During the years 1990 to 1991, smears taken from the anal canal of 45 randomly selected homosexual males were studied. Several cytological criteria were used to study infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). The cytological study and an anoscopy was performed and a swab was taken for HPV-DNA hybridization, using labelled RNA probes for HPV-DNA: 6,11,16,18,31,33, and 35. In our study we observed the existence of a high proportion (9.5%) of inadequate smears that did not contain glandular cells and/or metaplasia. A sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 72% was obtained. Sensitivity and specificity were 68% and 91%, respectively, when these criteria were restricted to the presence of koilocytes and/or dyskeratocytes. The high rate of occult infections obtained in our study lead us to suggest the simultaneous use of cytology, molecular hybridization, and anoscopy for suitable care of those patients with a high risk of contracting HPV infections of the anal canal.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fine needle aspiration of sclerosing lymphocytic lobulitis of the breast. A report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Sclerosing lymphocytic lobulitis (SLL) was described in 1948 by Soler and Khardori as fibrotic disease of the breast with histologic features similar to those of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Associations of this process with thyroiditis, artropathy and diabetes mellitus have been seen. CASES: We report the fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) findings of two cases of SLL seen in our service. Both patients showed a breast nodule suspicious for malignancy. The cytologic changes vary according to the stage of the disease, from abundant lymphocytes and scanty fibrosis (case 1) to the presence of a few lymphocytes, epithelioid fibroblasts and significant sclerosis (case 2). CONCLUSION: The cytologic changes seen in FNAB are sufficient to indicate the diagnosis of SLL. The differential diagnosis has to be made with primary breast lymphoma, periductal or perilobular inflammation and different types of sclerosing breast lesions, depending on the stage of the disease.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Circulating IgG response to stromelysin-3, collagenase-3, galectin-3 and mesothelin in patients with pharynx/larynx squamous cell carcinoma.

With the aim of identifying tumor-associated antigens that could be potential markers and/or targets of diagnostic and/or therapeutic approaches, we studied the occurrence of circulating IgG antibodies to human stromelysin-3, collagenase-3, galectin-3 and mesothelin, by Western blot against their purified recombinant forms, in the sera of 50 patients with pharynx/larynx squamous cell carcinoma (PLSCC), as well as in the sera of 50 healthy blood donors. Overall, antibodies to collagenase-3 were detected in 50% of all the cancer patients and 16% of the blood donors examined; this percentage difference was statistically significant (p = 0.00066). With respect to anti-galectin-3 antibodies, the percentages were 32% and 18%, respectively, but they were not statistically different (p = 0.16). Low levels of antibodies to stromelysin-3 and to mesothelin were detected in sera from only two cancer patients. No significant correlations were found in the present study between the presence of antibodies to these proteins and tumor site, clinical and T stages, lymph node involvement, DNA ploidy and histological grade of differentiation of the primary tumors. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the detection of circulating IgG to collagenase-3 in cancer patients. Some of the percentages found here in certain groups of patients are among the highest reported of circulating antibodies to any tumor component studied so far. The monitoring and the use of human antibodies to collagenase-3 could be of diagnostic and therapeutic interest.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Secretory carcinoma of the breast. Report of a case with diagnosis by fine needle aspiration.

We report a case of secretory carcinoma of the breast in a 63-year-old woman studied by fine needle aspiration (FNA). The cytologic features included solid nests, cohesive sheets and isolated tumor cells with intracytoplasmic vacuolization and signet-ring-like forms. Although secretory carcinoma is an unusual breast tumor, especially in adults, the cellular morphology was distinctive on FNA. This could permit the preoperative diagnosis of secretory carcinoma and the planning of optimal surgical therapy prior to an intervention.

Biopsy, Needle↗