Assessment of the frequency of allelic imbalance in human tissue using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction system.

Genomic instability can generate chromosome breakage and fusion randomly throughout the genome, frequently resulting in allelic imbalance, a deviation from the normal 1:1 ratio of maternal and paternal alleles. Allelic imbalance reflects the karyotypic complexity of the cancer genome. Therefore, it is reasonable to speculate that tissues with more sites of allelic imbalance have a greater likelihood of having disruption of any of the numerous critical genes that cause a cancerous phenotype and thus may have diagnostic or prognostic significance.

Primary angiomyolipoma of the pancreas.

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is a rare tumor characterized histologically by a mixture of spindle cells, adipose tissue, epithelioid cells, and blood vessels. AML usually occurs in the kidney but can involve the liver and, rarely, other sites. We describe a 74-year-old woman without tuberous sclerosis who presented with spontaneous hemorrhage into a primary AML of the pancreas and underwent curative surgical resection.

Surgical treatment of neuroendocrine metastases to the liver: a plea for resection to increase survival.

Background: Hepatic metastases from neuroendocrine tumors have a protracted natural history and are associated with endocrinopathies. Resection is indicated for symptom control. Previous reports have suggested improvement in survival for patients undergoing debulking procedures.

Multilocular cystic hepatocellular carcinoma (CHCC) mimicking mucinous cystadenocarcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma with cystic formation is very rare. Only 5 cases have been reported previously in the literature. We present a 55-year-old man with a symptomatic large cystic hepatic mass.

Ossifying malignant mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of the liver: a case report of a previously undescribed tumor.

Background: Malignant mixed tumors of the liver in adults are rare. To the authors' knowledge, twenty-four cases of primary malignant mixed hepatic tumors have been reported in the literature since the first description by Walter in 1896. Many of the previously reported cases are now considered mixed hepatoblastoma, primary hepatocellular carcinomas with focal sarcomatous metaplasia, or epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.