Histopathology of Celiac Disease. Position Statements of the Italian Group of Gastrointestinal Pathologists (GIPAD-SIAPEC).

Celiac Disease (CeD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder of the small intestine, affecting genetically susceptible individuals when exposed to gluten. Small intestinal biopsy interpretation has been the "gold standard" for celiac disease (CeD) for over 50 years. Despite today's availability of sensitive and specific serological tests, the histopathological features from mucosal biopsy play a key role in diagnosing when CeD is suspected.

New pathological insights into cardiac amyloidosis: implications for non-invasive diagnosis.

Background: Knowledge of the patterns of myocardial amyloid accumulation could improve the interpretation of electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings of amyloidosis. We assessed the extent and pattern of myocardial amyloid infiltration in explanted or autopsied hearts of patients with cardiomyopathy related to acquired monoclonal immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) or hereditary transthyretin (TTR) related amyloidosis (ATTR).

Methods: We analyzed nine explanted/autopsied hearts from patients with AL (n = 4) and ATTR (n = 5) cardiac amyloidosis.

Merkel cells in the oral mucosa.

Ninety-eight consecutive surgical biopsies of oral mucosa from 96 patients were evaluated immunohistochemically with an anti-cytokeratin 20 (CK 20) anti-body to evidence Merkel cells (MC). Fifteen cases, showing the highest number of MC, were additionally studied with chromogranin A, S-100 protein, neuro filaments, epithelial membrane antigen, and double immunostaining for CK 20 and Ki67 antibodies to evaluate MC proliferation. Electron microscopy was performed in 2 cases.

The impact of large sections and 3D technique on the study of lobular in situ and invasive carcinoma of the breast.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the type of intraglandular spread of lobular neoplasia (LN) and its relationship with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) through three-dimensional (3D) stereomicroscopy and analyses of large histological sections (histological macrosections, HM). Fifteen cases showing multiple foci of in situ LN and/or ILC (1 pure LN, 12 LN+ILC, and 2 pure ILC) constituted the basis of the present study. Thirteen cases were treated with mastectomy (including the case of pure LN), and two cases were treated with quadrantectomy.

The fast-track biopsy (FTB): description of a rapid histology and immunohistochemistry method for evaluation of preoperative breast core biopsies.

Thirty-six core breast biopsies from 32 patients were paraffin embedded by use of an automated microwave processor. In addition, a quick immunohistochemical method was used in selected cases. The quality of the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides was very satisfactory, as were also the immunohistochemical stains for ER, PR, and Ki67 when compared to those obtained with the use of a conventional automated immunostainer.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the breast.

Five cases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the breast are reported. All patients were women ranging in age from 29 years to 80 years. As histological grading is one of the most important prognostic factors in breast invasive carcinomas, MEC was graded using the Auclair et al.

Follicular baso-squamous melanocytic tumour of the skin.

Aims: We describe a previously unrecognized pigmented tumour of the skin and suggest a possible relationship with the follicular bulb.

Methods And Results: A pigmented epithelial neoplasm clinically simulating a malignant melanoma of the skin was present in a 92-year-old woman, on her left leg. It was composed of three cell types: squamous cells with trichilemmal keratinization, basaloid cells and dendritic melanocytes.

Her-2/neu gene amplification compared with HER-2/neu protein overexpression on ultrasound guided core-needle biopsy specimens of breast carcinoma.

Genomic amplification and oncoprotein overexpression of Her-2/neu was studied on ultrasound core needle biopsy specimens of the infiltrative ductal carcinomas of the breast. We performed two colour fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for Her-2/neu and chromosome 17 and compared the FISH results with the immunohistochemical overexpression of Her-2/neu protein by 2 antibodies (DAKO HercepTest and the BioGenex monoclonal antibody AM 134-5M). Furthermore, following radical mastectomy with axillary dissection, Her-2/neu status of the patients were compared with the well known histopathological prognostic factors such as histologic grade, tumor stage, lympho/ vascular invasion, surgical margin status and Paget s disease.

[Malignant glial tumor with skeletal muscle differentiation. Description of a case].

A case of CNS gliomyosarcoma, in a 71-year-old female with skeletal muscle differentiation is presented. The tumor was composed by two cell types: one showed features typical of glial cells, the other was constituted by elements having immunohistochemical positivity with desmin, sarcomeric actin, myoglobin and myogenin antisera. It is postulated an origin from a cell capable of dual differentiation.

Progesterone receptor expression in orbital cavernous hemangiomas.

Orbital cavernous hemangiomas (OCH) have thick and highly cellular vascular walls. Ultrastructural studies have demonstrated the smooth muscle nature of these cells. Vascular neoplasms can modify their morphological and clinical features under hormonal stimulation.

[Evaluation of interlaboratory results of immunohistochemical techniques].

The aim of the present paper was that of evaluating stains obtained with immunohistochemical methods performed in different laboratories. Serial sections obtained from the same paraffin block were used. Each laboratory was asked to use their respective current methods.