An unusually large granular cell tumor of the pharynx: a case report and literature review.

We report a granular cell tumor of the pharynx in a 53 year-old woman who presented with a large retropharyngeal mass. Surgical excision revealed a 5.5 cm tan rubbery unencapsulated but circumscribed mass. Histologically, the tumor is composed of diffusely arranged oval and spindle cells with abundant eosinophilic granular cytoplasm and mildly pleomorphic nuclei without necrosis or mitoses. Immunostains show the tumor cells to be positive for S-100, vimentin, non-specific esterase and focally positive for inhibin. In addition to its unusual location, this tumor is extremely large while most granular cell tumors are small (<2 cm). This case represents a unique example of a large granular cell tumor at a rare location: the pharynx.

Vanishing bile duct syndrome and Hodgkin disease: a case series and review of the literature.

This is the first description in which the diagnosis of vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) preceded the diagnosis of Hodgkin disease (HD) by several months, and for which patients received modifications to modern MOPP-ABV chemotherapy with successful clinical remission. VBDS is an uncommon form of liver disease manifested by severe cholestasis and progressive liver failure. We report 2 cases of stage IIIB pediatric HD and VBDS. Because VBDS is progressive and the only curative treatment is liver transplant, it is imperative to recognize that children with VBDS may also have concurrent HD.