Benign ostroblastoma of the temporal bone

We have described a benign osteoblastic lesion in the right temporal bone in a 26 year-old girl who presented with a swell mass on the right supra-auricular area and tinnitus of 17 years duration. She had been operated conservatively through middle cranial fossa approach 17 years ago. After that time the patient has had no problem. There was no other developed neurologic deficit or evidence of malignant change throughout the 17 years. When we compared serial CT scans [the old and new films], there was no important difference between them. During a 17-year follow up period, no progression of the tumor was detected. Conservative treatment for such cases is suggested

CD7 expression in differentiating mycosis fungoides from benign cutaneous lymphocytic infiltrates

Diagnosis of the early phase of mycosis fungoides [MF] is sometimes difficult. Loss of CD7 expression is considered a distinguishing characteristic of MF. The aim of this study was to determine the range of CD7 expression in MF and compare the results with benign inflammatory dermatosis and equivocal cases of possible MF. During a period of 30 months, we examined 15 patients with MF, 12 patients suspicious for MF, and 15 patients with benign inflammatory dermatosis. The slides stained by H andE were reviewed by two pathologists. Immunostaining was done for CD43, CD3, CD5, CD7, and CD20 on paraffin embedded tissues. All the patients in MF group showed absence of CD7 expression in epidermotropic mycosis cells. Compared with benign inflammatory dermatosis, patients with MF had significantly lower CD7 expression in the dermal infiltrate [P< 0.0001]. In patients with MF, the mean CD7 was significantly lower than CD43, CD3, and CD5 [P=0.001]. The mean CD7 count of parapsoriasis was significantly higher than MF [P= 0.01]. The mean CD7 count of parapsoriasis was significantly lower than benign inflammatory dermatosis [P=0.016]. The lowest mean CD7 counts were found in patch stage of MF. Low CD7 expression < 10% lymphocytes had sensitivity and positive predictive values of 75% and 100% and specificity and negative predictive values of 100% and 83.3% for the diagnosis of patch stage of MF. Minimal expression of CD7 is a specific finding for patch stage of MF. Benign inflammatory dermatosis can also show low expression of this marker, but rarely matches that of patch stage of MF

Elephantiasic pretibial myxedema

Grave's disease is an autoimmune disease of thyroid gland and pretibial myxedema occurs in 4% of these patients. We present a 50-year-old man with Grave's disease who was referred with nonpitting, edematous, erythematous plaques on legs and feet that became elephantiasic. Biopsy of skin revealed granular material deposition in dermis with splitting of collagen fibers. This is a rare presentation of pretibial myxedema that presented in this case

Histopathologic changes in patients with H. pylori positive chronic gastritis, before and after treatment

To evaluate histopathologic changes, between pre and post anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment using three different modalities, 108 patients with duodenal ulcer and H. pylori positive chronic gastritis were selected. Biopsies for histopathology and rapid urease test were taken from antrum and body and fundus regions, before and after treatment. Histopathologic evaluation was based on updated Sydney System. H. pylori in 45 of 108 patients [41.7%] became histologically eradicated, however rapid urease test was negative in 83 patients [76.8%]. The grade of gastritis and mean eosinophilic infiltration count were significantly decreased on post treatment biopsies in both eradicated and non eradicated patients [P value = 0.000,0.005 and 0.000,0.032 respectively]. Active inflammation was resolved in both eradicated and non eradicated groups [P Value = 0.000 and 0.002 respectively]. Density of H. pylori was significantly decreased in non eradicated group. Changes in atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were not statistically significant due to inadequate patients number, suffering from atrophy and/or intestinal metaplasia. Eradication of H. pylori is accompanied by significant histopathologic improvement. To evaluate reversibility of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia, larger study groups is needed. In comparison with histopathology, rapid urease test has low sensitivity

Angiogenesis assessment in basal cell carcinoma

Basal cell carcinoma [BCC] is currently the most common cutaneous cancer found in humans. Although it generally shows a relatively benign course [BCC1], some cases show aggressive behavior [BCC2]. Until recently, traditional histologic diagnostic criteria have failed to discriminate unequivocally between BCC1 and BCC2. In this study we selected 50 cases of BCC and categorized them into two groups [BCC 1 and BCC2] on the basis of histologic criteria and then examined the rate of angiogenesis to establish if it correlates with their histological features and/or clinical behavior. The vessels were highlighted by immunohistochemical staining for factor VIll-related antigen in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues. All 25 cases of BCC2, whose clinical behavior was aggressive had microvessel counts significantly higher than that of the BCC 1 group with mean values of 50.24 and 20.9 for BCC2 and BCCI respectively. But there were eight cases of morphological BCC1 who had aggressive clinical behavior and interestingly had micro vessel counts higher than the other cases of BCC 1. The findings of the present study seem to establish a correlation between tumor angiogenesis and clinicobiological parameters of aggressiveness. From this point of view the assay of microvessel density might be helpful in selecting patients with BCCs at high risk for recurrence or metastasis, who could benefit from additional therapies and closer follow up