Large phyllodes tumour of the seminal vesicle: case report and literature review

Ureteral tumor with morphological features analogous to phyllodes tumor: a unique case with concomitant urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Phyllodes tumors belong to a spectrum of biphasic fibroepithelial lesions and are most commonly found in the breast. They are extremely rare in the urinary tract and only one case of bladder phyllodes tumor has been reported.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present a 69-year-old man with gross hematuria without an apparent cause. Computed tomography-urography and cystoscopic examination revealed a 5 × 4 cm lesion in the right ureteral orifice. He underwent a laparoscopic nephroureterectomy and partial cystectomy. Postoperative pathology confirmed a leaf-like structure consisting of myxoid stroma and peripheral urothelium. Stromal cells were spindle-shaped and stellate in appearance with no conspicuous cytological atypia or mitosis. The outlining urothelium had varying degrees of dysplasia, while in areas with moderate-to-severe dysplasia, active mitotic activity, abnormal giant cells, and focal early infiltration were observed. Overall, this case had the morphological features of benign phyllodes tumors and concomitant invasive urothelial carcinoma inside. The patient remained disease-free at 7 months after surgery.

CONCLUSION

We report the first ureteral tumor with the morphological characteristics of a phyllodes tumor and concomitant invasive urothelial carcinoma inside. Considering the potential for local recurrence of phyllodes tumors and invasive urothelial carcinoma, long-term clinical and radiological follow-up of such lesions are advisable.

Phyllodes tumor of the verumontanum: a case report

The current report presents the case of a 42-year-old male with extraordinarily salient urination difficulty that had lasted 6 months. Transrectal ultrasonography and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated prostatic hyperplasia and cyst. PSA level was 20.65 (>4) μg/L in the patient. Transrectal prostatic biopsy revealed benign prostatic hyperplasia. He agreed to receive plasmakinetic resection of the prostate. During operation a lobulated lump was unexpectedly found on the verumontanum, with the prostate macroscopically normal. Complete tumor excision was performed and pathological assessment indicated phyllodes tumor of the verumontanum. The patient had an uneventful post-operative course and recovered well. The diagnosis, histological classification, treatment, and prognosis of this case are presented. It is necessary to perform cystoscopy to exclude verumontanum tumor even when all imaging examinations indicate prostate hyperplasia, especially in young males. Virtual slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1868931661161758.

Cystosarcoma Phyllodes of the Seminal Vesicle: A Case Report and Literature Review

Cystosarcoma of the seminal vesicle is a very rare malignant tumor; in the literature only four cases are reported. We present a case of cystosarcoma phyllodes arising in the right seminal vesicle of a 49-year-old man without any urinary symptom but with persistent constipation. Ultrasound examination showed a mass at the right superior base of the prostate subsequently studied with CT and MRI. The patient underwent vesiculectomy; his postoperative course was uneventful. The patient is still well, without evidence of recurrent disease.

Why are epididymal tumours so rare?

Epididymal tumour incidence is at most 0.03% of all male cancers. It is an enigma why the human epididymis does not often succumb to cancer, when it expresses markers of stem and cancer cells, and constitutively expresses oncogenes, pro-proliferative and pro-angiogenic factors that allow tumour cells to escape immunosurveillance in cancer-prone tissues. The privileged position of the human epididymis in evading tumourigenicity is reflected in transgenic mouse models in which induction of tumours in other organs is not accompanied by epididymal neoplasia. The epididymis appears to: (i) prevent tumour initiation (it probably lacks stem cells and has strong anti-oxidative mechanisms, active tumour suppressors and inactive oncogene products); (ii) foster tumour monitoring and destruction (by strong immuno-surveillance and -eradication, and cellular senescence); (iii) avert proliferation and angiogenesis (with persistent tight junctions, the presence of anti-angiogenic factors and misplaced pro-angiogenic factors), which together (iv) promote dormancy and restrict dividing cells to hyperplasia. Epididymal cells may be rendered non-responsive to oncogenic stimuli by the constitutive expression of factors generally inducible in tumours, and resistant to the normal epididymal environment, which mimics that of a tumour niche promoting tumour growth. The threshold for tumour initiation may thus be higher in the epididymis than in other organs. Several anti-tumour mechanisms are those that maintain spermatozoa quiescent and immunologically silent, so the low incidence of cancer in the epididymis may be a consequence of its role in sperm maturation and storage. Understanding these mechanisms may throw light on cancer prevention and therapy in general.