX8, and PAX2, was crucial for diagnosis and differential diagnosis. Molecular analysis of 11 cases revealed a distinct high-frequency somatic mutation profile, including TP53 (72.7%), KRAS (45.5%), SMAD4 (45.5%), CDKN2A (36.4%), PIK3CA (27.3%) and STK11 (18.2%). This profile showed molecular homology with pancreaticobiliary adenocarcinoma and was characterized by microsatellite stable (MSS) and low tumor mutational burden (TMB). Regarding molecular markers and prognosis, aberrant p53 expression was frequent (50%, 37/74) but showed no significant association with clinicopathological factors or survival outcomes (p > 0.05). In contrast, PD-L1 expression (CPS ≥ 1) was significantly associated with higher FIGO stage (p = 0.021) and shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.046).

Conclusions: GAS is a highly malignant, HPV-independent cervical adenocarcinoma characterized by atypical clinical symptoms and complex histology. This study, representing a large cohort from Northern China, provides comprehensive insights into its clinicopathological and molecular landscape. We characterized its unique molecular profile and, importantly, identified PD-L1 (CPS ≥ 1) as a potential prognostic marker associated with shorter PFS. These findings contribute to improving diagnosis, understanding biological behavior, and identifying potential therapeutic targets for this aggressive subtype.

Background: Atypical perilobular hemangioma (APH) of the breast is a rare type of tumor. This tumor is often small, measuring no more than 2 mm in diameter, difficult to detect or palpate, and has a good prognosis.

Case presentation: We report a unique case of APH in a 47-year-old female patient, which was 12 mm in diameter and characterized by tumor cell atypia. To date, six cases of APH have been reported in the literature, including the present case. The mean age of the APH patients was 49.5 years (range: 39-75 years). The majority of APHs (4/6) in the breast were initially diagnosed as angiosarcoma. The tumor in our study presented diagnostic challenges as an atypical APH due to its substantial size (12 mm), the presence of indistinct borders in certain regions, an extensive growth pattern, the hobnail appearance of endothelial cells, and the mitotic count.

Conclusion: In this study, we present this case to help with proper diagnosis and treatment of the tumor, to emphasize additional characteristics of APH, to summarize the clinicopathological features of this tumor as documented in the literature, and to enhance the understanding of this tumor type, particularly the differentiation between APH and low-grade angiosarcoma.

Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Objective: This report presents a rare case involving an extreme epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, in which a specific type of sarcoma developed heterochronically as a recurrence of endometrioid carcinoma.

Case presentation: A female in her 50's presented with abnormal genital bleeding, and an endometrial biopsy revealed endometrioid carcinoma. Following the diagnosis of stage IA endometrioid carcinoma according to the 2008 classification system of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, a robot-assisted simple hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and sentinel lymph node navigation surgery were performed. Six months postoperatively, a tumor mass developed in the pelvis. A transrectal needle biopsy revealed spindle cell proliferation, and pelvic tumor resection was conducted for diagnostic therapy. The patient received no adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy after the second surgery and remained free of tumor recurrence for 8 months. The resected yellowish solid tumor mass, measuring 16 × 12 × 9 cm, exhibited hemorrhage, necrosis, and cystic degeneration and was composed of fascicular proliferation of spindle tumor cells showing nuclear pleomorphism and frequent mitotic figures within a myxoid and inflammatory stroma. No epithelial component or organoid patterns were observed. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for factor XIIIa, CD10, and cyclin D1, but negative for keratins (AE1/AE3 and CAM5.2) and other specific markers, supporting a diagnosis of high-grade myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma (MIFS).

Conclusion: Genomic analysis revealed identical mutations in PTEN, PIK3R1, CDKN2 A, and TP53 in both the primary uterine endometrioid carcinoma and heterochronic pelvic MIFS. An integrative approach involving histology, immunohistochemistry, and genomic analysis is critical for elucidating the pathogenesis of rare pelvic and uterine tumors.

Background: Lung cancer is widely recognized as a prevalent malignant neoplasm. Traditional genetic testing methods face limitations such as high costs and lengthy procedures. The prediction of clinically relevant genetic mutations via histopathological images could facilitate the expedited identification of genetic mutations in clinical settings.

Methods: We collected 2,221 slides from 1999 patients diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. The data include whole-slide images data as well as information on gene mutations in EGFR, KRAS, ALK, HER2, and other rare genes (ROS1, RET, BRAF, PIK3CA, NRAS), and related clinical information. The self-supervised model DINO and the two-stage multi-instance network GAMIL were employed to accurately identify mutation statuses in 9 genes linked to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. The comparison of model performance involves the utilization of various foundation model (UNI), classification models (CLAM and Inception v3), external datasets (TCGA and other medical institutions), and comparative analysis with human pathologists.

Results: Our approach outperforms the CLAM and inception v3 model, achieving AUC values ranging from 0.825 to 0.987 for predicting gene mutations. The AUC value on the external test data set is 0.516-0.843. Furthermore, when comparing EGFR gene mutation prediction between pathologists and the GAMIL model, GAMIL exhibited a significantly higher AUC value of 0.810, exceeding the average AUC value of 0.508 achieved by pathologists.

