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Endoluminal gastroplication in children with significant gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

AIMS: To describe paediatric experience, and to assess complications and therapeutic effectiveness of the use of endoluminal gastroplication in children with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) refractory to, or dependent on, proton pump inhibitors. METHODS: Seventeen (five male) consecutive children/adolescents (median (range) age 12.4 (6.1-15.9) years, median (range) weight 46.0 (16.5-87.5) kg) with GORD either dependent for more than 12 months on proton pump inhibitors or non-responsive to medical treatment underwent endoscopic gastroplication using a flexible endoscopic sewing device (EndoCinch). Three plications were placed in gastric tissue below the lower oesophageal sphincter. Drug dose requirement, pH measurements, daily symptom severity and frequency, and validated reflux (QOLRAD) and general gastrointestinal (GSRS) quality of life scores were compared before and after endoscopic gastroplication. RESULTS: All patients showed post-treatment improvement in symptom severity, frequency, and quality of life scores (p<0.0001). Three patients with recurrent symptomatic GORD had a repeat procedure within six weeks and did well subsequently. At up to 33 months of follow up (median 23), 14/17 patients remained off all antireflux medications, and 14/17 had maintained their symptomatic improvement. All pH parameters improved and had returned to normal values in 14/16 patients post-treatment and in 6/9 after one year of follow-up: in particular the reflux index had decreased from a median of 16.6% (0.9-67%) to 2.5% (0.7-15.7%) (p<0.0001) six weeks and 4.3% (2.2-20.6) (p<0.02) 12 months post-procedure. The only complication observed was gastric bleeding in one patient due to previously undiagnosed coagulopathy, which spontaneously resolved. CONCLUSIONS: Endoluminal gastroplication is an effective and safe procedure in children/adolescents with significant GORD refractory to, or dependent on, medical anti-GORD therapy.

Adolescent↗

Predictive value of pathological features for progression after radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: 10-30% of patients with T1/T2 prostate cancer submitted to radical prostatectomy ultimately fail. It may be important to detect failure as early as possible in order to evaluate the extent of recurrent/residual disease and initiate adjuvant therapy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 100 consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer treated by radical prostatectomy have been monitored using the hypersensitive Pros-check prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assay (detection level 0.1 ng/ml). The predictive value of positive surgical margins, involvement of seminal vesicles and perineural spaces as well as Gleason's score for biological failure (persistent or recurrent detectable PSA) has been retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Overall 40% of the patients had biological failure (defined as persistence of a detectable or rising PSA after undetectability) and 38% had positive surgical margins. The three main predictive criteria of biological failure were capsular perforation, involvement of seminal vesicles and/or positive margins. All patients in whom these criteria were positive progressed. Seminal vesicle invasion was associated with biological failure in 95% of the cases. 66.7% of the patients with extracapsular disease but no seminal vesicle invasion progressed. 15% of pT2 patients experienced a persistent/recurrent postoperative PSA and were upstaged to pT3 after reevaluation of the specimen. CONCLUSION: Efforts should be made to increase the preoperative evaluation of seminal vesicle and pericapsular status by a more sophisticated technique of prostate biopsy in order to avoid noncurative surgery.

Adult↗

The reliability and validity of knee-specific and general health instruments in assessing acute patellar dislocation outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The most reliable and valid instruments for assessing patient outcome after patellar dislocation have not been identified. HYPOTHESIS: Knee-specific and general health instruments will differ in validity and reliability for patients with patellar dislocation. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 153 patients with acute patellar dislocation (110 with first-time dislocations and 43 with a history of patellofemoral subluxation or dislocation). We administered the modified International Knee Documentation Committee form, Kujala, Fulkerson, Lysholm, Tegner, Short Form 36, and Musculoskeletal Function Assessment instruments on two separate occasions (test-retest reliability). Validity was assessed by comparing scores of the two groups and by comparing scores of patients with and without recurrent subluxations/dislocations during follow-up. RESULTS: The knee-specific instruments yielded the highest test-retest reliability. The knee-specific and general health instruments identified higher disability levels in the patients with a history of patellofemoral problems than in those with first-time dislocations. The general health instruments identified higher disability levels in patients with patellar dislocation than published norms. The Fulkerson and Lysholm scales were the only instruments to differentiate between patients with and without recurrent subluxations/dislocations. CONCLUSIONS: Knee-specific scales yielded higher reliability coefficients and stronger validity than did general health instruments. Knee-specific, general health, and activity level instruments are complementary and in combination provide a more complete assessment for patients with patellar dislocation.

