Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biopsies of pancreatic masses: comparison between fine needle aspirations and needle core biopsies

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-guided FNA) is a highly sensitive and specific method for diagnosing pancreatic masses. Alternatively, EUS-guided needle core biopsies (NCB) have also been introduced. We sought to determine efficacies of pancreatic EUS-guided FNAs and NCBs. Records of consecutive EUS-guided FNAs received over a 24-mo-period were reviewed. Cases with concurrent NCBs were selected for the study. The diagnoses from the two modalities were compared and designated concordant (CC) or discordant (DC). Of 252 cases, 52 had concurrent NCBs. The final diagnoses included primary and secondary tumors. Of the 52 cases, 29/52 (55.8%) were CC and 23/52 (44.2%) were DC. The sensitivities for FNAs and NCBs were 95.0% and 67.6%, respectively. Both modalities were 100% specific. Direct comparison between EUS-guided FNAs and NCBs demonstrated that the former are more sensitive for diagnosing pancreatic neoplasms, both primaries and metastases. There was no correlation between CC/DC cases and type of neoplasm.     

Immunohistochemistry in cytologic diagnosis using fine needle aspiration

The role of immunocytochemistry in fine-needle aspiration cytology. The Authors review the literature about fine-needle aspiration biopsy cytology in different organs and show the feasibility of the application to cytological specimen of immunocytochemical methods. Thus, they analyze 15 cases of tumors of various localization diagnosed by F.N.A.C. where immunocytochemistry succeeded in their correct typization. They also show the encouraging results of the immunocytochemical search of specific hormones in pituitary adenomas. Therefore the Authors emphasize the great usefulness of immunocytochemical techniques for the improvement of the diagnostic possibilities in the fine-needle aspiration cytology.     

穿刺活检100例前列腺癌的形态学观察

目的 探讨穿刺活检诊断前列腺癌的形态学标准。方法 对２５０例前列腺穿刺活检包括１００例前列腺癌进行回顾性分析,评价结构异常、细胞学改变,浸润和其他有诊断意义的病变四个方面共２０项形态学指标对诊断前列腺癌的意义。结果 ２０例形态学指标对诊断胶列腺癌均有不同程度价值,尤以结构异常,核仁明显增大,间质及神经周围浸润最有意义。结论 前列腺癌的诊断需对多项指标全面观察后进行综合判断。     

Immunohistochemistry as predictive and prognostic markers for gastrointestinal malignancies

Biomarkers play a key role in the comprehensive pathologic evaluation of gastrointestinal malignancies. These biomarkers can be predictive, indicating whether a tumor is likely to respond to a particular therapy, or prognostic, providing information about the likely course and outcome of a disease. This review article will discuss available immunohistochemical stains for assessing these markers, including staining rationale, scoring criteria, associated systemic therapies, and pictorial examples. PD-L1, HER2, and mismatch repair status can be evaluated via immunohistochemistry for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal carcinomas. Biomarkers currently play a more limited role in evaluation of pancreatic and small bowel malignancies. Immunohistochemistry can also be used to evaluate biomarker status in gastrointestinal stromal tumors, gastrointestinal malignancies with NTRK gene fusions, and undifferentiated carcinomas with switch-sucrose non-fermentable complex abnormalities.     

