Project description:Sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma (SUC), a rare tumor of the urinary tract epithelium, exhibits a high degree of malignancy and therefore a poor prognosis. Due to the absence of specific clinical presentations and imaging findings, SUC of the renal pelvis masquerades as a renal abscess is frequently under-recognized or misdiagnosed as benign inflammatory disease, resulting in delayed or erroneous treatment. Here, we report a patient with SUC of the renal pelvis who presented with a renal abscess. Repeated anti-inflammatory treatment was ineffective. Unexpectedly, cancerous cells were detected in subsequent exfoliative cytology of nephrostomy drainage fluid. In accordance with this, radical surgery and postoperative chemotherapy were conducted. Fortunately, neither recurrence nor metastasis occurred during a one-year follow-up.
Project description:BackgroundRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) usually is characterized by a slow pattern of growth, although with an unpredictable evolution and metastatic potential, favored by its extensive vascularity and related high angioinvasive profile. The most common sites of metastases from kidney cancer are lung, lymph nodes, bone and liver; whereas orbital metastases are very uncommon. In more than 25% of cases, orbital metastases are the first manifestation of a primary tumor of unknown origin. The clinical features of orbital metastases from kidney cancer are non-specific and could divert attention from the real problem.Case descriptionIn this article, we describe the case of a 72-year-old male patient reporting a painful mass on the right orbit, with exophthalmos and ptosis, as the first and unique signs of a previously undetected advanced RCC. Due to the clinical conditions, the patient underwent palliative radiation therapy delivered to the orbital lesion with the scope to relieve pain; subsequently started systemic therapy with pazopanib at the dose of 800 mg daily. Unfortunately, he did not achieve any benefit from systemic therapy, his conditions progressively worsened, and he finally passed away after four months of treatment due to rapid disease progression.ConclusionsDespite its rarity, differential diagnosis of an orbital lesion should always consider the possibility of metastasis from RCC, performing an appropriate radiological evaluation.
Project description:Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the kidney is rarely reported in the literature. We present a previously unreported mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from the renal parenchyma. A 55-year-old male patient with no complaints showed a large cystic hypodense lesion in the upper left kidney on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan. A left renal cyst was initially considered, and a partial nephrectomy (PN) was performed. During the operation, a large amount of jelly-like mucus and bean-curd-like necrotic tissue was found in the focus. The pathological diagnosis was mucinous adenocarcinoma, and further systemic examination revealed no clinical evidence of primary disease elsewhere. Then the patient underwent left radical nephrectomy (RN), and the cystic lesion was found in the renal parenchyma, while neither the collecting system nor the ureters were involved. Postoperative sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy were administered, and no signs of disease recurrence were observed over 30 months of follow-up. Based on a literature review, we summarize the lesion with rarity and the associated dilemma in preoperative diagnosis and treatment. Given the high degree of malignancy, a careful history analysis accompanied by dynamic observation of imaging and tumor markers is recommended for the diagnosis of the disease. Comprehensive treatment based on surgery may improve its clinical outcomes.
Project description:Merkel cell carcinoma (mcc) is an uncommon malignancy of the skin arising from cells located in the deeper layers of the epidermis called Merkel cells. This malignancy rarely presents as a metastatic disease, and the field is therefore deficient in regards to management. We report the case of a 49-year-old woman who presented with a presumptive diagnosis of osteomyelitis of the left fifth digit that was resistant to treatment with antibiotics; she underwent debridement of the digit that revealed mcc and was later to have metastatic disease to her lungs, liver, and musculoskeletal system. The management of mcc, although simple in the early stage of the disease, can become challenging when it is more advanced. Multiple new modalities for its treatment have emerged over the last few years, and more recently, clinical trials are being conducted for the use of immunotherapy agents in the treatment of this malignancy.
Project description:Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSCC) is a rare and aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma. It is commonly seen in the oropharynx and strongly associated with p16-expressivity and high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV). We report the first case of primary cutaneous p16-positive BSCC in an elderly woman, with a background of chronic inverse psoriasis of the natal cleft. P16-expressivity is a common surrogate marker for oncogenic HPV16, routinely tested for oropharyngeal/anogenital squamous cell carcinoma. This is not routinely done for primary cutaneous disease. Pilonidal disease is uncommon in the elderly population, and malignant transformation is rarer still. Surgical resection is considered the mainstay of treatment for primary cutaneous BSCC, however due to this patient's broad distribution of cutaneous field change and p16-expressivity, she was effectively treated with primary radiotherapy. This is a unique case of malignant transformation of pilonidal disease in an atypical demographic, with a rare/aggressive disease variant.
Project description:Kidney cancer is the ninth most common malignancy in the United States. Most kidney cancers are clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and arise as solid tumors from kidney parenchyma. In the setting of metastatic disease, a primary renal tumor is usually identified, and metastases are often to lung, bone, liver, and brain. Metastatic RCC without an identifiable solid kidney tumor is exceedingly rare. We report the case of a 52 year old male with a rare cutaneous RCC metastasis without an identifiable primary renal tumor.
Project description:The distinction between cardiac aneurysms and diverticula can be very difficult by angiography. Left ventricular (LV) aneurysms usually occur following transmural myocardial infarction. On the other hand, cardiac diverticula are most commonly congenital. They are commonly detected by cardiac CT with a prevalence of 2.2%. Here we present a case of a 60-year-old male with the incidental finding of multiple LV aneurysms masquerading as diverticula in the setting of myocardial infarction with near normal coronary arteries. Moreover, this case highlights the limitation of coronary angiography in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction with no obstructive atherosclerosis (MINOCA).
Project description:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and can arise from any form of chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. With increasing rates of metabolic syndrome and obesity, it is not surprising that NASH is quickly becoming a leading cause of chronic liver disease and HCC in the western hemisphere (Wang and Malhi, 2018). Metastasis is usually found in advanced stages of the disease, owing to its poor prognosis. The lung, bone, and lymph nodes are the most frequent sites of metastasis (Balogh et al., 2016, and Becker et al., 2014). On the other hand, metastasis to the skin and cranium is relatively rare. Literature review reveals less than 10 reported cases in the last 10 years. Herein, we report an unusual case of a “forehead hematoma” leading to the formal diagnosis of metastatic HCC.