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Biomedical subjects

Patrizia Bacchini

Publications and source records attributed to Patrizia Bacchini.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

An isolated vertebral metastasis of urachal adenocarcinoma.

We describe a case of urachal adenocarcinoma arising in a 30-year-old woman. The patient underwent partial cystectomy. Three years later, she presented with an isolated metastasis to a thoracic vertebra, which was treated by vertebral corporectomy. Histologic findings are described, and the clinical findings, management, and metastatic patterns of this rare tumor, as well as the differential diagnosis on a biopsy specimen, are discussed.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗

Fibrous dysplasia with degenerative atypia: a benign lesion potentially mistaken for sarcoma.

Fibrous dysplasia is a benign disorder of bone in which proliferating fibrous tissue replaces the bony spongiosa. Cytologic atypia is generally not considered a feature of this proliferating tissue. We present a case of fibrous dysplasia with marked atypical nuclear changes consistent with degenerative or regressive changes. A 42-year-old man presented with an osteolytic lesion of the right iliac bone. Histologic study demonstrated a fibro-osseous lesion with woven bone trabeculae and bland-looking fibrous tissue. Several areas showed atypical cells with enlarged pleomorphic nuclei and bizarre features. There was no change in the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio nor were mitotic figures identified. The differential diagnosis is discussed. When radiographic and other histologic findings suggest fibrous dysplasia, the atypical nuclear changes should not, by themselves, alter the diagnosis.

Adult↗

Role of surgery in local treatment of Ewing's sarcoma of the extremities in patients undergoing adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Although more and more patients with Ewing's sarcoma of bone (ESB) are being treated by surgery, the relative role of surgery and radiotherapy in the local treatment of this tumor has yet to be determined. Because the outcome of ESB may differ according to the anatomical site of the tumor, results reported in the literature, which generally refer to series with tumors located in all sites, may be selection biased. Therefore, we have retrospectively evaluated patients with ESB exclusively in the extremity and locally treated by surgery or radiotherapy. Two hundred and sixty-eight patients treated at Rizzoli 1979-1996 for non-metastatic ES of the extremities were assessed. Chemotherapy was administered according to four sequentially activated protocols. One hundred and thirty-six patients were treated by surgery, 70 by surgery and radiotherapy, and 60 patients by radiotherapy. Two patients underwent only chemotherapy. The follow-up range was 5-23 years (mean 13 years). One hundred and fifty-two patients remained continuously free of disease, 108 relapsed, 2 died of chemotherapy toxicity and 6 developed a second malignancy. The 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were respectively 62 and 69%. Although patients of all groups were matched for possible risk factors, the rates of 5-year EFS and local control were significantly lower in patients treated with radiotherapy compared to patients treated by surgery or surgery and radiotherapy (48% vs 66%, p=0.002; 80% vs 94%, p=0.0001). Furthermore, in group 3 there were 6 secondary malignancies. Our results indicate that surgery should always be considered in the local treatment of ES of the extremities. Postoperative radiation therapy must be added in case of inadequate surgical margins.

Adolescent↗

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for high-grade central osteosarcoma of the extremity. Histologic response to preoperative chemotherapy correlates with histologic subtype of the tumor.

BACKGROUND: In primary central high-grade osteosarcoma, a number of distinct subtypes have been identified, but little is known about the response to chemotherapy. METHODS: The authors investigated whether the subtypes correlated with histologic response to chemotherapy in 1058 patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy over the last 20 years. The tumors were classified as osteoblastic (70%), chondroblastic (13%), fibroblastic (9%), and telangiectatic (6%). At diagnosis, 911 patients had localized disease and 147 had resectable lung metastases. RESULTS: The response to preoperative chemotherapy was good (90% or more tumor necrosis) in 59% of patients and poor (< 90% tumor necrosis) in 41% of patients. The rate of good responses was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in the fibroblastic (83%) and telangiectatic (80%) tumors and significantly lower in chondroblastic tumors (43%). Prognosis was significantly correlated with the histologic subtypes. The 5-year overall survival rate was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in fibroblastic (83%) and telangiectatic (75%) tumors than in osteoblastic (62%) and chondroblastic (60%) tumors. In all subtypes, except for the chondroblastic subtype, the 5-year overall survival rate was significantly higher (P = 0.0001) in good responders P = 0.0001 (68%) than in poor responders (52%). CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that the histologic subtype of primary central high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremity was strictly correlated with histologic response to chemotherapy and probably, as a consequence, also with prognosis. Further studies are needed to establish whether these results justify a specific therapeutic approach based on the histologic subtype of the tumor.

Adolescent↗

Malignancy in giant cell tumor of bone.

