Cytogenetics of sacral chordoma.

Only four cases of chordoma have been described cytogenetically. We report the cytogenetic findings of a fifth case. Chromosome analysis of a primary sacral chordoma from a 69-year-old man showed the following chromosome complement: 43,XY,-2,-3,del(4)(q32),-6,+7,-11,der(12)t(9;12)(q12;p11),add(16)(q23),- 20,add(22)(q13),+mar.     

Fine-needle aspiration cytology with histological correlation of chordoma metastatic to the lung: a diagnostic dilemma

Chordoma is an uncommon tumor initially believed to be benign due to the rarity of its metastasis. Cytological, morphological, and immunohistochemical features of chordoma, relating to its origin from notochordal remnants, allows for its accurate diagnosis. A 75-year-old man with a known history of tuberculosis (TB) presented with shortness of breath and a dry cough. A chest X-ray demonstrated a diffuse, infiltrative miliary pattern in both lungs. Bronchial washings submitted for culture and cytological examination did not identify any tuberculous bacilli. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) showed focal areas of myxoid regions with small, round, uniform mononuclear cells. There was a documented past history of chordoma arising from the L2 vertebrae. Because of the rarity of this lesion in the lung and the limited diagnostic material available with a clinical history of TB and lumbar chordoma, the pathological report rendered on the FNAC was "atypical cells suspicious for metastatic chordoma." A wedge biopsy of the lung confirmed the presence of metastatic pulmonary chordoma. Despite palliative treatment, he died within a year. Although the metastatic potential of chordomas has been recognized and documented, to the best of our knowledge, metastasis of chordoma to the lung diagnosed by FNAC with cytohistological correlation has not been previously reported in the English literature.     

Low expression of PHLPP1 in sacral chordoma and its association with poor prognosis

Sacral chordoma is a rare spine tumor with a high recurrence rate even after optimal therapy. Previous studies have demonstrated that the PI3K/AKT pathway plays a pivotal role in chordoma, and high expression of pAKT is associated with poor prognosis. Recently, PHLPP was recognized to be a tumor suppressor that targets AKT. We analyzed the expression of PHLPP1 and AKT2 in 37 chordoma samples and 11 fetal nucleus pulposus samples by immunohistochemical staining. Of the chordoma cases, 40.5% (15/37) showed strong cytoplasmic staining (score ≥3) for PHLPP1, which was significantly lower than the 90.9% (10/11) of fetal nucleus pulposus samples (P = 0.004). Conversely, strong immunohistochemical staining for AKT2 was observed in 75.7% (28/37) of chordoma samples, which was significantly higher than 36.4% (4/11) of fetal nucleus pulposus (P = 0.021). Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank test showed that patients with high expression of PHLPP1 experienced longer progression free survival time than those with low PHLPP1 expression (P = 0.011). Further multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that PHLPP1 expression level and surgical approaches were independent risk factors for chordoma recurrence (P = 0.023 and P = 0.022). However, PHLPP1 expression was not statistically related to patients’ total survival time. Conclusively, our results suggest that PHLPP1 plays a crucial role in sacral chordoma, and may be a promising biomarker for prognosis. Meanwhile, manipulation of PHLPP1 expression is also a potential therapeutic approach for the treatment of sacral chordoma.     

Aspiration cytology and immunocytochemistry of sacral chordoma with liver metastases: a case report

We present the cytologic features and immunocytochemical profile of a case of sacrococcygeal chordoma metastatic to the liver. Cytologic diagnosis was suspected from the aspiration biopsy smears of the primary sacrococcygeal tumor and confirmed by histology. Further aspirates failed to reveal diagnostic physaliferous cells, and only undifferentiated spindle cells were obtained. Chordoma may lack physaliferous cells: in such cases, immunocytochemistry studies can greatly facilitate the diagnosis. This study confirms the utility of immunocytochemistry in the differential diagnosis of chordoma and tumors with similar cytologic characteristics.     

