Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106031
Ga Hie Nam, Hui Min Tan, M Ruhul Quddus, Jinhong Dong, Kamaljeet Singh, C James Sung, Liang Cheng
Endometrial gastric (gastrointestinal)-type mucinous adenocarcinoma (EGMA) is a rare histologic subtype of endometrial carcinoma that is challenging to recognize as a distinct entity. Mucinous differentiation has been observed in endometrial carcinomas since the 1980s. However, the definitive characterization of endometrial carcinomas with mucinous differentiation has been unclear in the past. Since its formal inclusion in the latest 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Female Genital Tumors, and with increasing awareness of this rare entity, more case reports and studies on EGMAs have emerged in the recent years. Some studies sought to understand the expression of gastrointestinal immunohistochemical markers in neoplastic and/or normal endometrium, while others performed comprehensive clinicopathologic characterization of EGMAs, including their molecular characteristics. However, there still exist challenges in the diagnosis of EGMA, with considerable overlaps in morphologic features and immunohistochemical phenotype existing between EGMAs and the other differential diagnoses. This review sought to summarize the known clinical presentation, radiological findings and pathologic features of EGMA to date. We also discuss in detail the salient differential diagnoses to consider, and evaluate the utility of immunohistochemistry in the workup of this entity.
{"title":"Endometrial gastric (gastrointestinal)-type mucinous adenocarcinoma: Diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, and molecular insights.","authors":"Ga Hie Nam, Hui Min Tan, M Ruhul Quddus, Jinhong Dong, Kamaljeet Singh, C James Sung, Liang Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106031","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Endometrial gastric (gastrointestinal)-type mucinous adenocarcinoma (EGMA) is a rare histologic subtype of endometrial carcinoma that is challenging to recognize as a distinct entity. Mucinous differentiation has been observed in endometrial carcinomas since the 1980s. However, the definitive characterization of endometrial carcinomas with mucinous differentiation has been unclear in the past. Since its formal inclusion in the latest 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Female Genital Tumors, and with increasing awareness of this rare entity, more case reports and studies on EGMAs have emerged in the recent years. Some studies sought to understand the expression of gastrointestinal immunohistochemical markers in neoplastic and/or normal endometrium, while others performed comprehensive clinicopathologic characterization of EGMAs, including their molecular characteristics. However, there still exist challenges in the diagnosis of EGMA, with considerable overlaps in morphologic features and immunohistochemical phenotype existing between EGMAs and the other differential diagnoses. This review sought to summarize the known clinical presentation, radiological findings and pathologic features of EGMA to date. We also discuss in detail the salient differential diagnoses to consider, and evaluate the utility of immunohistochemistry in the workup of this entity.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"106031"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145878140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-29DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106030
Jasmine Siaw, Timothy Fielder, Sebastian Senff, Carsten E Palme, Jonathan R Clark, Caroline L Cooper, Ruta Gupta
Resections from the mobile tongue, the oropharynx and neck dissections constitute a large proportion of routine head and neck pathology workload. Histologically detected proximity to margins and prognostic factors like depth of invasion, perineural or lymphovascular invasion, or extranodal extension guide adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. This review discusses practical approaches to macroscopic examination of the various types of tongue and oropharyngeal resections and neck dissections. Differential inking and radial sections demonstrate proximity of tumour to margins. The macroscopic examination and sampling should then be directed towards identifying remaining adverse prognostic features including the maximum extent of invasion at the primary site and extranodal extension, nodal matting or soft tissue deposits in the neck dissections. The diagnostic challenges differ in the tongue and oropharynx. The diagnosis of tongue SCC is relatively easy, however, precursor oral epithelial dysplasia can be challenging. Architectural and cytologic clues assisting in identifying dysplasia and practical clues distinguishing it from reactive changes are discussed. In contrast, dysplasia is not diagnosed in the oropharynx. p16 immunostaining and detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) play a critical role in the diagnosis and prognosis of oropharyngeal SCC. Nuances in the implementation and interpretation of p16 immunostaining and HPV assays are discussed.