Adolescent↗

Long-term results of use of a collared matte-finished femoral component fixed with second-generation cementing techniques. A fifteen-year-median follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: So-called second-generation cementing techniques in total hip arthroplasty have been shown to provide better survival of the femoral component than first-generation methods do; however, surface finish and other features of the component design also influence the durability of the reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the results of primary total hip replacement with use of a collared femoral component with a matte-finished surface fixed with second-generation cementing techniques and followed for ten to twenty years. METHODS: The study group consisted of 256 consecutive hips in 236 patients who had had a primary total hip arthroplasty with fixation of a Harris Design-2 femoral component with second-generation cementing techniques (use of an intramedullary plug and a cement gun). The mean age of the patients at the time of the operation was sixty-six years. One hundred and twelve patients were male, and 124 were female. Seven patients were lost to follow-up less than ten years after the operation. The median duration of follow-up of the living patients who had not had a revision was 15.4 years. RESULTS: At the time of the most recent follow-up, nineteen femoral components (7%) had been revised because of aseptic loosening, five (2%) had been removed because of deep infection, and one (0.4%) had been revised because of recurrent dislocation. The mean Harris hip score for the surviving patients who had not had a revision improved from 51 points preoperatively to 91 points at the most recent evaluation. At fifteen years, the estimated survival rate of the femoral components was 92.2% with revision due to aseptic loosening as the end point and 90.1% with mechanical failure (radiographic loosening or revision due to aseptic loosening) as the end point. Patients who were younger than fifty years old at the time of the operation had a lower fifteen-year rate of survival of the femoral implant, in terms of both revision due to aseptic loosening (72.3% compared with 95.7%, p = 0.0001) and mechanical failure (72.3% compared with 93.1%, p = 0.005), than did patients who were fifty years or older. CONCLUSIONS: Fixation of this collared matte-finished femoral component with use of second-generation cementing techniques for primary total hip replacement provided satisfactory results at ten to twenty years in older patients but less satisfactory results in younger patients.

Adolescent↗

Megaprostheses after resection of distal femoral tumors. A rotating hinge design in 30 patients followed for 2-7 years.

Between 1981-1993, we inserted 32 Kinematic Rotating-Hinge Knee tumor prostheses in 30 patients, of which 2 concerned revisions of the same type of prosthesis. The diagnoses were 21 osteosarcomas, 2 chondrosarcomas, 2 Ewing's sarcomas, 2 metastatic breast carcinomas, 1 multiple myeloma, 1 giant cell tumor and 1 Gorham's disease. The median age was 25 (12-60) years and the median follow-up for survivors was 3.5 (2-6.6) years. There were 7 metastases and 1 local recurrence. 20 knees had excellent (MSTS) scores for motion (median flexion 120 degrees), 8 had good (84 degrees) and 4 had fair (45 degrees). The overall function was excellent in 6 cases, good in 14, fair in 9 and poor in 3. The radiographic assessment (ISOLS) gave "excellent" or "good" scores in 27 knees for bone remodelling, 31 for the interface, 28 for the anchorage, 31 for the implant body and 30 for the articulation. Extracortical bone bridging greater than 25% was observed in 18 of 27 prostheses.

Adolescent↗

Liver transplantation in chronic hepatitis B and C.

The general indications for liver transplantation in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and the issues surrounding treatment for HBV infection in the pre- and post-transplant periods, are discussed. In general, transplantation is reserved for patients with end-stage liver failure secondary to cirrhosis and a small population with acute liver failure. It is proposed that certain guidelines can be developed and that these should include any one of the following: a Child-Pugh score > or = 9, diuretic resistant ascites, recurrent portal hypertensive bleeding, recurrent encephalopathy, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and the development of a small hepatocellular cancer (< or = 5 cm in diameter). Treatment for HBV infection now includes lamivudine therapy pre and post transplantation together with hepatitis B immunoglobulin. Such an approach has virtually abolished recurrence of HBV infection following liver transplantation.

Antiviral Agents↗

Birth asphyxia alters neonatal intestinal motility in term neonates.