Cytopathological and immunocytochemical findings of pancreatic anaplastic carcinoma with ZEB1 expression by means of touch imprint cytology

Pancreatic anaplastic carcinoma (PAC) is rare and has an aggressive clinical course. We report an autopsy case of PAC focusing on the cytopathological characteristics of the tumor and immunocytochemical staining for vimentin, E‐cadherin, and zinc finger E‐box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), which markers are associated with epithelial markers of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). A 50‐year‐old woman presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of jaundice. A pancreatic head tumor and multiple liver nodules were detected on abdominal computed tomography. Biliary cytology under endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography suggested ductal adenocarcinoma. Three months after admission, she died of multiorgan failure. At autopsy, touch imprint cytology using squash preparation of the pancreatic tumor identified two different cell types; numerous isolated malignant cells with large and pleomorphic nuclei and a few clusters showing irregularly overlapped nuclei and irregular contours within the necrotic background. Immunocytochemically, isolated cells were positive for vimentin and ZEB1, and negative for E‐cadherin. Conversely, clusters were negative for vimentin and ZEB1, and positive for E‐cadherin. Histologically, the tumor was composed of sarcomatous cells with small foci of adenocarcinoma, which were consistent with a diagnosis of PAC. Immunohistochemical staining of the adenocarcinoma and sarcomatous cells corresponded to those of the clusters and isolated malignant cells, respectively. Immunostaining of these EMT markers is useful to distinguish sarcomatous cells from adenocarcinoma and can contribute to the accurate diagnosis of pancreatic tumors with EMT.     

Overexpression of Raf-1 and ERK1/2 in sacral chordoma and association with tumor recurrence

Chordoma is a rare and low-malignant neoplasm which is considered to arise from notochord remnants. Due to its large resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, surgical resection so far is the prior treatment for chordoma. However, the recurrence rate is high even after complete surgical resection. Recently, targeted cancer therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in several other tumors, while the related research on chordoma is rare. Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway is acknowledged to participate in tumor development, in which Raf-1 and extracellular regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) play vital roles. In this study, we evaluated the expression of Raf-1 and ERK1/2 by immunohistochemical staining in 42 chordoma tissue and 16 distant normal tissue. Moreover, we also investigated the correlations of Raf-1 and ERK1/2 expression with clinical features in sacral chordoma. Expression of Raf-1 and ERK1/2 was both significantly higher in sacral chordoma tissue than distant normal tissue (P = 0.008, P = 0.019). Raf-1 positive expression was related to surrounding muscle invasion (P = 0.032) and chordoma recurrence (P = 0.002), but the results did not indicate any association with patients’ age, gender, tumor size and location. ERK1/2 was associated with tumor size (P = 0.044) instead of other clinical factors (P > 0.05). Spearman correlation test showed close relation between ERK1/2 and Raf-1 (P = 0.001, r = 0.518). Kaplan–Meier survival Curve and log-rank test showed that Raf-1 positive expression was associated with shorter continuous disease-free survival time (CDFS) (P = 0.001), while ERK1/2 had no relation to CDFS (P = 0.961). Conclusively, Raf-1 may be an important biomarker in predicting the prognosis of chordoma patients.     

细胞病理学刮片在皮肤和黏膜病变检查中的应用及体会附148例细胞学与组织学对照

目的探讨细胞病理学刮片方法在皮肤和黏膜病变诊断中的可靠性、实用性和局限性。方法比较使用不同标本采集方法（载玻片刮片、压舌板刮片和针吸涂片）获取18例皮肤和黏膜恶性肿瘤的细胞数量;对456例皮肤和黏膜病变行刮片检查,其中148例获得组织病理学核对。结果载玻片刮片法对皮肤和黏膜恶性肿瘤的细胞获取量最满意;其诊断良性病变的特异性为100％（37／37）,诊断恶性肿瘤的敏感性92．8％（103／111）,诊断的总准确率94,6％（140／148）;假阴性率为7．2％（8／111）,假阳性率为0,总误诊率为5．4％（8／148）。结论在皮肤和黏膜病变细胞病理学检查中,采用载玻片刮片法具有操作简便、安全及获取细胞量充分,诊断准确率较高,应用范围广等优点;但存在一定的局限性,需要通过组织病理学诊断解决。     

