Cystic adventitial disease: a trap for the unwary.

Cystic adventitial disease is an uncommon condition. A case of cystic adventitial disease of the popliteal artery is reported in a young man who has been followed up for 14 years after surgical treatment. Early recognition and treatment of the condition will prevent progression to popliteal thrombosis and critical ischaemia. However, diagnosis of the condition is difficult. Characteristic features in the presenting history, such as fluctuation in severity of symptoms, sudden onset after vigorous activity and delayed recovery time after cessation of exercise are identified, which should help the clinician avoid misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis of the condition. The clinician is also warned of the associated misleading clinical features such as the presence of normal peripheral pulses and normal ankle pressures in some cases of CAD.     

Unusual presentations of branchial cysts: a trap for the unwary.

Twenty-three cases of branchial cysts seen over 4 years are described. Only 11 patients presented with simple non-tender fluid swellings of the neck. Five patients presented with tender masses during infections and were diagnosed as acute abscesses. Seven patients presented with hard fixed masses mimicking lymphadenopathy. None of these were diagnosed correctly before surgery. Misdiagnosis led to significant morbidity from persistent cervical discharges. One patient had a partial nerve palsy. Infection of branchial cysts was common in this series and caused difficulties in diagnosis due to thickening of cysts walls following chronic inflammation in lymphoid tissue.     

Ecthyma gangraenosum--a trap for the unwary

Neutropaenic patients are at particular risk of developing a pseudomonal fasciitis known as ecthyma gangraenosum. Despite the similarities with necrotising fasciitis, Fournier's gangrene has a very different aetiology and management.     

Azygos lobe associated with esophageal atresia: a trap for the unwary

Presence of an associated azygos lobe may cause problems during thoracotomy on the right side for esophageal atresia. Awareness of the anomaly allows its recognition and appropriate management.     

Cystic hypersecretory duct carcinoma of the breast

This report describes a grossly and microscopically distinctive multicystic form of duct carcinoma of the breast which we have termed cystic hypersecretory duct carcinoma. The outstanding morphologic feature is marked secretory activity with the formation of dilated ducts and cysts containing homogeneous, eosinophilic material which resembles thyroid colloid. The inconspicuous epithelium lining the cysts gives rise to micropapillary carcinoma which also occurs in associated ducts. A biopsy that consists entirely of cystic elements, lacking the papillary component, should be termed cystic hypersecretory hyperplasia rather than carcinoma. This may be a persistent condition with the potential to evolve into carcinoma. Eight patients with cystic hypersecretory duct carcinoma were studied, ranging in age from 32 to 78 years (mean 54). In two cases there was coexistent invasive carcinoma, presenting as inflammatory carcinoma with bone metastases in one woman and with a single axillary lymph node metastasis in another. Six patients with intraductal carcinoma treated with mastectomy or local excision have remained well, the longest follow-up being 2 years. Histochemical studies were negative for thyroglobulin in all cases studied. Some lesions were positive for one or more of the following: mucin by mucicarmine stain; carcinoembryonic antigen; alpha-lactalbumin; mouse mammary tumor virus GP52 antigen. Cystic hypersecretory duct carcinoma is morphologically distinguishable from juvenile (secretory) carcinoma and from mucinous (colloid) carcinoma. Longer follow-up and study of additional cases will be necessary to determine if this lesion has distinctive clinical characteristics.     

Cystic adenomyoepithelioma of the breast

Cystic adenomyoepithelioma of the breast is a rare tumor. We report a case of this entity in a 42-year-old woman who presented with a lump behind her left nipple. Clinical examination suggested the diagnosis of a cyst. Ultrasound showed a cyst with an intracystic mass. The lesion was biopsied and found to be a cystic adenomyoepithelioma.     

Cystic duct carcinoma: a proposal for a new "working definition"

BACKGROUND. Farrar's criteria for cystic duct carcinoma (histopathological diagnosis of a carcinoma strictly limited to the cystic duct) have practical limitations. We propose new "working definition": a gallbladder tumor, the center of which is located in the cystic duct. PATIENTS AND METHODS. Between 1980 and 2000 we diagnosed cystic duct carcinoma in 31 patients, 28 of whom (90%) had increased serum bilirubin concentrations. Extrahepatic bile duct resection and cholecystectomy were performed in 10 patients; in others, extended right hepatectomy (16), right hepatectomy (3), and liver bed resection (2) were necessary as well for a potentially curative resection. Additional procedures were portal vein resection (10) and pancreatoduodenectomy (7). RESULTS. All tumors were adenocarcinomas. Depth of invasion was T2 in 3 patients, T3 in 12, and T4 in 16. Thirteen patients (42%) had lymph node metastasis. Curative resection was performed in 24 patients (77%). Hospital mortality was 5 of 31 (16%). Actuarial 5-year survival rate excluding hospital deaths was 22%. CONCLUSIONS. The proposed "working definition" avoids the problems associated with Farrar's criteria and describes a distinct patient group with an approximately equal proportion of men and women, advanced T stage, but a lower than expected frequency of lymph node metastasis. It establishes a basis for standard reporting of results.     

Pre-estrogen breast irradiation for patients with carcinoma of the prostate: a critical review.

We studied 38 patients with prostatic cancer who received breast irradiation before oral estrogen administration. Our data are combined with those from other institutions to determine the effectiveness of pre-estrogen breast irradiation in minimizing gynecomastia and/or pain. Based on our review the incidence of estrogen-induced breast changes is 70%. Irradiation given before estrogen administration can prevent or minimize these changes in 89.3% of the treated patients. Histologic changes of gynecomastia are reviewed and recommendations for optimum radiation therapy technique are included.