As an extension of an earlier study showing that manometry can identify preterm newborns at risk for feeding intolerance, the authors investigated whether abnormalities of intestinal motor activity underlie the feeding intolerance seen in asphyxiated newborns. Low-compliance perfusion manometry was recorded within the first postnatal week in 25 term neonates admitted consecutively for respiratory diseases. Eleven of these neonates were identified to have experienced birth asphyxia because three concurrent features were present: 1-minute Apgar score of less than 2; 5-minute Apgar score of less than 4; and recurrent seizures within the first 48 postnatal hours. The remaining 14 neonates, who did not have any of these three characteristics, were considered to be nonasphyxiated control neonates. Motor activity differed in nonasphyxiated and asphyxiated neonates during fasting and feeding. During fasting, asphyxiated neonates had less migrating activity than nonasphyxiated neonates. In addition, episodes of motor quiescence and clustered phasic activity were less well organized in asphyxiated neonates. Both groups of neonates displayed a change in motor activity in response to a feeding infusion; however, the response was initiated significantly sooner in asphyxiated than in control neonates. All of the 11 asphyxiated neonates were intolerant of enteral feedings during the first poststudy week, but no control neonate was feeding intolerant. Six of the asphyxiated neonates were reevaluated 1 to 2 weeks later. During this latter study, motor activity in these asphyxiated neonates was similar to that of nonasphyxiated neonates; 5 of 6 of these neonates subsequently tolerated enteral feedings. It is speculated that changes in motor activity underlie the feeding intolerance that asphyxiated neonates typically exhibit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Asphyxia Neonatorum↗

[Surgical treatment of anal fissure].

BACKGROUND: Anal fissure is very painful; surgery is warranted when medical treatment fails. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We present a retrospective study of 34 patients (median age 42; 19-63) treated by subcutaneous lateral internal sphincterotomy (n = 27) and anal dilatation (n = 7) from 1992 to 2002, carried out by a questionnaire on pain, anal incontinence, and treatment result. RESULTS: There were no complications or treatment for recurrence of anal fissure. Median pain score before surgery was 7.3 on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain), median 73 months (4-124) after surgery the median score was 0 (0-5) (p = 0.00). For sphincterotomy (n = 27), the median score was 7.8 before surgery and 0 (0-5) after (p = 0.00), for anal dilatation 6 (3-10) before surgery and 2 (0-2) (p = 0.01) after. All patients had reduced pain scores after surgery but their incontinence scores remained unchanged. Two patients (7%) who had previously been dilated or irradiated developed faecal incontinence after sphincterotomy. More patients became asymptomatic after sphincterotomy (n = 18; 67%) than after anal dilatation (n = 4; 57%). INTERPRETATION: Compared to anal dilatation, sphincterotomy offers better pain relief for anal fissure. Doing a shorter sphincterotomy corresponding to length of the fissure reduces the risk of anal incontinence.

Adult↗

Y-box binding protein, YB-1, as a marker of tumor aggressiveness and response to adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

The Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) regulates gene expression through transcription and translation. YB-1 has been shown to be associated with up-regulation of P-glycoprotein (Pgp), an ATP-binding transporter involved in multi-drug resistance. In this study, we determined the prognostic significance of YB-1 and its relationship with Pgp in patients with breast cancer. YB-1 and Pgp expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in resected specimens of infiltrative ductal breast cancers from 99 patients and 57 patients respectively and correlated with clinicopathological parameters and adjuvant chemotherapy regimes. The antibody for the YB-1 protein was prepared by injecting a rabbit with a purified recombinant chicken YB1 protein. The relationship between YB-1 and Pgp was also evaluated by a computational approach using the Resonant Recognition Model (RRM). We found that breast tumors which were both estrogen receptor-negative and lymph node positive were associated with high YB-1 expression (P=0.017). In patients who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy, recurrence risk was reduced in breast cancers having lower YB-1 expression (P=0.034), suggesting that high levels of YB-1 expression in breast cancer is associated with tumor aggressiveness. We were able to demonstrate a direct interaction between YB-1 and Pgp using the computer-based RRM. Interestingly, we found that patients who were on a chemotherapy regime which contained an anthracycline (a Pgp substrate) and subsequently developed recurrence, had a higher YB-1 score compared to patients on the Cyclophosphamide/Methotrexate/5-Fluorouracil regime (P=0.024). YB-1 expression in breast cancer may be a potential marker of chemoresistance and could possibly aid in selection of the appropriate adjuvant chemotherapy regime for breast cancers.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

p53, PCNA and Ki67 in laryngeal cancer.

