Survival and clinicopathological significance of blood vessel invasion in operable breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lymphovascular invasion, including lymphatic-vessel invasion and blood-vessel invasion, plays an important role in distant metastases. The metastatic pattern of blood-vessel invasion may differ from that of lymphatic-vessel invasion. However, its prognostic significance in breast cancer remains controversial. We evaluated the role of blood-vessel invasion in the prognosis of operable breast-cancer patients and its association with clinicopathological characteristics. METHODS: We systematically searched EMBASE, PubMed, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science for studies in English through December 2020. Disease-free survival, overall survival and cancer-specific survival were the primary outcomes. Pooled hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were assessed using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies involving 7954 patients were included. Blood-vessel invasion occurred in 20.4% of tumor samples. Pooled results showed significant associations of blood-vessel invasion with worse disease-free survival (hazard ratio = 1.82; 95% confidence interval = 1.43-2.31) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.86; 95% confidence interval = 1.16-2.99) in multivariate analyses. The results of the univariate analyses were similar. Among the clinicopathological factors, blood-vessel invasion was associated with larger tumor size, lymph-node metastasis, nonspecific invasive type, higher histological grade, estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer and lymphatic-vessel invasion. In the lymph-node-negative subgroup analyses, the presence of blood-vessel invasion led to poorer disease-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.46; 95%confidence interval = 1.64-3.70) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.94; 95%confidence interval = 1.80-4.80). CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that blood-vessel invasion is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in operable breast cancer and is associated with aggressive clinicopathological features. Breast-cancer patients with blood-vessel invasion require more aggressive treatments after surgery.

Successful Treatment of Dual-Positive Anti-Myeloperoxidase and Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Antibody Vasculitis with Pulmonary-Renal Syndrome.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis and anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease are two separate diseases, while sometimes they can coexist together. The exact mechanisms are not clear, but due to the rapid progression and poor prognosis, prompt and aggressive treatment is usually required. We treated with steroids combined with cyclophosphamide and rituximab an 84-year-old man with ANCA-associated vasculitis and anti-GBM disease who had prior pulmonary fibrosis and a coexisting anterosuperior mediastinal mass. Conventional therapy including steroids, plasmapheresis and cyclophosphamide failed to attenuate the anti-GBM disease, yet he responded to an alternative treatment of rituximab. This case suggests the efficacy of steroids and immunosuppressant for the treatment of a dual-positive case with an anterosuperior mediastinal mass.

[Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease: a clinicopathologic analysis of 20 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathologic features of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease (CPPD-CDD). METHODS: The clinical and pathologic profiles were retrospectively analysed in 20 cases of CPPD-CDD. RESULTS: CPPD-CDD was far more common in women, most frequently involving joints, especially the knees and presenting with various arthrisis. Abnormally calcified and the articular damages were characteristic features by imageing. Histologically, multifocal indigo granular calcinosis was seen in synovium and sometimes appeared as needle-shaped or rhomboid crystals, which characterized the CPPD. CONCLUSIONS: Though clinical symptoms of CPPD are quite variable, the definite diagnosis can be made by the abnormal calcification and joint damage radiographically and the indigo CPPD crystals histopathologically.

[Clinicopathological features of multiple mucosal neuroma without multiple endocrine neoplasia type IIB].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological features of multiple mucosal neuromas without multiple endocrine neoplasia type IIB (non-MEN-IIB MMN). METHODS: Three cases of non-MEN-IIB MMNs were analyzed for the clinical manifestations and histopathological characteristics. RESULTS: All the 3 cases were females, age ranging from 30 to 45 years. Two cases of them involved in the laryngopharyngeal mucosa and another one located in the left margin of the tongue. Clinically, non-MEN-IIB MMNs presented with uncertain foreign body sensation, itching, vomiting and causalgia in the laryngopharyngeal areas. Mucosal papular lesions were treated by laser ablation or local surgical excision. The cases were respectively followed up for 6 to 20 months and found nothing. Histological examination showed the lesions were not encapsulated and contained irregular tortuous nerve bundles with undefined perineurium in the lamina propria. There were no nuclear palisade. Immunophenotype showed tumor cells strongly positive for vimentin, S-100, myelin specific enolase, CD56, neurofilament and neuron specific enolase, uniformly negative to CD34, CD117 and epithelial membrane antigen. CONCLUSIONS: Non-MEN-IIB MMN is a very rare disease and the possibility of MEN-IIB should be excluded before making diagnosis. The lesions located in the mucosal tissue with polyp-like or papular appearance, so they should be differentiated from other neoplasms or non-neoplastic lesions.

