Fetoplacental malformations and abnormalities. A retrospective analysis of 398 cases.

Background: The fetoplacental examination is actually very important and sometimes necessary to confirm or correct prenatal diagnosis.

Aim: to deduce a list of indications of fetoplacental examination and to determine the type and frequency of malformations found.

Methods: a retrospective study including 398 consecutive fetoplacental examinations, including abortions, stillbirths and children died perinatally.

Chondroid syringoma: report of four cases.

Chondroid syringomas or mixed tumors of the skin are relatively rare adnexal tumors constituting 0.01% to 0.1% of all primary skin tumors.

Coexistence of xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis and gallbladder adenocarcinoma: a fortuitous association?

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis is a relatively uncommon variant of chronic cholecystitis, characterized by marked thickening of the gallbladder wall and dense local adhesions. Not only does xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis mimic malignancy, it can also be infrequently associated with gallbladder carcinoma in 0.2% to 35.

A misleading hepatic tumour: epithelioid angiomyolipoma.

Hepatic angiomyolipoma (HAML) is a rare, benign mesenchymal neoplasm composed of varying amounts of smooth muscle cells, adipose tissue, and vessels. Its morphological diversity often poses diagnostic problems. In this paper, the authors report a peculiar case of epithelioid HAML mimicking histologically hepatocellular carcinoma with focal areas resembling inflammatory pseudotumour.

The prognostic value of the immunohistochemical expression and mutational pattern of the key mediator of Wnt signaling: beta-catenin in Tunisian patients with colorectal carcinoma.

Beta-catenin plays a critical role with E-cadherin in cell-cell adhesion and is also a key molecule of the highly conserved Wnt signaling pathway that regulates cell proliferation and differentiation. Abrogation of this pathway is implicated in the carcinogenesis of several malignancies, especially colorectal cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic value of β-catenin/E-cadherin complex in Tunisian patients with colorectal cancer.

Metachronous cancer of gallbladder and pancreas with pancreatobiliary maljunction.

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction is a congenital anomaly in which the junction between the pancreatic duct and the common bile duct is located outside the sphincter of Oddi. It is well known that pancreaticobiliary maljunction is frequently associated with carcinoma of thebiliary tract. We report a case of metachronous cancer of the gallbladder and pancreas associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction and cystic dilatation of common bile duct in a 68-year-old Tunisian woman who underwent a cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis.

[Lipoma of the uterus: clinical and ethiopathological approach of 7 cases with immunohistochemical study of histogenesis].

Background: Lipoleiomyoma of the uterus (LLU) is an extremely rare, benign, uterine tumour. This rare disease was unknown for a long time. Their histogenesis remains controversial.

[Review of 32 gastro-intestinal stromal tumours with CD117 antigen].

Aim: The aim of this study is to review clinical data, histological and immunohistochemical findings and prognosis of stromal gastrointestinal tumors.

Methods: A retrospective Study of 32 cases of stromal gastrointestinal tumors diagnosed in the Department of Pathology of Mongi Slim Hospital of Tunis from 1991 to 2004.

Results: The average age of the patients was of 54.

Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the broad ligament.

Aims: Sarcomas of the broad ligament are exceptionally rare. To our knowledge, the present case is the first description of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) occurring in the broad ligament. Herein, we report this unusual case, and discuss differential diagnoses and treatment.

Gynandroblastoma. Report of an unusual ovarian tumour and literature review.

Gynandroblastoma is a rare variant of ovarian sex cord stromal tumours that demonstrates morphological evidence of both male and female differentiation. We report a new case of gynandroblastoma in a 22-year-old nulliparous female with a history of menstrual disturbance. Physical examination disclosed a painless pelvic mass measuring 20 cm across with normal secondary sex characteristics, and no signs of virilisation.

[Peutz-Jeghers' syndrome with malignant development in a hamartomatous polyp: report of one case and review of the literature].

The malignant potential of hamartomatous polyps in Peutz-Jeghers' (PPJ) syndrome has been debated. Although it is a very rare event, these polyps can become malignant, as demonstrated by this report. One case of colonic adenocarcinoma associated with Peutz-Jeghers' syndrome is described in a 62-year-old woman.

[Sclerosing stromal tumor of the ovary: a case report and literature review].

Sclerosing stromal tumor (SST) is an uncommon benign tumor of the ovary, representing 2-6% of all stromal ovarian tumors. Comparatively to other fibrothecals tumors, SST is distinct by particular clinical and histological features. A case of SST occurring in 15-year-old female and review of the literature are described in the present article.

[Isolated adenomatous polyposis of the appendix. Report of two cases].

Background: Adenomas are rarely diagnosed in the appendix and may be isolated or may coexist with other neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract. This emphasizes the need for postoperative colonoscopy when a polyp of the appendix is found. Moreover, the polyps are considered to be premalignant lesions.

[An uncommon trichoepithelioma: the giant solitary trichoepithelioma].

A case of giant solitary trichoepithelioma of the perianal region is described so to draw attention to this rare benign neoplasme and to discuss its clinical and histopathological chracteristics.