Primary gastric choriocarcinoma: a case report and review of the literature.

Choriocarcinoma is a rapidly invasive, widely metastatic human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)-producing neoplasm, usually intrauterine and gestational. Primary gastric choriocarcinoma is very rare, and its pathogenesis is still uncertain. We report a case of primary gastric choriocarcinoma associated with adenocarcinoma in a 36-year-old woman. The patient presented with gastrointestinal bleeding and a gastric mass clinically suspicious of gastric adenocarcinoma. Histopathologic evaluation proved the tumor to be a choriocarcinoma, with a minor component of a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient was treated with a standard nongestational choriocarcinoma chemotherapy regimen. An impressive initial response was evidenced by clinical reduction of the tumor volume and drop of the serum beta-HCG levels after the first cycle. However, the tumor rapidly recurred in the abdomen and disseminated to the lungs, which were documented by new elevation of serum beta-HCG levels and computed tomographic scans despite continuing with 3 more cycles of chemotherapy. The patient died 6 months after diagnosis.     

Coexisting epithelioid trophoblastic tumor and placental site trophoblastic tumor of the uterus following a term pregnancy: report of a case and review of literature

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasms are a group of fetal trophoblastic tumors including choriocarcinomas, epithelioid trophoblastic tumors (ETTs), and placental site trophoblastic tumors (PSTTs). Mixed gestational trophoblastic neoplasms are extremely rare. The existence of mixed gestational trophoblastic neoplasms that were composed of choriocarcinoma and/or PSTT and/or ETT was also reported. Herein, we present a case of uterine mixed gestational trophoblastic neoplasm which is ETT admixed with PSTT, and reviewed 9 cases of mixed gestational trophoblastic neoplasms reported in English literature available. The most common combination was a choriocarcinoma admixed with an ETT and/or PSTT. Mixed gestational trophoblastic neoplasms present in women of reproductive age and rare in postmenopausal, Abnormal vaginal bleeding is the most common presenting symptom, serum β-HCG levels are elevated, mostly below 2500 mIU/ml, the tumor was limited to uterus in 7 cases, the rest of 3 with pulmonary metastases at the time of diagnosis. Mixed gestational trophoblastic neoplasms have more similar clinical features with intermediate trophoblastic tumors (ITTs). Total hysterectomy with lymph node dissection is recommended treatment for mixed gestational trophoblastic neoplasms, and chemotherapy should be used in patients with metastatic disease and with nonmetastatic disease who have adverse prognostic factors.     

Infantile and maternal choriocarcinoma

Infantile or congenital choriocarcinoma is a very uncommon complication of gestational choriocarcinoma. We report such a case with fatal outcome in a 3-week-old newborn, admitted for a hemorrhagic syndrome. Lungs, liver and brain masses were discovered and suggested an angiomatous process. The diagnosis was made later on gingival biopsy with necropsic confirmation. The mother's B-HCG level was elevated. She had asymptomatic pulmonary nodules and a uterine mass. This case report highlights characteristic but non specific clinical findings leading to the diagnosis. Chemotherapy must be undertaken as soon as possible to be effective. It is also necessary to assay maternal serum B-HCG when infantile choriocarcinoma is disclosed.     

Conservative treatment using a methotrexate-lipiodol emulsion containing non-ionic contrast medium for a cervical ectopic pregnancy