臀上动脉穿支分叶肌皮瓣在骶尾部脊索瘤切除后创面修复中的应用

目的评价应用臀上动脉穿支分叶肌皮瓣在骶尾部脊索瘤切除后创面修复中的临床疗效。 方法选择2017年1月至2019年12月于空军军医大学西京医院烧伤与皮肤外科应用臀上动脉穿支分叶肌皮瓣修复骶尾部脊索瘤切除后创面的11例患者。所有患者均为骶尾部脊索瘤术后创面感染伴脑脊液漏,患者骶尾部软组织缺损范围为10 cm×7 cm～21 cm×11 cm,后腹膜形成死腔范围为12 cm×6 cm～24 cm×14 cm;皮瓣设计均以髂后上棘与大转子连线中上1/3为旋转点,其连线为皮瓣轴线,术前均采用超声多普勒血流探测仪确定穿支位置,术中所有患者均采用臀上动脉穿支分叶肌皮瓣修复,设计切取穿支皮瓣11 cm×8 cm～22 cm×12 cm,分叶臀大肌肌瓣13 cm×7 cm～25 cm×15 cm,其中穿支皮瓣修复骶尾部皮肤缺损坏死,分叶肌瓣填塞脊索瘤切除后后腹膜死腔。术后常规给予敏感抗生素抗炎、对症及支持治疗。术后患者尽量保持俯卧位或侧卧位,减少皮瓣受压。密切观察肌皮瓣血运变化及2根引流管引流情况并每日记录。观察术后患者肌皮瓣成活情况及平均住院时间,门诊或电话随访,观察患者移植皮瓣外形及供瓣区周围瘢痕情况,供瓣区切取后是否遗留明显功能障碍。 结果本组11例患者术后皮瓣均存活良好,创面均得到有效修复,外形无臃肿,局部无破溃,平均住院时间为12 d。9例皮瓣缝合边缘Ⅰ期愈合,2例出现缝合口局部窦道形成,少量脑脊液外漏,经门诊换药后痊愈。门诊或电话随访平均8个月,供瓣区切口无明显瘢痕增生,有3例患者主诉上楼梯和伸胯动作时有部分功能障碍,但所有患者未诉在平地上行走时出现明显异常。 结论臀上动脉穿支分叶肌皮瓣解剖恒定、血液供应良好,手术方法简单、安全,是修复骶尾部脊索瘤切除后皮肤软组织缺损创面及脑脊液漏的一种有效、可靠的方法。     

EM proves invaluable in the confirmation of chordoma in the sacral mass of a middle-aged man

A case of a 47-year-old male with a sacral spine mass was investigated by histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and electron microscopy (EM). The light microscopy of the first core biopsy revealed scant cellularity with spindle and round cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm within a fibromyxoid background. Immunostaining with pancytokeratin, cytokeratin 19, and S100 was nonspecific. Another biopsy was attempted to obtain a more definitive diagnosis. Light microscopy of the second core had scant cellular material. However, the tissue was specifically requested for ultrastructural evaluation and revealed features diagnostic of chordoma. After definitive diagnosis, radical resection of the mass was performed. This case illustrates how EM was instrumental in the definitive diagnosis before radical resection in a case that was not clear by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and IHC alone.     

