VEGETATIVE GRANULOMA : A DIAGNOSIS SELDOM SUSPECTED CLINICALLY

Vegetative granuloma is granulomatous foreign body response to impaction of vegetative or plant material in periapical and sulcus areas of oral cavity, generally secondary to trauma and/or poor oral hygiene. Other names being used in literature for vegetative granuloma are pulse granuloma, chronic mandibular periostitis, hyaline ring granuloma and giant cell hyaline angiopathy. Most cases are seldom suspected clinically and confirmed by microscopic examination only. We present here a case of 42 years old female with peanut sized nodular swelling over left maxilla associated with gradually increasing pain since 3 months. Her oral examination revealed poor oral hygiene. Radiological investigation depicted soft tissue swelling without any bony involvement. Histomorphology showed tissue lined by hypertrophied stratified squamous epithelium having vegetative matter impacted in fibro-collagenous stroma surrounded by prominent giant cell reaction with well-formed granulomas, suggestive of diagnosis of vegetative granuloma. It is important to correctly diagnose this entity as it is an uncommon one and rarely encountered in routine practice. It may clinically mimic as malignancy or tuberculosis at times, hence an accurate diagnosis saves from undue over treatment. Vegetative granuloma is treated by complete excision of lesion and maintenance of oral hygiene to prevent recurrence.

Diagnostic utility of GATA3 immunohistochemical expression in urothelial carcinoma

Aims: This study aims to explore the utility of GATA binding protein 3, a zinc finger transcription factor, expression in genitourinary carcinoma, especially urothelial carcinoma. Settings and Design: It is a prospective study where 74 consecutive cases of urothelial carcinoma along with 10 cases each of prostatic adenocarcinoma (PC) and conventional clear cell renal cell carcinoma were included between August 2016 and January 2017. Methods and Materials: All the cases were histopathologically evaluated and immunohistochemically stained for GATA binding protein 3. Only nuclear positivity was considered as positive. Immunoreactivity score for GATA expression was calculated based on the staining intensity as well as percentage. Statistical Analysis Used: The statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 15.0 statistical analysis software. P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significance. Results: GATA3 expressions were seen in 77% of the cases of urothelial carcinoma, whereas none of the clear cell renal cell carcinoma and prostatic adenocarcinoma cases was GATA3 positive. GATA3 expression significantly correlated with histological grade and muscle invasion with a weaker or negative expression in high-grade muscle invasive tumor as compared to low-grade and noninvasive neoplasm. Significantly weaker expression of GATA3 was found in cases with severe nuclear pleomorphism, mitosis >10/10 hpf, presence of necrosis, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. No significant change in the status of GATA3 expression was seen in follow-up cases between initial Transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) and post-recurrence TURBT or radical cystectomy specimens. Conclusions: GATA3 as a sensitive and specific marker for urothelial carcinoma can be effectively used to exclude other genitourinary malignancies, PC, and renal cell carcinoma, at metastatic site. This marker can also be effectively used in predicting the probable grade and invasion in biopsy material with poor morphological characteristics, thereby helping in appropriate management in such cases.

Immunoglobulin M nephropathy nephropathy in adults and adolescents in India: A single-center study of natural history.

Background: Immunoglobulin M nephropathy (IgMN) is an idiopathic glomerulonephritis (GN) usually presenting clinically as steroid resistant/dependent nephrotic syndrome (NS) with pathology of mesangial proliferative GN or focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis with diffuse predominant mesangial IgM deposits. Not much information is available about its natural history. This is the first Indian study to our knowledge on IgMN in adults and adolescents. Materials and Methods: We evaluated renal biopsies performed at our center between January,'04 to September,'09. Biopsies of all adolescents and adults were evaluated for IgMN and we studied their age, gender distribution, blood pressure (BP), disease duration, steroid/immunosuppressive management and serial serum creatinine (SCr), urinary proteins, and BP values. Patients with other systemic diseases/infections and children were excluded. Results: IgMN constituted 4.3% of 2702 adult renal biopsies. No significant gender predilection was noted. Males presented at average age of 23.1 years, females at 30 years. Steroid-dependent NS was the commonest presentation noted in 75% followed by steroid-resistant NS. Hypertension was noted in 10% patients. Mesangial proliferative GN (MePGN) was commonest histopathological finding noted in 74.4%, followed by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 16.2%, and minimal change disease (MCD) in 9.4% biopsies. Sole IgM deposits were noted in 88.5%. All MCD, 35.6% MePGN reached remission, FSGS progressed to renal failure by 1 year. Hypertension, proteinuria, interstitial fibrosis, and FSGS were bad prognosticators. Conclusions: This is the first Indian study of IgMN in adults and adolescents carried out over a period of 5.8 years, which has shown that hypertension, proteinuria, and interstitial fibrosis at presentation have bad prognosis.

Role of chelates in treatment of cancer.

Chelates are used in cancer as cytotoxic agent, as radioactive agent in imaging studies and in radioimmunotherapy. Various chelates based on ruthenium, copper, zinc organocobalt, gold, platinum, palladium, cobalt, nickel and iron are reported as cytotoxic agent. Monoclonal antibodies labeled with radioactive metals such as yttrium-90, indium-111 and iodine-131 are used in radioimmunotherapy. This review is an attempt to compile the use of chelates as cytotoxic drugs and in radioimmunotherapy.