{"title":"Making routine head and neck pathology Easy: From dissection to diagnosis.","authors":"Jasmine Siaw, Timothy Fielder, Sebastian Senff, Carsten E Palme, Jonathan R Clark, Caroline L Cooper, Ruta Gupta","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Resections from the mobile tongue, the oropharynx and neck dissections constitute a large proportion of routine head and neck pathology workload. Histologically detected proximity to margins and prognostic factors like depth of invasion, perineural or lymphovascular invasion, or extranodal extension guide adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. This review discusses practical approaches to macroscopic examination of the various types of tongue and oropharyngeal resections and neck dissections. Differential inking and radial sections demonstrate proximity of tumour to margins. The macroscopic examination and sampling should then be directed towards identifying remaining adverse prognostic features including the maximum extent of invasion at the primary site and extranodal extension, nodal matting or soft tissue deposits in the neck dissections. The diagnostic challenges differ in the tongue and oropharynx. The diagnosis of tongue SCC is relatively easy, however, precursor oral epithelial dysplasia can be challenging. Architectural and cytologic clues assisting in identifying dysplasia and practical clues distinguishing it from reactive changes are discussed. In contrast, dysplasia is not diagnosed in the oropharynx. p16 immunostaining and detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) play a critical role in the diagnosis and prognosis of oropharyngeal SCC. Nuances in the implementation and interpretation of p16 immunostaining and HPV assays are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"106030"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145878198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-25DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106025
Domenika Ortiz Requena, Elizabeth A Montgomery
Diagnostic pathology of the upper gastrointestinal tract continues to evolve as molecular insights, clinical practices, and updated international standards improve our understanding of disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of digestive system tumors, now in its 6th edition, includes several important changes, including incorporating esophageal epidermoid metaplasia as a separate section, and modifying the approach to metaplastic and dysplastic gastric lesions. These updates reflect a broader trend toward simplified terminology, clearer definitions of precursor lesions, and more consistent grading systems across the digestive tract. At the same time, increased use of immunotherapy has introduced new patterns of injury. Beyond immune checkpoint inhibitors, several agents, including rituximab and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy have been associated with distinctive upper-GI mucosal alterations that can resemble infectious or immunologic diseases. Failure to recognize these patterns of injury can carry significant clinical implications, including treatment delay or discontinuation, and require careful histologic evaluation to avoid misclassification. This review summarizes select upper-GI updates from the 6th edition of the WHO classification and outlines emerging therapy-related injuries with a focus on rituximab- and CAR-T-associated changes. The aim is to provide a practical and contemporary guide for pathologists navigating these evolving diagnostic challenges.
{"title":"What's new in upper gastrointestinal pathology: Key updates and evolving challenges in 2026.","authors":"Domenika Ortiz Requena, Elizabeth A Montgomery","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diagnostic pathology of the upper gastrointestinal tract continues to evolve as molecular insights, clinical practices, and updated international standards improve our understanding of disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of digestive system tumors, now in its 6th edition, includes several important changes, including incorporating esophageal epidermoid metaplasia as a separate section, and modifying the approach to metaplastic and dysplastic gastric lesions. These updates reflect a broader trend toward simplified terminology, clearer definitions of precursor lesions, and more consistent grading systems across the digestive tract. At the same time, increased use of immunotherapy has introduced new patterns of injury. Beyond immune checkpoint inhibitors, several agents, including rituximab and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy have been associated with distinctive upper-GI mucosal alterations that can resemble infectious or immunologic diseases. Failure to recognize these patterns of injury can carry significant clinical implications, including treatment delay or discontinuation, and require careful histologic evaluation to avoid misclassification. This review summarizes select upper-GI updates from the 6th edition of the WHO classification and outlines emerging therapy-related injuries with a focus on rituximab- and CAR-T-associated changes. The aim is to provide a practical and contemporary guide for pathologists navigating these evolving diagnostic challenges.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"106025"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145846633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106028