We present a case in which a viable cervical pregnancy was successfully treated with preservation of the uterus. A 26 year old female presented with a 6 week cervical pregnancy with acute moderate bleeding. On the day of admission the patient underwent embolization of the descending uterine artery to decrease the bleeding. The following day, 4 mEq potassium chloride and methotrexate (MTX)(1 mg/kg) dissolved in saline was injected into the amniotic cavity using transvaginal sonographic guidance. The fetal heart beat ceased; however, the urinary beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) concentration increased and the gestational sac size also increased. After a second injection of an emulsion of MTX (1 mg/kg) dissolved in a non-ionic contrast medium, iopamidol and lipiodol, the betaHCG concentration in the urine began to decrease. After a third injection with the same emulsion, the cervical mass became necrotic. The betaHCG concentrations in the urine and serum were undetectable and the external cervix returned to normal 44 days after admission. No vaginal bleeding or significant side effects of MTX were observed throughout the treatment. An in-vitro dissolution test revealed that the dissolution rate of MTX was slower from MTX-lipiodol- iopamidol with sonication than without sonication. The present study indicates that use of an MTX emulsion enables slow release of MTX and may be applicable for conservative treatment of ectopic pregnancies, including cervical pregnancy.      

Primary sinonasal choriocarcinoma

Primary choriocarcinoma of sinonasal tract has not been previously documented. The aim of the study was to report, for the first time, 2 cases of primary sinonasal choriocarcinoma. The differential diagnosis is discussed and also the theories concerning the histogenesis of this neoplasm are briefly reviewed. Two male patients of 44 and 49 years of age complained of epistaxis and nasal obstruction of 2-week duration. Computerized axial tomographic scan of the head revealed an opacity of the left nasal cavity in one patient and a destructive lesion of the maxillary sinus in the other. Histopathologically, the lesions disclosed a dual cell population composed of cytotrophoblastic cells with uniform, round nuclei, clear cytoplasm, admixed with large multinucleated syncytiotrophoblastic cells, with bizarre nuclei, and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunohistochemically, the tumors were notable for strong keratin and β-chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) positivity. The serum levels of HCG were 13 000 and 779 mIU/mL, respectively. One patient treated with maxillectomy, postoperative radiotherapy, and 5 courses of VIP chemotherapy (cisplatinum, etoposide, ifosfomide) died with brain metastases 10 months after diagnosis. The other patient received 4 courses of etoposide, and he is alive without tumor, 10 months after diagnosis. The serum levels of HCG are still negative. The present cases demonstrated the widespread distribution of germ cell tumors in the human body and lead to further support of the existence of primary choriocarcinomas in the sinonasal tract. Correct identification of this neoplasm is therefore important for institution of specific therapy.     

Choriocarcinomatous change with immunocytochemically HCG-positive cells in the gastric carcinoma of the males

Summary Gastric choriocarcinoma is a rare tumor and attracts interest because of its controversial pathogenesis. The present study reports a choriocarcinomatous change with immunocytochemically hCG-positive cells in the gastric carcinoma. The patients were males, one was 41 years old and the other 42 years old. The tumor of both cases consists of adenocarcinoma and choriocarcinoma. A sequential process of morphological transition of the adenocarcinoma to the choriocarcinoma can be traced. Indirect immunoperoxidase stain (PAP method) for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) demonstrates the localization of hCG in the syncytiotrophoblasts. Small number of cytotrophoblasts are weakly positive. None of the components of adenocarcinoma of both cases is positive for hCG. Human placental lactogen is not demonstrated in both cases. Stain for pregnancy specific -1 glycoprotein is weakly positive in the adenocarcinoma of one case but not in the choriocarcinoma. In one case, the concentration of hCG was 19.9mIU/ml in the preoperative serum and decreased to 1.2mIU/ml after gastrectomy. HCG production by gastric carcinoma was discussed with regard to possible pathogenesis of gastric choriocarcinoma.     

妊娠滋养细胞肿瘤HCG及HPL检测意义的探讨

Preliminary results of observation on the immunohistochemical localization of HCG and HPL are reported, involving totally 15 cases of hydatidiform moles, 17 cases of invasive moles and 15 cases of choriocarcinoma. An intermediate type of trophoblast (IT) was identified in the gestational trophoblastic tumors. The presence of HCG and HPL in both IT and syncytiotrophoblast (ST) varied with the type of trophoblastic tumors. Syncytiotrophoblast sometimes contained both of the hormones, whereas IT contained HPL predominantly. Cytotrophoblasts were devoid of HCG and HPL except in choriocarcinoma.     

