ABSTRACT
The early identification of aggressive forms of cancer is of high importance in treating papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Disease dissemination is a major factor influencing patient survival. Mutation status of BRAF oncogene, BRAF V600E, is proposed to be an indicator of disease recurrence; however, its influence on PTC dissemination has not been deciphered. This study aimed to explore the association of the frequency of BRAF V600E alleles in PTC with disease dissemination. In this study, 173 PTC samples were analyzed, measuring the proportion of BRAF V600E alleles by qPCR, which was then normalized against the proportion of tumor cells. Semiquantitative analysis of BRAF V600E mutant protein was performed by immunohistochemistry. The BRAF V600E mutation was present in 60% of samples, while the normalized frequency of mutated BRAF alleles ranged from 1.55% to 92.06%. There was no significant association between the presence and/or proportion of the BRAF V600E mutation with the degree of PTC dissemination. However, the presence of the BRAF mutation was significantly linked with angioinvasion. This study's results suggest that there is a heterogeneous distribution of the BRAF mutation and the presence of oligoclonal forms of PTC. It is likely that the BRAF mutation alone does not significantly contribute to PTC aggressiveness.
ABSTRACT
There has been a substantial increase in the number of cases of invasive fungal infections worldwide, which is associated with a growing number of immunosuppressed patients and a rise in antifungal resistance. Some fungi that were previously considered harmless to humans have become emerging pathogens. One of them is Purpureocillium lilacinum, a ubiquitous filamentous fungus commonly found in the environment, especially in the air and soil. P. lilacinum belongs to a bigger group of hyaline fungi that cause hyalohyphomycosis, a fungal infection caused by fungi with colorless hyphae. Although this is a heterogeneous group of fungi, there are similarities regarding their ubiquity, ways of transmission, affected patients, and difficulties in diagnostics and treatment. In hyalohyphomycosis, the skin is one of the most affected organs, which is why the involvement of dermatologists is crucial for the initial assessment, since the timely recognition and early diagnosis of this condition can prevent life-threatening infections and death. In this review, we covered cutaneous hyalohyphomycosis caused by P. lilacinum and other fungi in the same group, including Fusarium, Penicilium, Scedosporium, Scopulariopsis, Acremonium, and Trichoderma genera.
ABSTRACT
We describe a rare case of an eccrine syringofibroadenoma with a foci of squamous cell carcinoma in situ, which has to best of our knowledge been reported only twice in the English literature. An excisional biopsy of an elevated, lobular tumor of the lower leg in an 86-year-old male patient was performed. Histologic examination revealed a tumor consisting of anastomosing strands of epithelial cells originating from the epidermis, occasionally showing ductal eccrine differentiation. Foci of squamous cell carcinoma in situ were observed within the described lesion. The diagnosis of eccrine syringofibroadenoma with squamous cell carcinoma in situ was established. Eccrine syringofibroadenoma is a rare lesion, mostly considered to be a reactive process arising secondarily in association with other cutaneous diseases such as dermatoses or neoplasms, although some researchers do not exclude the possibility that it is a primary neoplasm with a potential for malignant transformation.
