Acute typhlitis caused by a caecal faecolith

Isolated acute typhlitis caused by a caecal faecolith is extremely rare. Hereby we report such a case. A 30-year-old man presented clinically as acute appendicitis. During open surgery, an inflamed caecal mass was found. A limited colectomy including the mass and grossly health margins was performed. HistopathologicaI examination confirmed that acute typhlitis was caused by an impacted caecal faecolith. The appendix was normal. Faecolith is an extremely rare cause of acute inflammation of the caecum presenting as a mass which is usualIy treated by limited right hemicolectomy

NF-kappa B inhibitor I kappa B alpha negates colon cancer cell migration, invasion, proliferation and tumor growth

It is now well accepted that the NF-kappa B pathways are involved in inflammatory diseases, cancer development and progression in human solid tumors. The NF-kappa B signaling element I kappa B alpha was shown to inactivates NF-kappa B activity through sequestration of this transcription factor in the cytoplasm. In the present study, we investigated the impact of the I kappa B alpha on the invasive growth of human colon cancer cells HCT8/S11 stably transfected by this endogenous NF-kappa B inhibitor. We report that I kappa B alpha ectopic expression inhibited NF-kappa B promoter activity induced by the Y527Fsrc oncogene, and reduced HCT8/S11 cell migration in wound healing assays. Our data show that I kappa B alpha abrogated collagen type I invasion induced by the trefoil factors TFF1 and TFF3, but was ineffective on the invasive phenotype determined by leptin. Moreover, I kappa B alpha reduced HCT8/S11 cell proliferation in vitro and the growth of their corresponding tumor xenografts established in the athymic mice. Taken together our data demonstrated that the intrinsic NF-kappa B inhibitor I kappa B alpha negates several transforming functions in human colon cancer cells. Our data provide the rationale for further preclinical and clinical studies based on therapeutic interventions targeting NF-kappa B pathway

Acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary glands: a literature review

Acinic cell carcinoma [ACC] is a low-grade malignant salivary neoplasm that constitutes approximately 17% of primary salivary gland malignancies. In the head and neck region, the parotid gland is the preddominant site of origin and women are usually more frequently diagnosed than men. Previous radiation exposure and familial predisposition are some of the risk factors for ACC. A slowly enlarging mass lesion in the tail of the parotid gland is the most frequent presentation. The diagnosis is usually confirmed with a fine needle aspiration biopsy, and surgical excision is the main treatment of this malignant neoplasm. Other treatment modalities such as radiotherapy may be indicated in some cases. ACC has a significant tendency to recur, to produce metastases [cervical lymph nodes and lungs], and may have an aggressive evolution. Therefore, long-term follow-up is mandatory after treatment

Thyroid carcinoma in the United Arab Emirates: perspective and experience of a tertiary care hospital

Although the distribution of thyroid carcinoma in the Arab Gulf States has been described, no previous study has examined the characteristic clinicopathologic features of thyroid carcinoma cases in the United Arab Emirates. The medical records of 135 patients with thyroid carcinoma diagnosed over a 15-year period [1991-2005] at Tawam Hospital, the national referral oncology center in the UAE, were retrospectively studied and the cases classified according to the histologic classification of the World Health Organization [WHO]. Seventy-eight patients [58%] were diagnosed before the age of 45 years with an overall peak incidence in the fourth and fifth decades. The female to male ratio was 2.4:1. Eighty-four percent had papillary thyroid carcinoma [PTC], while follicular thyroid carcinoma [FTC], anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and medullary carcinoma comprised 14%, 1.4% and 0.6%, respectively. The conventional classical variant of papillary carcinoma was the most common type. Three-quarters of the papillary carcinomas presented as multinodular goiter, while one-fifth presented as a solitary thyroid nodule. Minimal invasive follicular carcinoma was the most common variant of follicular carcinoma. Thyroid carcinoma in the United Arab Emirates seems to be more common among females and female gender may be a risk factor. Age <45 years can be considered an important prognostic factor as well as a possible risk factor. PTC predominates the histologic pattern of thyroid carcinoma, which is usually associated with an iodide-sufficient area