MRI-guided breast needle core biopsies: pathologic features of newly diagnosed malignancies.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast is used for select groups of patients. MRI-guided breast core needle biopsies performed over a 3-year period were retrospectively reviewed to determine the incidence and types of cancers found and to correlate the cancers with the MRI findings and the indication for the study. Patients were stratified based on indication for MRI examination including, evaluation of disease extent in patients with current ipsilateral carcinoma, surveillance for recurrence of prior ipsilateral carcinoma, as a problem-solving method and for screening high-risk patients.

A comparison of equivocal immunohistochemical results with anti-HER2/neu antibodies A0485 and SP3 with corresponding FISH results in routine clinical practice.

HER2/neu status in breast cancer is determined by immunohistochemical analysis and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Previous studies have found widely varying sensitivities and specificities for anti-HER2/neu antibodies, including recently developed rabbit monoclonal antibodies. The current prospective study compared rabbit monoclonal antibody SP3 and rabbit polyclonal antibody A0485 immunostaining on routinely processed consecutive cases of breast carcinoma.

Histopathology of recurrent mechanical fissure of the fourchette.

Recurrent mechanical fissure of the fourchette may occur as a primary finding with nonspecific histopathologic changes.

Bone marrow biopsies in patients 85 years or older.

Increasing numbers of bone marrow aspirates and core biopsies are done in very elderly people; there is little published literature regarding the usefulness of bone marrow biopsies in these patients. We undertook a retrospective review of 119 bone marrow aspirates and biopsies from patients 85 years or older. These procedures were performed for a variety of abnormalities, including unexplained cytopenias; evaluation of a known myelodysplastic syndrome; suspicion or follow-up of plasma cell myeloma, thrombocytosis, or leukocytosis; and suspicion or staging of lymphoma.

Mandatory second opinion in surgical pathology referral material: clinical consequences of major disagreements.

Second opinion in pathology is intended to expose clinically significant errors that have a direct impact on patient care. Before definitive treatment of referred patients, our institution requires a second opinion of outside surgical pathology slides. We sought to determine if this local standard of practice has a measurable impact on patient care via clinical and pathologic follow-up.