Immunohistopathological staining for p53, PCNA and Ki67 was performed in 120 specimens from previously untreated laryngeal carcinomas using the avidin-biotin method with peroxidase as a marker enzyme and diaminobenzidine as a chromogen. A 5-grade staining score system was used. Statistically significant correlations (Chi-square) were seen between T- and N-stage and histopathological grading. p53 and Ki67 scoring correlated with T- and N-stage whereas PCNA with T-stage. All staining correlated with histopathological grading. The score of staining for p53, PCNA and Ki67 correlated with each other. The patients with recurrences within 3 years had mainly carcinomas with higher staining scores. Using Chi-square analysis the p53, PCNA and Ki67 staining scores were also independent prognostic indicators.

Adult↗

Limited role of radionuclide bone scintigraphy in patients with prostate specific antigen elevations after radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: Bone scintigrams of patients with increasing serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) after radical prostatectomy are only rarely positive. We identify clinical parameters that would improve our ability to select patients for this imaging study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed all bone scintigrams done at our institution between 1991 and 1996 in patients with persistently increasing serum PSA after radical prostatectomy. What prompted the clinician to obtain the bone scintigram was trigger PSA (tPSA). The rate of increase in PSA to tPSA was measured by tPSA/time from radical prostatectomy (slope 1) and tPSA/time from last undetectable PSA (slope 2). These parameters were evaluated together with standard clinicopathological data in univariate and multivariate analyses to determine the ability to predict the bone scintigram result. RESULTS: In univariate analysis tPSA (p = 0.003), slope 1 (p = 0.005) and slope 2 (p = 0.004) were useful in predicting the bone scintigram result but pathological stage, Gleason score, preoperative PSA and time to recurrence were not. In multivariate analysis the single most useful parameter in predicting the bone scintigram result was tPSA (p = 0.01). Based on a logistic regression model the probability of a positive bone scintigram was less than 5% until tPSA increased to 40 to 45 ng./ml. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with increasing serum PSA after radical prostatectomy current serum PSA is the best predictor of the bone scintigram result. Furthermore, there is limited usefulness of bone scintigraphy until PSA increases above 30 to 40 ng./ml.

Bone Neoplasms↗

Can perineural invasion on prostate needle biopsy predict prostate specific antigen recurrence after radical prostatectomy?

PURPOSE: We evaluated the role of perineural invasion identified on prostate needle biopsy as a predictor of prostate specific antigen (PSA) recurrence after radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1993 and 1998 radical prostatectomy was performed in 319 consecutive patients. Prostate needle biopsies were reviewed in all cases. We compared perineural invasion with other preoperative parameters, including digital rectal examination, PSA and biopsy Gleason score, for the ability to predict PSA recurrence with recurrence defined as any serum PSA level greater than 0.2 ng./ml. RESULTS: Perineural invasion was identified on 77 of 319 preoperative prostate biopsies (24%). There was PSA recurrence in 46 patients (14.4%) at a mean followup of 25.4 months (range 0.2 to 62.1). Perineural invasion statistically correlated with PSA recurrence. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed disease-free survival rates of 24 versus 64% when perineural invasion was and was not present in the prostate biopsy (p = 0.0003, log rank 12.92). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that perineural invasion (p = 0.012) and PSA (p = 0.005) were independent preoperative predictive factors of PSA recurrence. When perineural invasion was compared with postoperative parameters, including disease stage, surgical margins and seminal vesicle invasion, it was not an independent predictor because it closely correlated with tumor stage. CONCLUSIONS: Perineural invasion on preoperative prostate needle biopsy is a strong independent predictor of PSA recurrence in patients in whom prostate cancer was treated with radical prostatectomy.

