Extrapancreatic solid pseudopapillary neoplasm: report of a case of primary ovarian origin and review of the literature.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm, an uncommon, intriguing, low-grade malignant tumor of the pancreas, can exceptionally occur in extrapancreatic sites. We report 1 such case occurring as an ovarian primary in a 25-year-old woman, who presented with abdominal fullness. She remained well 12 years after resection of the 1.

Intraoral superficial angiomyxoma.

Superficial angiomyxoma is an unusual benign myxoid tumor of the trunk, head and neck, extremities, and genitalia. We report the third case of intraoral superficial angiomyxoma, which occurred within the buccal mucosa of a 37-year-old woman. The symptomless slow-growing mass was present for 2 years.

Pathobiology of sacrococcygeal teratomas.

Sacrococcygeal teratomas are rare tumours, occurring in approximately 1 in 40,000 live births. The sacrococcygeal area is, however, the commonest site for teratomas that are present at birth. There are many conflicting theories as to the origin of sacrococcygeal teratomas.

The E-cadherin-catenin complex in tumour metastasis: structure, function and regulation.

E-cadherin and the associated catenin complex have been recognised as performing a key role in cell adhesion. Loss of cell adhesion is seen as a key step in the cascade leading to tumour metastasis. The ability of both extra- and intracellular factors to regulate E-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion in physiological processes has provided insight into both the interactions of the E-cadherin-catenin complex, and possible mechanisms utilised by tumours in the process of metastasis.

Regulation of E-cadherin: does hypoxia initiate the metastatic cascade?

The ability of tumours to metastasis is regarded as one of the hallmarks of malignancy. The process through which tumours evolve to achieve this has been termed the metastatic cascade. This cascade has been the subject of much investigation over many years.