Publications by authors named "Pytel P"

A deep learning model using attention-based multiple instance learning (aMIL) and self-supervised learning (SSL) was developed to perform pathologic classification of neuroblastic tumors and assess MYCN-amplification status using H&E-stained whole slide images from the largest reported cohort to date. The model showed promising performance in identifying diagnostic category, grade, mitosis-karyorrhexis index (MKI), and MYCN-amplification with validation on an external test dataset, suggesting potential for AI-assisted neuroblastoma classification.

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  • Papillary tumor of the pineal region (PTPR) is a rare and unique tumor characterized by specific molecular and histopathologic features, with limited prior research on its variations and clinical presentations.
  • In a study of 76 confirmed PTPR cases, researchers identified two main methylation groups (PTPR-A and PTPR-B) and further classified PTPR-B into two subtypes (B1 and B2) based on DNA methylation profiles and genomic variations.
  • Clinical outcomes revealed that nearly half of the patients experienced tumor progression, with significant differences in outcomes among the identified subtypes, highlighting the tumor's molecular diversity and potential for recurrence.
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Nuclear envelope (NE) ruptures are emerging observations in Lamin-related dilated cardiomyopathy, an adult-onset disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in Lamin A/C, a nuclear lamina component. Here, we test a prevailing hypothesis that NE ruptures trigger the pathological cGAS-STING cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway using a mouse model of Lamin cardiomyopathy. The reduction of Lamin A/C in cardio-myocyte of adult mice causes pervasive NE ruptures in cardiomyocytes, preceding inflammatory transcription, fibrosis, and fatal dilated cardiomyopathy.

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Background: Radiation treatment for diseases of the brain can result in hemorrhagic adverse radiation effects. The underlying pathologic substrate of brain bleeding after irradiation has not been elucidated, nor potential associations with induced somatic mutations.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our department's pathology database over 5 years and identified 5 biopsy specimens (4 patients) for hemorrhagic lesions after brain irradiation.

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  • There is a significant need for new treatments for glioblastoma (GBM), and acetazolamide has shown promise in enhancing the effectiveness of the existing treatment, temozolomide (TMZ), by addressing resistance mechanisms.
  • This phase I trial involved 24 patients with high-grade gliomas, administering acetazolamide alongside TMZ, and observed no dose-limiting toxicities while monitoring common side effects.
  • Results indicated a median overall survival of about 30 months for GBM patients, with a notable survival rate that suggests acetazolamide could be beneficial, warranting further investigation in randomized trials and highlighting BCL-3 expression as a potential prognostic marker.
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Nuclear envelope (NE) ruptures are emerging observations in Lamin-related dilated cardiomyopathy, an adult-onset disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in Lamin A/C, a nuclear lamina component. Here, we tested a prevailing hypothesis that NE ruptures trigger pathological cGAS-STING cytosolic DNA-sensing pathway, using a mouse model of Lamin-cardiomyopathy. Reduction of Lamin A/C in cardiomyocytes of adult mice caused pervasive NE ruptures in cardiomyocytes, preceding inflammatory transcription, fibrosis, and fatal dilated cardiomyopathy.

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Purpose Of Review: Tumor-like brain lesions are rare and commonly suggest a neoplastic etiology. Failure to rapidly identify non-neoplastic causes can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. In this review, we describe 10 patients who presented with atypical, non-neoplastic tumor-like brain lesions in which brain biopsy was essential for a correct diagnosis and treatment.

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Immature neuroectodermal tissue can be found in the ovary as part of an immature teratoma or as part of a teratoma with malignant neuroectodermal transformation. Such lesions may closely resemble central nervous system tumors, but their biologic similarity is unclear. We describe an 18-yr-old female who presented with abdominal pain caused by an ovarian mass with widespread metastases.

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Evolving behavioral goals require the existence of selection mechanisms that prioritize task-relevant working memory (WM) content for action. Selecting an item stored in WM is known to blunt and/or reverse information loss in stimulus-specific representations of that item reconstructed from human brain activity, but extant studies have focused on all-or-none circumstances that allow or disallow an agent to select one of several items stored in WM. Conversely, behavioral studies suggest that humans can flexibly assign different levels of priority to different items stored in WM, but how doing so influences neural representations of WM content is unclear.

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  • High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features (HGAP) is a newly identified glioma type classified by its unique global epigenetic signature and commonly associated with mutations in the MAPK pathway and other genetic alterations like CDKN2A/B deletions and ATRX mutations.
  • A study involving 144 patients with HGAP confirmed frequent CDKN2A/B deletions, ATRX mutations, and noted some cases with TP53 mutations or NTRK2 gene fusions, the latter being previously unreported.
  • Analysis revealed three distinct subtypes of HGAP based on DNA methylation patterns, with subtype gNF1 associated with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, specific tumor characteristics, and a potential trend towards
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Several variants of the TANK-Binding Kinase 1 () gene have been associated with frontotemporal dementia - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FTD-ALS) spectrum diseases. Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is characterized by asymmetric limb rigidity, dystonia or myoclonus, in association with speech or limb apraxia, cortical sensory deficit, and/or alien limb. It can result from a variety of underlying pathologies and although typically sporadic, it has been occasionally associated with and variants.

