Odd localisation for a gastric cancer histology.

INTRODUCTION: More than 96% of signet-ring cell carcinomas occur in the stomach and the rest in other organs, including the gallbladder, pancreas, urinary bladder and breast. Primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum is very rare, accounting for 0.1%-2.4% of all colorectal cancers. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of a 55-year old man who is operated for a caecal mass evocative of an appendicitis abscess. Intraoperatively, we discover a large, ulcerated ilio-caecal mass with several lymphadenopathies. The further workup reveals a primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon with multiple lymph nodes and osteolytic bony metastases. DISCUSSION: Primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum presents usually as an advanced stage disease with a dismal prognosis. It spreads mainly to the lymph nodes and to the peritoneum and very rarely to the liver. The mean age of patients diagnosed with primary signet-ring cell carcinoma is significantly younger than for ordinary adenocarcinoma. The upper endoscopy is the investigation of choice to exclude a primary gastric pathology. There are very few reports about this type of cancer and no reports about this type of cancer associated with osteolytic bony metastases. CONCLUSION: The characteristics and pathophysiology of a primary signet-ring cell carcinoma of the colon and rectum are not well understood. Usually only palliative treatment is possible. The importance of an early diagnosis of this tumor is mandatory to have a curative approach.

[Malignant degeneration of mature benign teratoma of the ovary: a case report]. / Degenerescence maligne des teratomes matures benins de l'ovaire: a propos d'un nouveau cas.

Malignant transformation of ovarian mature benign teratomas is an uncommon complication which often occurs in the postmenopausal period. Clinical presentation is similar to that of benign ovarian cysts. The diagnosis of malignant transformation is often made per-operatively by the break of the capsule and the adhesions of the tumor or during histological examination. The diagnosis is based on the association between a mature teratoma and a non metastatic unitissular, carcinoma or sarcoma. All histological forms can be met, but squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 75% of all cases. We report the case of a 70-year-old woman who had a squamous cell carcinoma which developed on a teratoma of the ovary, for whom the disease was fatal. The survival rate for this kind of ovarian tumour is reduced, with 15 to 30% survival after 5 years, irrespective of stages and histological types. Although it is not easy to define the best requested therapy, surgery associated with polychemotherapy or radiotherapy is apparently the only way of improving the poor prognosis for these tumours.