Thirteen-year long-term follow-up in a rare case of anaplastic astroblastoma: What makes the difference?

Background: Astroblastomas are uncommon neuroepithelial tumors of the central nervous system with a distinct, yet, controversial radiological, histological, and molecular profile. Debatable differences between low- and high-grade astroblastoma have been reported in the medical literature; indeed, despite the increasing relevance of molecular genetic profiling in the realm of astroblastoma, its application is still in its early stages. As a result, the diagnostic criteria for astroblastoma remain undecided with yet no real consensus on the most ideal management.

Cardiac stereotactic ablative radiotherapy for control of refractory ventricular tachycardia: initial UK multicentre experience.

Background: Options for patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs and/or catheter ablation remain limited. Stereotactic radiotherapy has been described as a novel treatment option.

Methods: Seven patients with recurrent refractory VT, deemed high risk for either first time or redo invasive catheter ablation, were treated across three UK centres with non-invasive cardiac stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR).

Abscess formation within a Rathke's cleft cyst.

We report and discuss the rare case of a pituitary abscess forming within a Rathke's cleft cyst (RCC). A 66-year-old gentleman presented with visual deterioration and symptoms suggestive of hypopituitarism. The patient underwent transsphenoidal debulking of the lesion whereupon purulent material was discovered.

Postmortem findings in a case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease treated with intraventricular pentosan polysulfate.

Background: A small number of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) have been treated with intraventicular pentosan polysulfate (iPPS) and extended survival has been reported in some cases. To date, there have been no reports on the findings of postmortem examination of the brain in treated patients and the reasons for the extended survival are uncertain. We report on the neuropathological findings in a case of vCJD treated with PPS.

Expression of the endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductase Ero1α in gastro-intestinal cancer reveals a link between homocysteine and oxidative protein folding.

Aim: Ero proteins are central to oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but their expression varies in a tissue-specific manner. The aim of this work was to establish the expression of Ero1α in the digestive system and to examine the behavior of Ero1α in premalignant Barrett's esophagus, esophageal (OE) and gastric cancers and esophageal cancer cell lines.

Results: Ero1α is expressed in the columnar epithelium of Barrett's tissue, and in OE tumors and gastric tumors.