Adequate histologic sectioning of prostate needle biopsies

No standard method exists for sampling prostate needle biopsies, although most reports claim to embed 3 cores per block and obtain 3 slices from each block. This study was undertaken to determine the extent of histologic sectioning necessary for optimal examination of prostate biopsies. We prospectively compared the impact on cancer yield of submitting 1 biopsy core per cassette (biopsies from January 2010) with 3 cores per cassette (biopsies from August 2010) from a large national reference laboratory. Between 6 and 12 slices were obtained with the former 1-core method, resulting in 3 to 6 slices being placed on each of 2 slides; for the latter 3-core method, a limit of 6 slices was obtained, resulting in 3 slices being place on each of 2 slides. A total of 6708 sets of 12 to 18 core biopsies were studied, including 3509 biopsy sets from the 1-biopsy-core-per-cassette group (January 2010) and 3199 biopsy sets from the 3-biopsy-cores-percassette group (August 2010). The yield of diagnoses was classified as benign, atypical small acinar proliferation, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and cancer and was similar with the 2 methods: 46.2%, 8.2%, 4.5%, and 41.1% and 46.7%, 6.3%, 4.4%, and 42.6%, respectively (P = .02). Submission of 1 core or 3 cores per cassette had no effect on the yield of atypical small acinar proliferation, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, or cancer in prostate needle biopsies. Consequently, we recommend submission of 3 cores per cassette to minimize labor and cost of processing.     

Assessment of pathologic prognostic factors in breast core needle biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Core needle biopsies (CNB) are being used increasingly as the initial diagnostic procedure in women with breast cancer. Many clinicians are interested in obtaining as much prognostic information as possible from these limited specimens. However, the accuracy of assessing pathologic prognostic factors in core biopsy material has not been studied in detail. DESIGN: We studied CNB and subsequent excision specimens from 79 women with invasive breast cancer. Slides from CNB and excision specimens were reviewed in a blinded fashion and each was assessed for histologic type, tumor size, histologic grade, lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI), and the presence of an extensive intraductal component (EIC). RESULTS: Among the 79 cancers, there were 58 invasive ductal carcinomas, six invasive lobular carcinomas, 13 invasive carcinomas with ductal and lobular features and two tubular carcinomas, based on examination of the excision specimens. Histologic type on CNB correlated with that on excision in 64 cases (81%). Although there was a significant correlation between tumor size on CNB and excision specimens (r2 = 0.30, P = 0.01), the pathologic T stage was underestimated on CNB in 79% of cases. Furthermore, T substage was underestimated on CNB in 71% of T1 lesions. There was concordance in histologic grade between CNB and excisions in 75% of cases. Among the 20 discordant cases, the grade was higher in the excision than in the CNB in 13 cases and lower in seven. However, all discrepancies were within one grade. None of the 17 cancers with LVI in the excision specimen showed LVI on the CNB. Among 14 cases with an EIC on the excision specimen, only four (29%) were scored as having an EIC on CNB. CONCLUSION: Histologic type can be accurately determined on CNB in most cases. While there was concordance in histologic grade between CNB and excision in the majority of cases, grade was discordant in a substantial minority (25%). The ability to accurately determine tumor size (pathologic T-stage), LVI, and EIC on CNB is severely limited.     

前列腺穿刺组织的电镜观察

目的 探讨前列腺癌与良性前列腺增生的超微结构差异,以及中-低分化前列腺癌中前列腺小体和储存空泡的超微结构特征、形成和分泌过程及其病理意义.方法 收集上海交通大学附属第六人民医院2006年6-12月就诊的50例临床高度疑为前列腺癌的病例,在B超引导下穿刺活检时,在最可能是癌的部位加穿一针,戊二醛固定后作超薄切片,电镜下观察.结果 50例穿刺活检中光镜下42例诊断为前列腺癌.31例电镜下见Gleason 3～5级癌细胞.癌细胞巨大的核仁,与间质直接接触,胞质内见微囊,偶见核分裂象,癌周间质中黏液性纤维增生灶形成是与良性前列腺增生主要的区别.31例电镜下见到的癌中29例(93.5%)胞质内有前列腺小体和储存空泡.与良性前列腺分泌细胞一样它们形成于高尔基体,通过顶质分泌或细胞排粒方式分泌到腺腔.结论 电镜有助于鉴别前列腺良恶性上皮细胞.鉴于前列腺小体在中-低分化前列腺癌中的高检出率,它可以成为电镜下鉴别前列腺癌细胞和正常间质细胞以及判断转移性肿瘤前列腺来源的超微结构特征之一.     