[Clinicopathologic features of calcifying fibrous tumor with reappraisal of its histogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinicopathologic features and histogenesis of calcifying fibrous tumor (CFT). METHODS: The clinical manifestations, histopathologic characteristics and immunophenotype were analyzed in 11 cases of CFT. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 5:6, with a mean age of 38 years and age range of 25 to 52 years. The sites of involvement included abdominopelvic cavity (n=6), soft tissue (n=4) and scrotum (n=1). Most patients presented with a gradually enlarging and painless mass. Nearly half of the cases were associated with other diseases or history of inflammation, trauma or surgical intervention. One third of the tumors represented incidental findings and showed no recurrence after resection. Imaging revealed a solitary solid soft tissue mass or multiple nodules with clear borders and associated high-density calcifications. Macroscopically, the tumors were well-circumscribed but non-encapsulated. They ranged from 0.5 to 20.0 cm in diameter and were tan-greyish, round to oval, lobulated or irregular and solid with rubbery consistency. The cut surface was whitish to tan-yellowish, gritty and showed scattered spotty yellowish discoloration corresponding to the foci of dystrophic calcifications. Histologically, CFT was composed of hyalinized fibrous tissue and thickened vessel walls with interspersed bland spindly fibroblastic cells, scattered psammomatous calcifications, dystrophic calcification and lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. In addition, focal cloak-like polymorph infiltration at the tumor periphery and entrapment of adipocytes and nerves were demonstrated in some cases. Foci resembling solitary fibrous tumor, fibromatosis, keloid or inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor were observed. Immunohistochemical study showed that the tumor cells were diffusely positive for vimentin and focally positive for CD34, factor VIII-related antigen and beta-catenin. The admixed plasma cells were notably IgG positive, with more than 50% being IgG4 positive. CONCLUSIONS: CFT has characteristic histopathologic manifestations and shows morphologic and immunohistochemical overlaps with known IgG4-related sclerosing diseases. It is possible that CFT may represent another example of IgG4-related diseases. It often runs a benign clinical course, with rare recurrence after surgical resection. Previous inflammation and trauma may be the precipitating factors of CFT.

Clinicopathologic features of primary lymphoma in soft tissue.

By reviewing 3725 lymphomas diagnosed in our institution from 1999 to 2010, we found eight cases (0.21%) of primary lymphoma in soft tissue with comprehensive histologic and immunohistochemical studies. Of the eight cases of primary lymphoma in soft tissue, two patients were male and six were female. The mean age was 54.8 years with range from 23 to 76 years. The greatest diameter of tumor ranged from 1.3 to 20 cm with an average diameter of 7.5 cm. Six cases were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), subclassified as three DLBCL non-germinal center B-cell phenotype, one DLBCL germinal center B-cell phenotype, and two (Epstein-Barr Virus) EBV-positive DLBCL of the elderly; one case was anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-positive; and one case was peripheral T cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified. Follow-up was available for four patients. One patient who refused further therapy died of the disease at 2 months after diagnosis. The other three patients with follow-up were alive without recurrence and metastatic disease at 9, 36, and 48 months, respectively, after excisional biopsy combined with appropriate chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Clinicopathological features of gastric glomus tumor.

AIM: To study the clinicopathological features of gastric glomus tumor and review the related Chinese literature published in 1990-2010. METHODS: A case of gastric glomus tumor was reported. Clinicopathological findings in 56 cases of gastric glomus tumor were analyzed. RESULTS: Gastric glomus tumor was far more common in women than in men with a female to male ratio of 1.6:1. The median age of the patients was 45 years (range 28-79 years). The patients often complained of epigastric pain and bloody stool. The tumor was located in antrum of the stomach. The greatest diameter of the tumor was 0.8-11 cm. Histologically, the tumor was comprised of nests of glomus cells surrounding the capillaries. Glomus cells were small, uniform and round. Vimentin, smooth muscle actin and actin were expressed in the tumor. Other markers, including S-100 protein, CD34, CD117, desmin, CD56, synaptophysin, chromogranin A, neuron specific enolase and cytokeratin were all negative. CONCLUSION: Gastric glomus tumor is a rare benign mesenchymal neoplasm. Its diagnosis depends on pathologic examination. Differential diagnosis includes gastrointestinal stromal tumor, paraganglioma and carcinoid tumor.