Jiri Soukup , Eva Traboulsi , Sarka Lopatova , Martin Syrucek , Miroslav Koblizek , Michal Hendrych , Marian Svajdler , Kristyna Sichova , Michaela May , David Netuka
Colloid cyst of the 3rd ventricle (CC) is an unusual cystic lesion of uncertain histogenesis, occurring exclusively in the 3rd ventricle close to the foramen Monro. In the past, its pathogenic relationship to neurenteric cyst (NEC) of central nervous system or Rathke cleft cyst (RCC) has been suggested. Thus, we evaluated expression of selected tissue-specific transcription factors and other proteins to assess its putative origin. Tissue samples of 15 CCs (8 females and 7 males, mean age 46.7 years), 7 RCCs (7 females, mean age 45.6 years), 8 neurenteric cysts (5 females and 2 males, mean age 42.1 years, including 1 recurrent case), and 10 craniopharyngiomas (2 papillary and 8 adamantinomatous) were included. Immunohistochemical detections of PAX8 with C-terminus specific antibody, TTF1, SOX17, and cadherin 17 were performed in all the samples. The immunoreactivity was scored based on extent (0 %; <10 %; 10–50 %; >50 %) and intensity (weak, moderate, strong). All 15 cases of CCs were PAX8 positive (moderate to strong expression in >50 % in 13/15 cases), while no RCC, NEC or craniopharyngioma showed PAX8 immunoreactivity. Rare PAX8-positive cells were also observed in single cells of 50 % (3/6) of the choroid plexuses. No expression of TTF1 or SOX17 was detected in any of the cases and weak cadherin 17 expression was seen in scattered cells (<10 %) of one CC and RCC. Colloid cysts of the 3rd ventricle are consistently PAX8-positive, while they lack signs of thyroid, müllerian or enteric differentiation. Furthermore, PAX8 can be used to distinguish CC from NEC, RCC, and craniopharyngiomas.
{"title":"Colloid cysts of the third ventricle show consistent expression of PAX8 but lack other features of thyroid, müllerian or intestinal differentiation","authors":"Jiri Soukup , Eva Traboulsi , Sarka Lopatova , Martin Syrucek , Miroslav Koblizek , Michal Hendrych , Marian Svajdler , Kristyna Sichova , Michaela May , David Netuka","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106028","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106028","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Colloid cyst of the 3rd ventricle (CC) is an unusual cystic lesion of uncertain histogenesis, occurring exclusively in the 3rd ventricle close to the foramen Monro. In the past, its pathogenic relationship to neurenteric cyst (NEC) of central nervous system or Rathke cleft cyst (RCC) has been suggested. Thus, we evaluated expression of selected tissue-specific transcription factors and other proteins to assess its putative origin. Tissue samples of 15 CCs (8 females and 7 males, mean age 46.7 years), 7 RCCs (7 females, mean age 45.6 years), 8 neurenteric cysts (5 females and 2 males, mean age 42.1 years, including 1 recurrent case), and 10 craniopharyngiomas (2 papillary and 8 adamantinomatous) were included. Immunohistochemical detections of PAX8 with C-terminus specific antibody, TTF1, SOX17, and cadherin 17 were performed in all the samples. The immunoreactivity was scored based on extent (0 %; <10 %; 10–50 %; >50 %) and intensity (weak, moderate, strong). All 15 cases of CCs were PAX8 positive (moderate to strong expression in >50 % in 13/15 cases), while no RCC, NEC or craniopharyngioma showed PAX8 immunoreactivity. Rare PAX8-positive cells were also observed in single cells of 50 % (3/6) of the choroid plexuses. No expression of TTF1 or SOX17 was detected in any of the cases and weak cadherin 17 expression was seen in scattered cells (<10 %) of one CC and RCC. Colloid cysts of the 3rd ventricle are consistently PAX8-positive, while they lack signs of thyroid, müllerian or enteric differentiation. Furthermore, PAX8 can be used to distinguish CC from NEC, RCC, and craniopharyngiomas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106028"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145838081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-22DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106026
Jianping Zhao , William Mi , Varsha Nair , Barrett C. Lawson , Charles C. Guo , Elizabeth M. Jacobi , Qingqing Ding
Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) and Sertoli cell tumors (SCTs) are the two most common sex cord–stromal tumors of the testis, and can exhibit overlapping histologic and immunophenotypic features, creating diagnostic challenges. Currently, differential diagnosis of these two tumors relies primarily on histological features, with no reliable immunohistochemical markers available. B72.3 is a widely used immunohistochemical antibody recognizing tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 (TAG-72) expressed in a broad range of normal and tumor tissues. Incidentally, we observed that B72.3 specifically stains the Leydig cells, but not Sertoli cells, in normal testis, suggesting its potential utility as a diagnostic marker for testicular LCTs. In this study, we identified 35 patients with testicular LCTs (primary: n = 28; metastatic: n = 7) and 12 with testicular SCTs (primary: n = 10; metastatic: n = 2). B72.3 immunohistochemistry was performed on 17 testicular LCTs and 7 SCTs. Positive B72.3 staining was observed in 9 of 17 LCTs (53 %), including 8 of 12 primary tumors (67 %) and 1 of 5 metastatic tumors (20 %). Among the positive LCTs, 2 exhibited diffuse staining, 2 showed patchy positivity, and 5 had focal staining. By contrast, all 7 SCTs and 1 Sertoli cell nodule were negative for B72.3. These findings indicate that B72.3 may serve as a useful diagnostic marker for testicular LCTs and can aid in distinguishing LCTs from SCTs in challenging cases.
{"title":"B72.3 serves as a new diagnostic marker for testicular Leydig cell tumor","authors":"Jianping Zhao , William Mi , Varsha Nair , Barrett C. Lawson , Charles C. Guo , Elizabeth M. Jacobi , Qingqing Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106026","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leydig cell tumors (LCTs) and Sertoli cell tumors (SCTs) are the two most common sex cord–stromal tumors of the testis, and can exhibit overlapping histologic and immunophenotypic features, creating diagnostic challenges. Currently, differential diagnosis of these two tumors relies primarily on histological features, with no reliable immunohistochemical markers available. B72.3 is a widely used immunohistochemical antibody recognizing tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 (TAG-72) expressed in a broad range of normal and tumor tissues. Incidentally, we observed that B72.3 specifically stains the Leydig cells, but not Sertoli cells, in normal testis, suggesting its potential utility as a diagnostic marker for testicular LCTs. In this study, we identified 35 patients with testicular LCTs (primary: n = 28; metastatic: n = 7) and 12 with testicular SCTs (primary: n = 10; metastatic: n = 2). B72.3 immunohistochemistry was performed on 17 testicular LCTs and 7 SCTs. Positive B72.3 staining was observed in 9 of 17 LCTs (53 %), including 8 of 12 primary tumors (67 %) and 1 of 5 metastatic tumors (20 %). Among the positive LCTs, 2 exhibited diffuse staining, 2 showed patchy positivity, and 5 had focal staining. By contrast, all 7 SCTs and 1 Sertoli cell nodule were negative for B72.3. These findings indicate that B72.3 may serve as a useful diagnostic marker for testicular LCTs and can aid in distinguishing LCTs from SCTs in challenging cases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106026"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145827683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A heavy admixture of inflammatory cells is observed in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL), but granuloma formation is typically absent. We aimed to describe the clinicopathological features of this rare granulomatous variant of ENKTL.
Methods
Four cases of the granulomatous variant of ENKTL were retrospectively analyzed, combined with a review of four cases reported in the literature.
Results
The four cases in our institution comprised one female and three male patients aged 57–65 years (median: 61 years). One patient had a nasal lesion, while three exhibited extranasal disease. All were diagnosed at stage III/IV. Histopathology showed extensive epithelioid granulomas, but lacked typical features such as angiocentricity and angiodestruction. Scattered atypical lymphoid cells with varying degrees of cytological atypia were observed between granulomas. Immunohistochemistry confirmed T or NK cell lineage with expression of CD3ε and cytotoxic markers. Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization (ISH) confirmed an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) association in all cases. Three cases were CD56-positive, and two were CD5-negative. Three showed CD4-/CD8-, and one showed CD4-/CD8+. Mutations in DNMT3A, KMT2D, and KMT2A in Case #3 and a B2M mutation in Case #4 were revealed by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Combined with literature, granulomatous ENKTL most frequently involved the skin (6/8 cases). Notably, five of these eight cases were initially misdiagnosed as chronic inflammation.