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Immunoreactivity in Serum of Patients With Malignant Neoplasms

ABSTRACT: The beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) radioimmunoassay was used to determine the presence of HCG immunoreactivity in serum of patients (n = 71) with diagnosis of cancer. Of patients with active neoplasia, 60.5% showed HCG immunoactivity above controls (>> 5 mlU/ml). An apparent degree of correlation was observed with tumor activity in that a case with widespread metastases due to a colonic carcinoma exhibited the highest HCG levels while, in one patient, the level of HCG decreased progressively according to therapeutic response. A high frequency of immunoactive HCG was found in patients with carcinomas of the cervix, breast, gonad digestive system and in patients with melanoma. Trophoblastic cells were not evident in the tumors biopsied. Immunologic similarity of HCG secreted by tumors and that contained in serum of pregnant women, of patients with hydatidiform mole of males injected with exogenous HCG was shown by parallel inhibition curves in the radioimmunoassay. The positivity of HCG was predominant in cases of cervix carcinoma.     

男性肺原发性绒毛膜癌1例并文献复习

回顾性分析南京医科大学第一附属医院通过手术切除病理确诊的1例男性肺原发性绒毛膜癌(primary choriocarcinoma,PCC)的临床资料、影像学及组织病理学等特征,结合国内外文献复习,总结肺PCC的诊断及治疗进展.男性肺PCC是一种较为罕见高度恶性生殖细胞肿瘤,病因不明,临床表现多样,咯血最常见.早期诊断困难,易误诊为常见病,预后差,致死率高.手术联合化疗是目前较为提倡的治疗方案.男性肺PCC的诊断较难,需结合临床、影像学等综合分析,确诊需依赖组织病理学.     

Pure non-gestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary diagnosed by DNA polymorphism analysis

Pure primary ovarian choriocarcinoma is a rare condition that can be of gestational or non-gestational origin. Non-gestational choriocarcinoma has been found to be resistant to single-agent chemotherapy and has a worse prognosis than gestational choriocarcinoma, but it is difficult to distinguish the two types by routine histological examination. Herein is reported a case of primary pure non-gestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary in a 33-year-old nulligravid woman, as confirmed by DNA polymorphism analysis. All tested microsatellite markers had identical DNA profiles with the same allelic sizes between the tumor and the myometrium of the patient, who was homozygous for three markers (BAT26, BAT25 and D17S250) and heterozygous for four (D2S123, D18S57, DCC and D18S58), supporting non-gestational origin. The patient has no evidence of disease 17 months after surgery and four cycles of combination chemotherapy. This case demonstrates the usefulness of DNA polymorphism analysis for the determination of the origin of extrauterine choriocarcinoma. Clinical relevance of this method needs to be further studied and substantiated.     

Pure non-gestational choriocarcinoma of ovary a case report with autopsy findings

Primary choriocarcinoma of the ovary (PCO) is rare. This can be gestational (GCO) or non-gestational (NGCO) in origin. It is difficult to differentiate between CGO and NGCO. Non-gestational choriocarcinoma carries a bad prognosis than GCO. We present a case of NGCO who had pulmonary metastasis.     

