Cunxian Zhang

A 73-year-old woman was found to have a 1.7 cm axillary mass, for which a core needle biopsy was performed. The specimen revealed fragmented squamous epithelium surrounded by lymphoid tissue consistent with a squamous inclusion cyst in a lymph node, but a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma could not be excluded. Within one month, the lesion enlarged to 5 cm and was excised. Touch preparation cytology during intraoperative consultation displayed numerous single and sheets of atypical epithelioid cells with enlarged nuclei and occasional mitoses, suggesting a carcinoma. However, multinucleated giant cells and neutrophils in the background indicated reactive changes. We interpreted the touch preparation as atypical and recommended conservative surgical management. Permanent sections revealed a ruptured squamous inclusion cyst in a lymph node with extensive reactive changes. Retrospectively, the atypical epithelioid cells on touch preparation corresponded to reactive histiocytes. This is the first case report of a rapidly enlarging ruptured squamous inclusion cyst in an axillary lymph node following core needle biopsy. Our case demonstrates the diagnostic challenges related to a ruptured squamous inclusion cyst and serves to inform the readers to consider this lesion in the differential diagnosis for similar situations.

A 40-year-old woman underwent excision of a painless left vulvar mass. The specimen showed a well-circumscribed mass measuring 3.5 × 2.7 × 2.5 cm. Microscopic examination exhibited an encapsulated neoplasm with a solid and papillary growth pattern. The tumor cells were oval to columnar and showed moderate nuclear atypia. No capsular invasion was identified. Immunonegativity for calponin and p63 confirmed the absence of myoepithelial cells either within or at the periphery of the tumor. The tumor was immunopositive for gross cystic disease fluid protein 15, synaptophysin, and chromogranin. The histologic and immunohistochemical characteristics were consistent with an encapsulated solid papillary carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. The patient has been free of disease for 4 years after surgery. This is the first report of a vulvar encapsulated solid papillary carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. Correct diagnosis is imperative because of the distinct biologic behavior of the tumor.

We encountered two cases of endometrioid carcinoma of uterus with extensive surface epithelial changes (SECs) mimicking serous borderline tumor (SBT) of the ovary. The first case was a well-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma arising in a background of complex atypical hyperplasia. The second case was moderately-differentiated endometrioid carcinoma with squamous and mucinous differentiation. The SECs comprised of thin microapapillae without hierarchal branching, lined by cuboidal cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and mild to moderate nuclear atypia. These areas were reminiscent of SBTs of ovary, micropapillary type. This report expands the existing spectrum of SECs. Serous borderline tumor of ovary like surface epithelial changes could be misleading if present in an endometrial biopsy or curettings. Therefore, knowledge of this morphologic variation is important.

We describe two cases of large solitary luteinized follicle cyst of pregnancy and puerperium (LSLFCPP) with new clinicopathologic findings. The first case occurred in a 40-year old woman who was found to have a left ovarian mass during the third trimester of pregnancy. The patient delivered a full term healthy female infant via caesarean section. The ovarian mass was removed by oophorectomy. The specimen showed a unilocular, thin-walled, clear fluid filled cyst measuring 15 × 12 × 5 cm. Microscopically, the cyst was lined by single to multiple layers of luteinized cells with mainly small, round and regular nuclei and focally enlarged, bizarre, and hyperchromatic nuclei. Occasional mitotic figures were seen. The cyst wall showed marked edema and nests of luteinized cells that were morphologically similar to the cyst lining cells. Groups of lesional cells were surrounded by reticulin fibers. The patient has been healthy without disease after 7 years. The second patient was a 29-year old pregnant woman who was found to have a right ovarian cyst by ultrasound at 14-week gestation. She then presented with preterm labor at 33-week gestation and delivered a healthy female infant via caesarean section. A right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Gross inspection of the specimen revealed a unilocular, brown mucoid fluid filled cyst measuring 14 × 11 × 9 cm. The cyst surfaces were smooth, and the cyst wall exhibited marked edema. Microscopic examination showed features similar to the first case: cyst lined by luteinized cells with focal large nuclei, scattered nests of luteinized cells in the edematous fibrous wall, and reticulin fibers surrounding large nests of lesional cells. No mitoses, however, were identified in the second case. The patient has been well without disease 1 year after surgery. These two cases contribute to a better understanding of LSLFCPP. Our case in the 40-year old patient is the first to show mitotic figures in LSLFCPP and suggests that the presence of occasional mitoses should not exclude a diagnosis of LSLFCPP. The lesion in the second patient caused preterm labor. Nevertheless, absence of disease recurrence in our patients demonstrates a benign nature of LSLFCPP.

Selenium has been shown to inhibit cancer development and growth through the mediation of selenium-binding proteins. Decreased expression of selenium-binding protein 1 has been reported in cancers of the prostate, stomach, colon, and lungs. No information, however, is available concerning the roles of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma.

We report a rare case of primary lymphoma of fallopian tube in a 68-year-old woman who underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for endometrial carcinoma. The specimen showed a well-differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma with superficial myometrial invasion. The left fallopian tube revealed a 1 cm nodule that histologically showed diffuse lymphoid follicles consisting of small cleaved lymphocytes and occasional larger cells. The cells were immunopositive for CD20, BCL-2, and BCL-6 but negative for CD3 and CD43. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed a monoclonal B-cell population. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization revealed at (14, 18) translocation. The patient had absent lymphadenopathy and negative CT scan of chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The findings were consistent with a primary low grade follicular lymphoma of fallopian tube. She did not receive chemotherapy and remained disease free for 13 months after surgery. Our case suggests that primary lymphoma of fallopian tube may be associated with a favorable prognosis.

Virtually all primary peritoneal carcinomas (PPCs) are of serous papillary type. We report an unusual histologic type of PPC composed of anaplastic giant cells, which exhibited an aggressive clinical course. A 72-year-old woman presented with lower abdominal pain. Computed tomography showed a diffuse omental thickening. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy with omentectomy, total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and appendectomy. Pathologic examination revealed extensive omental replacement by tumor but only superficial surface cortical involvement of both ovaries, a disease distribution consistent with a typical müllerian-derived PPC. However, this neoplasm was composed of diffuse anaplastic tumor giant cells, rather than serous carcinoma, which is the usual histologic type encountered in PPC. The patient died within 1 month after surgery. We report this unusual histologic variant of PPC to raise awareness that anaplastic giant cell carcinoma may arise in the pelvic peritoneum as a primary tumor.