Glutaraldehyde fixation for electron microscopy of needle biopsies from human livers.

A study including light- and electron microscopy of needle biopsies from normal and fatty human livers fixed by immersion into glutaraldehyde is presented. Four zones which can be detected by light microscopy of toluidine blue stained sections are found: zone 1, the outer one is presumably mechanically damaged. Zone 2 is usually considered to be the most well-preserved region, whereas zones 3 and 4 present increasing swelling of mitochondria, a progressive condensation of microbodies and an increasingly pronounced vesiculation of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). The alterations observed in zone 3 and 4 are of types which might simulate pathological changes. An increasing irregularity of the outline of the nuclei and a greater accumulation of chromatin along the nuclear membrane is also observed in these two zones. The perimembraneous cytoplasmic ground substance appears to be more dense and the intercellular spaces to be less distinct in the deeper zones in which the path of diffusion of the fixative is long. As regards the penetration into the tissue of glutaraldehyde, normal and steatotic livers were not found to differ. Fixation at 0 degrees C was found to be less effective than fixation at 22 degrees C.     

Adequate histologic sampling of breast core needle biopsies

OBJECTIVE: To determine the degree of histologic sampling necessary for adequate examination of breast core needle biopsy specimens. DESIGN: The results of all breast core needle biopsies (11 and 14 gauge) with a diagnosis of atypical small acinar proliferation or atypical ductal hyperplasia and subsequent excisional biopsies, for a 50-month period were reviewed. Blocks of all cores were sectioned entirely in 8 slides to determine the amount of sectioning needed to detect these foci, and the results were correlated with those from the excision specimen. SETTING: Large community hospital practice. RESULTS: Of 3026 cases, 216 (7.1%) were diagnosed as atypical ductal hyperplasia or atypia not otherwise specified. Subsequent resections were available in 105 (49%) cases, and after review, 95 (92%) qualified as atypical ductal hyperplasia and 2 were determined to be atypical small acinar proliferations. The 2 small acinar proliferations were first detected on the second and fourth slides. Of the atypical ductal hyperplasia cases, 43% were detected on the first slide, 17% on the second, 23% on the third, 8% on the fourth, and 8% on the fifth. No lesions were initially detected after this level. Ductal carcinoma in situ was detected in the excision specimens from 1 case each of those detected initially on the fourth and fifth slides. CONCLUSION: Five sections of breast core needle biopsy specimens are necessary to ensure that all atypical small acinar proliferations and atypical ductal hyperplasia lesions are sampled.     

The roles of fine needle aspiration and needle core biopsies in the diagnosis of primary prostatic cancer.

For more than 50 years, needle core and aspiration biopsy techniques have been used to detect carcinoma of the prostate. Each has had vigorous proponents and many technical innovations have been made to improve the techniques. This report summarizes the developmental history of the techniques, examines their individual merits, reviews studies comparing the methods, and discusses the complications associated with each. Presently, in patients with abnormal rectal examinations, small-gauge transrectal core biopsy and transrectal aspiration biopsy offer similar detection and false-negative rates with very low frequencies of complications.     

Computer card morphometry of jejunal biopsies in childhood coeliac disease.

The histological changes in 95 jejunal biopsy specimens from children have been analyzed by a new mporphometric technique. The microscope image of the specimen is traced directly onto computer data cards. A simple sketch records accurate quantitative data in a matrix of 840 points, retaining the spatial arrangement of the tissue components. The data are fed via an optical mark data card reader, into a mini-computer. FORTRAN IV programs allow calculation of surface area, villous heights, and component volumes in metric units, and of volume proportions, volume-to-volume ratios, and surface-to-volume ratios. Pictorial and numerical printouts are produced, which are suitable for inclusion in the patient's notes. Jejunal biopsies from 37 controls and 26 untreated coeliac patients were clearly distinguished morphometrically. Sixteen pairs of biopsies from coeliac patients on long-term gluten-free diets before, and 12 weeks after, the reintroduction of dietary gluten significantly reflected the effects of gluten challenge. Comparison of control and abnormal biopsies showed a spatial redistribution of the components, more than a change in their absolute amounts. There was no significant differences in the total epithelial volumes in controls, treated or untreated patients, suggesting that the mucosal lesion in coeliac disease is not a true atrophy.     