Conclusions
ENKTL encompasses a variety of morphological features and a broad biological spectrum. Heightened awareness of this granulomatous variant is critical for preventing diagnostic delays and ensuring timely therapeutic intervention.
{"title":"Granulomatous variant of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma: Mimicking inflammatory or infective lesions","authors":"Mansi Yu , Xuankai Zeng , Weixin Luo , Qitao Huang , Yinli Zheng , Yuhua Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106027","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>A heavy admixture of inflammatory cells is observed in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL), but granuloma formation is typically absent. We aimed to describe the clinicopathological features of this rare granulomatous variant of ENKTL.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Four cases of the granulomatous variant of ENKTL were retrospectively analyzed, combined with a review of four cases reported in the literature.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The four cases in our institution comprised one female and three male patients aged 57–65 years (median: 61 years). One patient had a nasal lesion, while three exhibited extranasal disease. All were diagnosed at stage III/IV. Histopathology showed extensive epithelioid granulomas, but lacked typical features such as angiocentricity and angiodestruction. Scattered atypical lymphoid cells with varying degrees of cytological atypia were observed between granulomas. Immunohistochemistry confirmed T or NK cell lineage with expression of CD3ε and cytotoxic markers. Epstein-Barr virus-encoded small RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization (ISH) confirmed an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) association in all cases. Three cases were CD56-positive, and two were CD5-negative. Three showed CD4-/CD8-, and one showed CD4-/CD8+. Mutations in <em>DNMT3A</em>, <em>KMT2D</em>, and <em>KMT2A</em> in Case #3 and a <em>B2M</em> mutation in Case #4 were revealed by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Combined with literature, granulomatous ENKTL most frequently involved the skin (6/8 cases). Notably, five of these eight cases were initially misdiagnosed as chronic inflammation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>ENKTL encompasses a variety of morphological features and a broad biological spectrum. Heightened awareness of this granulomatous variant is critical for preventing diagnostic delays and ensuring timely therapeutic intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106027"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145827208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106020
Peihe Jiang , Weilong Chen , Xiaogang Song , Xinna Li
The classification of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) subtypes is important for understanding disease heterogeneity and has potential implications for diagnosis and treatment planning, yet the complexity and heterogeneity of histopathological images pose significant challenges for automated classification. This study proposes an efficient deep learning model that integrates Depthwise Separable Residual Block (DSResBlock), RefConv, Channel Attention Pooling (CAP), and Multidimensional Collaborative Attention (MCA) modules into the EfficientNetV2-S architecture to improve subtype classification of LADC histopathological images. DS-EffNet model optimizes feature extraction and modeling of complex pathological patterns through depthwise separable convolutions and attention mechanisms. Experimental results demonstrate that the model achieves an accuracy of 95.1 %, an F1-score of 0.938, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.994 on the primary experimental dataset, outperforming other baseline models. Furthermore, the model attains 100 % generalization accuracy on the LC25000 dataset, indicating promising cross-institutional performance. Ablation studies demonstrate the synergistic contributions of each module, with MCA particularly effective in modeling complex features and RefConv significantly reducing computational complexity. This study provides a novel design paradigm for medical image classification, extendable to other histological tasks, and may assist pathologists by providing rapid subtype-level information, potentially supporting future diagnostic research and aiding treatment stratification studies.
