Background: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is used to diagnose malignancies, recurrences, and metastases. The procedure is quick and well tolerated and can be facilitated by ultrasound guidance.
Methods: This article describes the authors' experience in using serial FNA to harvest cellular material during 4 clinical trials of immunotherapy by in situ vaccination in patients with low-grade lymphoma.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is common in organ transplant recipients and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Cutaneous CMV findings are rarely reported in the literature and diagnosis can be delayed if not clinically recognized. We describe a case of a female patient 20 years post renal transplant who presented with extensive ulcerative skin lesions and diarrhea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Liquid biopsy using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) presents new opportunities for solid tumor genotyping. While studies have demonstrated the utility of cfDNA from plasma, cfDNA from other body fluids remains underexplored.
Methods: We evaluated the molecular features and clinicopathologic correlates of cfDNA from serous body cavity fluids by performing hybrid capture-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) on cfDNA isolated from residual effusion supernatants.
Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is associated with an underlying pathogenic translocation involving either PAX3 or PAX7 and FOXO1. The presence or absence of this fusion defines the biology and clinical behavior of this subtype of RMS and its identification in tumors is relevant to prognostication and treatment planning. To further explore the unique characteristics of fusion-driven RMS, we leveraged a published gene expression data set to perform an unbiased comparison of 33 fusion-positive and 25 fusion-negative RMS cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is a minimally invasive modality to evaluate salivary gland neoplasms and help guide clinical management. However, significant overlap in the cytomorphology findings among salivary gland neoplasms often renders the definitive diagnosis challenging. Recently, a number of benign and malignant salivary gland tumors have been characterized by specific chromosomal aberrations detectable using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) testing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSurg Pathol Clin
December 2018
This article provides a comprehensive review of non-germ cell tumors of the testis and paratestis in adults, incorporating the latest 2016 World Health Organization updates. Clinical features, gross pathologic findings, key morphologic details, immunohistochemical profiles, and differential diagnoses are covered, with an emphasis on how to resolve commonly encountered, and sometimes difficult, differential diagnoses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGiven the increased detection rates of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and the limited overall survival benefit from adjuvant breast irradiation after breast-conserving surgery, there is interest in identifying subsets of patients who have low rates of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence such that they might safely forgo radiation. The Oncotype DCIS score is a reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR)-based assay that was validated to predict which DCIS cases are most likely to recur. Clinically, these results may be used to assist in selecting which patients with DCIS might safely forgo radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery; however, little is currently published on how this test is being used in practice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShared medical appointments (SMAs) are utilized across health care systems to improve access and quality of care, with limited evidence to support the use of SMAs to improve clinical outcomes and medication adherence among hypertensive patients. Improve access and quality of care provided within a Veterans Affairs health care system via implementation of a hypertension SMA to improve clinical outcomes and medication adherence. Veterans were eligible for enrollment in the SMA if they received care within the health care system, were aged ≥18 years, were receiving at least 2 antihypertensive medications, and had systolic blood pressure (SBP) >140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) >90 mm Hg.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA transmembrane molecule with several isoforms, CD44 is overexpressed in many tumors and promotes tumor formation through interactions with the tumor microenvironment. CD44 has been implicated in malignant processes including cell motility, tumor growth, and angiogenesis. The role of CD44 has been examined in many cancer types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOptimal management of high-risk breast lesions detected by mammogram yielding atypical ductal hyperplasia, flat epithelial atypia, atypical lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ, and radial scar without atypia on core needle biopsy is controversial. This is a single-institution retrospective review of 5750 core needle biopsy cases seen over 14.5 years, including 249 (4.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrimary T-cell lymphomas of the central nervous system (CNS) are uncommon, but aggressive and increasing in incidence. We describe a rare case of T-cell lymphoma in a cerebellar location, to our knowledge the first reported case demonstrating gamma/delta receptor expression. Additionally, we elaborate on key diagnostic features and review all nine patients with primary CNS lymphoma of cytotoxic T-cell phenotype reported in the literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Prim Care Community Health
January 2014
Background: Community health centers (CHCs) are a key element of the health care safety net for underserved children. They may be an ideal setting to create well-child care (WCC) clinical practice redesign to drastically improve WCC delivery.
Objective: To examine the perspectives of clinical and administrative staff at a large, multisite urban CHC on alternative ways to deliver WCC services for low-income children aged 0 to 3 years.