Autogenous bone marrow concurrent with static magnetic field effects on bone-defect healing: radiological and histological study

To stimulate the process of bone healing, several methods have been used previously. These methods include use of ultrasound, electrical stimulation, exposure to electromagnetic field, bone graft, interporous hydroxyapatite (as a bone graft substitute). The aim of this study was evaluation of bone-defect healing with autogenous bone marrow concurrent with static magnetic field. Twenty adolescents, 2-kg-weighing, white New Zealand male rabbits were used in this study. In the control group (n = 10) mid-radii bone defect was created and filled with harvested bone marrow. In the experimental group (n = 10) the procedure was similar to control group with static magnetic application over the bone-defect area. Radiological, histopathological and evaluations were performed blindly and results scored and analyzed statistically. The results show those experimental groups were superior to control group in radiological and histological evaluation.     

Antiviral therapy with non-selective beta-blockers: preliminary experimental and clinical corroboration

Treatment with non-selective beta-blockers has been proposed to have an indirect antiviral activity acting via an enhanced performance of the immune system, and the mechanism of this activity has been laid out earlier. Experimental and clinical findings are presented that corroborate the hypothesis that inhibiting the immunosuppressive and stress-related cAMP-PKA pathway will enhance the immune system's ability to recognize foreign antigen and to access its vast repertory in an improved way, resulting in an indirect antiviral activity. Other drugs having an inhibitory effect on the cAMP-PKA pathway in cells of the immune system and therefore expected to have a comparable activity spectrum with different specific side-effects are presented, for example aspirin. Additionally the so far unexplained anticancer activity of aspirin is related to the same mechanism of an enhanced performance of the immune system.     

胸腰骶段脊神经根鞘结构的解剖学和组织学研究

目的　明确胸腰骶部不同节段脊神经根鞘的解剖学和组织学结构及其分布特点,探讨其临床意义。 方法　取7例成人脊柱标本,解剖观察胸腰骶部不同节段神经根鞘的硬脊膜囊开口方式,并制成组织切片后显微镜下观察神经根鞘的结构。 结果　胸腰段神经根鞘存在单孔和双孔两种硬脊膜囊开口方式,而骶段神经根鞘只存在单孔开口方式;单孔根鞘又根据前、后根之间有无双层袖套结构分为Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型。较之神经根其他部位,神经节处硬脊膜袖套的胶原纤维层少且结合疏松。腰4/5和骶1~5节段神经节处的硬脊膜袖套的厚度比其他节段更薄（F=37.31,P<0.01）。神经根袖套下腔隙终止于神经节。 结论　Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型神经根鞘在各节段的分布规律,解释了腰骶部神经根受压时多表现为感觉和运动功能同时受累的现象;而神经节处的硬脊膜袖套在下腰骶节段最薄的特点,也和腰腿痛高发的现象相关系。脊神经节是脊神经根开始转化为脊神经的标志。     

深低温保存的节段性部分脱钙异体骨关节移植修复兔骨关节缺损*

目的研究对深低温冷冻保存的同种异体骨关节在与宿主骨结合部行部分脱钙处理对其与宿主骨愈合的影响。方法从健康新西兰兔截取近端桡骨骨关节2cm,去除软组织及骨髓组织,用生理盐水冲洗干净。实验组行桡骨骨关节远端5mm部分脱钙:4℃下桡骨骨关节远端5mm浸入0.6mol/L HCl中脱钙4h,去离子水反复冲洗;对照组不行脱钙处理。用10%的二甲基亚砜浸泡30 min后,冷冻保存1月后使用。在新西兰大白兔双侧桡骨近端造成2cm骨关节缺损模型,左侧为实验侧,右侧为对照侧,分别移植深低温冷冻并且远端部分脱钙的异体骨关节以及单纯深低温冷冻的异体骨关节。在术后1、2、3个月时做大体标本、X线、ECT以及组织学检查,观察异体骨关节与宿主骨结合部。结果实验组X线和组织学评分在术后1、2、3个月时均高于对照侧,差异具有显著性。ECT显示术后第1个月骨代谢活跃,2、3个月有下降趋势,实验侧部分脱钙段骨代谢高于周围骨及对侧对照侧。结论在深低温保存的同种异体骨关节与宿主骨结合部行部分脱钙有利于异体骨关节与宿主骨的愈合,适合大段骨关节缺损的修复。