Granular cell tumor of the larynx in a six-year-old child: case report and review of the literature

Granular cell tumors (granular cell myoblastomas) are uncommon neoplasms in the adult population, occurring predominantly in the head and neck and most frequently in the tongue. Laryngeal presentations are unusual, and granular cell tumors of the larynx in children are extremely rare, with a total of 19 cases reported in the literature in children under the age of 17 years. We report an additional case of a laryngeal granular cell tumor, in a six-year-old boy, and discuss the clinical, histologic, ultrastructural and therapeutic aspects of these neoplasms.     

An unusual presentation of oat cell carcinoma

A case is reported of oat cell carcinoma of the lung presenting with unusual sites of metastasis to the orofacial region. Distant metastases are common in oat cell carcinoma but a literature review did not reveal any reports of metastases either to the hard palate or to medial canthus of the eye.     

Embryonal carcinoma of the testis in elderly men

A rare case of pure embryonal carcinoma of the testis in a black man in the tenth decade of life is presented, as well as a review of the literature on germ cell testicular tumors in men 60 years old or more. It is noteworthy that nearly 9 per cent of testicular tumors occur in this age group and a third of these tumors are of germ cell origin.     

Socioeconomic deprivation and health in Glasgow and the west of Scotland--a study of cancer incidence among male residents of hostels for the single homeless

Multiple congenital granular cell lesions occurring on the maxillary alveolar ridge and ventral aspect of the tongue were identified in a 22-day-old girl. The prevalence, histogenesis, and treatment of this lesion are discussed and the literature is reviewed.     

Biliary duct granular cell tumor: a rare but surgically curable benign tumor

Granular [correction of Granulosa] cell tumors are rare benign tumors which may be found throughout the body. Rare cases are isolated within the biliary tree. If completely resected, surgical excision is curative. A case of biliary duct granular [correction of granulosa] cell tumor is presented with review of the world's literature on this topic.     

Multicentric giant cell tumor of bone

Giant cell tumor of bone accounts for 4% to 5% of primary bone tumors in the United States. Multicentric giant cell tumors occur in < 1% of all patients with giant cell tumors, and only 43 patients with multicentric giant cell tumor have been reported on in the literature. This series presents 3 additional cases of multicentric giant cell tumor, includes updated data for 2 patients previously reported on in the literature, and reviews 24 cases previously reported on in detail in the literature. The mechanism by which giant cell tumor involves multiple locations is not known. Multicentric giant cell tumor, in contrast to unifocal giant cell tumor, has a tendency to involve the hands, feet, and metaphysis/diaphysis of long bones and to occur in a slightly younger population. In 15 of the 29 patients reviewed, a second lesion did not develop for > 2 years after their initial presentation. Eighteen of those 29 patients had > 2 sites of tumor involvement, 1 of whom had 11 lesions. Two of the 5 patients in the authors' series presented with a spectrum of disease activity, with latent, active, and aggressive lesions present throughout the observation period.     

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in thyroglossal duct remnant cyst epithelium

The extremely rare occurrence of invasive squamous cell carcinoma arising from normal epithelial lining of a thyroglossal duct remnant cyst is documented by demonstrating the histopathologic transition from normal squamous epithelium to squamous cell carcinoma. The requirements that must be fulfilled to accept a lesion as arising de novo from the epithelial lining are outlined, and all requirements are achieved. The lesion is differentiated from the less rare papillary or papillary-follicular adenocarcinoma of residual thyroid tissue of the thyroglossal duct tract remnants. This is the sixth report in the world literature of invasive squamous cell carcinoma arising from benign thyroglossal remnant squamous epithelium, and the second demonstrating the transition from normal squamous epithelium to invasive squamous cell carcinoma.     

Soluble CD27 in thyroid disorders

Central acinic cell carcinoma is extremely rare; only six cases have been reported in the literature. An unusual case of central acinic cell carcinoma of the mandible in an 84-year-old Japanese woman is presented. This is thought to be the seventh case of central acinic cell carcinoma described in the English literature.     