BACKGROUND: The term malignant giant cell tumor embraces multiple entities and therefore can be confusing. The goals of the current study were to define the clinicopathologic and histologic features of malignancy in giant cell tumors and to clarify the terminology. METHODS: The authors reviewed all cases from the Rizzoli Institute (Bologna, Italy) of primary (PMGCT) and secondary (SMGCT) malignancy in giant cell tumors. PMGCT is a high-grade sarcoma that arises side by side with benign giant cell tumors. SMGCT is a high-grade sarcoma that occurs at the sites of previously treated giant cell tumors of bone. RESULTS: The authors report 5 PMGCTs and 12 SMGCTs; half of the SMGCTs were postradiation sarcomas. Patient age ranged from 20 to 68 years (median, 62 years) for PMGCT and from 30 to 77 years (median, 40 years) for SMGCT. The average latent period between diagnosis of giant cell tumor and diagnosis of SMGCT was 9 years (range, 3-15 years) for patients with postradiation SMGCT and 19 years (range, 7-28 years) for patients with SMGCT resulting from spontaneous transformation. The histologic classification of high-grade sarcomas in the PMGCT group was osteosarcoma in four cases and malignant fibrous histiocytoma in one case. In the SMGCT group, the histologic classification was osteosarcoma in nine cases, fibrosarcoma in two cases, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma in one case. The outcomes associated with all malignancies in giant cell tumors were poor, with the worst outcome associated with postradiation SMGCT. CONCLUSIONS: Malignancies in giant cell tumors of bone always are high-grade sarcomas with a poor prognosis. These lesions must be distinguished from benign giant cell tumors of bone. SMGCT usually is easy to diagnose upon malignant clinicoradiographic presentation. In contrast, PMGCT often mimics giant cell tumors both clinically and radiographically. In addition, upon histologic examination, PMGCT shows areas of conventional giant cell tumor, which can lead to difficulties in making the correct diagnosis.

Adult↗

Primary diffuse meningeal melanomatosis: radiologic-pathologic correlation.

We report a case of primary diffuse meningeal melanomatosis, a rare variant of primary malignant melanoma of the CNS, in a 68-year-old woman. The disease mimicked intracranial hypotension syndrome and was diagnosed only at autopsy (CSF cytologic results were negative). CT revealed hydrocephalus with effacement of the cerebral convexity sulci and abnormal contrast enhancement in the right sylvian and frontoparietal fissures, whereas MR imaging showed diffuse marked dural and leptomeningeal contrast enhancement. In retrospect, these nonspecific findings correlated with the extensive leptomeningeal invasion in the cerebral hemispheres, brain stem and spinal cord. The clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features of diffuse meningeal melanomatosis are reviewed.

Aged↗

Occupational risk factors for renal cell cancer: a case--control study in northern Italy.

Relatively little is known about occupational and other risk factors for renal-cell carcinoma (RCC). Associations between RCC and occupations, exposures and other factors were investigated in a hospital-based case-control study in Bologna (central-northern Italy). Between 1986 and 1994, 324 histologically confirmed RCC cases were diagnosed at Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi in patients from the Province of Bologna. Corresponding control subjects admitted to the same hospital with any diagnosis except RCC were matched for sex, age, and residency. We studied the 249 cases and 238 controls for whom detailed information on occupational history, diet, smoking habits, alcohol and drug intake was obtained. At conditional logistic regression, among males (167 matched pairs), significant matched odds ratios (OR) were found, after adjusting for cigarette smoking and alcohol intake, for high body-mass index BMI (third quartile: OR, 4.91; confidence interval [95% CI], 1.56-15.5; last quartile: OR, 4.42; 95% CI, 1.48-13.18), railway workers (OR, 10.14; 95% CI, 1.46-70.17) and asbestos exposure (OR, 7.11; 95% CI, 1.46-34.51); nearly significant OR were found for managers (OR, 3.59; 95% CI, 0.82-15.59) and metal workers (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 0.99-5.37). Among females (52 pairs), significant OR were found for BMI > 25.4 (OR, 8.46; 95% CI, 1.02-68.0). Railway workers (on or near to trains) may have increased risk of developing RCC, possibly due to asbestos exposure. Studies are required on possible risks encountered by railway (and metal) workers and by managers.

Adult↗

Desmoplastic fibroblastoma: a light and ultrastructural description of two cases.

The authors report 2 cases of collagenous fibroma in which ultrastructural analysis revealed the presence of fibronexus junctions, markers of myofibroblastic differentiation, never described in this rare lesion before. The tumors occurred in the trapezius muscle and in the right arms of a 41 -year-old and a 25-year-old man. They were both intramuscular and showed sharp edges. Grossly, the excised masses were whitish and firm. Microscopically, they were both composed of stellate or spindle-shaped cells separated by a collagenous hypovascular and focally myxoid stroma. Mitotic figures and necrotic areas were not identified. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity for vimentin and focal positivity for smooth and human muscle actin, and flow cytometry showed the tumoral cells to be diploid.

Actins↗

Upregulation of the oncogenic helix-loop-helix protein Id2 in Ewing sarcoma.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Id helix-loop-helix proteins function as regulators of cell growth and differentiation. However, they can induce malignant transformation when overexpressed. The EWS/ETS chimeric proteins in Ewing sarcoma act as aberrant transcription factors leading to tumorigenic processes. An enhanced expression of the Id2 gene in Ewing sarcoma cells was previously shown by gene array techniques. We investigated the expression of Id2 at the protein and gene level in Ewing sarcoma. METHODS: We evaluated the expression of Id2 protein using immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens from a total of 71 cases of Ewing sarcoma. Additionally, a Ewing sarcoma cell line was examined by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Id2 expression was observed in 65 cases (91.5%) of the 71 total cases examined and a high level of Id2 expression was observed in 45 of these cases (63.8%). In tumor cells, Id2 proteins displayed cytoplasmic as well as nuclear localization. The amplification of the Id2 gene was not noted in a Ewing sarcoma cell line using real-time quantitative PCR. The crossing points of Id2 in the Ewing sarcoma cell line, control fibroblast, and osteosarcoma cell line were 18.54 +/- 0.16, 18.25, and 18.34, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support a role for increased Id2 protein expression in Ewing sarcoma. However, this overexpression of the Id2 protein could not be confirmed by a corresponding change at the gene level in a Ewing sarcoma cell line.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