Pregnancy and lupus nephritis: report of 20 cases

AimPregnancies in women with lupus nephritis (LN) are a high-risk situation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of pregnancy on LN on either maternal and fetal prognosis.Patients and methodsIt is a retrospective study of 20 pregnancies in 12 women with lupus nephritis.ResultsThere were 19 live births and five fetal losses. LN flares were observed in 50 % of the cases during pregnancy and 25 % after delivery.ConclusionPregnancies in women with LN require a multidisciplinary monitoring and intense maternal and fetal care.     

GENE ALTERATIONS AND APOPTOSIS IN RHABDOMYOSARCOMA

The aim of the study is to look retrospectively for gene alterations and evaluate apoptosis in rhabdomyosarcomas RMSs from 40 children including 24 patients not previously treated. Histological subtype was botryoid in 1 case, spindle cell in 2 cases, embryonal in 22 cases, alveolar in 10 cases, and undetermined in 5 cases. Gene expression was evaluated immunohistochemically for p53 tumor suppressor gene, MDM2 oncogene, and bcl-2 gene. N-myc amplification was detected by in situ hybridization. Apoptotic cells and bodies were recognized morphologically and stained by 3-OH end labeling. Intranuclear accumulation of p53 protein was obvious 25 of tumor cells in two recurrent embryonal RMSs. Expression of the MDM2 gene was intense 80 of tumor cells in a recurrent and metastatic embryonal RMS. Amplification of the N-myc gene was obvious about 20 of tumor cells in an alveolar RMS metastatic at diagnosis. Expression of the bcl-2 gene was intermediate 25-75 of tumor cells in 26 of cases and high 75 of tumor cells in 10 of cases either embryonal or alveolar. The percentage of tumor cells showing morphologically recognizable apoptosis was 0.2-7.5 mean 2.9 . There was no correlation between apoptosis and histological subtype, bcl-2 expression, or previous treatment.     

Cellular angiofibroma of the vulva: a poorly known entity,a case report and literature review

Background

Cellular angiofibroma represents a newly described, site specific tumor. Histologically, CAF is a benign mesenchymal neoplasm characterized by two principal components: bland spindle cells and prominent small to medium-sized vessels with mural hyalinization. The indolent nature of the lesion is underscored by the uniformity of its constituent stromal cells, and their lack of nuclear atypia. Characterization by immunohistochemistry is helpful distinguishing Cellular angiofibroma from other mesenchymal lesions.

Case presentation

We report the case of a 37-year-old woman, presenting with a painless nodule involving the vulva. This lesion had gradually increased in size; a simple excision was performed, and follow up was unremarkable. Gross examination showed a well circumscribed, firm tumor measuring 3× 3?×?2,5 cm. Histologically, the tumor was composed of uniform, short spindle-shaped cells, proliferating in an edematous to fibrous stroma and numerous small to medium-sized thick-walled vessels. A panel of immunohistochemical stains was performed, and confirmed the diagnosis of Cellular angiofibroma.

Conclusion

In this report we aim to describe the clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical features of this rare entity through a literature review, and to discuss other vulvar mesenchymal lesions.

     

Acute renal failure due to malignant lymphoma infiltration

We present two cases of renal lymphoma revealed by acute renal failure (ARF), which remains a rare clinical entity. Case 1 was a 29-year-old man with an ARF. The diagnosis was a primitive kidney immunophenotype B lymphoma. The patient died after three courses of chemotherapy due to rapid spread lymphoma. The second case was a high-grade renal lymphomatous infiltration, with an unusual computer tomography image of two large kidneys compressing the stomach. Death happened early before initiating therapy. In both cases the diagnosis has been established by renal pathology. Early diagnosis is a key component of therapeutic success, however, the rapid spread of lymphoma worsened renal and vital prognosis.     

Autonomic-somatic communications in the human pelvis: computer-assisted anatomic dissection in male and female fetuses

Sphincter continence and sexual function require co-ordinated activity of autonomic and somatic neural pathways, which communicate at several levels in the human pelvis. However, classical dissection approaches are only of limited value for the determination and examination of thin nerve fibres belonging to autonomic supralevator and somatic infralevator pathways. In this study, we aimed to identify the location and nature of communications between these two pathways by combining specific neuronal immunohistochemical staining and three-dimensional reconstruction imaging. We studied 14 normal human fetal pelvic specimens (seven male and seven female, 15-31 weeks' gestation) by three-dimensional computer-assisted anatomic dissection (CAAD) with neural, nitrergic and myelin sheath markers. We determined the precise location and distribution of both the supra- and infralevator neural pathways, for which we provide a three-dimensional presentation. We found that the two pathways crossed each other distally in an X-shaped area in two spatial planes. They yielded dual innervation to five targets: the anal sphincter, levator ani muscles, urethral sphincter, corpus spongiosum and perineal muscles, and corpora cavernosa. The two pathways communicated at three levels: proximal supralevator, intermediary intralevator and distal infralevator. The dorsal penis/clitoris nerve (DN) had segmental nitrergic activity. The proximal DN was nNOS-negative, whereas the distal DN was nNOS-positive. Distal communication was found to involve interaction of the autonomic nitrergic cavernous nerves with somatic nitrergic branches of the DN, with nitrergic activity carried in the distal part of the nerve. In conclusion, the pelvic structures responsible for sphincter continence and sexual function receive dual innervation from the autonomic supralevator and the somatic infralevator pathways. These two pathways displayed proximal, intermediate and distal communication. The distal communication between the CN and branches of the DN extended nitrergic activity to the distal part of the cavernous bodies in fetuses of both sexes. These structures are important for erectile function, and care should therefore be taken to conserve this communication during reconstructive surgery.     

Smooth muscle of the male pelvic floor: An anatomic study

Knowledge of the anatomy of the male pelvic floor is important to avoid damaging the pelvic floor muscles during surgery. We set out to explore the structure and innervation of the smooth muscle (SM) of the whole pelvic floor using male fetuses. We removed en-bloc the entire pelvis of three male fetuses. The specimens were serially sectioned before being stained with Masson's trichrome and hematoxylin and eosin, and immunostained for SMs, and somatic, adrenergic, sensory and nitrergic nerve fibers. Slides were digitized for three-dimensional reconstruction. We individualized a middle compartment that contains SM cells. This compartment is in close relation with the levator ani muscle (LAM), rectum, and urethra. We describe a posterior part of the middle compartment posterior to the rectal wall and an anterior part anterior to the rectal wall. The anterior part is split into (1) a centro-levator area of SM cells localized between the right and left LAM, (2) an endo-levator area that upholsters the internal aspect of the LAM, and (3) an infra-levator area below the LAM. All these areas are innervated by autonomic nerves coming from the inferior hypogastric plexus. The core and the infra-levator area receive the cavernous nerve and nerves supplying the urethra. We thus demonstrate that these muscular structures are smooth and under autonomic influence. These findings are relevant for the pelvic surgeon, and especially the urologist, during radical prostatectomy, abdominoperineal resection and intersphincteric resection. Clin. Anat., 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.