[Croatian guidelines for gastric cancer prevention by eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection]

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. Although gastric cancer has a multifactorial etiology, infection with Helicobacter pylori is highly associated with gastric carcinogenesis. Carcinogenesis is also influenced by some environmental factors and host genetic diversity, which engenders differential host inflammatory responses that can influence clinical outcome. Chronic gastritis induced by H. pylori is the strongest known risk factor for adenocarcinoma of the distal stomach, but the effects of bacterial eradication on carcinogenesis have remained unclear up to now. Although eradication of H. pylori infection appears to reduce the risk of gastric cancer, several recent controlled interventional trials by H. pylori eradication to prevent gastric cancer have yielded disappointing results. To clarify this problem in a high-risk population, the investigators conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, population-based studies. The results of previous studies highlight the importance of longer and careful follow-up after eradication therapy. It seems that eradication treatment is effective in preventing gastric cancer if it is given before preneoplastic conditions/lesions, gastric atrophy, metaplasia, and dysplasia, have had time to develop. Furthermore, the significant efficacy of treatment observed in younger patients suggests the need to eradicate H. pylori as early as possible. This consensus aimed to propose guidelines for the diagnosis, management and control of individuals with chronic gastritis, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, or dysplasia.

Unexpected outcome in a treated XY reversal syndrome patient

Hormone replacement therapy is mandatory to maintain quality of life and bone mineralization status in patients with gonadal dysgenesis. Occasionally, these patients need higher than recommended estrogen dosage to prevent signs and symptoms of hypoestrogenic state. Our 18-year-old female patient with XY sex reversal syndrome was gonadectomized and administered conventional hormone replacement therapy. Gonadoblastoma was found in the excised streak gonad. Five years after continuous replacement therapy, the patient reported unexpectedly hot flushes and amenorrhea in spite of regular hormone intake. Severe osteopenia was also detected. Unconventionally high estrogen dose was given with additional daily vitamin D and calcium supplement. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry revealed lesser but evident osteopenia and the patient reported repeated bleeding without hot flushes on the new hormone regimen. Individualized dosage of estrogen is essential for these patients according to their bone status and subjective symptoms. Early therapy initiation along with continuous and frequent evaluation of bone status and quality of life is advised.

[Clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium confined to atrophic endometrial polyp--case report]

Clear cell carcinoma is a rare form of endometrial carcinoma inline type II estrogen-independent. It accounts for only 1% to 5.5% of all endometrial carcinomas. It is usually detected in postmenopausal women, who are older than those with endometrioid carcinoma. Clear cell carcinoma may exhibit solid, papillary, tubular and cystic patterns. The malignant cells are characterized by a moderate amount of clear or foamy cytoplasm; however, its recognition as a clear cell type of cancer cytologically is not often possible. The tumor is usually poorly differentiated, tends to be high grade, with deep myometrial invasion, lymphovascular space invasion, and metastasis in pelvic lymph node. That is why this tumor has a poor prognosis, as in our case of a 72-year-old woman with symptoms of deficient uterine bleeding. In a period of two months, two suction endometrial curettages were performed. The material obtained by endometrial curettage for histopathologic verification was very scanty. The assessment described an inactive endometrium with degenerative epithelial cells in scanty necrotic background. Direct endometrial samples with uterobrush yielded a finding of atypical epithelial cells of open etiology with dense chromatin and prominent nucleoli, also with foam cell histiocytes and old blood in the background. Cytologic diagnosis of intraepithelial lesion, possible adenocarcinoma was made. Ultrasonography of the uterus was suspect of neoplasm. After surgery, the pathologic diagnosis of endometrial clear cell carcinoma was made. It was a rare case of aggressive type of endometrial carcinoma confined to an atrophic endometrial polyp. In conclusion, we might say that direct endometrial sample can provide accurate diagnosis of endometrial tumor, especially when the endometrial tumor is a small one, thus saving time for diagnostic testing. This is based on the potential of cytology to make malignant diagnosis possible even with a few tumor cells on the slide.

[Primary ovarian malignant mixed mesodermal tumor (MMMT) as a second primary tumor in a patient with invasive breast carcinoma--case report]

Malignant mixed mesodermal tumor (MMMT) of the ovary is a rare aggressive tumor that consists of an epithelial (carcinoma) and a stromal (sarcoma) component. MMMT accounts for less than 2% of ovarian cancers and has a very poor prognosis. We present a case and difficulties of diagnosing an ovarian MMMT in a postmenopausal woman with a history of invasive breast carcinoma treated postoperatively with radiotherapy and tamoxifen. A 52-year-old patient presented with unilateral ovarian tumor and moderately elevated CA125 (107 U/mL) and underwent laparotomy. Fine needle aspiration of the ovary and ascites for cytologic analysis, and tumor biopsy for histopathology were performed intraoperatively. Intraoperative cytologic sample showed necrotic background with rare single malignant cells with pale, abundant cytoplasm and conspicuous nucleoli suggesting clear cell carcinoma. Ascites sample showed inflammatory and reactive background with suspected papillary formations mimicking adenocarcinoma. Postoperatively, cytochemical PAS staining and immunocytologic staining with epithelial antigen (EA), cytokeratin (CK)7 and vimentin showed EA and PAS positivity for ovarian tumor, and EA and CK7 for ascites, suggesting a clear cell carcinoma. Histology revealed ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Three months later, the patient underwent hemicolectomy because of tumors on the right large bowel serosa with intraoperative morphological finding of metastatic malignant tumor without other specific features. Postoperative morphological analysis and immunohistochemical staining of the tumor revealed two malignant components, epithelial and stromal one. Repeat histologic analysis of the ovarian tumor confirmed ovarian MMMT (with a clear cell carcinoma component). Other studies of breast cancer emphasize that patients with invasive breast cancer and mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are at an increased risk of primary ovarian cancer. Our study confirmed it and suggested considering a second primary malignant tumor of ovarian origin in patients with a history of breast carcinoma, postoperatively treated with radiotherapy and tamoxifen. Although rare, second primary ovarian tumors may present as MMMT.

