Prognostic value of chromosomal imbalances, gene mutations, and BAP1 expression in uveal melanoma.

Uveal melanoma (UM) exhibits recurring chromosomal abnormalities and gene driver mutations, which are related to tumor evolution/progression. Almost half of the patients with UM develop distant metastases, predominantly to the liver, and so far there are no effective adjuvant therapies. An accurate UM genetic profile could assess the individual patient's metastatic risk, and provide the basis to determine an individualized targeted therapeutic strategy for each UM patient.

Prevalence of oral human papillomavirus in men attending an Italian sexual health clinic.

A high-risk population, formed by 79 consecutive male attendees of our sexually transmissible infections clinic, and who did not have any overt signs of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, were examined. Oral HPV prevalence (37%) was much higher than previously reported. Periurethral HPV-DNA was found in 49% of the patients and anal HPV-DNA was found in 43% of the patients.

Myenteric plexitis: A frequent feature in patients undergoing surgery for colonic diverticular disease.

Background: Diverticular disease of the colon is frequent in clinical practice, and a large number of patients each year undergo surgical procedures worldwide for their symptoms. Thus, there is a need for better knowledge of the basic pathophysiologic mechanisms of this disease entity.

Objectives: Because patients with colonic diverticular disease have been shown to display abnormalities of the enteric nervous system, we assessed the frequency of myenteric plexitis (i.

Lymph Node Metastasis from Tall-Cell Thyroid Cancer Negative on 18F-FDG PET/CT and Detected by 18F-Choline PET/CT.

A 77-year-old woman underwent thyroidectomy and (131)I remnant ablation for tall-cell differentiated cancer (DTC) of the left lobe. Detectable Tg levels (4.1 μg/L) under TSH suppression, with undetectable serum Tg-antibody levels, prompted neck ultrasonography, which revealed a lymph node in the left laterocervical region and in the right retroclavicular region.

Diagnostic value of MRI proton density fat fraction for assessing liver steatosis in chronic viral C hepatitis.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic performance of a T1-independent, T2*-corrected multiecho magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique for the quantification of hepatic steatosis in a cohort of patients affected by chronic viral C hepatitis, using liver biopsy as gold standard.

Methods: Eighty-one untreated patients with chronic viral C hepatitis were prospectively enrolled. All included patients underwent MRI, transient elastography, and liver biopsy within a time interval <10 days.

Late-onset metastasis of renal cell carcinoma into a hot thyroid nodule: an uncommon finding not to be overlooked.

We report the case of a 74-year-old man with a four-year history of right nephrectomy for clear cell renal carcinoma (CCRC) who was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. On ultrasound (US), a 5 cm solid isohypoechoic nodule with intranodular vascularization was found in the left thyroid lobe. The nodule was deemed autonomous on (99m)Tc thyroid scan.

Mutation frequencies of GNAQ, GNA11, BAP1, SF3B1, EIF1AX and TERT in uveal melanoma: detection of an activating mutation in the TERT gene promoter in a single case of uveal melanoma.

Background: Uveal melanoma is the most frequent primary tumour of the eye. It is molecularly clearly distinct from cutaneous melanoma and shows a different pattern of driver mutations. The influence of sunlight ultraviolet (UV) exposure on the aetiology of uveal melanoma is a matter of debate.

Focus on high-risk DTC patients: high postoperative serum thyroglobulin level is a strong predictor of disease persistence and is associated to progression-free survival and overall survival.

Introduction: No parameters predicting recurrence are available for high-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients, and 2-year-follow-up is required to modify the initial prognostic classification. High thyroglobulin (Tg) levels before ¹³¹I-remnant-ablation, during L-thyroxine-withdrawal (ablation-Tg) have undetermined predictive/prognostic significance in low-risk DTC patients. Our study aimed to assess the positive predictive value (PPV) of ablation-Tg in high-risk DTC patients and to evaluate whether high ablation-Tg levels were associated with progression-free-survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

A randomized, placebo-controlled, preoperative trial of allopurinol in subjects with colorectal adenoma.

Inflammation and oxidative stress play a crucial role in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC) and interference with these mechanisms represents a strategy in CRC chemoprevention. Allopurinol, a safe molecular scavenger largely used as antigout agent, has been shown to increase survival of patients with advanced CRC and to reduce CRC incidence in long-term gout users in epidemiologic studies. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled preoperative trial in subjects with colorectal adenomatous polyps to assess the activity of allopurinol on biomarkers of colorectal carcinogenesis.

Osteonecrosis of the jaws and bevacizumab therapy: a case report.

Bevacizumab is a humanized recombinant monoclonal antibody that blocks vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Recently, its use has been related with osteneocrosis of the jaws (ONJ), a disease showing a histological pattern similar to bisphosphonate-related ONJ. The aim of this study is to describe an ONJ case-report following bevacizumab chemotherapy without bisphosphonate therapy.

Fast growing penis ulcer: an unusual coincidence.

A 57-year-old man was seen with a 2-week history of progressive enlargement of an asymptomatic genital ulcer associated with bilateral inguinal lymphadenomegaly. Multiple unprotected heterosexual contacts were reported. The family doctor misdiagnosed primary syphilis with the following laboratory results: negative findings on the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory test, positive findings on the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (titer 1:1280), and IgM negative on the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay.

Accuracy in melanoma detection: a 10-year multicenter survey.

Background: Early excision is the only strategy to reduce melanoma mortality, but unnecessary excision of benign lesions increases morbidity and healthcare costs.