Adult↗

Consecutive quantitative cytology in bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Quantitative cytology (Quanticyt) provides an objective reproducible alternative for routine cytology. To increase the sensitivity of cytology, we studied the application of consecutive cytology in patients in follow-up for superficial bladder cancer. METHODS: Between 1991 and 1998, a set of five or more bladder wash samples was obtained from 614 patients. These patients were retrospectively studied for follow-up data. Each sample was scored according to the Quanticyt risk score. RESULTS: In 614 patients (508 men, 106 women), 5832 bladder wash samples were taken. The mean interval between the first and fifth sample per patient was 21.5 months (SD 13.8 months). The mean number of tumor recurrences per patient was 2.17 (SD 1.82). The risk score of the first sample was not predictive of recurrence. Invasive disease was found in 0%, 0%, and 0.8% of patients with one low, intermediate, and high-risk sample, respectively. After five samples, the corresponding rate was 0%, 0%, and 10%. A comparison of visual cytology and quantitative cytology revealed that the false-negative rate was significantly different (17% versus 3.8%). The positive predictive value was highest for visual cytology (17% versus 9.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Adding consecutive quantitative cytology to urine cytopathologic evaluation improves the detection rate of high-grade lesions. Combining quantitative cytology and visual cytology provided a more accurate prediction of tumor stage.

Aged↗

Superiority of prolonged low-dose azanucleoside administration? Results of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine retreatment in high-risk myelodysplasia patients.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment duration with decitabine (DAC) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) remains a matter of debate. Although at least 2 consolidating courses after best response usually are performed, the response to treatment after disease recurrence has not been systematically studied to date. METHODS: In the current study, the authors report on 22 of 108 patients with MDS (20%) treated with low-dose DAC in 3 Phase II trials who received DAC as retreatment at the time of disease recurrence. RESULTS: According to the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) at the time of initial treatment, 5 of 22 patients (23%) had a score of intermediate-1 (Int-1), 4 patients (18%) had a score of Int-2, and 13 patients (59%) were scored as high-risk. Patients initially received a median of 6 courses of DAC (range, 2 courses-6 courses), which resulted in a complete remission (complete response [CR]) in 12 of the 22 patients (55%). Retreatment with DAC at the time of disease recurrence was initiated at a median of 11 months (range, 3 mos-27 mos) after the last course of initial treatment. With regard to DAC retreatment, patients received a median of 3 courses (range, 1 courses-6 courses), with 10 of 22 patients (45%) responding (1 with a CR and 2 with partial remissions [partial response (PR)]; all 3 patients achieved a CR at the time of initial treatment) and 7 patients demonstrating a hematologic improvement (HI) (at the time of initial treatment there were 2 CRs, 4 PRs, and 1 HI). Twelve of the 22 patients (55%) did not demonstrate any objective responses to retreatment, including 4 patients with primary resistance to the first course of retreatment. The median survival of all patients from the initiation of the first DAC course was 27.5 months (range, 15 mos-50+ mos). The median survival of 43 patients who also had achieved a response to the initial treatment with DAC but who received best supportive care (n = 33 patients) or induction chemotherapy (n = 10 patients) was 18 months (range, 5 mos-72 mos). Second responders to DAC retreatment were found less frequently in the IPSS high-risk group compared with nonresponders (40% vs. 83%). Age, French-American-British classification subtype, serum lactate dehydrogenase level at retreatment, and previous response to DAC were not found to strongly differ between the groups; however, the subgroups were too small to perform a statistical analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Retreatment with DAC was found to result in objective responses in 45% of previously DAC-responsive patients. However, the quality and duration of the second disease remissions were found to be inferior. Therefore, DAC-responsive patients might derive more clinical benefit from continuation of the initial treatment.

Aged↗

Topologically distinct intratumoral heterogeneity scores for predicting high-risk pathological grades in invasive lung adenocarcinoma: A multicenter study across four institutions.

High-risk subtypes of invasive lung adenocarcinoma (IAC), particularly micropapillary- or solid-predominant patterns, are closely associated with poor prognosis. This multicenter retrospective study developed and validated a predictive model for the preoperative identification of these high-risk subtypes using topologically distinct intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) scores derived from CT images. The study included 1,051 patients with IAC. Two complementary ITH scores were developed: a two-dimensional ITH score, which integrated local radiomics features with global pixel distribution patterns on the largest cross-sectional CT slice, and a three-dimensional ITH score, which extended this quantification across the entire tumor volume. Clinicoradiological features and ITH scores were incorporated as model inputs to construct six base machine learning classifiers and a final stacking ensemble classifier. Model interpretability and robustness were evaluated using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP)-based ablation analyses. An independent dataset from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) was used for external validation to investigate associations between ITH scores and pathological characteristics, genomic features, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival. The stacking ensemble classifier achieved the best predictive performance, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.875, outperforming models based solely on radiomics features (0.834) or clinicoradiological features (0.792). SHAP analysis identified the 3D ITH score as the most influential contributor to model output, and TCIA validation showed that higher 3D ITH scores were associated with more aggressive tumor biology and poorer survival outcomes. The topologically distinct 3D ITH score may provide a clinically meaningful imaging biomarker for preoperative risk stratification in IAC.

