Pseudoangiomatous Stromal Hyperplasia on Core Needle Biopsy Does Not Require Surgical Excision.

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is an uncommon, benign localized fibrotic lesion. Historically, PASH has been difficult to differentiate from angiosarcoma. This difficulty has led to recommendations of surgical excision. We sought to identify the incidence of upgraded pathology to atypia or malignancy on surgical excisional biopsy after identification of PASH on core needle biopsy (CNB). A 5-year retrospective review at a single institution was conducted including all cases of PASH confirmed on CNB. The data set was divided into patients who underwent excisional biopsy and those followed only by imaging. Primary end points included the incidence of subsequent malignancy or high-risk pathology on histologic analysis or the presentation of suspicious imaging. Thirty-seven patients were reviewed, 19 (51.4%) underwent surgical excision and 18 (48.6%) were followed with imaging alone. A palpable mass was noted in 36.8 per cent of patients in the excisional group versus 5.6 per cent in the imaging group (P = 0.02). The median follow-up for the excisional and imaging groups were 43 and 35 months, respectively (P = 0.85). The 95 per cent confidence interval for the presence of malignancy was 0 to 9.4 per cent. Although further characterization of PASH is needed, our data support using CNB with follow-up imaging as a safe alternative to excisional biopsy in the absence of symptoms or other clinical factors. However, further research in this area is needed.

Cecal obstruction caused by paratubal cysts in a 24-year-old woman.

A 24-year-old woman with no significant past medical or surgical history presented with diffuse abdominal pain and distention with decreased frequency of bowel movements for 1 month. A computerized tomography scan showed a massively dilated cecum suggesting obstruction. Exploratory laparotomy revealed bowel obstruction secondary to a band of fibroadipose tissue associated with paratubal cysts originating from the left fallopian tube. Removal of the band was performed with thorough examination of the bowel confirming absence of perforation or necrosis.

Optimal use of re-excision in patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer by excisional biopsy treated with breast-conserving therapy.

PURPOSE: The goal of the current study is to help refine guidelines for the need for re-excision and the appropriate amount of breast tissue to re-excise in patients with early breast cancer following excisional breast biopsy when treated with breast-conserving therapy (BCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 441 patients derived from a dataset of 607 consecutive cases of stage I and II breast cancer treated with BCT, in which patients underwent primary excisional diagnostic biopsy and subsequent re-excision prior to the initiation of radiation therapy (RT). A single pathologist reviewed all specimens. Re-excision was indicated because tumor was found close to or involving the resection margin. In 333 of the 441 cases, it was possible to measure the extension of carcinoma into the re-excision specimen. Margins were classified as negative (carcinoma>4.2 mm from the margin), near (<4.2 mm from the margin) or positive. Any carcinoma identified near the final margin was quantified by width of invasive carcinoma and number of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) ducts near the margin and subdivided into three distinct groups: least, intermediate, and greatest amount. These factors were then analyzed to determine the likelihood and extent of residual carcinoma in re-excision specimens. Statistical analysis was performed using Systat version 10 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). RESULTS: The quantity of carcinoma near the initial biopsy margin and the invasive carcinoma-to-specimen dimension ratio demonstrated a significant association with increasing amounts of residual carcinoma at re-excision. Combination of these two variables allowed for a statistically significant (P<0.001) calculation of risk index for identifying significant residual invasive carcinoma or DCIS in the adjacent breast parenchyma at re-excision, and yielded stratification into low- (6%), intermediate- (27%), and high-risk (44%) groups. In re-excision specimens, the observed distance of carcinoma extension into adjacent breast tissue was associated with a statistically significant decrease in the ratio of the initial excisional biopsy specimen dimensions and invasive carcinoma dimensions. Combining the initial margin status with the specimen-to-invasive carcinoma maximum dimension ratio yielded an accurate predictor of the maximum distance of tumor extension. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of the initial excisional biopsy margin status in correlation with the invasive carcinoma-to-specimen maximum dimension ratio may be helpful for (1) identifying patients who require re-excision prior to RT and (2) predicting the quantity of additional breast tissue to excise to ensure adequate surgical margins with BCT.