Morphological and immunohistochemical features of neuroendocrine neoplasms in gastroenteropancreatic tract.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) result from neuroendocrine cell neoplastic proliferation, with both characteristics of endocrine and nerve cells. NENs arise in different localizations but the most common site is the gastrointestinal tract, including the pancreas. The morphology and frequency of NENs in our hospital were evaluated, as well as the correlation between lymph node status and Ki67 proliferative index. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, we analyzed NEN pathohistological reports of patients who underwent surgical excision of gastroenteropancreatic tumors in the Clinical Center of Vojvodina in Novi Sad, from 2011 to 2018. The descriptive and correlation statistics were done. Chromogranin A, synaptophysin, CD56, and Ki67 were usually used as immunohistochemical markers. RESULTS: The study registered 78 surgical specimens. The average age of patients was 58.88 (±17) years, whereby 53.8% were males. The most frequent site was the pancreas (29.5%), followed by the large intestine (26.9%). The mean tumor size was 3.71 (±3.13) cm. No significance was found in tumor differentiation degree (G1 = 32.1%, G2 = 26.9%, and G3 = 29.5%). Lymph node metastases were found in 47.44%. Positive correlation was found between the Ki67 index and the percentage of positive lymph nodes (r = 0.343, p = 0.046, p < 0.05, respectively). The correlation between tumor size and lymph node metastases revealed no significance in our study (r = 0.015, p = 0.480, p > 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Most NENs lymph node metastases originated from tumors with a high Ki67 index. The results confirm the use of proliferative index Ki67 as a prognostic marker for the presence of metastases, disease progression, and neuroendocrine tumor prognosis.

Are statins a risk factor in patients with atherosclerosis? / ¿Son las estatinas un factor de riesgo en pacientes con aterosclerosis?

SUMMARY: Statins inhibit cholesterol synthesis, but also have other pleiotropic effects. There are indications that they affect macrophage survival trough the regulation of apoptosis. We analyzed 50 samples of aortic wall, selected based on statins in patients' therapy (n=25, Th-S group) or statin-free therapy (n=25, Th-nonS group). Each group had 5 samples of healthy aortic tissue, 10 samples of mild and 10 samples of severe atherosclerotic changes in aortic wall. Tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical methods (anti-Bcl-2 antibody). Presence of Bcl2-positive macrophages (Bcl-2+ MP) was determined semiquantitatively, and data were processed in Microsoft Excell and IMB SPSS 23 Statistics. 60 % of patients in the Th-S group had a mild increase of Bcl-2+ MP The use of statins leads to a significantly more frequent increase in Bcl2+ macrophages in the intima of the healthy aortic tissue. Analysis of all aortic samples with pathohistological diagnosis showed that statin therapy was statistically significantly more often leading to a markedly increased presence of Bcl-2+ MP. In the media, all samples of the Th-S group have a mild increase of Bcl-2+ MP, and in adventitia 40 % of patients. The use of statins more often leads to a markedly increased presence of Bcl-2+ MP in aortic tissue with diagnosed mild and severe atherosclerosis. In samples of severe atherosclerosis, statins lead to a markedly increased presence of Bcl-2+ MP in the parts of the plaque towards the intima and towards the media. Statins lead to an increased presence of Bcl-2+ macrophages, prolong their life, both in healthy and atherosclerotic altered aortic tissue. This indicates potentiation of inflammation and damage to the aortic wall, and calls into question the positive effect of statins on the aortic wall with atherosclerosis.