Journal Article↗

Pretreatment serum level of HER2/nue as a prognostic factor in metastatic prostate cancer patients about to undergo endocrine therapy.

BACKGROUND: Overexpression of the HER2 receptor protein and amplification of the HER2 gene has been implicated in tumor development and progression, and has been associated with a poor prognosis in several types of cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pretreatment serum HER2 levels can be used to predict biochemical recurrence-free survival in prostate cancer patients about to undergo endocrine therapy. METHODS: The study population consisted of 379 untreated patients with histologically diagnosed prostate cancer: 197 with T2N0M0, 93 with T3N0M0, 19 with TxN1Mx, and 70 with TxNxM1. Serum HER2 levels were assessed in the prostate cancer patients prior to treatment as well as in a control group of 100 patients with histologically confirmed non-cancer. Biochemical recurrence-free curves for the patients were investigated separately using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The mean level of HER2 in serum was significantly higher in prostate cancer patients than non-prostate cancer patients (P = 0.006). Also, the serum HER2 level was significantly higher in bone metastatic cancer patients (14.3 +/- 6.3 ng/mL) than in non-metastatic patients (T2: 11.9 +/- 2.3 ng/mL, P = 0.003; T3: 12.2 +/- 2.8 ng/mL, P = 0.011). The metastatic patients were divided into those with low and high HER2 levels using a cutoff value of 12.6 ng/mL based on receiver-operating characteristic curves. The biochemical recurrence-free rate was significantly poorer in patients with a high HER2 level (P = 0.0078, log-rank test). Multivariate Cox logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the pretreatment serum HER2 value (P = 0.022), serum prostate-specific antigen value (P = 0.018), and extent of disease score (P = 0.027) were independent predictors of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The pretreatment serum HER2 level may be a useful independent prognostic factor that is associated with a high risk of biochemical recurrence in metastatic prostate cancer patients about to undergo endocrine therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of intraoral salivary glands. Evaluation and application of grading criteria in 143 cases.

The histopathologic criteria most useful for grading of mucoepidermoid carcinomas are controversial. To identify those histologic features most important in the grading of intraoral mucoepidermoid carcinomas, 143 cases of this disease with clinicopathologic correlations were studied. Twelve histopathologic features of each tumor and their clinical presentation were correlated with patient outcome. Seven patients died of disease, 5 had regional metastases only, 10 had recurrences only, and 121 had no additional problems. Clinical features suggesting aggressive behavior were short duration, presence of clinical symptoms, and location of tumor in the tongue and floor of the mouth. The histopathologic features that indicated high-grade behavior were an intracystic component of less than 20%, four or more mitotic figures per ten high-power fields, neural invasion, necrosis, and cellular anaplasia. The simultaneous assessment of these features showed improved prognostic correlation over individual parameters. A quantitative grading system was devised using these features. Tumors with a point score of 0 to 4 were considered low grade, and none of 122 patients with scores in this range died of their tumor, although 9 had recurrences only and 3 had regional metastases. Point scores of 7 or above indicated highly aggressive behavior. Six of ten patients with these high scores died of tumor. Most of these six patients had recurrences and regional metastases, and all had distant metastases. Two other patients had regional metastases only. Scores of 5 to 6 were considered intermediate between low-grade and high-grade scores because only 1 of 13 patients with these scores died of disease. Three of the five patients with regional metastasis had low-grade tumors, indicating the inability of the grading system to identify them. Nonetheless, with an average follow-up on these patients of 10 years after treatment of the metastasis, no patient had additional problems. The relative objectivity of our proposed grading system for intraoral mucoepidermoid carcinomas may help achieve more accurate and consistent grading of these rare tumors.

Adolescent↗