Objective: To assess accuracy in melanoma detection based on number-needed-to-excise (NNE) values over a 10-year period.

Methods: Information was retrieved on all histopathologically confirmed cutaneous melanomas or melanocytic nevi that were excised between 1998 and 2007 at participating clinics.

Primary undifferentiated large cell carcinoma of the lacrimal gland.

Purpose: To report a unique case of primary undifferentiated large cell carcinoma (LCCA) of the lacrimal gland, a tumor not previously described in the ophthalmic literature.

Design: Single interventional case report.

Participants: A patient affected by undifferentiated LCCA of the lacrimal gland.

Prognostic significance of fluorescent in situ hybridisation in the follow-up of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the potential contribution of a fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) as prognostic indicator of the risk of recurrence or progression in patients undergoing follow-up for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Patients And Methods: A total of 126 consecutive patients with a history of NMIBC being followed-up with urinary cytology and cystoscopy at a referral centre were studied. Patients with carcinoma in situ, or tumour stage higher than pT1 were excluded.

Overexpression and functional relevance of somatostatin receptor-1, -2, and -5 in endometrium and endometriotic lesions.

Context: Somatostatin plays a role in physiological and pathological cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Five subtypes of somatostatin receptors have been identified, and the therapeutic use of somatostatin receptor-selective agonists has been reported in several diseases.

Objectives: The aim was to describe the expression and the functional relevance of three human somatostatin receptors (sst1, sst2, and sst5) in tissues of women with and without endometriosis.

Phase I-II trial of weekly bicalutamide in men with elevated prostate-specific antigen and negative prostate biopsies.

Background: Men with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and negative prostate biopsies are at risk for prostate cancer. The antiandrogen bicalutamide has a prolonged half-life, thus potentially allowing an intermittent administration to retain activity while reducing toxicity. We conducted a phase I-II trial of weekly bicalutamide in men with PSA >4 ng/mL and negative biopsies.

The UroVysion F.I.S.H. test compared to standard cytology for surveillance of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the potential contribution of urinary fluorescent in situ hybridization in the prediction of the risk of recurrence and progression of men undergoing followup for NMIBC.

Materials And Methods: Patients with a history of NMIBC being followed with urinary cytology and cystoscopy were included in the study. Patients with Carcinoma in situ or tumour stage higher than pT1 were excluded from this analysis.

Fluorescent in situ hybridization as a screening test for HER2 amplification in G2 and G3 breast cancers of lobular and ductal histotype and metastases.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH), as a screening test, in moderately- (G2) or poorly- (G3) differentiated breast cancers of the ductal (IDC) and lobular (ILC) histotypes and distant metastases. HER2 FISH was performed on 486 G2 and 477 G3 both of IDC and ILC histotypes and in 241 metastases. A significant difference in the HER2 amplification was observed between G2 (14.

Hypopituitarism in the elderly: multifaceted clinical and biochemical presentation.

Unlabelled: Hypopituitarism (HYPO) is a rare and under-investigated pathology in the elderly.

Aim: to review our case records of patients > or =65 yrs with first diagnosis of anterior global hypopituitarism, in order to evaluate presentation symptoms, etiology, biochemical and hormonal pictures, pituitary morphology, and efficacy of therapy.

Patients: 15 patients (65-82 yrs) were studied: in 11 (73%) HYPO was secondary to pituitary macroadenoma (non-secreting in 10 and GH-secreting in 1); in 3 it was associated to empty sella, and in 1 to pituitary hypoplasia.

Uncommon association of germline mutations of RET proto-oncogene and CDKN2A gene.

Introduction: Calcitonin measurement is advised in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules, as it is an accurate marker of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). C-cell hyperplasia (CCH)-induced hypercalcitoninemia cannot be distinguished from that induced by MTC, unless surgery is performed.

Case: We report the clinical and biological features of a patient with a family history of cancer, including melanoma and pancreatic cancer, who had previously undergone surgery for melanoma.

TSH-secreting adenomas: rare pituitary tumors with multifaceted clinical and biological features.

TSH-secreting pituitary adenomas (TSH-omas) are a rare cause of hyperthyroidism in clinical practice. As their diagnosis is often delayed, these tumors are mostly diagnosed as macroadenomas, preventing an effective and radical cure and leading to serious local and systemic comorbidities. In addition to neurosurgery, medical therapy with the effective and tolerable SS analogs is a fundamental tool for the treatment of TSHomas.

Intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinoma as cause of hypercalcemia and pitfall of localization techniques: clinical and biologic features.

Objective: To describe an unusual case of intrathyroidal parathyroid carcinoma (PC), which was retrospectively diagnosed in a woman who underwent surgical treatment of a recurrent nodular goiter.

Methods: We report the clinical and biologic features of an intrathyroidal PC, discuss the challenges with distinguishing PC from parathyroid adenoma, and review the related literature.

Results: A 67-year-old woman sought medical attention for dysphagia attributable to the recurrence of a normal functioning multinodular goiter.

Clinically non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas in the elderly.

Background And Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical presentation, characteristics and post-surgical outcome of non-functioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFPM) in elderly patients.

Methods: 27 patients (65-81 years; 13 Males, 14 Females) with NFPM (20-45 mm in diameter) were studied. The symptoms prompting neuroradiological studies were vision alterations in 52%, and dizziness, loss of memory, confusion, headache and depression in 29%; in 19% of patients, the disease was incidentally discovered during computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for head trauma or cerebral ischemic attacks.