Gastrointestinal stromal tumor, uncommitted type, with monosomies 14 and 22 as the only chromosomal abnormalities.

Karyotypic analysis of a gastric stromal tumor with the histologic and immunohistochemical features of a malignant, uncommitted lesion revealed clonal monosomies of chromosomes 14 and 22. Such changes, together with loss of chromosomes 15 and 18, as well as structural rearrangements involved chromosome 1, have been previously reported in gastrointestinal stromal tumors with smooth muscle differentiation. We suggest that monosomies of chromosomes 14 and 22 are early events in the malignant transformation of the mesenchymal cell-originating gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

[Systemic mucormycosis in dialysis: computed tomography picture and histologic lesions]. / Mucormicosi sistemica in dialisi: quadro tomografico e lesioni istologiche.

Mucormycosis (zygomycosis) is an uncommon mycosis which can be contracted from the environment and which is responsible for rhino-orbital, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cerebral or disseminated infections. Severe immunodepression, such as that caused by leukemia, lymphomata and organ graft, or treatment by desferrioxamine, may predispose to pulmonary and systemic forms. In the present work the authors describe a case of systemic mucormycosis, with unfavourable outcome, which arose in a pediatric peritoneal dialysis patient, then transferred to hemodialysis, without evident predisposing factors. In particular they refer to the CAT reports and to lymphonodal and peritoneal histological lesions which allowed them to attain the diagnosis.

[The role of biopsy of the minor salivary glands in the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome]. / Il ruolo della biopsia delle ghiandole salivari minori nella diagnosi della sindrome di Sjögren.

After a short critical review of the latest literature, the authors evaluate the role of minor salivary gland biopsy in the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome. The histological factors typical of this syndrome are examined in this context.

Liposarcoma of the thyroid gland. Fine-needle aspiration cytology, immunohistology, and ultrastructure.

A 56-year-old woman presented with a rapidly growing tumoral mass of the thyroid. In fine-needle aspirates, neoplastic cells were interpreted as undifferentiated (anaplastic) carcinoma. In contrast, histologic examination of tissue samples revealed a tumor with features suggestive of myxoid liposarcoma. The non-epithelial nature was confirmed by immunohistochemical and electron microscopic evaluation. Immunostains for vimentin and S-100 protein were positive, whereas no reactivity was obtained for epithelial markers. Ultrastructurally, the tumor consisted of poorly differentiated mesenchymal cells and lipoblastic elements in various stages of differentiation. Review of the literature reveals only one previous report of thyroid liposarcoma, the diagnosis of which was based on conventional light microscopic studies.