Cellular Localization of AFP and HCG in Germ Cell Tumors of the Testis and Ovary

An immunohistologic study of AFP and HCG in malignant germ cell tumors of the testis and ovary was undertaken to correlate the type of neoplasm with the presence of the markers. Twenty-one patients with testis tumors and measured serum levels of AFP and HCG and 48 patients with ovarian tumors with no availability of serum were studied utilizing an immunoperoxidase technique. AFP was demonstrated in mononuclear embryonal carcinoma cells and in endodermal sinus tumors. HCG was identified in the syncytiotrophoblastic component of choriocarcinoma and also within syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells in embryonal carcinoma frequently and in endodermal sinus tumor and seminoma rarely. In the testis tumors there was tissue localization of HCG in 13 of 14 patients (93%) with elevated serum HCG while AFP was identified in the tumor of 10 of 14 patients (71%) with elevated AFP. Based on these findings a tentative immunohistologic classification of malignant germ cell tumors utilizing AFP and HCG was proposed. Thus, embryonal carcinoma is frequently associated with both AFP and HCG, endodermal sinus tumor with AFP and choriocarcinoma with HCG, whereas pure seminoma, dysgerminoma and teratoma are unlikely to be associated with either marker.     

Are serum inhibin concentrations new markers of placental tumours in the course of chemotherapy?

BACKGROUND: The study was conducted to evaluate whether the detection of serum molecular forms of inhibin (A and B) could be useful for the diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up of placental tumours. METHODS: A total of 17 patients with hydatidiform mole (n = 13), invasive mole (n = 1) or choriocarcinoma (n = 3) were studied; serum concentrations of inhibins A and B, human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) and its free beta subunit (HCGbeta) were measured before chemotherapy (after mole evacuation for eight patients) and also during the course of chemotherapy (for 10 patients). RESULTS: After evacuation or before chemotherapy for refractory disease, serum inhibin A and B concentrations were found to be increased in 10/17 and 4/17 patients, when HCG and HCGbeta were high in all patients. In 10 patients with a follow-up during treatment, nine had a high concentration of inhibin A which correlated with those of HCG and HCGbeta. Normalization of inhibin A was faster than that of HCG and HCGbeta for three and six patients respectively. There was no correlation between changes of inhibin B and HCGbeta concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that inhibins A and B are not useful markers and that HCG determination still remains the most useful marker for diagnosis and follow-up of placental tumours.     

Tumor markers in gynecological and breast cancer

Serum tumor markers are useful in diagnosis and follow-up for patients with gynecological malignancy or breast cancer. In epithelial ovarian cancer, CA125 has been identified as the most sensitive marker. Unfortunately, CA125 detection in the serum of patients with minimal malignant tumor has not been possible. Many nonmalignant conditions including endometriosis, menstruation and massive ascites may elevate the CA125, and almost 50% of patients with clear cell adenocarcinoma do not show CA125 elevated above 100 U/ml. To improve sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, the use of multiple tumor markers and the simultaneous use of image diagnosis should be employed. The value of tumor markers in the screening for cervical cancer and endometrial cancer has received little attention. However, the utility of serum SCC as a marker for monitoring cervical squamous cell carcinoma has been established. Since hCG is produced by gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and is a sensitive marker of trophoblastic cells in the body, patients with choriocarcinoma or invasive mole must be followed closely for this parameter. The improvement of the hCG detection technique has reduced the mortality rate from trophoblastic neoplasia. In breast cancer, many markers including CEA and CA15-3 are used, and they are reported to be useful as markers for monitoring.     

Gestational choriocarcinoma presenting as hemothorax

Choriocarcinoma include a spectrum of chorionic neoplasms that may be gestational or non-gestational. By virtue of their high vascularity and affinity of trophoblast for blood vessels, metastases often occur early, and the most common site of such metastases is the lung. Metastatic pleural effusions from choriocarcinoma are infrequent. Pleural seeding usually results from extension of a sub-pleural peripheral nodule. We describe a case of gestational choriocarcinoma whose clinical presentation was medical like hemothorax as in our case rather than gynecologic.     

