Impact of the 2009 (7th edition) AJCC melanoma staging system in the classification of thin cutaneous melanomas.

Context: The 7th (2009) edition of the AJCC melanoma staging system incorporates tumor (Breslow) thickness, MR, and ulceration in stratifying T1 primary melanomas. Compared to the prior 6th (2001) edition, MR has replaced CL for thin melanomas.

Objective: We sought to identify and report differences of the classification of thin melanomas as well as outcome of SLNB in patients according to the 6th and 7th editions at our institution.

Ambiguous melanocytic tumors in a tertiary referral center: the contribution of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to conventional histopathologic and immunophenotypic analyses.

The diagnosis of benign versus malignant melanocytic proliferations remains an important challenge. The current diagnostic algorithm typically involves an assessment of histopathologic and immunohistochemical parameters by light microscopy. Recently, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was reported as a useful ancillary diagnostic tool in melanocytic lesions, but the utility of FISH in melanocytic tumors that are difficult to diagnose with standard morphologic analysis remains controversial.

Immunodetection of phosphohistone H3 as a surrogate of mitotic figure count and clinical outcome in cutaneous melanoma.

In the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC)-TNM (2009) staging system, the key prognostic factor in cutaneous melanoma is the depth of dermal invasion (Breslow thickness) with further refinement according to the presence of epidermal ulceration or dermal mitoses. Immunodetection of phosphohistone H3 has been shown to facilitate the identification of mitotic figures in various neoplasms. We selected 120 cases of primary cutaneous melanoma with completely annotated histopathologic parameters and clinical outcomes and performed double immunohistochemical staining for MLANA (Mart-1/Melan-A) and phosphohistone H3.

Multidisciplinary management of primary adenoid cystic carcinoma of the eyelid with perineural invasion.

Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma of the eyelid is an extremely rare entity with the propensity to recur locally, spread to regional lymph nodes, and invade perineural spaces. Of the 8 cases previously reported in the literature, only 2 were noted to be associated with perineural invasion, and neither of these was treated with radiation therapy. The authors report the case of a 35-year-old woman who presented with a progressively enlarging left lower eyelid lesion.

p16 expression in cutaneous squamous carcinomas with neck metastases: a potential pitfall in identifying unknown primaries of the head and neck.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity (+) has been used to identify oropharyngeal squamous carcinomas (SCCs) presenting as unknown primaries in the neck. p16 overexpression correlates with HPV+ in the oropharynx; however, the use of p16 alone as a surrogate marker of oropharyngeal HPV+ tumors has not been validated.

Methods: We immunohistochemically analyzed p16 expression in surgically resected aggressive cutaneous head and neck SCC primaries and their nodal metastases from 24 patients to determine the potential overlap of p16 expression outside of the oropharynx.

Anaplastic oligodendroglioma involving the subcutaneous tissue of the scalp: report of an exceptional case and review of the literature.

Anaplastic oligodendroglioma [AO, World Health Organization (WHO) grade III] is an uncommon but aggressive tumor of the central nervous system that typically arises in adults. Clinically, patients present with seizures, and the prognosis is considered poor. Metastatic spread is extremely rare.

Cutaneous epithelioid angiomatous nodule of the chest wall with expression of estrogen receptor: a mimic of carcinoma and a potential diagnostic pitfall.

Cutaneous epithelioid angiomatous nodule (CEAN) is a rare vascular proliferation that develops on the trunk and extremities. The lesion arises over weeks to months and affects both sexes without age predilection. Histologically, CEAN is characterized by a circumscribed proliferation of epithelioid endothelial cells in the superficial dermis with a background of lymphocytes, plasma cells and eosinophils.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas in HIV-positive patients: a preliminary investigation of viral associations.

Oncogenic human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are associated with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases susceptibility to opportunistic infections and viral-promoted cancers. The prevalences of HPV, herpes simplex virus (HSV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) have not been established for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in HIV-positive patients (HIV+ HNSCC).