ADAM9: A novel player in vestibular schwannoma pathogenesis.

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 9 (ADAM9) is a member of the transmembrane ADAM family. It is expressed in different types of solid cancer and promotes tumor invasiveness. To the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first to examine ADAM9 expression in vestibular schwannomas (VS) from patients with and without neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and to associate the data with clinical parameters of the patients.

CXCR4: A new player in vestibular schwannoma pathogenesis.

Background: CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor that recruits blood stem cells and increases tumor cell growth and invasiveness. We examined CXCR4 expression in vestibular schwannomas (VS) from patients with and without neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and correlated the levels with the patients' clinical characteristics. The aim was to determine whether CXCR4 can be used as a prognostic marker and as a target for systemic therapy.

Aquagenic wrinkling of the palms: a case report and literature review.

Aquagenic wrinkling of the palms (AWP) is an unusual and rare dermatological condition characterized by excessive palmar wrinkling, occurring within a few minutes of water exposure. Cystic fibrosis (CF) or CF carrier state associated forms, drug induced cases, and idiopathic forms have been described. We report the case of a 27-year-old woman with a 7-year history of transient excessive wrinkling of her palms after brief exposure to water.

EMPACT syndrome associated with phenobarbital.

Intracranial malignancies can be complicated by seizure activity, and anticonvulsants such as phenytoin are usually administered to prevent this neurological kind of complication. Cranial radiation therapy is instead the treatment of choice when the tumor is unresectable. Anyway, the combination of phenytoin and cranial radiation therapy can lead to a rare and severe mucocutaneous complication called EMPACT syndrome.