Angiomyolipoma of Uterine Cervix: Report of a Rare Case

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is classified as perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasm (PEComas) and is commonly seen in the kidney. AML is a solid mesenchymal neoplasm rarely encountered at the extrarenal site. Extrarenal AML is infrequently seen in the female genital tract. Four cases of AML of the cervix have been reported in the literature to our knowledge. We report a case of a 44-year-old female patient who presented with complaints of "lower abdominal pressure" and a history of post-coital bleeding and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. A cyst in the uterine cervix was found incidentally on computerized tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis. The patient underwent a loop electrosurgical excision procedure. The histologic and immunohistochemical features of the cervical biopsy favored the diagnosis of AML. The patient underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy. Grossly, a 4 cm white soft-to-firm mass was identified within the anterior lip of the cervix. Microscopy of the mass showed smooth muscle proliferation with prominent blood vessels, and scant mature adipose tissue trapped in between the smooth muscle bundles. Immunohistochemical stains showed smooth muscle actin (SMA) and desmin highlighting the smooth muscle component of AML. The histology and immunohistochemistry of the cervical mass in the surgical specimen were identical to the biopsy specimen and a diagnosis of AML was made.

Littoral Cell Angioma of the Spleen: A Case Report

Littoral cell angioma (LCA) is a rare, primary vascular tumor of the spleen that originates from the cells lining the venous sinuses of the spleen. Around 150 cases have been reported worldwide, with most reported cases of LCA being non-malignant but with unspecified malignant potential. As of 2022, three cases of malignant LCA have been reported. A 75-year-old male with a history of monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance presented with left upper outer quadrant abdominal pain. Ultrasound (US) scan showed a 10.5 cm round, circumscribed mass lesion, with hyperechoic foci, occupying the posterolateral aspect of the spleen. US-guided core needle biopsy of the mass revealed a diagnosis of "atypical cells present, suggestive of vascular neoplasm of the spleen," which was based on histologic and immunohistochemistry characteristics. Due to the size of the lesion, a malignant neoplasm was suspected, and a splenectomy was performed. Histological and immunohistochemical features of the splenic lesion returned a final diagnosis of benign LCA.

Filiform polyposis in a 20-year-old patient with ulcerative colitis – a rare occurrence

Introduction/Objective

Filiform polyposis (FP), also referred as inflammatory polyposis or pseudopolyposis, is an uncommon benign entity usually diagnosed in patients with history of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, interstitial tuberculosis or histiocytosis X. It is characterized by multiple finger-like mucosal projections/pseudopolyps seen more commonly in transverse and descending colon. Pathogenesis of FP is uncertain but it is hypothesized to be reactive process to chronic inflammation leading to formation of fingerlike projections. The term filiform polyposis was coined in 1974 by Appleman HD and his collegues to describe numerous long slender worm-like (filiform) colonic lesions seen in radiographs. Herein, we are going to present a case of FP diagnosed in a 20-year-old male with history of medically refractive ulcerative colitis.

Methods/Case Report

The patient is a 20-year-old male, with a history of medically refractive ulcerative colitis on systemic steroids and vedolizumab. He underwent sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy which reveals multiple pedunculated, polypoid lesions, ranging from 0.5 to 3 cm in length with white tips (cap of purulent mucous). Patient underwent total abdominal colectomy with end ileostomy. The specimen received by our deparment consist of a segment of right colon (63 cm in length, 3.5 cm in diameter) with attached ileum (3 cm in length, 2 cm in diameter) and appendix (6 cm in length, 0.8 cm in diameter). The part of the right colon is constricted/strictured measuring 24 cm in length, 2 cm in diameter. Opening reveals numerous (>100) pedunculated, finger-like polypoid lesions measuring from 0.3 cm to 2 cm in length. The lesions involve the entire right colon including distal colonic surgical margin. Appendix and ileum are not involved by the lesion and grossly unremarkable. Microscopic evaluation of the lesions reveal acute and chronic inflammatory cells, granulation tissue, areas of necrosis and reactive changes with focal mucosal atrophy consistent with chronic ulcerative colitis.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA

Conclusion

Filiform polyposis (FP) is an uncommon benign entity commonly seen in association with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Diagnosing FP requires comprehensive gross and microscopic examination as well as review of clinical history and imaginig studies. Because of its uncommon nature, we recommend to report this entity to raise awareness and to educate the pathologists who have not diagnosed it before.

Olinciguat, a stimulator of soluble guanylyl cyclase, attenuates inflammation, vaso-occlusion and nephropathy in mouse models of sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Reduced bioavailability of NO, a hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD), contributes to intravascular inflammation, vasoconstriction, vaso-occlusion and organ damage observed in SCD patients. Soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) catalyses synthesis of cGMP in response to NO. cGMP-amplifying agents, including NO donors and phosphodiesterase 9 inhibitors, alleviate TNFα-induced inflammation in wild-type C57BL/6 mice and in 'humanised' mouse models of SCD.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Effects of the sGC stimulator olinciguat on intravascular inflammation and renal injury were studied in acute (C57BL6 and Berkeley mice) and chronic (Townes mice) mouse models of TNFα-induced and systemic inflammation associated with SCD.

KEY RESULTS

Acute treatment with olinciguat attenuated increases in plasma biomarkers of endothelial cell activation and leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions in TNFα-challenged mice. Co-treatment with hydroxyurea, an FDA-approved SCD therapeutic agent, further augmented the anti-inflammatory effect of olinciguat. In the Berkeley mouse model of TNFα-induced vaso-occlusive crisis, a single dose of olinciguat attenuated leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions, improved blood flow and prolonged survival time compared to vehicle-treated mice. In Townes SCD mice, plasma biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial cell activation were lower in olinciguat- than in vehicle-treated mice. In addition, kidney mass, water consumption, 24-h urine excretion, plasma levels of cystatin C and urinary excretion of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin were lower in Townes mice treated with olinciguat than in vehicle-treated mice.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Our results suggest that the sGC stimulator olinciguat attenuates inflammation, vaso-occlusion and kidney injury in mouse models of SCD and systemic inflammation.

CD134 plus CD137 dual costimulation induces Eomesodermin in CD4 T cells to program cytotoxic Th1 differentiation

Cytotoxic CD4 Th1 cells are emerging as a therapeutically useful T cell lineage that can effectively target tumors, but until now the pathways that govern their differentiation have been poorly understood. We demonstrate that CD134 (OX40) costimulation programs naive self- and virus-reactive CD4 T cells to undergo in vivo differentiation into cytotoxic Th1 effectors. CD137 (4-1BB) costimulation maximized clonal expansion, and IL-2 was necessary for cytotoxic Th1 differentiation. Importantly, the T-box transcription factor Eomesodermin was critical for inducing the cytotoxic marker granzyme B. CD134 plus CD137 dual costimulation also imprinted a cytotoxic phenotype on bystanding CD4 T cells. Thus, to our knowledge, the current study identifies for the first time a specific costimulatory pathway and an intracellular mechanism relying on Eomesodermin that induces both Ag-specific and bystander cytotoxic CD4 Th1 cells. This mechanism might be therapeutically useful because CD134 plus CD137 dual costimulation induced CD4 T cell-dependent tumoricidal function in a mouse melanoma model.