[The unclassifiable myeloproliferative neoplasm--morphological, cytogenetic and clinical features]

Myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable (MPN,U) has clinical, laboratory and morphological features of an MPN but fails to meet the criteria for any of the specific MPN entities. Because overlapping features, morphological findings in bone marrow, BCR-ABL1 fusion gene, V617F JAK2 mutation and cytogenetic abnormalities were analyzed in ten patients diagnosed with MPN,U. Bone marrow biopsy showed hypercellularity with trilineage myeloproliferation, dispersed megakaryocytes with mild pleomorphism and mature nuclei, and absence of reticulin fibrosis. All patients were BCL-ABL1 negative, while V617F JAK2 mutation was found in 6 of 8 patients. Trisomy 8 was found in two patients and t(6;12)(q12;p13) in one patient. Morphological features of MPN,U are nonspecific, however, in study cases they were most similar to diagnostic morphological features of polycythemiea vera. The high frequency of V617F JAK2 mutation in MPN,U cases analyzed revealed that its presence does not confirm a specific type of MPN.

Immunohistochemical analysis of NOTCH1 and JAGGED1 expression in multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

Notch signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma expressing high level of active Notch proteins NOTCH1 and JAGGED1 in tumor plasma cells. We investigated expression of NOTCH1 and JAGGED1 in bone marrow trephine biopsies of 80 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and 20 monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance patients using immunohistochemical methods. The number of positive tumor cells was counted per 1000 tumor cells and the intensity of staining was assessed semi quantitatively. Multiple myelomas expressed NOTCH1 in 92.31% (72/78) and JAGGED1 in 92.21% (71/77) cases. NOTCH1 staining was strong in the majority of cases (59.7%), whereas JAGGED1 was predominately weak (67.6% of cases). In contrast, both markers were negative in all monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance cases. However, upon progression of disease from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance to multiple myeloma (seen in 4 patients), analysis of the subsequent bone marrow biopsy showed weak expression of both markers in tumorous plasma cells. Immunohistochemistry results were compared with the pattern of bone marrow infiltration, plasma cell differentiation, and the presence of t(11;14)(q13,q32), t(14;16)(q32;q23),and t(4;14)(p16.3;q23) and overall survival in multiple myeloma patients. A significant correlation was found between strong NOTCH1 staining in multiple myeloma plasma cells and the diffuse type of bone marrow infiltration (P = .002) and an immature morphologic type of plasma cells (P = .043). After a median follow-up of 20.3 months, in multiple myeloma patients no difference in overall survival between NOTCH1 (P = .484) and JAGGED1 (P = .822) positive and negative cases were found. In conclusion, our results indicate importance of NOTCH1 and JAGGED1 expression in plasma cell neoplasia and a possible diagnostic value of their immunohistochemical evaluation of bone marrow infiltrates for multiple myeloma.

Vulvar Paget's disease--a case report

Vulvar Morbus Paget (MP) represents a rare intraepithelial adenocarcinoma. It accounts for less than 1% of all vulvar neoplasia and usually appears in postmenopausal women. Histologically it is analogous to Paget's disease of the breast. The most common clinical symptom is pruritus. The lesion appears as an erythematous or as an eczematous lesion with islands of hyperkeratosis. Occasionally, single anaplastic Paget's cells can be found on the vulvar smears which make cytological diagnosis of the disease possible. However, the disease can be diagnosed only by biopsy. We present a case of 49-year old woman with vulvar symptoms of pruritus, who had liver and kidney transplantation two years ago. During the standard gynecological examination the vulvar smear was taken for cytological evaluation. The smear was scanty, with inflammatory background, overloaded with squamae. There were two types of cells: dysplastic squamous cells from lower layer of the epithelium and the single, anaplastic cells with a high nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio who possessed eccentric, large nucleus. Nucleoli were rare. Cytoplasm varied from pale and delicate to densely basophilic. Accordingly, cytological diagnosis vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN III) with differential diagnosis of vulvar Paget's disease was made. The pathological verification supported the diagnosis of MP and an immunohistochemistry panel confirmed type III of Paget's disease and an evaluation of bladder was suggested.

FOXP1 expression in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal disorder of terminally differentiated B cells. In some cases the premalignant state is monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Neoplastic plasma cells in both entities carry multiple and complex chromosomal abnormalities that make understanding of the disease development difficult. New insight into malignant mechanisms that underlie multiple myeloma may come from forkhead box P1 transcription factor (FOXP1) analysis in neoplastic plasma cells. FOXP1 is known to be important for B-cell maturation and differentiation and could play a significant role in plasma cell tumors. The purpose of the present study was therefore to analyze FOXP1 protein presence and FOXP1 gene abnormalities in 13 cases of MGUS and 60 cases of MM. It was found that FOXP1 protein was expressed in neoplastic plasma cells, unlike in their normal counterparts, and that additional FOXP1 gene copies could be found in both MGUS and MM. Based on FOXP1 presence in MM and its role in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, FOXP1 might play an important role in plasma cell neoplasm.