Stratified Mucin-producing Lesions of the Anus: Insights into an Emerging Histologic Type of HPV-driven Anal Neoplasia.

Primary anal cancers are rare and typically driven by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Though squamous cell carcinoma is most common, a spectrum of HPV-related nonsquamous anogenital neoplasms with similarities to cervical stratified mucin-producing carcinoma has been reported. In this study, we mined our institutional archives to characterize the clinicopathologic features of this emerging entity.

Current and Future Biomarkers in Esophagogastric Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: Biomarker-based therapies have shown improved patient outcomes across various cancer types. The purpose of this review to summarize our knowledge of current and future biomarkers in esophagogastric adenocarcinoma (EGA).

Methods: In this publication, we will review current standard biomarkers in patients with upper GI cancers.

Well-differentiated rectal neuroendocrine tumors: analysis of histology, including insulinoma-associated protein 1 expression, and biologic behavior, involving a large cohort of 94 cases.

Well-differentiated rectal neuroendocrine tumors (R-NETs) are increasingly being detected by screening colonoscopy, commonly manifesting as polyps. Chromogranin A is frequently negative in R-NETs. Insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) is a novel transcription factor that has recently shown excellent sensitivity and specificity for neuroendocrine (NE) differentiation in various anatomic sites but has not been systematically evaluated in R-NET.

A Rare Case of Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumor Arising From a Jejunal Pancreatic Heterotopia.

Pancreatic heterotopia is a well-described entity occurring at multiple abdominal sites, most commonly the stomach and small intestine. They can develop similar disease processes as the pancreas ranging from acute pancreatitis, cyst formation, or neoplasms, most commonly ductal adenocarcinoma. Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arising in pancreatic heterotopias are exceedingly rare with only 3 prior published cases.

Characterizing dusky dolphin sounds from Argentina and New Zealand.

Dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) acoustic sounds were characterized by analyzing narrowband recordings [0-16 kHz in New Zealand (NZ) and 0-24 kHz in Argentina], and sounds in broadband recordings (0-200 kHz) were compared to their counterparts in down-sampled narrowband recordings (0-16 kHz). The most robust similarity between sounds present in broadband recordings and their counterparts in the down-sampled narrowband recordings was inter-click interval (ICI); ICI was therefore primarily used to characterize click sounds in narrowband recordings. In NZ and Argentina, distribution of ICIs was a continuum, although the distribution of ICIs in NZ had a somewhat bimodal tendency.

Medical monitoring. What is it, how can it be improved?

Little has been published about optimizing medical monitoring protocols, although monitoring accounts for over half of all medical laboratory tests. Monitoring is a form of surveillance consisting of repeated testing intended to detect a specified change in a patient indicating a change in his prognosis, need for treatment or need for a change in treatment. The concept of monitoring overlaps with those of screening and diagnosis.

Ranking diagnostic protocols--a proposed process based on use of the nine-cell diagnostic decision matrix.

A process for ranking competing diagnostic protocols for a specific disease is presented. The process incorporates the basic principles of medical decision making, and provides for the consideration of equivocal test results as well as results for patients who have ill-defined or incompletely defined disease. It provides a means for developing an a priori optimization process prior to ranking competing diagnostic algorithms.

Nine-cell diagnostic decision matrix. A model of the diagnostic process; a framework for evaluating diagnostic protocols.

A nine-cell diagnostic decision matrix is described. This matrix can be viewed dynamically as a model of the diagnostic process. The matrix provides for display of equivocal test results and test results of patients who have ill-defined or incompletely determined disease.

Reasonableness of use of the serum isoenzymes creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction at a medical center.

At Charity Hospital of Louisiana at New Orleans, in 1978, there was considerable underuse of serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Laboratory generation of creatine kinase isoenzyme tests for patients suspected of having had myocardial infarctions was only partially effective in correcting underuse. It unnecessarily generated some overuse.