Choriocarcinoma of the urinary bladder

[A case of urothelial carcinoma with trophoblastic differentiation and review of the literature]

We report the case of a 43-year-old woman, who was admitted for intense pelvic pains. Biological investigations showed an increase of β-HCG level. The abdomino-pelvic computed tomography revealed a voluminous mass infiltrating the bladder. A transurethral resection was performed. The histopathological examination evidenced an invasion of the bladder by a massive carcinomatous proliferation composed of clear epithelial cells with in some places syncytiotrophoblastic cells and rarely cytotrophoblastic cells. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed a staining of GATA-3 by the two components, an expression of p63 by the clear cell urothelial component and the immunoreactivity of β-HCG by the trophoblastic component. Ki-67 labeling index was very high. The diagnosis of mixt urothelial carcinoma with clear cells and trophoblastic differentiation was proposed. This is a rare difficult histopathological diagnosis which should be known by pathologists. It is correlated to a poor clinical outcome with a high tendency to lymph node or visceral metastases.

Primary renal artery choriocarcinoma causing secondary renovascular hypertension

INTRODUCTION

Choriocarcinoma is a rare primary germ cell tumour of the ovary composed of cyto- and syncytotrophoblast cells. Most of the choriocarcinomas are normally arising in the gestational trophoblast, gonads and, less frequently, mediastinum, pineal gland and retroperitoneum.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

We report a case of primary choriocarcinoma of renal artery causing secondary renovascular hypertension in a 28 years old woman of reproductive age, presenting with abdominal pain, minimal vaginal bleeding and a delayed menstrual period.

DISCUSSION

Non-gestational choriocarcinomas, are histologically related to the pregnancy related gestational choriocarcinomas. These two subtypes may have to be differentiated according the clinical and radiological findings and DNA analysis may be used for this purpose as well. In many studies, authors have stated that nongestational choriocarcinoma diagnosis could be implemented in situations where the presence of a pregnancy could not be considered like the prepubertal period.

CONCLUSION

Choriocarcinoma should as well be considered among the possibilities in the differential diagnosis of the causes for secondary hypertension, especially within a picture of pregnancy of unknown location, albeit being one of the rarest.

Male choriocarcinoma with metastasis to the jejunum: a case report and review of the literature

We report on a patient with male choriocarcinoma. The patient was a 31-year-old male patient with jejunal choriocarcinoma that metastasized from the mediastinum. He was admitted complaining of melena and severe anemia. Upper and lower gastrointestinal endosocopy was performed, but no source of bleeding was seen. Chest X-ray and CT revealed a mediastinal tumor 7 cm in size anterior to the arotic arch. Superior mesenteric arteriography showed irregularities and macular opacity in the jejunal artery. An emergency laparatomy was performed because of massive gastrointestinal bleeding. A jejunal tumor approximately 4 cm in size was resected and numerous metastases were observed in the liver and mesentery. Histopathological examination showed metastatic jejunal choriocarcinoma. Gynecomastia was not present and the testes were normal. Serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) was at an abnormally high level of 4,396 ng/mL. Because of metastases to the brain and invasion to the trachea, he died on postoperative day 20. We report this rare case of a male patient with metastases of choriocarcinoma to the gastrointestinal tract from the mediastinum, together with a review of the literature.

Germ cell tumor-like neoplasms occurring outside the anatomic midline

Most germ cell tumors occur in the gonads or in extragonadal sites in the anatomic midline; this article reviews tumors with similar or identical histologic features that arise in other topographic locations. Such lesions often represent the presence of "germ cell-like" or "germinal" components in what is otherwise recognized as a somatic neoplasm; however, they may also occur in pure form. The morphologic and immunohistochemical features of these proliferations are reviewed, according to the types of germ cell tumors that they recapitulate.