Publications by authors named "Carmen Gomez-Fernandez"
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the effectiveness of the Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC) in evaluating fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of minor salivary glands (MiSGs), which is less understood compared to major salivary glands (MSGs).
- A review of 43 MiSG FNAC cases showed high diagnostic accuracy and identified a risk of malignancy of 39%.
- The findings suggest that while the MSRSGC is useful for categorizing MiSG lesions, certain characteristics, like mucinous cyst contents, may require special attention compared to MSGs.
Article Synopsis
- - The study focuses on the use of the atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) category in thyroid evaluations, emphasizing the need to keep the AUS rate at or below 10% to enhance diagnostic quality and minimize variability.
- - Researchers analyzed 2,248 thyroid aspirates, calculating the AUS:Malignant (AUS:M) ratio, ThyroSeq v3 positive call rate (PCR), molecular-derived risk of malignancy (MDROM), and overall risk of malignancy (ROM) across different cytopathologists (CPs).
- - Results showed a moderate correlation between AUS:M ratios and TSV3 PCR/MDROM, highlighting the value of multiple metrics for assessing diagnostic performance and tailoring feedback for each cytopath
Trichorhinophalangeal syndrome type 1 (TRPS1) is a new reportedly sensitive and specific immunohistochemical marker for carcinomas of breast origin, including triple-negative (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2) tumors. In our practice, we have observed a subset of cases of nonmammary carcinomas that are positive for TRPS1, with higher frequency in cytology effusion samples with metastatic gynecologic malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of TRPS1 in a large tissue cohort of Müllerian carcinomas.
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- Basaloid salivary gland neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential (B-SUMP) includes pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) and other neoplasms; PLAG1 immunocytochemistry (ICC) is being studied to help differentiate between these neoplasms.* -
- In a study of 45 B-SUMP cytology aspirates, PLAG1 staining was positive in 29 cases (64%), primarily in PAs, and showed good sensitivity (87%) and specificity (86%) for identifying benign tumors.* -
- The findings suggest that a strong PLAG1 positive result supports a benign diagnosis of PA, whereas PLAG1-negative or equivocal results indicate that the tumors should remain classified as B
Article Synopsis
- TRPS1 is identified as a promising marker for breast carcinoma and exhibits distinct expression patterns in various salivary gland tumors, indicating potential diagnostic value.
- In a study of 110 salivary gland tumors, TRPS1 showed strong expression in pleomorphic adenomas and a range of malignant tumors but was absent or low in tumors like Warthin and secretory carcinomas.
- The research highlights that TRPS1 could be significant in differentiating tumor types due to its variable expression in both benign and malignant salivary gland tumors, as well as in metastatic cases.
Article Synopsis
- ThyroSeq testing evaluates the risk of cancer in thyroid nodules classified as Bethesda category IV based on cytology, focusing on its association with specific molecular changes and overall malignancy risk.
- The study analyzed 92 fine-needle aspirations (FNAC) from BIV nodules, identifying various subcategories like follicular neoplasm (FN) and oncocytic follicular neoplasm (OFN), revealing differences in malignancy risks and molecular alterations between them.
- Findings showed that oncocytic follicular neoplasms had a lower malignancy risk and different molecular mutations compared to follicular neoplasms, indicating the need for subcategory differentiation in the assessment process.*
Article Synopsis
- Identifying metastatic breast carcinoma (mBC) in malignant effusion cytology (MEC) is crucial for assessing prognosis and treatment, and recent studies have highlighted TRPS1 as a promising marker for both primary and metastatic breast cancer.
- The study analyzed 82 MEC specimens, comparing TRPS1 expression in mBC to metastatic carcinoma of Müllerian origin (mMC) and metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinoma (mPAC), finding that TRPS1 successfully identified mBC in 100% of cases but also showed significant expression in mMC.
- While TRPS1 proves to be a sensitive marker for mBC, its expression in mMC poses a diagnostic challenge, suggesting that using a combination of immunoperoxidase panels
The presence of mammographically evident hyperdense foci within axillary lymph nodes elicits concern for calcium deposits, which in turn have a wide differential diagnosis including both benign and malignant entities. Tissue sampling, most commonly by way of image-guided core needle biopsy, is needed in many cases when a definite etiology cannot be clinically established. In this case series we present history, imaging findings, and pathology results (or long term follow-up stability as biopsy surrogate) of several women with body tattoos who at mammography were noted to have a characteristic pattern of "bubbly" pseudo-calcifications within axillary lymph nodes, and absence of other mammographic, sonographic and clinical abnormalities.
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- HR-HPV status is essential for diagnosing oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is often the first diagnostic step, though p16 interpretation can be problematic.* -
- A study assessed the effectiveness of HR-HPV RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) on smears and liquid-based cytology (LBC) samples from HPV-related and HPV-negative SCC, finding 84% positivity in HPV-related cases.* -
- The findings suggest that HR-HPV ISH can be a reliable initial test for HPV status in FNAC specimens, especially when cell blocks aren't available, although interpreting low signal counts remains challenging.*
Article Synopsis
- Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the preferred initial technique for diagnosing salivary gland tumors, but distinguishing acinic cell carcinoma (AciCC) from other similar-looking conditions can be challenging.
- The study involved analyzing 18 FNAC specimens from confirmed AciCC cases, alongside samples of other salivary gland tumors, to assess the effectiveness of NR4A3 protein staining as a diagnostic marker.
- Results indicate that NR4A3 staining showed 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity for AciCC, demonstrating its potential as a reliable tool for diagnosis even when traditional methods or cell block samples are not available.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on ThyroSeq, which evaluates the likelihood of cancer in thyroid samples classified as atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) and aims to associate AUS subcategories with specific molecular changes and cancer risks.
- Four AUS subcategories were identified: follicular cells with cytologic atypia (FC-C), architectural atypia (FC-A), both (FC-CA), and a predominance of Hurthle cells (PHC), with varying probabilities of malignancy and molecular alterations across these groups.
- Results showed that the FC-CA subcategory had the highest risk of malignancy and unique mutations (like BRAF V600E) compared to others, indicating that understanding these subcategories can help refine cancer detection
Background: Evaluation of salivary gland lesions is routinely done preoperatively by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The Milan System for Reporting Salivary Gland Cytopathology (MSRSGC), with diagnostic categories I-VI, has been recommended to standardize the reporting of salivary gland lesions by FNAC. We aimed to reclassify archival salivary gland FNAC samples using MSRSGC, correlate the samples with surgical resections, and calculate the risk of malignancy (ROM) for each category.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRedefining Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
October 2022
Objective: Perineural invasion (PNI) negatively affects disease-specific survival in patients with head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (HNcSCC). We aim to analyze the prognostic implications of PNI-related features.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Background: The guidelines published by the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology (PSC) intend to unify the reporting language in pancreaticobiliary specimens and improve communication between cytopathologists and clinicians. The six categories in the system will determine the best management for patients. However, there is limited evidence regarding the risk of malignancy (ROM) associated with each category.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSalivary gland neoplasms are uncommon, and most exhibit epithelial differentiation. Mesenchymal neoplasms of the salivary gland are rare, and the incidence ranges from 1.9% to 5%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary sarcomas of the larynx are rare and are associated with diagnostic and treatment challenges. Studies of these tumors are limited, and most examples have been reported as small series. To further increase our understanding of laryngeal sarcomas, we reviewed our experience of an adult cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDeficiencies in fruit and vegetable intake have been associated with oral cancer (oral cavity and oropharyngeal). Salivary rinses contain measurable biomarkers including soluble CD44 (solCD44) and total protein, which are known markers of oral cancer risk. This study investigates the effect of nutritional factors on solCD44 and protein levels to evaluate oral cancer risk and survival.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Pseudocarcinomatous squamous hyperplasia (PSH) within the bone is uncommon and closely mimics well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). It arises from cutaneous or mucosal surfaces and grows directly into the bone. This study analyzes a large series of PSH and discusses the clinicopathologic features that facilitate its distinction from SCC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreast cancers are heterogeneous with variable morphologic features, biologic behavior and response to therapy. Traditional histopathologic features such as size, grade, and lymph node status may be used to provide a general estimate of outcome, stratifying patients into broad prognostic groups with prescribed guidelines for therapy. With this approach however, up to 85% of breast cancer patients are overtreated, and at the other end of the spectrum, 20% of patients succumb to their disease despite receiving maximum therapy.
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- * The objective of the research was to summarize literature on biomarkers that might predict outcomes in COVID-19 patients, reviewing a total of 72 relevant studies.
- * Key findings suggested that while many biomarkers are nonspecific, certain markers (like CRP and ferritin) were sensitive indicators of acute illness, and specific trends in lab results could help predict the severity and complications of the disease, particularly in critically ill patients.
Introduction: The Paris System (TPS) for reporting urine cytology was developed for standardization of diagnosis focusing on the detection of high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC). Probably the most challenging task for TPS is to provide criteria for the atypical urothelial cell (AUC) category. The TPS criteria for AUC include increased nuclear/cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio (>0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To examine and summarize the current literature on serologic methods for the detection of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Methods: A literature review was performed using searches in databases including PubMed, medRxiv, and bioRxiv. Thirty-two peer-reviewed papers and 23 preprints were examined.