Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Ferrara

Publications and source records attributed to G Ferrara.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Chondroid chordoma of the lateral skull base.

A rare case of chondroid chordoma of the lateral skull base with laterocervical extension is reported. Clinical, radiological and pathological features of the tumor are described. This unusual location of chondroid chordoma enabled total resection of the neoplastic tissue through a combined laterocervical and far lateral transjugular approach.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nested polymerase chain reaction on vaginal smears of tuberculous cervicitis. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous cervicitis (TC) is a rare disease the diagnosis of which is based on the microscopic and/or cultural recognition of mycobacteria. In recent years, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), especially with double-round amplification ("nested" PCR [nPCR]), has been increasingly used for rapid detection of mycobacteria in clinical samples. CASE: The present case is the first example of tuberculosis diagnosed with the aid of nPCR amplification of mycobacterial DNA fragments on smeared and Papanicolaou-stained cytologic material. First detected on vaginal smears, the amplicon IS6110 was subsequently identified also on paraffin-embedded tissue sections. CONCLUSION: The technique described here could also be applied to aspiration cytology smears to give rapid and accurate information on mycobacterial infections.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Histopathologic interobserver agreement on the diagnosis of melanocytic skin lesions with equivocal dermoscopic features: a pilot study.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Dermoscopy (dermatoscopy, skin surface microscopy, epiluminescence microscopy) has been increasingly employed in recent years for the preoperative detection of cutaneous melanoma, and dermatoscopic features of pigmented skin lesions have been previously defined using histopathology (HP) as the "key to the code". The aim of the present study was to evaluate the interobserver agreement on the HP diagnosis in a series of epiluminescence microscopy equivocal melanocytic skin lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Ten melanocytic skin lesions were selected on the basis of diagnostic disagreement of at least 2 out of 9 epiluminescence microscopy observers. The histologic specimens from the 10 lesions were examined by 9 HP observers. The agreement of the HP diagnoses was calculated by means of Fleiss' k statistics. RESULTS: The overall HP agreement was less than excellent (k = 0.5). When considering the prevailing epiluminescence microscopic and HP diagnoses, 2 cases were shown to be epiluminescence microscopy false-negative melanomas. Virtually no agreement was found among epiluminescence microscopy observers in 4 cases (40%) or among HP observers in 3 cases (30%). However, only one pigmented skin lesion remained unclassifiable on epiluminescence microscopy as well as HP. CONCLUSIONS: When at least 2 epiluminescence microscopy experts disagree in the evaluation of a given melanocytic skin lesion, even HP consultations may give equivocal results. The need to establish more reliable epiluminescence microscopic and HP criteria by performing an improved and meticulous clinicopathologic correlation, e.g. by using telecommunication via Internet, is emphasized.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the colon: a case report with literature review.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) is a well defined tumor type that may occur in all organs and anatomic sites but most commonly in the head, neck, respiratory tract, breast, and genitourinary tract. It is a biphasic tumor showing both epithelial- and mesenchymal-like differentiation; however, its carcinomatous nature is widely recognized. SC is rare in the gastrointestinal tract. In the esophagus it accounts for less than 5% of all malignancies and approximately only 35 cases have been described in the stomach. Very few cases have been observed in the small intestine, anorectal junction, liver, and pancreas. To our knowledge only eight cases of SC have been reported in the colon. We report a case of primary colonic SC. Both morphological and immunohistochemical analyses are provided along with an evaluation of the unusual clinical history, therapeutic implications, and controversial differential diagnosis.

Carcinosarcoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung. Two cases diagnosed in Caucasian patients.

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma is a non-nasopharyngeal undifferentiated carcinoma with prominent lymphoid infiltration. Ten cases arising in the lung have been reported so far; seven cases were diagnosed in Orientals, with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome demonstrated in neoplastic cells by in situ hybridization; the remaining three cases affected Caucasian patients and showed no evidence of hybridized viral genome. The present study describes two additional cases of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the lung in Caucasians, with reference to the differential diagnosis versus other thoracomediastinal malignancies. The neoplastic nuclei, blast-like in appearance, together with the immunohistochemical profile of the neoplastic cells (positivity for cytokeratins, and negativity for CD antigens, S100 protein, placental alkaline phosphatase, and neuroendocrine markers) represent the basic pathologic features of a lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma and allow its recognition even on small bioptic fragments, in which the typical biphasic, Regaud-like morphology might be inapparent. In accordance with the previously reported cases of pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma in Caucasian patients, the present study found no evidence of the Epstein-Barr virus genome in neoplastic cells with in situ hybridization.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thyroid metastases from a ductal carcinoma of the breast. A case report.