Clear cell odontogenic carcinoma with lymph node metastasis

Clear cell odontogenic tumors are rare. Review of the literature showed 9 cases with a prominent clear cell component. These lesions have exhibited an aggressive behavior characterized by an infiltrative local growth pattern, recurrence, or metastases. We report a case of an odontogenic tumor that exhibited a biphasic pattern and was characterized by lymph node involvement identical histologically to the primary tumor. We conclude that the presence of a clear cell component in an ameloblastomatous tumor should be viewed as a sign of de-differentiation, and that a malignancy with or without metastases should be considered and ruled out in such cases.     

Hypersensitivity reactions to etoposide. A report of three cases and review of the literature

Etoposide (VP 16) is an antineoplastic agent that has major activity against a number of tumors, including germ cell neoplasms, small cell lung cancer, and malignant lymphoma. It is a derivative of podophyllin, and acts by inhibiting mitosis. Common side effects include bone marrow suppression, alopecia, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Hypersensitivity reactions are uncommon however, and the underlying mechanism is unclear. We report three cases of etoposide hypersensitivity and review the literature.     

Subungual malignant degeneration following chronic perionychial infection

Chronic perionychial infections are common. Subungual malignant melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma are rare. The relationship between these two conditions is not well understood, but appears to exist. In this paper, two such cases are described and the literature is reviewed.     

Bladder tumor associated with phenacetin abuse

The association between phenacetin abuse and renal papillary necrosis is widely known. Recently, reports in the European literature indicated a possible correlation between phenacetin abuse and the development of transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis and bladder. A case of transitional cell carcinoma associated with phenacetin abuse is presented. The pharmacology of phenacetin metabolites is discussed, and the world literature is reviewed. The data available warrant careful reappraisal of the ready availability of phenacetin.     

Basal cell adenocarcinoma of the salivary gland. Diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration cytology

Basal cell adenocarcinoma of salivary gland is a relatively recently described neoplasm. Histopathologic features of these tumors have been published in the literature mainly in the form of case reports. This paper elaborates and describes the diagnostic fine-needle aspiration cytomorphology of two cases of basal cell adenocarcinoma of parotid gland, which, to the author's knowledge, has not been previously reported in the English literature. Fine-needle aspiration specimens in both cases contained cohesive, focally papillary, and filiform groups of neoplastic cells, which were highly reminiscent of basal cell adenoma on low power examination. Higher power, however, revealed significant cytologic atypia and mitotic activity. Differential diagnoses included basal cell adenoma, epithelial rich pleomorphic adenoma, myoepithelial lesions, small cell undifferentiated carcinoma, and metastatic carcinoma among others.     

Role of the membranes in the regulation of the activity of genetic structures of bacteria and mitochondria

The literature on DNA interaction with both the prokaryotic cell membranes and the mitochondria of the Eukaryota is surveyed. Data are presented in favour of membrane localization of DNA and of the regulatory role of membranes in genome expression. A possible "conformational" mechanism of the control of gene activity by conformational changes of membranes related to cell metabolism is discussed. The problems of protein-nucleic recognition are concerned.     

Primary osteosarcoma of the spermatic cord with synchronous bilateral renal cell carcinoma

Primary extraskeletal osteosarcoma of the spermatic cord is an extremely rare tumor with only two other cases being reported in the world literature. We describe a patient with this lesion who also had concomitant bilateral renal cell carcinoma. The management of this case and a review of this subject are presented.     

Giant cell reparative granuloma of the maxilla

Giant cell reparative granuloma (GCRG) is a rare nonneoplastic proliferative lesion of unknown etiology. It most commonly occurs in the mandible, but also occurs in other bones of the facial skeleton and cranial vault. Two cases of GCRG arising from the maxilla are presented. Histological and radiological features, and the pertinent literature on the subject are reviewed.     

Multicentric giant cell tumor of bone--a case report and comprehensive review of literature

Multicentric giant cell tumor of bone is a very rare occurrence, forming less than 1% of all giant cell tumors. A new case report is presented, along with a comprehensive review of the literature.     

Giant cell tumours of the sellar region

Six personal cases of giant cell tumours of the sellar region, as well as 19 cases collected from the literature are reported. Clinical findings are described, and the factors affecting the post-operative course are discussed. Radical excision of the growth and recurrence-free course were exceptional. As a general rule, biopsy and partial excision were performed. Progression of signs and symptoms was frequent in the follow-up.