[Detection of RAS genes mutation using the Cobas® method in a private laboratory of pathology: Medical and economical study in comparison to a public platform of molecular biology of cancer]. / Analyse des mutations des gènes RAS par technique Cobas® au sein d'une structure de pathologie libérale : étude médico-économique et moléculaire comparative avec une plateforme labellisée INCa.

In France, determination of the mutation status of RAS genes for predictive response to anti-EGFR targeted treatments is carried out by public platforms of molecular biology of cancer created by the French National Cancer Institute. This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of these analyses by a private pathology laboratory (MEDIPATH) as per the requirements of accreditation. We retrospectively studied the mutation status of KRAS and NRAS genes in 163 cases of colorectal metastatic cancer using the Cobas® technique. We compared our results to those prospectively obtained through pyrosequencing and allelic discrimination by the genetic laboratory of solid tumors at the Nice University Hospital (PACA-EST regional platform). The results of both series were identical: 98.7% positive correlation; negative correlation of 93.1%; overall correlation of 95.7% (Kappa=0.92). This study demonstrates the feasibility of molecular analysis in a private pathology laboratory. As this practice requires a high level of guarantee, its accreditation, according to the NF-EN-ISO15189 quality compliance French standard, is essential. Conducting molecular analysis in this context avoids the steps of routing the sample and the result between the pathology laboratory and the platform, which reduces the overall time of rendering the result. In conclusion, the transfer of some analysis from these platforms to private pathology laboratories would allow the platforms to be discharged from a part of routine testing and therefore concentrate their efforts to the development of new analyses constantly required to access personalized medicine.

Longitudinal myelitis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Longitudinal myelitis is an exceedingly rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), of which only 11 cases have been published so far. We report a case in a 65-year-old woman in whom spinal cord dysfunction developed over several weeks, resulting in tetraparesis. She had a known history of SLE with a circulating anticoagulant. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and a stereotactic biopsy of a brain lesion established the diagnosis of SLE-related longitudinal myelitis. High-dose glucocorticoid therapy had started to bring about an improvement when she experienced a series of complications that were eventually fatal. Her case is unusual in that longitudinal myelitis is exceedingly rare in patients with SLE.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma: immunohistochemical profile and prognostic significance.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with extranodal location affecting only the CNS, meninges and eye, without visceral or lymph node involvement. Its incidence has increased sharply over the past three decades, especially in immunocompetent subjects. Most PCNSL cases are diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs). However, it differs from nodal DLBCL in that it has a worse prognosis. DLBCLs are a heterogeneous entity and according to new genomic discoveries, classifications into prognostic subgroups have been embarked upon. Two prognostic algorithms were then prepared using a panel of immunohistochemical markers (CD10, Bcl6, MUM1/IRF-4, and Bcl2), thus categorizing DLBCL into two subgroups, GCB (germinal centre B-cell-like) or non-GCB, and into Group 1 or Group 2. Our goal is to apply both of these two sub-classifications to 39 PCNSLs, in order to assess their usefulness and prognostic relevance. 74.3% of our PCNSLs were of a non-GCB phenotype, corresponding to an activated postgerminal origin. They were evenly distributed across G1 and G2. Two- and 5-year overall survival rates were 34.8% and 19.6%, respectively. Younger age (<65) and a therapeutic combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy significantly improved our patients' survival rates. The other clinical or biological markers tested had no prognostic impact. The two classifications did not reveal any significant survival difference. The recent discovery of a specific "transcriptional signature" of PCNSL, marking them out of DLBCL could account for the irrelevance of such prognostic classifications to PCNSL.

Primary epithelioid sarcoma of bone: report of a unique case, with immunohistochemical and fluorescent in situ hybridization confirmation of INI1 deletion.

We report the clinical and pathologic features of, what is to the best of our knowledge, the first case of epithelioid sarcoma of bone. A 31-year-old woman with an unremarkable past medical history presented with pelvic pain and was found by computed tomography scan to have a destructive 5 cm, partially calcified intraosseous lesion of the iliac bone. Histologically, the tumor consisted of relatively uniform but clearly malignant-appearing epithelioid cells, with scattered rhabdoid-appearing cells. A hyalinized to partially calcified matrix was present between the tumor cells, with a "chickenwire" pattern of calcification. By immunohistochemistry, the neoplastic cells expressed cytokeratins, vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen and CD34, and showed complete loss of INI1 protein expression. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed homozygous deletion of the INI1 gene. An extensive clinical and radiographic workup did not show evidence of a soft tissue tumor, and the diagnosis of a primary epithelioid sarcoma of bone was made. After this, the patient underwent a complete resection of her tumor, and is currently disease free, 6 months after surgery. These extremely rare tumors must be rigorously distinguished from other more common tumors of bone, in particular, chondroblastoma and osteosarcoma. Awareness that epithelioid sarcoma may occur in bone, careful histologic evaluation and ancillary immunohistochemistry for epithelial markers, CD34 and INI1 protein should allow for recognition of such tumors. Study of additional cases of primary epithelioid sarcoma of bone will be necessary to better understand its clinical behavior.