Publications by authors named "Merryl Terry"

High-grade or grade 3 epithelial neuroendocrine neoplasms (G3 NEN) are now divided into grade 3 well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (G3 NET) and neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), both defined by Ki-67 > 20% and/or > 20 mitoses per 2 mm. NET and NEC are thought to be distinct tumors with different genetic profiles: NEC classically harbors co-alteration of TP53 and RB1, whereas NET genetics are site-dependent with frequent alterations in MEN1, ATRX, DAXX, and TSC1/2 in pancreatic NETs. Progression from NET to NEC is considered rare and is not well described.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Metastatic Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNET) are rare and aggressive, making them difficult to treat; however, aggressive behavior is also observed in non-metastatic forms.
  • A study at UCSF analyzed samples from multiple patients with different types of aggressive PitNETs, categorizing them according to international neuroendocrine neoplasm criteria and identifying various tumor lineages.
  • High rates of disease progression and mortality were noted, along with concerning histopathological and molecular characteristics that could serve as indicators of tumor aggressiveness, suggesting a need for a new grading system.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The World Health Organization's (WHO) classification of central nervous system (CNS) tumors is continually being refined to improve the existing diagnostic criteria for high-grade gliomas (HGGs), including glioblastoma. In 2021, advances in molecular analyses and DNA methylation profiling were incorporated to expand upon the diagnostic criteria for HGG, including the introduction of high-grade astrocytoma with piloid features (HGAP), a new tumor entity for which a match to the HGAP class in DNA methylation profiling is an essential criterion. We present an equivocal case of a 72-year-old male with an HGG exhibiting features of both HGAP and glioblastoma, but which did not conform to any existing 2021 WHO classification of CNS tumor entities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) has commonly been reported as a cause of anterior uveitis and corneal endotheliitis. Unlike its other herpetic family members, herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus, involvement of the corneal stroma in CMV is uncommon. In this case series, we describe patients with CMV stromal keratitis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Malignant melanotic nerve sheath tumor (MMNST) is a rare and potentially aggressive lesion defined in the 2021 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. MMNST demonstrate overlapping histologic and clinical features of schwannoma and melanoma. MMNST often harbor mutations, especially within the Carney Complex.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Infective endocarditis is associated with a variety of clinical signs, but its association with multisystem vasculitis is rarely reported. A high index of suspicion is necessary to differentiate a primary autoimmune vasculitis from an infectious cause as the wrong treatment can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. We present a 71-year-old female patient with negative blood cultures, on antibiotics for recent bacteraemia, who presented with cutaneous and renal leucocytoclastic vasculitis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sudden unexplained death in infancy is a leading cause of death among infants between 1 month and 1 year of age in the United States. The medical examiner is frequently given the difficult task of attempting to rule out other causes of death such as infantile trauma or child abuse. A thorough postmortem examination of the skin is a crucial component of the autopsy, as is sufficient knowledge of both benign and traumatic skin pathologies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF