Collision tumor in the ileum: a rare combination of an adenocarcinoma and small cell neuroendocrine tumor

We present a case of a rare small bowel tumor. A 73-year-old female patient presented at our department with vague abdominal pain. Ultrasound examination discovered an inhomogeneous vascularised mass originating from a small bowel loop, mesenteric enlarged lymph nodes and a nodule in the liver. Multislice Computed Tomography of the abdomen confirmed the ultrasonographic findings and found omental implants together with a left-sided ovarian mass. Surgery was performed. Pathology revealed a rare ileal collision tumor consisting of an adenocarcinoma and a small cell neuroendocrine tumor with peritoneal metastasis of neuroendocrine origin and coincidental benign lesions on both ovaries.

[Mediastinal parathyroid cystadenoma--a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism]

Parathyroid cysts located in the mediastinum are rare. They may be non-functioning or associated with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). We present a patient with persistent PHPT despite previous parathyroid surgery. Parathyroid scintigraphy with 99mTc sestamibi showed no focus with radioactivity retention, but MRI revealed a large parathyroid cystadenoma in the mediastinum, which was successfully removed. In general, MRI is not the first choice for parathyroid imaging, but when the adenoma is localized at ectopic sites, MRI is a good imaging modality.

Unilocular extrahepatic biliary cystadenoma mimicking choledochal cyst: a case report

We report here on a case of extrahepatic biliary cystadenoma arising from the common hepatic duct. A 42-year-old woman was evaluated by us to find the cause of her jaundice. Ultrasonography and CT showed a cystic dilatation of the common hepatic duct and also marked dilatation of the intrahepatic duct. Direct cholangiography demonstrated a large filling defect between the left hepatic duct and the common hepatic duct; dilatation of the intrahepatic duct was also demonstrated. Following excision of the cystic mass, it was pathologically confirmed as a unilocular biliary mucinous cystadenoma arising from the common hepatic duct.

Cystadenoma of the seminal vesicle

Primary tumors of the seminal vesicle are quite rare with most reported cases being carcinomas. However, benign tumors of the seminal vesicle are extremely rare. We report a case of a cystadenomas of the seminal vesicles in a 46-year-old asymptomatic man, which was detected incidentally by computed tomography.

Biliary Cystadenoma and Other Complicated Cystic Lesions of The Liver: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges

INTRODUCTION

Biliary cystadenomas are complicated cystic lesions of the liver. They are rare and pose considerable diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

METHODS

We present our experience managing these lesions by performing a retrospective review of all patients with a preoperative diagnosis of or histologically proven biliary cystadenoma who underwent surgery between January 1995 and January 2005 at our institution. Altogether, 20 patients (16 women, 4 men) with a mean age of 58 years underwent a total of 22 operations. The diagnosis of biliary cystadenoma was based on exclusion of other pathologic entities and the presence of radiologic characteristics of biliary cystadenoma. Abdominal ultrasonography (US), computed tomography, or both were performed in all patients. US-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed in seven patients and all of them were negative for malignancy. A preoperative diagnosis of biliary cystadenoma was made in 16 patients based on clinical and radiologic features and was correct in 6 of them. Diagnosis of biliary cystadenoma was not suspected in four patients.

RESULTS

The overall diagnostic accuracy was 30%. Enucleation was the most common surgical procedure and was performed in 10 patients. The mean follow-up period was 5.5+/-2.8 years. No recurrence was detected in patients with confirmed biliary cystadenoma after adequate excision.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study highlight the difficulty with preoperative diagnosis of biliary cystadenoma, which has seldom been discussed in the literature. Preoperative differentiation by means of radiologic imaging is inaccurate (30%). Any therapy short of complete excision leads to local recurrence and risk of malignant transformation. Complete excision of any suspicious lesion remains the best method of diagnosis and treatment.

Cystic tumors of the pancreas

Cystic tumors of the pancreas are less frequent than solid lesions and are often detected incidentally, as many of these lesions are small and asymptomatic. However, they may be associated with pancreatitis or have malignant potential. With advancements in diagnostic imaging, cystic lesions of the pancreas are being detected with increasing frequency. Many lesions can cause a pancreatic cyst, most being non-neoplastic while approximately 10% are cystic tumors, ranging from benign to highly malignant tumors. With increasing experience it is becoming clear that the prevalence of pseudocyst among cystic lesions of the pancreas is lower than usually presumed. A presumptive diagnosis of pseudocyst based on imaging appearance alone can cause a diagnostic error, and neoplastic cysts of the pancreas are particularly susceptible to this misdiagnosis, which can result in inappropriate treatment. Cystic tumors of the pancreas are formed by serous or mucinous structures showing all stages of cellular differentiation. According to the WHO classification, they can be subdivided on the basis of their histological type and biological behavior into benign tumors, borderline tumors, and malignant tumors. Cystic pancreatic tumors can be subdivided into peripheral (serous cystadenomas, mucinous cystic tumors, solid and papillary epithelial neoplasms, cystic islet cell tumors), which do not communicate with the main pancreatic duct, and ductal tumors (mucinous tumor), according to their site of origin. On the basis of imaging criteria alone, it can be very difficult to differentiate non-tumoral cystic lesions from neoplastic ones. The management of these patients is complex, and it is important to correlate imaging findings with knowledge of the patient’s symptoms and of the natural history and predictors of malignancy in pancreatic cysts.

Clinical significance of N-acetyl-L-aspartate resonance in ovarian mucinous cystadenoma

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides a noninvasive measurement of the biochemistry of living tissue. We report spectroscopy analysis of a 26-year-old woman affected by right ovarian lesion diagnosed as mucinous cystadenoma. MRS was performed by the point-resolved spectroscopy technique with a long echo time (TE) (136 msec). MRS measurements were performed on the two distinct component of the right ovarian tumor. The classification of metabolite peaks area in this study was performed according to the technique described by Okada et al. The features of proton MRS studies are discussed. As well as strongly elevated lactate and N-acetyl-L-aspartate signals, the tumor spectrum showed lipid resonances. Proton MRS imaging may be helpful for the investigation of the underlying pathophysiology of ovarian mucinous cystadenomas.

Hepatobiliary cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma--a case report

Hepatobiliary cystadenoma with mesenchymal stroma (HCMS) is a rare lesion characterized by multiloculated cyst lined by columnar epithelium ad mesenchymal stroma. It occurs exclusively in females and is intrahepatic in location with only 17% cases arising in extrahepatic biliary tree. Exact histogenesis is not known, but it is hypothesized the HCMS arises from ectopic embryonic tissue destined to form the adult gall bladder. HCMS has got a malignant potential and requires radical excision.

Management of adnexal cystic masses with unexpected intracystic vegetations detected during laparoscopy

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To evaluate a prospective series of consecutive patients with unexpected intracystic vegetations detected during operative laparoscopy for adnexal masses.

DESIGN

Prospective series of consecutive patients (Canadian Task Force classification: II-2).

SETTING

Tertiary care university hospitals.

PATIENTS

Consecutive patients found during surgery to have unexpected intracystic vegetations and treated by operative laparoscopy, out of a total series of 667 patients under 40 years of age with ultrasonographic evidence of an adnexal cystic mass without thick septa, internal wall papillarities, or solid components.

INTERVENTIONS

Operative laparoscopy and follow-up.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Thirty-five (5.2%) of 667 patients were found at surgery to have unexpected intracystic vegetations. A frozen section was sent for pathologic analysis in all 35 patients. Frozen section diagnosis was benign in 32 patients and borderline in 3 patients. Final pathology diagnosis was borderline ovarian tumor in five of the 35 patients (14.3%), and benign in 30 patients (85.7%). No case of invasive carcinoma was diagnosed either at frozen section or at final pathology examination. The patients with borderline tumors are alive with no evidence of disease after a mean follow-up of 60 months.

CONCLUSIONS

In the present series, with accurate preoperative selection, the rate of adnexal cysts with unexpected intracystic vegetations was 5%, of which 14% were borderline tumors. The laparoscopic management of these adnexal masses did not adversely affect the prognosis.

[Microhematuria secondary to mucocele and appendicular cystoadenoma]

Appendiceal mucocele is a rare entity consisting of cystic dilatation of the appendix as a result of increased mucus production. Most cases are related to the presence of a cystadenoma. This appendiceal neoplasm is frequently associated with other extraintestinal and colonic tumors and therefore adequate abdominal examination is necessary. The clinical presentation is nonspecific and varies from asymptomatic forms to abdominal discomfort and, less frequently, to urological manifestations. We describe the case of a woman with hematuria associated with an appendiceal mucocele. Only a few cases have been reported in the medical literature. The treatment of choice of cystadenoma is surgery and simple mucocele cannot be macroscopically differentiated from cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma. Survival in patients with appendiceal cystadenoma is excellent. The 5-year survival rate is reduced by at least half in patients with cystadenocarcinoma associated with pseudomyxoma peritonei.

[Peculiarities of diagnosis and surgical tactics in cystic pancreatic tumours]

Results of selective analysis of examination and operative treatment data in patients with clinical diagnosis of cystic pancreatic tumour for ten-year period were presented. The causes of diagnostic and tactic mistakes were analyzed. The volume of necessary methods of instrumental and laboratory diagnosis, indications for operative treatment, volume of which depends on the tumour morphological characteristic, were determined. In serous cystadenoma the tumour excision or economic pancreatic resection is indicated; in mucinous tumour the extended pancreatic resection is indicated.

[Biliary cystic neoplasm: biliary cystadenoma and biliary cystadenocarcinoma]

Biliary cystic tumors, such as cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma, are rare cystic tumors of liver accounting for fewer than 5% of all intrahepatic cysts of biliary origin. Most biliary cystic tumors arise from intrahepatic bile duct and 10-20% arise from extrahepatic bile duct like common hepatic duct, common bile duct, and gallbladder. The first case report of biliary cystic neoplasm in Korea dated back to 1975 by Bae et al, and over 40 cases of cystadenoma and 35 cases of cystadenocarcinoma were reported since then. These tumors usually present in middle-aged women with a mean age of 50 years. Biliary cystadenomas are lined by single layer of cuboidal or columnar epithelium and are very often multilocular with septal or papillary foldings. Over 80% of cystadenoma have dense mesenchymal stroma composed of dense spindle cells, like ovary. The epithelial lining of cystadenocarcinoma exhibits cellular atypia, mitotic activity, and infiltrative growth, but part of lining epithelium retain the feature of cystadenoma, which support the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. The size of tumors varies from 1.5 to 35 cm. Many patients are asymptomatic, except for the presence of palpable mass. When symptoms are present, they include epigastric or right upper quadrant pain or jaundice by enlarged mass. Biliary cystic tumor should be considered when a single or multilocular cystic lesion with papillary infoldings is detected in the liver by computed tomogram (CT) or ultrasound (US). Cystic wall and internal foldings can be seen enhanced by enhanced CT. US reveals a hypoechoic cystic mass with echogenic septation or papillary infoldings. Cystadenocarcinoma should be suspected when there is elevated mass or nodule in the wall or foldings, or thickened cystic wall on CT or US. But it is extremely difficult to differentiate between cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma by imaging alone. Increased tumor markers, carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9, in serum or cystic fluid have been reported in biliary cystic tumor. But tumor markers cannot distinguish cystadenocarcinoma from cystadenoma or both from other cystic lesions of liver. Malignant cells are not usually recovered in patients with cystadenocarcinoma who underwent cystic fluid cytology before and during surgery. The treatment of choice is radical excision of the mass by means of lobectomy or wide tumor excision. Aspiration, marsupialization, and drainage must be avoided. Inadequate excision of both cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma may lead to recurrence. Prognosis after complete excision is excellent.

[Significances of serum level and immunohistochemical stain of CA19-9 in simple hepatic cysts and intrahepatic biliary cystic neoplasms]

BACKGROUND/AIMS

In spite of various diagnostic modalities, biliary cystic neoplasms (biliary cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma) remain to be difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Recently, there are some reports that elevated CA19-9 level in serum and/or cystic fluid could be a useful finding in the differential diagnosis of biliary cystic neoplasm. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of CA19-9 and to elucidate its significances in intrahepatic biliary cystic neoplasms and simple hepatic cysts.

METHODS

In 8 patients with biliary cystic neoplasms and 6 simple hepatic cysts, symptoms, radiologic and laboratory findings were reviewed retrospectively. In 5 biliary cystic neoplasms (4 biliary cystadenomas, 1 biliary cystadenocarcinoma) and 5 simple hepatic cysts, immunohistochemical stainings for CA19-9 were performed with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.

RESULTS

In 8 biliary cystic neoplasms, two cases were suspected as biliary cystadenoma preoperatively and 6 cases could not be distinguished from simple cysts or cholangiocarcinoma preoperatively. In 6 simple hepatic cysts, 3 cases were diagnosed preoperatively and 3 cases could not be distinguished from biliary cystadenoma or pancreatic pseudocyst preoperatively. Expression of CA19-9 in simple hepatic cysts and biliary cystic neoplasms were 80% in both groups. Expression of CA19-9 is not related to the elevated level of CA19-9 in serum.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggests that the elevated level of CA19-9 in serum may not be helpful in the preoprative diagnosis of biliary cystic neoplasm.

The differentiation between pancreatic neoplastic cysts and pancreatic pseudocyst

The number of small and often asymptomatic cystic lesions detected in pancreas has increased during the last decade. Historically the vast majority of the pancreatic cystic lesions were considered pseudocysts, but in recent series the incidence of various neoplastic cysts, such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, serous cystadenomas and cystic endocrine tumours, has increased. The possible malignant potential in these cystic neoplasms warrants careful diagnostic workup to choose the optimal treatment for each patient. Patient's age, symptoms and a possible history of acute or chronic pancreatitis with known aetiology together with high quality imaging studies are important in the differential diagnosis between pseudocysts and neoplastic cysts. Endoscopic ultrasound, cyst fluid analysis and positron emission tomography may be used in selected patients, but the accuracy of these methods needs further investigation.

[Two cases of multilocular cystic nephroma, a rare benign tumor of the kidney]

We present two case reports of multilocular cystic nephroma (MCN). MCN is a rare benign tumor of the kidney that is difficult to differentiate from malignant tumor by diagnostic imaging (ultrasound, CT) and cytology on fine-needle aspiration. This is why most cases end up with nephrectomy and diagnosis is based on the histopathological findings. In one of our two cases, a nephrectomy was performed, and in the other the tumor was resected from the kidney. The origin of MCN is uncertain, and only about 200 cases have been reported in the literature.

[Cystic lesions of the pancreas]

The lesions of the pancreas represent a very interesting chapter of its pathology. Although they seem very much alike, the different anatomo- pathological forms have well defined individual features, which impose the therapeutical attitude. The authors have analyzed a group of 62 patients, admitted in our clinic between 1974 and 2003. Most of them had pancreatic pseudocysts (54-86%); 6 (10%) had cystadenomas; 1 (2%)--cystadenocarcinoma and 1 (2%)--solid and papillary cystic tumour. The diagnostic methods are largely presented and compared to the literature; it is emphasized the importance of imaging procedures and of the histo-pathological examination. The different therapeutical procedures, their advantages and limits are also analyzed--the necessity of a conservative attitude, with the total or partial preservation of the pancreas, is almost unanimously recognized.