A 24-Year-Old Man Presenting with Lung Metastases from a Primary Retroperitoneal Extragonadal Choriocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND Primary retroperitoneal choriocarcinoma is a rare form of extragonadal germ cell tumor that is highly aggressive and responds poorly to chemoradiation. Extragonadal choriocarcinomas are notoriously challenging to diagnose, and have often progressed to advanced disease by the time of diagnosis. The survival rate for extragonadal choriocarcinoma is approximately 30%, which is much lower than that of extragonadal non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (GCT) in general. CASE REPORT A 24-year-old man with no significant past medical history presented with left-sided, pleuritic chest pain and back pain radiating down his left leg, of 1-year duration. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest revealed multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules and a CT of the abdomen and pelvis showed a large heterogeneous soft tissue mass measuring 9.3×8×10.5 cm. A CT-guided core needle biopsy of a lung nodule was performed and the findings were consistent with the diagnosis of metastatic choriocarcinoma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was negative for metastatic disease. Tumor markers were significant for a markedly elevated beta human chorionic gonadotropin (B-hCG) of 104 712 mIU/mL. He was diagnosed with a stage IIIC germ cell tumor, further classified as a primary retroperitoneal choriocarcinoma with lung metastasis, and was started on urgent inpatient chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS Due to the poor outcomes associated with extragonadal choriocarcinoma, it is important to promptly and correctly identify this malignancy in order to initiate treatment in a timely manner. The following case report explores the histopathologic characterization of this malignancy and describes the clinical course and outcomes from treatment for this patient.

Diagnostic Challenges of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans (DFSP), a Rare Spindle Cell Tumor of Breast.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a low-grade, fibroblastic tumor that is rarely seen in the breast with only a few cases reported in the literature. DFSP poses a diagnostic challenge as there is significant cytomorphological overlap with other spindle cell lesions. We report a case of a 42-year-old female who presented with a nodule in the right breast. Histology revealed a hypercellular lesion composed of spindle cells infiltrating the fat. A diagnosis of spindle cell lipoma was made. However, two years later, the patient developed a recurrent mass in the right breast that was histologically consistent with DFSP with a predominant myxoid stroma obscuring the characteristic storiform architecture with a focal component of giant cell fibroblastoma. A careful histomorphological examination is warranted as DFSP tends to recur if not completely excised.

Strumal Carcinoid Presenting as Large Pelvic Mass: A Rare Case and Review of Literature.

Strumal carcinoid is an unusual rare ovarian teratoma characterized by the presence of thyroid tissue with a carcinoid tumor. We report a case of a 60-year-old nulliparous woman, who presented with complaints of a decrease in appetite, urinary frequency, and left lower extremity edema. By ultrasound of the abdomen, a large multiloculated cystic lesion occupying almost the entire pelvis and measuring 24 x 14 x 20 cm with internal debris concerning either uterine or ovarian cystic carcinoma was seen. By MRI, it was confirmed to be an ovarian lesion. Labs revealed elevated cancer antigen 125 (CA125) of 105 U/ml and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) of 6.4 ng/ml. The patient underwent surgery and the intraoperative consultation confirmed teratoma with a neuroendocrine component. Grossly, it was a multicystic ovarian mass and on sectioning, it had partial solid and cystic areas with clear to mucoid fluid. Histopathology showed foci of ectopic thyroid tissue admixed with foci of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, grade 1 (carcinoid) displaying insular and trabecular patterns consistent with the diagnosis of strumal carcinoid (monodermal teratoma). Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) and thyroglobulin immunostains highlighted ectopic thyroid tissue and synaptophysin highlighted neuroendocrine component. Strumal carcinoids are almost invariably benign and pathologic staging is not warranted. Treatment of strumal carcinoid is salpingo-oophorectomy.