A case of bilateral thyroid metastases from ductal carcinoma of the breast is presented with emphasis on some unusual clinical findings: presentation after a long disease-free interval; clinical signs mimicking an acute thyroiditis; cystic structure of the left-sided metastatic nodule. Fine needle aspiration cytology from both nodules showed highly atypical tumor cells, such as to warrant a differential diagnosis between metastatic breast cancer on the one hand and anaplastic and medullary carcinoma of the thyroid on the other. Immunophenotypic study of the neoplasm on a cell block preparation of the aspirated material showed negativity for both thyroglobulin and calcitonin; instead, the tumor cells were strongly stained with antibodies against the "breast-related" markers alpha-lactalbumin and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15. Therefore, immunochemistry allowed us to establish a definite diagnosis of metastatic breast disease of the thyroid, thereby avoiding surgical procedures.

Antibodies, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lymph node Merkel cell carcinoma with no evidence of cutaneous tumor--report of two cases.

We report two cases of Merkel cell carcinoma within inguinal and axillary lymph nodes, respectively, showing no clinico-pathologic evidence of a primary (extranodal) tumor; one of our patients was alive with no evidence of disease five years and ten months after the surgical excision of the neoplasm with no postoperative chemotherapy. The diagnosis of nodal Merkel cell carcinoma needs to be supported by a careful immunohistochemical study: in fact, cytokeratin- and neurofilament-positive paranuclear "dots", as well as epithelial antigens and neuroendocrine markers may be variably expressed in tumor cells, thus requiring the application of a complete antibody panel. In the presence of a nodal Merkel cell tumor, an exhaustive clinico-radiologic search for a primary tumor must be carried out. After the exclusion of any reasonable starting point of the neoplasm, a provisional diagnosis of "primary" nodal Merkel cell carcinoma may be acceptable; since a primary extracutaneous tumor is expected to follow a less aggressive course than a metastatic one, follow-up data may provide indications as to the truly extracutaneous origin of Merkel cell carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Community acquired pneumonia in internal medicine: a one-year retrospective study based on pneumonia severity index.

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) represents the sixth cause of death and the first cause of death for an infectious disease in the USA. The aim of the present study is to evaluate how CAP is managed in a hospital setting, with particular attention to the wards of internal medicine, compared to the recommendations based and validated PSI (Pneumonia Severity Index). 42 subjects were included in the study, 25 males and 17 females. According to the PSI, nine (21%) patients were classified in class I, two (5%) in class II, ten (24%) in class III, fifteen (36%) in class IV and six (14%) in class V. Three patients died during the stay in the hospital (2 males and 1 female), all in the highest PSI class (V). According to the criteria used to evaluate the adequacy of the admission to the hospital, twentyeight patients were classified in the HRG, with an appropriate admission, whilst fourteen (33%) were in the LRG, with an inappropriate admission to the hospital. The data of the study confirm the validity of a PSI based strategy for the management of CAP since admittance to the hospital. This approach is not yet widely implemented in Italy, and a better dialogue between hospital and health system representatives would be convenient, to reduce costs and ensure the safety of patients affected by CAP.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a case with mixed muscular-neuronal origin].

GIST have still today controversial aspects of their histogenesis that are reflected on the classification and prognosis. It's showed a particular case with mixed muscular-neuronal histogenesis that supposes totipotent cell origin of these neoplasms. Diagnosis, classification and prognosis are very difficult to evaluate; surgery at the moment is the only useful treatment modality.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Authorization and accreditation: management of the conversion of hospital buildings].

The Emilia Romagna Region decided own accreditation and procedures pattern following decisions, by different levels and graduated stages: authorization, institutional accreditation and finally contractual agreements. For Emilia Romagna Health Administration, authorization step represented "the necessary minimum level of security to exercise health activity", carried out by self evaluation of general and specific requirements of health structures, outlined by specific check-list, to bring about the maximum time allowed five years realization of structure adjustment plans. Beginning from this context the Local Health Unit of Modena, introduced by an audit test of conformity levels caught up, the guide line of computer management of technical assistance, change to use or amplification of health permission of structure and installations take a census by the business administration. The method allows by operative guide lines standardization to certify the validity of innovations realized, in all Departements/Services, for own conformity of structures, plant design and installation, sanitary regulations and security for wards services, auxiliary rooms. The development of this method allow to link activity and professionality for different duties of supervision and inspection, to guarantee the maintenance of levels assurance of health structures.

Accreditation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[A right paracardiac roundish opacity (a clinical case)].

The authors describe the clinical case relative to an adult subject with right basal paracardiac opacity, clinically asymptomatic, occasionally checked following up a thorax radiograph. After the surgical neoplasm extirpation, the histologic examination evidenced it was a thymic cyst. Consequently, the question about the differential diagnosis with other mediastinal opacity is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Localized primary cutaneous nodular amyloidosis].

A case of cutaneous nodular amyloidosis in a 60-year-old man is described with reference to histological, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural features. Clinically, the patient presented two brownish nodules on his face. Histologically, a massive dermal collection of eosinophilic, homogeneous material showing positivity for Congo red stain was revealed. Immunoreactivity for both Ig-light chains was detected in dermal plasma cells as well as in amyloid material. Ultramicroscopically, the typical fibrillary pattern of amyloid was found. Clinical and instrumental examinations failed to demonstrate amyloid depositions elsewhere in the body.

Amyloid↗