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 21,692 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Most of the successful serological markers used in pancreatic cancer diagnosis detect circulating mucins which are back-secreted into the blood circulation. These markers have sensitivities (70-95%) and specificities (70-95%) which compare well with those achieved by imaging tests yet they have been subjected to very critical review and are still not widely used. There seem to be two main reasons for this: firstly, they are biochemical tests and clinicians tend to expect and demand 100% accuracy for such tests: secondly, the failure of serological tests to prove adequate for screening seems to have deterred clinicians from using them in more appropriate situations. It should have been realised that screening of asymptomatic cases was never going to be achievable until methods could be found for defining a high risk population. With a prevalence of about 10 per 100,000, say 20 per 100,000 adults, a test with 99% specificity (far in excess of that achievable by any current imaging or biochemical tests) would produce 1,000 false positive results for every 20 true positives, a hopelessly unacceptable ratio. In symptomatic patients the odds are very different. The prevalence of pancreatic cancer may be as high as about 15% in patients over 40 years old who have unexplained upper abdominal pain or weight loss and in whom upper G-I endoscopy is negative. In these patients serological tests (with a false positive rate of about 15%) will fare at least as well as imaging tests. Combination of the two modalities i.e. an imaging test such as ultrasound or CT scanning together with a biochemical test such as CA19.9, DuPan2 or CAM17.1 seems both logical and highly practical and has been shown to enhance diagnostic accuracy. The best established pancreatic tumour marker assays all detect mucins. Pancreatic cancers have a particular propensity to secrete mucin into the blood either because of mechanical blockage of the pancreatic duct, loss of polarity of pancreatic cells or early blood vessel invasion. Other mucin secreting cancers e.g. colon and ovary can also cause increased concentrations of the same serological markers albeit less frequently but this is not usually a major cause of confusion since the clinical features are usually distinguishable. Serological markers correlate with tumour staging but are nevertheless still effective in resectable cancer. They may also have a useful role in monitoring after surgical resection or chemotherapy. A serological mucin assay such as CA19.9, CAM17.1, DuPan2 or SPan-1 should be used in conjunction with a scanning test in the diagnosis of patients over 40 with endoscopy-negative abdominal pain, in the investigation of patients with a known pancreatic mass or cyst, and for monitoring following resection or chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer.
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PMID:Usefulness of novel tumour markers. 1043 1

Scleromyxedema is a rare systemic disorder characterized by cutaneous sclerosis and papulosis, accompanied by deposition of mucin in the skin and other organs. We describe a case of scleromyxedema in a 62-year-old man. The cutaneous symptoms of the disorder were preceded by episodes of acute central nervous system dysfunction that included mental confusion, hemiparesis, tremor, and migraine. As the cutaneous symptoms progressed, the patient experienced persistent confusion and difficulty concentrating. Therapy with melphalan and plasmapheresis led to complete resolution of the cutaneous symptoms as well as near-resolution of the neurologic symptoms. This is the first report to describe the successful treatment of the cutaneous symptoms of scleromyxedema accompanied by reversal of chronic neurologic dysfunction.
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PMID:Scleromyxedema: successful treatment of cutaneous and neurologic symptoms. 1069 60

Mammary and extramammary Paget's disease are uncommon intraepithelial adenocarcinomas. Both conditions have similar clinical features, which mimic inflammatory and infective diseases. Histological diagnostic confusion can arise between Paget's disease and other neoplastic conditions affecting the skin, with the most common differential diagnoses being malignant melanoma and atypical squamous disease. The glandular differentiation of both mammary Paget's disease and extramammary Paget's disease is indicated by morphological appearances, the presence of intracellular mucin in many cases, and positive immunohistochemical staining for glandular cytokeratins, epithelial membrane antigen, and carcinoembryonic antigen. This article provides an overview of mammary and extramammary Paget's disease and discusses recent evidence regarding the cell of origin. The concepts of primary and secondary Paget's disease are presented and the differential diagnosis is discussed with reference to immunohistochemical markers that might be of diagnostic value.
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PMID:Mammary and extramammary Paget's disease. 1106 66

A number of studies on mucin-producing cystic neoplasm of the pancreas have been reported since the first report of the tumor in 1982. There has been some controversy about nomenclatures and clinicopathologic entities of mucin-producing cystic tumor, mucinous cystic tumor, and intraductal papillary tumor of the pancreas. In 1996 and 1997, new classifications of pancreatic neoplasms were published by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP). According to the new WHO and AFIP classifications, mucin-producing cystic neoplasm of the pancreas corresponds mainly to intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor and mucinous cystic tumor of the pancreas. and these two diseases are independent conditions. Intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor is regarded as a unique clinical entity, but controversy remains about the term and clinicopathologic entity. Some confusion and problems remain betweeen the two lesions. In this review, we review their historical background, terminology, WHO and AFIP classification, and problems with classification.
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PMID:Intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor of the pancreas: a historical review of the nomenclature and recent controversy. 1145 Nov 42

The diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma is usually made on needle biopsies. Numerous benign lesions may mimic malignancy, especially when the focus of carcinoma is limited. The presence of seminal vesicle-ejaculatory duct epithelium on prostate biopsy is not rare and could cause confusion with adenocarcinoma. Lipochrome pigments are frequently encountered in seminal vesicle-ejaculatory duct but may be also seen in prostate adenocarcinoma. Prostate specific antigen immunostaining in difficult cases is sometimes used, but high-grade adenocarcinomas may be negative. In one previous report, MUC6 was found to be expressed in seminal vesicle but not in normal prostate. MUC6 belongs to the family of human mucin genes. So we investigated herein the immunohistochemical expression of MUC6 in prostate adenocarcinomas and seminal vesicle-ejaculatory duct. We have tested 30 prostate adenocarcinomas of various grade, 10 normal seminal vesicles, and 10 prostate adenocarcinomas invading the seminal vesicles. The tissues were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. Immunohistochemistry was performed using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex technique. All adenocarcinomas and normal prostate structures tested were negative. In contrast, all seminal vesicles were diffusely immunostained with MUC6 antibody. We concluded that MUC6 is a valuable marker of seminal vesicle-ejaculatory duct and is useful for the differential diagnosis with prostate adenocarcinoma.
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PMID:MUC6 is a marker of seminal vesicle-ejaculatory duct epithelium and is useful for the differential diagnosis with prostate adenocarcinoma. 1265 38

Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is a noninvasive form of highly recurrent chronic allergic hypertrophic rhinosinusitis that can be distinguished clinically, histopathologically and prognostically from the other forms of chronic fungal rhinosinusitis. There are three invasive (acute necrotising, chronic invasive and granulomatous invasive) and two noninvasive (fungal ball and allergic fungal) forms of fungal rhinosinusitis currently recognised. Confusion in differentiating between the various forms of fungal rhinosinusitis and between other forms of chronic hypertrophic sinus disease (HSD) can be eliminated by adhering to strict diagnostic criteria. Although there are characteristic presenting clinical history and physical examination findings, laboratory test results, including elevated total serum IgE and positive inhalant allergy skin tests, and sinus computed tomography scans showing chronic rhinosinusitis (often with the presence of hyperattenuating sinus contents) diagnosis of AFS is essentially based on histopathology obtained from sinus surgery. Histopathology shows the presence of eosinophilic-lymphocytic sinus mucosal inflammation, extramucosal allergic mucin (that is also seen grossly at surgery as a characteristic 'peanut-buttery' material), and scattered silver stain positive fungal hyphae within the allergic mucin but not in the mucosa. Treatment and follow up of AFS has been based on its immunopathological analogy to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, a similar noninvasive fungal hypersensitivity disorder of the lung, and its clinical and pathophysiological relationship to other forms of HSD and asthma. Treatment involves aggressive sinus surgery followed by medical management that includes allergen immunotherapy, topical and systemic corticosteroids, antihistamines and antileukotrienes. Total serum IgE levels should be followed postoperatively as they can be prognostic for recurrent disease. Close follow up and coordination of treatment by both medical and surgical physicians as a team leads to the best clinical outcomes. Ongoing studies are being directed at furthering our understanding of the pathophysiological relationships and treatment options for AFS, and other common forms of chronic hypertrophic rhinosinusitis disorders.
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PMID:Allergic fungal sinusitis: pathogenesis and management strategies. 1496 72

There are differing views between Western and Japanese pathologists on the use of histological criteria to classify gastrointestinal tumors. It is therefore a priority to create a new histological classification of the stomach in order to resolve the confusion. Expression patterns were examined of mucin (MUC2, CD10, MUC5AC, pyloric gland-type mucin), p53 protein, and Ki-67 in tumor cells according to the following new classification system for differentiated-type intramucosal neoplastic lesions of the stomach, based on nuclear atypia: borderline neoplasia (adenoma (including dysplasia), indefinite tumor of adenoma or low-grade cancer, and low-grade cancer) and definite carcinoma (intermediate cancer, and high-grade cancer). The resulting grades were: adenoma, 23; indefinite tumor for adenoma or low-grade cancer, 6; low-grade cancer, 28; intermediate cancer, 48; high-grade cancer, 20. While the frequency of intestinal-type borderline neoplasias was higher than that of definite carcinomas, the mixed-type of definite carcinomas occurred with higher frequency than borderline neoplasias. The p53 protein overexpression and the Ki-67-positive rate increased with an increase in the grade assigned according to the new classification. The correlated expression levels of p53 protein, Ki-67, and various mucins, support the conclusion that this classification of intramucosal neoplastic lesions is useful for obtaining a consensus diagnosis of gastric intramucosal neoplasia between pathologists and gastrointestinal clinicians.
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PMID:Analysis of mucin, p53 protein and Ki-67 expressions in gastric differentiated-type intramucosal neoplastic lesions obtained from endoscopic mucosal resection samples: a proposal for a new classification of intramucosal neoplastic lesions based on nuclear atypia. 1514 2

