Clinical, Radiological and Histological profile of Primary Lung Carcinomas.

The present prospective study was conducted on 170 patients of lung carcinoma, over a period of two years, to study the clinical features, radiological manifestations and histological types of primary lung carcinoma. These were investigated according to a study protocol which included a detailed history regarding the onset and progress of the disease, smoking habits, detailed examination of the respiratory system, routine laboratory investigations, chest roentgenogram, computed tomography of thorax, fibreoptic bronchoscopy and others. The mean age of the patients was 55.94 years (range 29 to 85 years). Eighty seven percent were males. The smoker to non-smoker ratio was 3.9:1. The average duration of symptoms was three months. Cough was the most common presenting symptom (90%). A history of anti-tubercular treatment was present in 42.5% patients. A mass lesion was the most common radiological finding (30.6%), followed by collapse consolidation in 13.5%. Combination presentation was observed in 43.5% patients. Squamous cell carcinoma presented more commonly as a central mass (75%), while adenocarcinoma as peripheral mass lesion (64.5%). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most common histological type diagnosed (45.3%) although adenocarcinoma was the more common in females (39.1%) and non-smokers (51.4%). In India Squamous cell carcinoma is still the most common cell type. Carcinoma lung is still being misdiagnosed as tuberculosis and many patients are wrongly put on antitubercular treatment. Thus there is a need to create awareness about carcinoma lung among the general practitioners.

Classic Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma with Tall Cell Features and Tall Cell Variant Have Similar Clinicopathologic Features

BACKGROUND: The tall cell variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (TCVPTC) is more aggressive than classic papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), but the percentage of tall cells needed to diagnose TCVPTC remains controversial. In addition, little is known about the clinicopathologic features of classic PTC with tall cell features (TCF). METHODS: We retrospectively selected and reviewed the clinicopathologic features and presence of the BRAF mutation in 203 cases of classic PTC, 149 cases of classic PTC with TCF, and 95 cases of TCVPTCs, which were defined as PTCs having or =50% tall cells, respectively. RESULTS: TCVPTCs and classic PTCs with TCF did not vary significantly in clinicopathologic characteristics such as pathologic (p) T stage, extrathyroidal extension, pN stage, lateral lymph node metastasis, or BRAF mutations; however, these features differed significantly in TCVPTCs and classic PTCs with TCF in comparison to classic PTCs. Similar results were obtained in a subanalysis of patients with microcarcinomas (< or =1.0 cm in size). CONCLUSIONS: Classic PTCs with TCF showed a similar BRAF mutation rate and clinicopathologic features to TCVPTCs, but more aggressive characteristics than classic PTCs.

The Incidences and Characteristics of Malignant Pleural Effusions According to Histologic Types / 결핵

Malignant pleural effusions are most commonly associated with lung cancers, however, it also can be resulted from breast cancers, ovarian cancers, stomach cancers and so on. According to the their histologic types, adenocarcinoma have been known as the most common cell type of malignant pleural effusions and squamous cell carcinoma is rare. We herein present incidences, clinical characteristics and survivals of malignant pleural effusions according to their cell types and primary diseases. The objects are 84 malignant pleural effusion patients diagnosed by pleural fluid cytologic examination or pleural biopsy from Jan. 1992 to May. 1997 in Seoul National University Hospital. A retrospective chart review on their histologic types, biochemical parameters and survivals is described. Among 84 patients, 52 were males and the other 32 were females with 1.6 : 1 of male and female ratio and their mean age was 57.6 years old. Common symptoms of them were dyspnea, cough, sputum and pleuritic chest pain. The proportions of bloody nature of effusion, lymphocyte dominant pleural effusion, exudative effusions were 66%, 39% and 93%, respectively. They consisted of 54 cases of adenocarcinoma(33 cases of them were lung cancers), and 10 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (8 cases of them were lung cancers), 10 cases of malignant lymphoma, 8 cases of small cell lung cancer and a case of mesothelioma and leukemia. There was no differences in characteristics of effusions, clinical features and survivals between each histologic cell types. Analyzing them according to primary diseases, no difference except longer survivals in malignant pleural effusions from breast cancer than from other cancers was observed. In conclusion, considering the incidences of histologic types of lung cancers during same period (squamous cell carcinoma ; 47%, adenocarcinoma; 33%, small cell lung cancer; 12% and large cell carcinoma ; 2%), malignant pleural effusions more likely occurred in adenocarcinoma than other cell types of lung cancers and there was no significant difference of clinical characteristics between histologic types.