9969例孕中期孕妇产前筛查结果分析

目的分析孕中期母体血清hAFP、freeβ-HCG、uE3的变化及产前筛查的应用价值。方法采用时间分辨荧光免疫技术检测孕中期母体血清标志物hAFP、freeβ-HCG、uE3的含量,结合孕妇年龄、孕周、体重等因素用Risk2T软件进行风险评估,根据评估结果,将同孕周高、低风险孕妇的hAFP、freeβ-HCG、uE3含量进行统计分析;同时,建议高风险孕妇进一步确诊。结果低风险母体血清hAFP、uE3含量与孕周呈正相关,freeβ-HCG含量与孕周呈负相关;21-三体高风险母体血清hAFP、uE3含量明显低于低风险母体血清该指标含量,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）;而freeβ-HCG含量明显高于低风险时该指标含量,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）;18-三体高风险的母体血清hAFP、freeβ-HCG含量均低于低风险时该指标含量,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）。9969例孕妇中,筛查出21-三体、18-三体及NTD高风险共288例,筛查阳性率2.9%;107例进行了产前诊断,共确诊19例,确诊率为17.8%,分别为：21-三体6例、18-三体2例,NTD 3例,其他异常儿8例。结论孕中期母体血清3项指标呈规律性变化,检测该指标可发现高风险孕妇;产前筛查结合产前诊断能有效降低出生缺陷率。     

Power of the eternal youth: Nanog expression in the gestational choriocarcinoma

This commentary expands on Nanog expression in normal placentas and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, providing the functional role of this protein in choriocarcinoma cells.     

Raised serum hCG in a male patient caused by primary jejunal choriocarcinoma.

A rare case of primary choriocarcinoma of the jejunum occurred in a 45 year old Chinese man. This tumour was associated with massive melaena and a markedly raised serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-hCG) concentration. Necropsy examination showed no primary lesion in other possible sites including testes, mediastinum, and pineal gland. Histologically, the tumour showed morphology typical of choriocarcinoma with no adenocarcinomatous element identified. The presence of choriocarcinoma in non-gonadal sites may be explained by retrodifferentiation or metaplasia of a conventional carcinomatous component to primitive trophoblasts. Serum beta-hCG level may represent a useful marker in earlier diagnosis and monitoring of this potentially treatable disease.     

胚胎移植术14～16天后单次血HCG值与多胎,胎儿性别和临床流产之关系

目的探讨在胚胎移植（ET）后第14～16天单次血HCG值与临床妊娠最终结局的关系。方法 329例常规超促排取卵移植后第14～16天检测血HCG值确定生化妊娠,于移植后35天腹部B超确定临床妊娠,追踪随访直至妊娠的最终结局。在329例临床妊娠中,有145例在移植后第14天测血HCG值;102例在移植后第15天测血HCG值;82例移植后第16天测血HCG值。并按照检测血HCG的时间,将随访的妊娠结局分为四组。多胎（包括双胎和三胎）组,单胎女婴组,单胎男婴组,临床流产组（包括早、中、晚期流产）,One-Way ANOVA检验分析移植血HCG水平与多胎,胎儿性别,临床妊娠流产的关系。结果 1.在移植第14-16天,血HCG水平在多胎组、单胎女婴组、单胎男婴组、临床流产组均逐渐降低,多胎组血HCG水平与单胎女婴组、单胎男婴组、临床流产组之间均存在统计学差异。2.在145例移植后第14天,单胎女婴组与单胎男婴组（P=0.037）、临床流产组之间（P=0.001）均存在统计学差异,单胎男婴组与临床流产组间未见明显统计学差异（P=0.202）。3.在移植第15及第16天,单胎女婴组与单胎男婴组未见明显统计学差异（P=0.204及P=0.379）,与临床流产组间有统计学差异（P=0.009及P=0.001）;而单胎男婴组与临床流产组无统计学差异（P=0.154及P=0.083）。结论胚胎移植后第14-16天血HCG值与临床妊娠最终结局有密切相关性。多胎妊娠组,单胎女性组,单胎男婴组,临床流产组的血HCG均值逐渐降低。多胎妊娠显著高于单胎组;临床流产组显著低于单胎女性组。单胎男婴组与临床流产组无统计学差异。