Conclusion: The GAMIL models exhibit outstanding performance in delineating tumor regions in lung adenocarcinoma and in forecasting gene mutations. The utilization of these models presents substantial potential for markedly improving molecular testing efficiency and opening novel pathways for personalized treatment.

Trial registration: Not applicable.

Background: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign hepatic lesion that rarely presents as an exophytic mass attached by a fibrous stalk (termed pedunculated FNH). This variation poses a challenge to clinicians, with atypical symptoms and imaging.

Case presentation: We describe a 33-year-old female who underwent excision of a pedunculated FNH. On gross examination, the lesion was lobular and vascular with homogenous tan-brown surfaces. Histological examination showed loss of normal liver architecture, abnormal intervening fibrous tracts, dysplastic arteries, and focal steatosis. Immunohistochemical staining with glutamine synthetase resulted in a branching, or "map-like" pattern. These findings were consistent with focal nodular hyperplasia. One of the most sensitive imaging techniques for diagnosing this lesion involves magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast, which discloses a homogenous mass that is hyperintense during the arterial phase with gradual decrease in intensity during the venous and equilibrium phases. The central stellate scar will often remain hyperintense for a prolonged period of time. On histology, normal hepatic architecture is lost to abnormal fibrotic bands and a characteristic stellate scar. Immunohistochemistry with glutamine synthetase uniquely highlights a map-like pattern that is not seen in other liver lesions.

Conclusions: Due to its atypical presentation and increased risk of complications compared to its intrahepatic counterpart, pedunculated FNH brings unique challenges for diagnosis and therapy. Proper identification of pedunculated FNH is critical for appropriate treatment. Our case highlights the importance of radiological and histopathological studies to accurately identify this lesion, as well as the benefits of surgical removal to prevent serious complications.

Introduction: Primary mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the breast (BMCA) is a rare neoplasm with few reports in the literature. Its molecular characteristics, prognosis, and treatment protocols are not well understood, and there is a lack of consensus concerning the optimal management of this condition.

Methods: Four cases of clinical and pathological data were collected from 2018 to 2024. Next generation sequencing with a 654 cancer-associated gene panel was utilized to detect gene mutations. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to evaluate protein expression levels.

Results: Firstly, we combined clinical imaging examinations and IHC to exclude the possibility of metastasis from ovarian or pancreatic origins. BMCA was composed of cystically dilated ducts lined by tall columnar mucin-containing epithelium. The morphological spectrum of MCA varied from MCA alone to MCA combined with carcinoma in situ (CIS) to MCA associated with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). ER/PR/HER2 and CK20 were all negative, while CK7 and GATA3 were positive by IHC in four cases. Although the prognosis of the other three patients was favorable during the follow-up periods of 13, 10, and 3 months, respectively, case 2# experienced a recurrence of the primary focus after 42 months. No lymphatic metastasis was identified in cases 1-4#. In addition, next-generation sequencing (NGS) identified 17 mutated genes and 25 mutation sites in four cases. TP53, PIK3CA, AKT, PTEN, and RB1 were the highest frequency mutated genes. Given that AKT mutations typically refer to AKT1(E17K) rather than AKT2 or AKT3, AKT protein expression was detected only in Case 2# (AKT1, E17K). PTEN protein was expressed in case 4# (corresponded to missense mutation), loss of PTEN expression were corresponding with splicing mutation in case1#. In brief, AKT and PTEN protein expression could be corresponded to gene mutation in a certain extent. However, PIK3CA protein expression was positive in Case 2# but negative in Case 1#, which did not fully accordance with the NGS-detected missense mutations. No associated germline variations were detected. Additionally, neither PDL-1 expression nor microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) status was identified.

Conclusion: The tumorigenesis and development of BMCA may be regulated to the PI3K/AKT pathway. Consequently, a comprehensive genetic analysis of more cases could elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying this rare tumor.

Background: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) emblematizes the predominant malignant salivary gland neoplasm, characterized by its heterogeneous morphological features and diverse clinical representations. The expression patterns and prognostic significance of Octamer transcription factor 4 (OCT4) and Mammalian-enabled (MENA) protein in MEC perdure are incompletely described.

Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 46 archival MEC specimens and 5 normal salivary-gland controls. OCT4 and MENA staining were assessed histomorphometrically and correlated with clinicopathological parameters. Statistical analysis comprised Monte Carlo and Spearman's correlation tests.

Results: OCT4 revealed selective cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in intermediate and epidermoid cells, without nuclear positivity. Strong OCT4 expression predominated in low-grade (66.7%), while high-grade MEC exhibited variable immunoreactivity, with 53% showing weak expression. No significant correlation was found between OCT4 expression and clinical or pathological data. MENA showed cytoplasmic and membranous immunolocalization, with expression patterns correlated significantly with age (p = 0.015), tumor size (p = 0.012), clinical stage (p = 0.004), and histological grading (p = 0.001). Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a weak, non-significant association between OCT4 and MENA expression (r = 0.05, p = 0.744).

Conclusions: The differential expression patterns of OCT4 and MENA in MEC prognosticate distinct regulatory mechanisms. While OCT4 cytoplasmic expression may presage early involvement in carcinogenesis, MENA cellular expression portends potentially independent molecular pathways, possibly encompassing subnetworks in the Wnt/β-catenin and TGF-β signaling cascades. MENA may serve as a biomarker for predicting the aggressive behavior of MEC.