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Objectives: Tissue carryovers are contaminants of surgical pathology cases in which extraneous tissue is incorporated into tissue blocks. Carryovers occur most frequently at the grossing or embedding stations, but little is published about them. We sought to analyze their transmission during transit to the histology lab.

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  • Recent advancements in diagnosing central nervous system (CNS) tumors have led to a new classification system that integrates genetic and molecular data, improving alignment with clinical outcomes.
  • A newly identified glioma type, characterized by a unique DNA methylation signature, shares similarities with several other brain tumors and shows distinct genetic mutations.
  • Despite displaying high-grade features, this glioma type demonstrates better overall survival rates compared to glioblastoma, indicating its potential significance in treatment and prognosis.
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Limited tissue in biopsies of malignant bone lesions can preclude definitive subclassification, especially when cellular or matrix elements are sparse, absent, or confounding. It is uncertain whether immunohistochemistry for SOX9 (marker of chondrogenesis) and SATB2 (marker of osteoblastic differentiation) may be discriminatory tools toward osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma. This study interrogated the preresection biopsies of a cohort of osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma with SATB2 and SOX9 in tandem, to assess their value as diagnostic adjuncts as well as their concordance with the final resection diagnoses.

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Desmoplastic small round cell tumors (DSRCT) are malignant neoplasms of young males arising most commonly in the abdominopelvic cavity, with a subset originating from extra-abdominal soft tissues. As either primary or metastatic lesions, they are rare in intraosseous sites. We describe the fifth report of primary DSRCT of bone.

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Background: Tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells and neoantigens are predictors of a favorable prognosis and response to immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors in many types of adult cancer, but little is known about their role in pediatric malignancies. Here, we analyzed the prognostic strength of T cell-inflamed gene expression and neoantigen load in high-risk neuroblastoma. We also compared transcriptional programs in T cell-inflamed and non-T cell-inflamed high-risk neuroblastomas to investigate possible mechanisms of immune exclusion.

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Objectives: Large gene panel next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a powerful tool capable of generating predictive data on cancer prognosis and response to specific therapeutic interventions. The utility of large panel NGS data on tumor classification, however, may be underappreciated because of a workflow that often circumvents the surgical pathologist. We sought to describe cases in which NGS data lead to an unanticipated change in tumor classification and to discuss current workflow practices of NGS testing that limit its use as a diagnostic adjunct.

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Introduction/aims: We studied a patient with a congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) caused by a dominant mutation in the synaptotagmin 2 gene (SYT2) and compared the clinical features of this patient with those of a previously described patient with a recessive mutation in the same gene.

Methods: We performed electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies, genetic studies, muscle biopsy, microelectrode recordings and electron microscopy (EM).

Results: Both patients presented with muscle weakness and bulbar deficits, which were worse in the recessive form.

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Autopsies of patients who have died from COVID-19 have been crucial in delineating patterns of injury associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite their utility, comprehensive autopsy studies are somewhat lacking relative to the global burden of disease, and very few comprehensive studies contextualize the findings to other fatal viral infections. We developed a novel autopsy protocol in order to perform postmortem examinations on victims of COVID-19 and herein describe detailed clinical information, gross findings, and histologic features observed in the first 16 complete COVID-19 autopsies.

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Alzheimer's disease is characterized by neuritic plaques, the main protein components of which are β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides deposited as β-sheet-rich amyloid fibrils. Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA) consists of cerebrovascular deposits of Aβ peptides; it usually accompanies Alzheimer's disease, though it sometimes occurs in the absence of neuritic plaques, as AD also occurs without accompanying CAA. Although neuritic plaques and vascular deposits have similar protein compositions, one of the characteristic features of amyloids is polymorphism, i.

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Melanotic schwannoma is a rare nerve sheath tumor composed of melanin-producing Schwann cells with the potential for metastasis. These tumors can be associated with familial tumor syndromes and can cause significant symptoms related to nerve compression and mass effect. Due to the rarity of these lesions, they can be initially misidentified as melanocytomas, pigmented dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, neurofibromas or malignant melanomas.

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Objectives: To present an index case and review the histologic and electron microscopic findings in chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) myopathy, focusing primarily on cardiomyopathy. CQ and HCQ are antimalarial drugs with disease-modifying activity in rheumatic diseases (DMARD) and now are among the most widely used DMARDs. Although they are rare, severe adverse effects caused mainly by deposition of intracellular metabolites in both cardiac and skeletal muscle have been described.

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