ABSTRACT
The expression of vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and c-kit in adenoid cystic carcinomas (AdCCs) and polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinomas (PLGAs) was investigated immunohistochemically to evaluate the application of these markers to distinguish AdCCs from PLGAs when the histological features are equivocal. Tissue specimens of AdCCs and of PLGAs, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded were retrospectively studied using vimentin, alpha-SMA and c-kit. Positive staining for alpha-SMA was identified in all AdCCs and 25% of PLGAs. The immunoreactivity of c-kit in all positive cases of AdCCs (83%) and PLGAs (41%) was more than 50% and less than 50% of tumor cells respectively. The expression pattern for both alpha-SMA and c-kit, in tubular structures of AdCCs was different of that seen in the same structures in PLGAs. The results of this study support the potential application of alpha-SMA and c-kit as an adjunctive aid in the differential diagnosis of AdCCs from PLGAs.
Subject(s)
Actins/analysis , Adenocarcinoma/diagnosis , Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic/diagnosis , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit/analysis , Vimentin/analysis , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic/pathology , Cytoskeletal Proteins , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Muscle Proteins , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Uremic stomatitis represents a relatively uncommon intraoral complication seen, mostly, in cases of end-stage renal disease or undiagnosed/untreated chronic renal failure. Its incidence has decreased due to the advent of renal dialysis. Clinically uremic stomatitis is characterized by the presence of painful plaques and crusts that are usually distributed on the buccal mucosa, dorsal or ventral surface of the tongue, gingiva, lips, and floor of the mouth. Treatment consists of improvement of urea blood concentration and the underlying renal failure, supported by increased oral hygiene with antiseptic mouthwashes and antimicrobial/antifungal agents if necessary. Although uremic stomatitis occurs in patients with end-stage renal disease, we report a case of a patient who exhibited an ulcerative form of uremic stomatitis related to the sudden relapse of uremia, although not in an advanced stage of her renal disease. A description of the clinical and microscopic appearance is given along with our hypothesis for the pathogenesis of the disease.