Assessing intraductal proliferations in breast core needle biopsies

Intraductal proliferations of the breast comprise a heterogeneous group of epithelial proliferations confined to the ductal and lobular system of the breast parenchyma. The correct interpretation and categorization of such lesions can be challenging, especially on core needle biopsy, but are critical for appropriate clinical management as this determines whether surgical excision is or is not required. In this paper we aim to review the histologic criteria and terminology for the spectrum of intraductal proliferative lesions. We will discuss the key morphologic features and diagnostic mimics of usual ductal hyperplasia, atypical ductal hyperplasia, and ductal carcinoma in situ, and provide practical guidelines for interpretation in core needle biopsy specimens.     

Mammary epidermoid inclusion cysts after wide-core needle biopsies

 

Aims:

To investigate the prevalence of squamous epidermoid inclusion cysts after wide-core needle biopsy.  

Methods and results:

Epidermoid inclusion cysts were found in five of 17 surgical excisions (29%) after preliminary wide-core needle biopsies in a 7-month period. Thereafter they were not seen in 26 subsequent postwide-core surgical excisions in a period of 6 months.  

Conclusions:

The cysts appear to be an iatrogenic complication of wide-core biopsy, and need morphological recognition in order to avoid confusion with spontaneous squamous metaplasia of benign or malignant breast epithelium. Longer term implications are unknown.     

Diagnostic electron microscopy using fine needle aspiration biopsies

Electron microscopy can be a valuable aid to light microscopy in the interpretation of fine needle aspiration biopsies of tumors, but considerable care in procuring and processing the specimen is necessary to recover the tumor cells and avoid altering their fine structure. Fixation followed by filtration through a cloth screen is recommended. Experience with this technique is briefly reviewed.     

纵隔芯针活检的病理诊断

目的 提高纵隔芯针穿刺组织的诊断准确性并做出具体分类。方法 用光镜、免疫组织化学抗生物素蛋白-生物素复合物法(ABC法)回顾性观察65例纵隔穿刺组织的形态和免疫组织化学表型,利用聚合酶链反应(PCR)检测部分非霍奇金淋巴瘤的基因重排状况,并随访。结果 本组标本镜下主要由不同比例的上皮样细胞、淋巴样细胞和纤维组织组成,包括21例淋巴瘤、20例肺癌、14例胸腺瘤、4例胸腺癌、3例精原细胞瘤、1例慢性炎症。2例因穿刺组织过少,无法诊断。本组淋巴瘤依不同类型可表达CD20、CD3、末端脱氧核苷酸转移酶(TDT)、CD30、D15或上皮膜抗原(EMA);除3例肺小细胞癌细胞角蛋白(CK)阴性外,17例肺癌均表达CK;10例肺和1例胸腺小细胞癌突触素、嗜铬粒素A(CgA)、神经元特异性烯醇化酶(NSE)均阳性,CD5阴性;3例肺腺癌甲状腺转录因子阳性,CD5阴性;14例胸腺瘤CK、CD3或CD20可阳性;3例胸腺癌表达CK和CD5;3例精原细胞瘤胎盘碱性磷酸酶阳性、CK阴性。5例淋巴母细胞性淋巴瘤T细胞型的T细胞受体B链的编码基因存在重排,3例大B细胞淋巴瘤和1例大细胞间变B细胞淋巴瘤存在免疫球蛋白重链编码基因的重排。结论 纵隔穿刺组织的镜下诊断需结合临床和影像资料,选择适当的免疫组织化学套餐,才能提高确诊率,并可对有疑问的非霍奇金淋巴瘤病例进行克隆性分析。