{"title":"Deep learning-based classification of lung adenocarcinoma subtypes in histopathological images using DS-EffNet","authors":"Peihe Jiang , Weilong Chen , Xiaogang Song , Xinna Li","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The classification of lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) subtypes is important for understanding disease heterogeneity and has potential implications for diagnosis and treatment planning, yet the complexity and heterogeneity of histopathological images pose significant challenges for automated classification. This study proposes an efficient deep learning model that integrates Depthwise Separable Residual Block (DSResBlock), RefConv, Channel Attention Pooling (CAP), and Multidimensional Collaborative Attention (MCA) modules into the EfficientNetV2-S architecture to improve subtype classification of LADC histopathological images. DS-EffNet model optimizes feature extraction and modeling of complex pathological patterns through depthwise separable convolutions and attention mechanisms. Experimental results demonstrate that the model achieves an accuracy of 95.1 %, an F1-score of 0.938, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.994 on the primary experimental dataset, outperforming other baseline models. Furthermore, the model attains 100 % generalization accuracy on the LC25000 dataset, indicating promising cross-institutional performance. Ablation studies demonstrate the synergistic contributions of each module, with MCA particularly effective in modeling complex features and RefConv significantly reducing computational complexity. This study provides a novel design paradigm for medical image classification, extendable to other histological tasks, and may assist pathologists by providing rapid subtype-level information, potentially supporting future diagnostic research and aiding treatment stratification studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106020"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788817","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106024
Trine Aaquist , Tenna Vesterman Henriksen , Lea Lecanda Mariager Jakobsen , Claus Wilki Fristrup , Per Pfeiffer , Karin de Stricker , Ernesto Sparrelid , Carlos Fernández Moro , Frank Mortensen , Anders Riegels Knudsen , Stephen Hamilton-Dutoit , Jörg Kleeff , Michael Bau Mortensen , Claus Lindbjerg Andersen , Sönke Detlefsen
Introduction
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a high risk of early recurrence after surgery. We evaluated the utility of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysed at different time points as a prognostic tool. Secondary aims were prognostic value of ctDNA combined with plasma carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 and prognostic value of peritoneal tumour DNA (ptDNA).
Methods
A total of 75 patients were included. Plasma samples were obtained preoperatively, 1 month, and 7–9 months after resection. Peritoneal lavage fluid (PLF) was collected preoperatively and 7–9 months after resection. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma and ptDNA were analysed using mutation specific digital droplet PCR assays in a tumour-informed apprach. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, univariable, and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).
Results
Preoperatively, detectable ctDNA was an independent risk factor for OS (HR = 1.88, p = 0.047). Detectable ctDNA 7–9 months after surgery was an independent risk factor for RFS (HR = 4.48, p = 0.017). Detectable ctDNA 1 month after surgery showed decreased RFS (HR = 1.98, p = 0.055). Preoperative, 1-month, and 7–9 months postoperative positivity for ctDNA and/or CA 19-9 showed a significantly worse median OS (p = 0.024, p = 0.008, and p = 0.0003). We did not find association of ptDNA with OS or RFS, but ptDNA detection 7–9 months after surgery was associated with peritoneal RFS (p = 0.003).
Conclusion
Our data indicate that detectable ctDNA in plasma taken before and 7–9 months after surgery holds independent prognostic value in PDAC. Combination of ctDNA with CA-19–9 may be a particularly strong prognosticator, which should be confirmed in future studies.