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the skin is an exceedingly rare but distinctive neoplasm with respect to its histopathologic features. It is similar if not identical in most respects to MEC of the salivary gland, a neoplasm whose prognosis is correlated with the pathologic grade. We report a case of MEC of the skin in a 79-year-old white woman who presented with an axillary mass. Beneath an unremarkable epidermis, a circumscribed, cystic neoplasm, unattached to the surface, was characterized by the presence of vague lobules of low-grade-appearing squamous cells accompanied by mucigenic and clear cells. A mucin stain highlighted the mucigenic cells and immunohistochemistry revealed pan-cytokeratin, cytokeratin 7, polyclonal carcinoembryonic antigen, and epithelial membrane antigen positivity. The cytokeratin 20 and gross cystic disease fluid protein were nonreactive. Inconsistency was encountered in the literature where some confusion existed as to whether MEC is synonymous with adenosquamous carcinoma of the skin. Elsewhere in the body, the latter tumor type is a squamous and gland-forming neoplasm with intermediate- to high-grade features rather than a tumor with mucigenic cells intermingled among intermediate and squamous cells. As in the case of MEC and adenosquamous carcinoma elsewhere in extracutaneous sites, we would propose that a pathologic distinction should be made in the skin for the sake of consistency and for prognostic purposes. Additionally, the immunophenotype of our case is similar to at least two other cases of cutaneous MEC, as well as MEC of the salivary gland, to support the hypothesis that this neoplasm is adnexal rather than epidermal in origin.
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PMID:Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the skin: a distinct entity from adenosquamous carcinoma: a case study with a review of the literature. 1561 68

Signet-ring cell type of gastric carcinoma can easily escape detection by the pathologist, and this confusion is compounded by the presence of morphologic patterns other than the conventional appearance. One such morphologic variant is composed of deeply eosinophilic cells containing minute cytoplasmic granules with neutral mucin. With this morphology, epithelioid gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), and hepatoid and rhabdoid variants of adenocarcinoma enter the list of diagnostic possibilities, and accurate diagnosis is essential for therapeutic and prognostic considerations. We report a 28-year-old man who presented with dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, and black-colored stools. Endoscopy revealed a growth at the incisura, a biopsy specimen from which was reported as a poorly differentiated tumor. The patient underwent subtotal gastrectomy and the resected specimen showed a 6.5 x 4-cm circumferential growth in the antropyloric region. Histological sections from the growth showed transmural infiltration by deeply eosinophilic cells with hyperchromatic nuclei. A differential diagnosis of epithelioid GIST, rhabdoid variant, hepatoid variant, and signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma was considered. Special stains and immunohistochemistry confirmed the tumor to be a variant of signet-ring cell adenocarcinoma of the stomach. Morphologic variations of signet-ring cell carcinoma pose an important diagnostic dilemma, which has therapeutic and prognostic significance for the patient. These variants need to be recognized by pathologists to enable an accurate diagnosis.
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PMID:Deeply eosinophilic cell variant of signet-ring type of gastric carcinoma: a diagnostic dilemma. 1846 67

Though rhinosinusitis is a common disorder, controversies surround the categorization of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and the role of fungus in CRS. The diagnosis of each category is important for optimum therapy and predicting the course. Based on histopathological findings, fungal rhinosinusitis (FRS) can be broadly divided into two categories: the invasive and non-invasive depending on invasion of the mucosal layer. Three types of FRS are tissue-invasive: acute invasive, chronic invasive, & granulomatous. The two non-invasive FRS disorders are fungal ball, and fungus related eosinophilic rhinosinusitis including allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS). The distinction of granulomatous from chronic invasive type is not beyond controversy as both types have a chronic course and predominant orbital involvement. Maximum confusion surrounds the entity of fungus-related eosinophilic rhinosinusitis, and the definition of AFRS. In the diagnosis of AFRS, the detection of fungi in allergic mucin is considered important, although hyphae are sparse in sinus content. This leads to confusion in definition of this entity, especially with the description of two more closely related entities--eosinophilic fungal rhinosinusitis (EFRS) and eosinophilic mucin rhinosinusitis (EMRS). Recently reports of histologic invasion in possible cases of AFRS were also documented. Currently, there are more questions than answers concerning the categorization of FRS.
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PMID:Controversies surrounding the categorization of fungal sinusitis. 1866 58


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