Vulval superficial myofibroblastoma with lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltrate.

We present the case of a vulval superficial myofibroblastoma with a lymphocytic and eosinophilic rim in a woman in her late 20s. The tumour presented in pregnancy as a cystic lesion with pain and increasing size. While the histopathology of superficial myofibroblastomas has been well defined in the literature, to our knowledge, there has been no documentation of the presence of an inflammatory infiltrate of lymphocytes and eosinophils surrounding and within the tumour.

Vestibular Sclerosis: Is This a New, Distinct Clinicopathological Entity?

Objectives: The aims of this case series were to present a series of patients with clinical and histopathological findings consistent with a recently described condition vestibular sclerosis (VS) and to contribute to the current discussion of whether VS is a subset of lichen sclerosus (LS) or a distinct entity.

Materials And Methods: This case series of 6 women for a 12-month period was initiated from an ongoing collaboration between a gynecological dermatologist and an anatomical pathologist specializing in gynecological dermatopathology.

Results: We describe 6 women with white, hyperkeratotic patches and plaques confined to the vulvar vestibule with stromal sclerosis and an absence of inflammation on histology.

Looking beyond human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype 16 and 18: Defining HPV genotype distribution in cervical cancers in Australia prior to vaccination.

Australia has implemented a high-coverage HPV vaccination program but has not, to date, established the distribution of HPV types that occur in cervical cancers in Australia. This information is important for determining the potential for cervical cancer prevention with both current and broader spectrum HPV vaccines. We analysed 847 cervical cancers diagnosed 2005 to 2015 in tertiary centres in the three most populous Australian states with resolution of specimens containing multiple HPV types using laser-capture microdissection.

A clinicopathological review of 33 patients with vulvar melanoma identifies c-KIT as a prognostic marker.

Vulvar melanoma is the second most common vulvar cancer. Patients with vulvar melanoma usually present with the disease at a late stage and have a poor prognosis. The prognostic predictors reported in the literature are not unequivocal and the role of lichen sclerosus and c-KIT mutations in the aetiology of vulvar melanoma is unclear.

Fatty infiltration of an aortic valve.

Adipose tissue is a normal constituent of the heart, but not a normal anatomic finding of cardiac valves. Fatty infiltration of the aortic valve is rare, with unknown significance on valve function. We report a case of fatty infiltration and replacement of the spongiosa layer in an incompetent aortic valve.

Unusual locations of primary subepithelial squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva.

Objective: This study aimed to report 2 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vulva, arising from unusual subepithelial locations.

Materials And Methods: The first case was of an 85-year-old woman with a 65-year history of a mass in the left labium majus. The second case was of a 54-year-old woman who presented with a 1-week history of a painful left inguinal mass.

A vesicular variant of pseudoverrucous papules and nodules in the genital area of an incontinent 4-year-old.

Irritant contact dermatitis is a common cause of chronic vulvitis in patients wearing diapers and incontinence garments. In most cases the diagnosis is obvious; however, atypical presentations may mimic more serious dermatoses. We present a 4-year-old girl who presented at birth with cloacal atresia corrected surgically and resulting in chronic incontinence requiring full-time diapers.

Loss of secreted frizzled-related protein 4 correlates with an aggressive phenotype and predicts poor outcome in ovarian cancer patients.

Background: Activation of the Wnt signaling pathway is implicated in aberrant cellular proliferation in various cancers. In 40% of endometrioid ovarian cancers, constitutive activation of the pathway is due to oncogenic mutations in β-catenin or other inactivating mutations in key negative regulators. Secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) has been proposed to have inhibitory activity through binding and sequestering Wnt ligands.

Integrative genome-wide expression and promoter DNA methylation profiling identifies a potential novel panel of ovarian cancer epigenetic biomarkers.

To identify epigenetic-based biomarkers for diagnosis of ovarian cancer we performed MeDIP-Chip in A2780 and CaOV3 ovarian cancer cell lines. Validation by Sequenom massARRAY methylation analysis confirmed a panel of six gene promoters (ARMCX1, ICAM4, LOC134466, PEG3, PYCARD & SGNE1) where hypermethylation discriminated 27 serous ovarian cancer clinical samples versus 12 normal ovarian surface epithelial cells (OSE) (ROC of 0.98).

Prognostic and diagnostic significance of DNA methylation patterns in high grade serous ovarian cancer.

Objective: Altered DNA methylation patterns hold promise as cancer biomarkers. In this study we selected a panel of genes which are commonly methylated in a variety of cancers to evaluate their potential application as biomarkers for prognosis and diagnosis in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC); the most common and lethal subtype of ovarian cancer.

Methods: The methylation patterns of 10 genes (BRCA1, EN1, DLEC1, HOXA9, RASSF1A, GATA4, GATA5, HSULF1, CDH1, SFN) were examined and compared in a cohort of 80 primary HGSOC and 12 benign ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) samples using methylation-specific headloop suppression PCR.

MAL2 and tumor protein D52 (TPD52) are frequently overexpressed in ovarian carcinoma, but differentially associated with histological subtype and patient outcome.

Background: The four-transmembrane MAL2 protein is frequently overexpressed in breast carcinoma, and MAL2 overexpression is associated with gain of the corresponding locus at chromosome 8q24.12. Independent expression microarray studies predict MAL2 overexpression in ovarian carcinoma, but these had remained unconfirmed.

Low meprin alpha expression differentiates primary ovarian mucinous carcinoma from gastrointestinal cancers that commonly metastasise to the ovaries.

Background: Currently, no specific immunohistochemical markers are available to differentiate primary mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (MOC) from adenocarcinomas originating at other sites that have metastasised to the ovary, which may have an impact on patient management and prognosis.

Aim: To investigate the expression of two intestinal markers, galectin 4 and meprin alpha, in mucinous carcinomas of the ovary and gastrointestinal tract.

Methods: Using immunohistochemical analysis, the expression of galectin 4 and meprin alpha was investigated in 10 MOCs and in 38 mucinous adenocarcinomas of colon, pancreas, stomach and appendix, the most common sites of origin of ovarian metastases.