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Purpose: Breast mucinous carcinoma is a particular histological form characterized by the extracellular production of mucus. The pure form is rarely reported and its prognostic is better than the other types of the breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to discuss the various anatomoclinical, therapeutic aspects and the prognostic factors of the pure mucinous carcinoma of the breast., Patients and Methods: We report seven cases diagnosed over a period of 11 years (1993-2003) in the laboratory of anatomy and pathological cytology of the university hospital of Sfax. A review of the clinical files with immunohistochemistry study (hormonal receptor, synaptophysine, chromogranine, Bcl2, Ki67, P53 and Her-2/neu (C-erbB-2)) were carried out for all the cases., Results: pure colloid carcinoma of the breast accounted for 0,5% of the whole of the breast cancers. The average age of patients was 69 years. At the time of the diagnosis, four tumours were classified T4, one T3, two T2, two N1 and one N3; no patient had presented metastasis (M0) according to pTNM classification. The echomammography showed regular contours mass in four cases. The anatomopathological study showed that the neuroendocrine differentiation was found in two cases, all the tumours had presented positivity for the hormonal receptors (oestrogen and progesterone) and negativity for the other antibodies, two cases exhibited the Bcl2 positivity and negativity for the other antibodies. An adjuvant radiotherapy was carried out for all the patients. The average duration of follow-up was of 33 months; the evolution was marked by the occurrence of metastases in two cases., Conclusion: The pure colloid carcinoma of the breast constitutes a particular morphological entity which deserves to be individualized; neuroendocrine differentiation of these tumours must be required. Their forecast is relatively favourable.

Purpose: To determine the level and prognostic significance of c-kit expression in the two age groups of North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas., Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of 99 NPC specimens from Tunisian patients was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical data were correlated with Epstein-Barr virus LMP1 expression and pathological, clinical and survival parameters., Results: c-kit was detected in 79% of the cases for patients under 30 years of age (juvenile form) but in only 56% of specimens in patients over 30 years (P=0.039) and was significantly over-expressed for patients with lymph node involvement (P=0.015). LMP1 score was 5.78 (+/-1.84) for c-kit negative tumors compared to 8,23 (+/-2.39) for c-kit positive tumors (P=0.002). Multivariate analysis including age, lymph nodes involvement and LMP1 expression as co-variables, showed that only age (P=0.027) and LMP1 expression (P=0.005) were significantly correlated to the c-kit expression., Conclusion: c-kit is highly expressed in the juvenile form of North African nasopharyngeal carcinomas. There is a significant association between LMP1 and c-kit expression. The contrasted levels of C-kit expression in the two age groups strengthen the hypothesis that these clinical forms result from distinct oncogenic mechanisms.

Purpose: The rhabdoid cerebral tumors were first identified by Briner et al. in 1985. Their frequency was estimated to be 2.1% of those affecting children under 18 months. Such tumors are equally characterized by a critically and speedly mortal development. Their historical genesis is still of a controversial issue. The aim of the present study was to discuss the various anatomicoclinical and therapeutic aspects of these rare tumors., Patients and Methods: We report five cases diagnosed over a period of eight years (1997-2004) in the Laboratory of Anatomy and Pathological Cytology of the University Hospital of Sfax., Results: The average age of patients was 20 years old, there were children under 14 years and 4 patients were male. Clinical symptomatology showed the predominance of intra-cranial hypertension syndrome. Radiography through magnetic resonance revealed a heterogeneous tumor process localized respectively on the spine (one case), the insula (one case), the temporofrontal lobes (two cases) and the medulla (one case). Histological examination of the tumors also showed a proliferation of giant cells with a hyaline-based cytoplasmic inclusion. These inclusions were positive for vimentin and keratin. An adjuvant radiotherapy treatment was prescribed for two patients. A recurrence of rhabdoid tumors occurred in two cases. All five patients died within eighteen months., Conclusion: The cerebral rhabdoid malignant tumor constitutes one of the most aggressive and life-threatening intracranial tumors. The optimal management of such tumors remains unknown.