RESUMEN: Las estatinas inhiben la síntesis de colesterol, pero también tienen otros efectos pleiotrópicos. Hay indicios de que afectan la supervivencia de los macrófagos a través de la regulación de la apoptosis.Se analizaron 50 muestras de pared aórtica, seleccionadas en base a estatinas en tratamiento de pacientes (n=25, grupo Th-S) o en tratamiento libre de estatinas (n=25, grupo Th- nonS). Cada grupo tenía 5 muestras de tejido aórtico sano, 10 muestras de cambios ateroscleróticos leves y 10 muestras de cambios ateroscleróticos severos en la pared aórtica. El tejido se tiñó con hematoxilina-eosina y métodos inmunohistoquímicos (anticuerpo anti-Bcl-2). La presencia de macrófagos positivos para Bcl2 (Bcl- 2+ MP) se determinó semicuantitativamente y los datos se procesaron en Microsoft Excell e IMB SPSS 23 Statistics. El 60 % de los pacientes del grupo Th-S tuvo un aumento leve de Bcl-2+ MP. El uso de estatinas conduce a un aumento significativamente más frecuente de macrófagos Bcl2+ en la íntima del tejido aórtico sano. El análisis de todas las muestras aórticas con diagnóstico anatomopatológico mostró que la terapia con estatinas fue significativamente más frecuente desde el punto de vista estadístico, lo que condujo a una presencia marcadamente mayor de Bcl-2+ MP. En los medios, todas las muestras del grupo Th-S tienen un leve aumento de Bcl-2+ MP, y en adventicia en el 40 % de los pacientes. El uso de estatinas con mayor frecuencia conduce a una presencia marcadamente mayor de MP Bcl-2+ en el tejido aórtico con aterosclerosis leve y grave diagnosticada. En muestras de aterosclerosis severa, las estatinas conducen a una presencia aumentada de Bcl-2+ MP en las partes de la placa hacia la íntima y hacia la media. Las estatinas conducen a una mayor presencia de macrófagos Bcl-2+, prolongan su vida, tanto en tejido aórtico sano como aterosclerótico alterado. Esto indica la potenciación de la inflamación y el daño a la pared aórtica y pone en duda el efecto positivo de las estatinas en la pared aórtica con aterosclerosis.

PENTALOGY OF CANTRELL IN TWINS: A CASE REPORT.

UNLABELLED: INTRODUCTION. Pentalogy of Cantrell is a very rare congenital multiple malformation with the poor outcome. Syndrome included the following pentad: abdominal wall defect, a defect of the lower sternum, anterior diaphragm defect, ectopia cordis, as well as a variety of intracardiac anomalies. CASE REPORT: In the fifteenth week of the twin pregnancy, ultrasound examination showed multiple anomalies in one, as well as the absence of the nose apex in the other twin. The autopsy of the fetuses was performed after the abortion had been approved by the Ethics Committee. The external examination of the fetus number one showed ectopic heart and omphalocele. The internal examination revealed the existence of sternum cleft, ectopic heart and part of the left lung outside the thoracic cavity, the presence of diaphragmatic hernia with protrusion of abdominal organs, heart with only one large vessel and the horseshoe kidney. The full expression of the Pentalogy of Cantrell was confirmed. The external and internal examination of the other twin showed just agenesis of the nose apex. CONCLUSION: Recognition and diagnosis of the syndrome is of the exceptional importance. Proper and timely diagnosis should contribute to good outcome of the pregnancy and delivery.

Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver in adults--case report.

INTRODUCTION: Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver is a benign lesion presenting as an enlarging abdominal mass in children less than 2 years of age. Fewer than 5% cases are present in individuals over 5 years of age, and this lesion is extremely rare in adults. It may affect the left or the right lobe of liver as a cystic or solid mass or both components may be present. The pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, but these lesions have generally been considered to represent a development abnormality in the bile duct plate formation. CASE REPORT: In this report, we present a case of a 44-year-old man who was surgically treated at the Department of Abdominal, Endocrine and Transplantation Surgery of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina due to cystic lesion in the liver segment IV that had been verified by computed tomography imaging diagnostics. The patient was sent from a smaller health center with the diagnosis of echinococcosis. After the adequate preparation of the patient, surgical excision ofthe liver cystic lesion was done. Once a thorough histological examination had been performed, the diagnosis of mesenchymal hamartoma was made. CONCLUSION: Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver is a benign tumor resulting from abnormal, intra-uterine development of bile ducts and has a delayed clinical manifestation, thus this lesion appears to be related to the processes of maturation. It is potentially pre-malignant lesion presenting as a solid and/or cystic neoplasm. Symptoms, laboratory results and radiographic imaging are nonspecific and inconclusive, so surgical excision of the whole lesion is the imperative for the definitive diagnosis.