Ectomesenchymoma of the prostate: histological diagnostic criteria

Malignant ectomesenchymoma of the nasal cavity

Malignant ectomesenchymomas are rare tumors. This tumor affects predominantly young children. Most common site is head and neck. A multi modality approach should be appropriate for this soft-tissue tumor. We present a 43 year old female with malignant ectomesenchymoma of the nasal cavity.

Nonepithelial Tumors and Tumor-Like Lesions of the Prostate Gland

Many significant benign and malignant nonepithelial tumors and stromal tumor-like lesions arise in the prostate gland. Although such lesions are rare, their recognition by the pathologist is essential because their treatment and prognosis are quite variable. In this review, lesions of the specialized prostatic stroma, that is, lesions that can be seen in the stroma of the prostate but not in that of other organs, except for the phyllodes type of lesions, are discussed. Benign and malignant lesions of the soft tissues that occur in the stroma of other organs and are seen with some frequency in the prostate are also discussed. Few of the rarer soft tissue lesions are mentioned. Lesions and tumors with melanocytic differentiation, hematopoietic derivation, and germ cell tumors are described. It is hoped that this review will serve as a useful reference when encountering some of these lesions, all of which are referenced to their original and subsequent reports. Some non-English language references are also cited to reflect the international recognition of these lesions or to give credit to the author who first described the entity.

A 10-month-old boy with a large pineal tumor

February 2005. Case report of a 10-month-old boy with a large tumor located in the pineal gland, consisting of glia, ganglion cells, pigmented neuroepithelium and striated muscle, without immature components. The combination of neuroectodermal and mesenchymal constituents includes entities as pineal anlage tumor (melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy, MNTI), ectomesenchymoma, medullomyoblastoma, and teratoma in the differential diagnosis. Lack of immature elements in this case, however, eliminates ectomesenchymoma and medullomyoblastoma from the differential diagnosis. Retinal anlage tumors, to be considered as MNTI at the site of the pineal gland, usually harbor immature components as well. Therefore, the present case does not match strict criteria of any of the categories mentioned and therefore we have designated it as a "pineal anlage tumor (without immature components)".

Malignant ectomesenchymoma of the nose. Case report and review of the literature

To the best of our knowledge, a malignant ectomesenchymoma of the nose has not yet been reported. This rare tumour is composed of a mesenchymal element--usually a rhabdomyosarcoma--and a neuroectodermal element, often a neuroblastoma or a malignant schwannoma. Most malignant ectomesenchymomas have been found in children (mainly boys), but 5 adult cases, including our case, have also been reported. A 62-year-old man presented with a nasal obstruction on the right side of the nose. Diagnostic nasal endoscopy revealed a mass in the dorsal part of the right nasal cavity, which was treated by endoscopic surgery. The postoperative course was uneventful, and subsequent radiotherapy well tolerated. Since rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common component of this neoplasm, the treatment protocol for rhabdomyosarcoma would have appeared appropriate. This report reviews the literature, summarises the pathological features and possible histogenesis of the tumour, and outlines recommended treatments for malignant ectomesenchymoma.

Malignant ectomesenchymoma of the orbit in a child: Case report and review of the literature

Malignant ectomesenchymoma is a rare soft tissue tumor of childhood composed of both mesenchymal and neuroectodermal elements. Reported sites of origin are head and neck, abdomen, perineum, scrotum, and extremities. A new case of an orbital ectomesenchymoma in a 7-year-old boy is presented. The clinical picture of the tumor, radiological findings, and its histopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics are described. The patient was successfully treated with combined surgical resection and chemotherapy. All the other reported cases of malignant ectomesenchymoma with various sites of origin are also reviewed.