{"title":"Circulating tumour DNA as a prognostic tool for surgically treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma","authors":"Trine Aaquist , Tenna Vesterman Henriksen , Lea Lecanda Mariager Jakobsen , Claus Wilki Fristrup , Per Pfeiffer , Karin de Stricker , Ernesto Sparrelid , Carlos Fernández Moro , Frank Mortensen , Anders Riegels Knudsen , Stephen Hamilton-Dutoit , Jörg Kleeff , Michael Bau Mortensen , Claus Lindbjerg Andersen , Sönke Detlefsen","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a high risk of early recurrence after surgery. We evaluated the utility of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysed at different time points as a prognostic tool. Secondary aims were prognostic value of ctDNA combined with plasma carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 and prognostic value of peritoneal tumour DNA (ptDNA).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 75 patients were included. Plasma samples were obtained preoperatively, 1 month, and 7–9 months after resection. Peritoneal lavage fluid (PLF) was collected preoperatively and 7–9 months after resection. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma and ptDNA were analysed using mutation specific digital droplet PCR assays in a tumour-informed apprach. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, univariable, and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Preoperatively, detectable ctDNA was an independent risk factor for OS (HR = 1.88, p = 0.047). Detectable ctDNA 7–9 months after surgery was an independent risk factor for RFS (HR = 4.48, p = 0.017). Detectable ctDNA 1 month after surgery showed decreased RFS (HR = 1.98, p = 0.055). Preoperative, 1-month, and 7–9 months postoperative positivity for ctDNA and/or CA 19-9 showed a significantly worse median OS (p = 0.024, p = 0.008, and p = 0.0003). We did not find association of ptDNA with OS or RFS, but ptDNA detection 7–9 months after surgery was associated with peritoneal RFS (p = 0.003).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our data indicate that detectable ctDNA in plasma taken before and 7–9 months after surgery holds independent prognostic value in PDAC. Combination of ctDNA with CA-19–9 may be a particularly strong prognosticator, which should be confirmed in future studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106024"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145800478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106022
Yi Zhu, Mark A Rudolf, Kyle Conway, Jorge A Trejo-Lopez, Sandra Camelo-Piragua, Aditya Raghunathan
The field of central nervous system (CNS) tumor diagnostics continues to evolve and expand with the emergence and integration of diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive genomic markers. Despite such ever-increasing complexity, it remains within the ability of practicing surgical pathologists to perform an informed assessment of a majority of CNS tumors. In this review, we provide practical guidelines to evaluate the most common primary malignant and benign CNS tumor entities - high-grade diffuse glioma and meningioma.
{"title":"A practical approach for assessing high-grade diffuse gliomas and meningiomas.","authors":"Yi Zhu, Mark A Rudolf, Kyle Conway, Jorge A Trejo-Lopez, Sandra Camelo-Piragua, Aditya Raghunathan","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The field of central nervous system (CNS) tumor diagnostics continues to evolve and expand with the emergence and integration of diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive genomic markers. Despite such ever-increasing complexity, it remains within the ability of practicing surgical pathologists to perform an informed assessment of a majority of CNS tumors. In this review, we provide practical guidelines to evaluate the most common primary malignant and benign CNS tumor entities - high-grade diffuse glioma and meningioma.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"106022"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145793670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-17DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106023
Nooshin K Dashti, Scott E Kilpatrick
In last few decades our understanding of bone and soft tissue tumors has evolved significantly, expanding and clarifying our current classification system. Due largely to increased utilization of ancillary testing, particularly molecular tools, new entities are continually emerging and/or being further refined. In addition to morphological and molecular differences, in many instances, the recognition of a new entity carries significant prognostic and potentially therapeutic relevance. In this review on practice updates, we endeavor to discuss five recently described tumors including pseudoendocrine sarcoma, NUT-rearranged sarcoma, VGLL3-rearranged spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma of head and neck, superficial neurocristic FET::ETS fusion tumors, and NFATC1/2-rearranged epithelioid vascular tumors.
{"title":"Practice updates: Emerging entities in bone and soft tissue pathology.","authors":"Nooshin K Dashti, Scott E Kilpatrick","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106023","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.humpath.2025.106023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In last few decades our understanding of bone and soft tissue tumors has evolved significantly, expanding and clarifying our current classification system. Due largely to increased utilization of ancillary testing, particularly molecular tools, new entities are continually emerging and/or being further refined. In addition to morphological and molecular differences, in many instances, the recognition of a new entity carries significant prognostic and potentially therapeutic relevance. In this review on practice updates, we endeavor to discuss five recently described tumors including pseudoendocrine sarcoma, NUT-rearranged sarcoma, VGLL3-rearranged spindle cell rhabdomyosarcoma of head and neck, superficial neurocristic FET::ETS fusion tumors, and NFATC1/2-rearranged epithelioid vascular tumors.</p>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":" ","pages":"106023"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145793631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}