Successful preoperative diagnosis of heterotopic pancreas in the duodenum.

Introduction: Heterotopic pancreas (HP) is a relatively rare entity occurring in approximately 5% of the general population. It most commonly presents as an asymptomatic mass incidentally picked up on unrelated scans. HP most commonly occurs intra-abdominally, but has been known to occur in extra-abdominal sites such as the lung and brain.

Recurrence of immature ovarian teratoma as malignant follicular carcinoma with liver and peritoneal metastasis 22 years after completion of initial treatment.

Growing tumour syndrome (GTS) is a rare event in which germ cell tumours treated with chemotherapy undergo maturation, acquire resistance to chemotherapy and regrow. The optimum treatment strategy is complete surgical excision. We report on a case of GTS with malignant metastases to the liver presenting 22 years after completion of treatment for immature teratoma, successfully managed with surgical resection alone.

Risk factors for cervical abnormalities among Hong Kong Chinese women: a large-scale community-based cervical screening program.

Background: We sought to identify the prevalence of and risk factors associated with cervical abnormalities among Chinese women in Hong Kong.

Methods: A community-based cervical screening program was offered free of charge in Hong Kong. Information on the demographics, sexual experience, and obstetrical history of women who attended the Cervical Screening Clinic were collected and tabulated with their Pap smear results to establish the risk factors associated with cervical abnormalities among Hong Kong Chinese women.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of breast cancer in women aged 70 years and older.

Aims: Elderly breast cancers are associated with a more favourable biological marker profile and higher proportion of specific subtypes, some of which are of low histological grade. We reviewed the fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) to assess the cytological characteristics and any clues to assist in the diagnosis.

Methods: The aspirates of 140 cancers of various histological types and grades and 39 benign lesions were evaluated for 13 cytological parameters including cellularity of the direct and cytospin smears, epithelial cell clusters, cellular atypism, cytoplasmic features, vacuoles, mitotic figures, presence of myoepithelial cells, single background epithelial cells, the presence of naked nuclei, stromal fragments and necrosis.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast.

Aim: To determine the pathognomonic diagnostic cytological features of invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast which is a poor prognostic subtype of infiltrating ductal carcinoma.

Methods: A series of 20 histologically proven tumours were reviewed retrospectively to evaluate the various cytological features, including tumour morules, isolated malignant cells, staghorn epithelial structures, mucinous background and apocrine metaplasia.

Results: Tumour morules formation and isolated malignant cells were the two most reliable and constant cytological features, being present in 75% (15/20 cases) of cases.

EMP3 overexpression is associated with oligodendroglial tumors retaining chromosome arms 1p and 19q.

The epithelial membrane protein 3 (EMP3) gene located on chromosome 19q13 has been implicated as a candidate tumor suppressor gene (TSG) in neuroblastomas and gliomas. The aim of this study was to investigate whether EMP3 is involved in oligodendroglial tumors (OTs), which frequently carry combined chromosomes 1p and 19q deletion. We first investigated the transcript level of EMP3 in a cohort of 57 OTs by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of metaplastic carcinoma of the breast.

Background: Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast encompasses a heterogeneous group of tumours with variable components of sarcomatoid, squamous or poorly differentiated carcinomas.

Aim: To review a series of 19 cytological preparations of metaplastic carcinomas to assess diagnostic cytological features.

Methods: 17 cases of fine-needle aspirates of histologically proven metaplastic carcinomas (4 monophasic spindle cell carcinomas, 4 squamous cell carcinomas and 11 biphasic tumours) were reviewed, with an emphasis on the presence of poorly differentiated carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, atypical spindle cells, benign stromal fragments and necrosis.

Successful retrieval of fine-needle aspiration biopsy material from previously stained smears for immunocytochemistry: a novel technique applied to three soft tissue tumors.

Fine-needle aspiration biopsies of soft tissue tumors are often not fully diagnostic on conventional Papanicolaou or Giemsa stains. Often, more useful information can be gleaned from preparing cell blocks, which are amenable to immunocytochemistry. However, sufficiently diagnostic cell block material is not always forthcoming.

Quality indices in a cervicovaginal cytology service: before and after laboratory accreditation.

Context: Quality assurance practices contribute to the effectiveness of cervical screening and are formalized by participation in a laboratory accreditation program.

Objective: To identify changes in the quality indices of our cervicovaginal cytology service preceding and following laboratory accreditation by the College of American Pathologists in 2000.

Design: Cervicovaginal cytology quality indices for 2001 (postaccreditation) were compared with those of 1997 (preaccreditation).