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B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) is one of the common lymphoproliferative disorders with an increased risk of developing subsequent neoplasms of epithelial and mesenchymal origin. The decreased immunity and B-cell dysfunction in CLL probably accounts for this emergence of secondary malignancy. Breast, brain, skin and prostate tumors have been reported as usual coincident malignancies of CLL, while in occasional cases CLL may occur with malignancies of other solid organs, such as skin, lung, heart, and prostate. Synchronous CLL with urothelial carcinoma (UC) is an infrequent occurrence. We report this case because of its rarity in Indian literature and interesting hematological, immunophenotypic, histopathological, and cytopathological features of metastatic high-grade UC in a 61-year-old male with CLL.

Context: Peer-assisted teaching and learning (PTL) is being experimented in different medical universities worldwide. It is a learner-centered approach involving students through active learning strategies. Aims: To study the student perception of PTL in methods such as group-led seminars and fishbowls, in classroom through various interactive activities; compare and find out the student acceptability and efficacy of each of these methods in learning conceptual topics such as various types of anemia. Subjects and Methods: Medical students of second-year professional course were subjected to PTL in classroom during allotted teaching hours for 10 successive sessions using group-led modified seminars, fishbowls, and different formality-level interactive activities such as street plays, prop sessions, quiz sessions, to make them understand the clinical features and presentation of different types of anemia through understanding of etio-pathogenesis. To ascertain the aspects that influenced learning, focus group discussions were conducted in small groups consisting of 14 students and one facilitator in each group. Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on transcripts of the audio recordings by authors. Results: The emerging themes from qualitative analysis of transcripts were pertaining to teacher, student, and organization. We found motivation, interest, and involvement of peer teacher, student behavior and collaboration, contact time between students and facilitator, preparation time, coherence with other curricular activities, group size and composition, suitability of topic for the kind of activity, and availability of material for preparation as few sub-aspects affecting learning. Conclusion: For PTL to be effective, adequate transfer of knowledge through good peer teacher involvement, learner receptiveness, and adequate contact time is needed. Proper preparation with suitability of topics for the type of activity, alignment of seminars with other activities, and course coherence are prerequisites for the same.

Background: Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is a keynote modality in diagnosis and screening of thyroid nodules. The management of thyroid nodules largely depends on FNA; thus, it is challenging for the pathologist to distinguish the neoplastic nodule from benign ones and further, categorize the malignant tumors wherever possible. Due to the lack of uniform criteria for specimen adequacy and terminology, “The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC)” was designed. Objective: The objective of this study was to review the Bethesda thyroid FNA classification system in evaluation of thyroid nodules. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted over 4½ years. Fine-needle aspiration was done by palpation or ultrasound-guided, using a fine (25 or 27G) needle, and cytological smears were prepared using Giemsa, hematoxylin and eosin, and Papanicolaou stain. These smears were then examined and classified according to the BSRTC. Results: Of the 504 cases analyzed, benign lesions were the most common (78.9%), followed by malignant (4.2%), suspicious for follicular neoplasm/follicular neoplasm (4.2%), atypia/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (3.9%), and suspicious for malignancy (3.6%). Good cytohistological correlation (94.4%) was observed. Only 5.2% smears were nondiagnostic. Limitations: Small sample size for which histopathological follow-up was available. Conclusions: The BSRTC is a systematized 6-tier classification system for thyroid nodule aspirates. It is based on a complete literature analysis and is a unified risk-based reporting system.

Background: Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a teaching–learning method in which students act as peer teachers and help other students to learn while also themselves learning by teaching. PAL through modified interest building activities (MIBAs) is seldom tried in teaching pathology in medical colleges. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of peer teaching using MIBA, obtain feedback from students, and compare different activities with each other and with traditional teaching–learning methods. Methods: An interventional pilot study was conducted in 2 months on the 2nd MBBS undergraduates learning pathology at a medical college in North India. Students acted as peer teachers and performed different MIBAs including role plays, demonstration of pathogenesis through props, student-led seminars such as PowerPoint teaching, blackboard teaching, multiple choice question seminars, case-based learning (CBL) exercises, and quizzes before teaching sessions. Feedback was obtained through structured questionnaires on a 5-point Likert scale. Paired t-test was used to compare traditional teaching with MIBAs, and Friedman test was used to compare among different MIBAs. Results: Students found ease of understanding and the interaction and involvement of students as the most important benefits of PAL. MIBAs increased voluntary participation, coordination, teamwork, shared responsibility, and group dynamics among students. Quiz sessions followed by PowerPoint seminars and prop demonstrations received highest mean scores from students on most of the parameters. Quizzes, blackboard teaching, prop activities, and CBL helped students understand topics better and generated interest. Learners advocated for making MIBAs and PAL compulsory for future students. Discussion: PAL complemented by MIBAs may be adopted to make teaching–learning more interesting and effective through the active involvement and participation of students.

Introduction: Soft tissue tumors (STT) are mesenchymal neoplasms with a diverse spectrum and overlapping clinical, radiological and histological features. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are essential to make a diagnosis. Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer (FNCLCC) Sarcoma Group grading system based on tumour differentiation, mitotic rate and necrosis helps in predicting the tumour progression and treatment response. Aims: The goal of this study was to analyze the incidence, histological spectrum and IHC features of STTs and to grade sarcomas according to FNCLCC grading system. Material and Methods: This is a four year study conducted in the Department of Pathology of a tertiary care centre from July 2009 to June 2013. All histopathologically diagnosed STTs were evaluated for gross and microscopic appearance. IHC was done wherever needed and clinical correlation was attempted. Sarcomas were graded according to FNCLCC grading system. Results: Of the total 270 cases studied, benign, intermediate and malignant STTs were 67.0%, 7.0% and 25.9% respectively. Adipocytic, vascular and peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) formed the bulk of overall STTs (34.1%, 18.5% and 11.1% respectively). Sarcomas not otherwise specified were found to be the most common soft-tissue sarcomas followed by smooth muscle sarcomas and tumors with uncertain differentiation (11.5%, 4.1%, and 3.3%, respectively). Benign STTs were seen two decades earlier and were superficial in location as compared to sarcomas. On FNCLCC grading, grade 3 soft tissue sarcomas were slightly higher in number than grade 2 (27 vs 24). On IHC a definitive diagnosis was reached in 33 malignant, all intermediate and nine benign cases. Conclusion: The incidence of intermediate and malignant STTs is increasing due to early detection and better diagnosis by ancillary techniques like IHC. FNCLCC grading helps to prognosticate the malignant STTs thus guiding further plan of action while in some tumors like MPNST and Angiosarcoma it has no prognostic significance.

Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) comprises one of the largest subsets of cancers with a tendency for regional metastasis. Nodal status is a key prognostic indicator in patients with OSCC, particularly with N0 neck. Occult metastasis in the form of micrometastasis (MM) and isolated tumor cells (ITCs), often goes undetected by routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) examination using 1-2 sections for analysis. This limitation could be overcome by combining serial sectioning (SS) with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for the detection of MM and ITC. Pan-cytokeratin (pan-CK) (AE1/AE3) is particularly a useful marker to detect these deposits as their presence has resulted in varied interpretations and different applications of the tumor-node-metastasis system. Objectives: The objective of the study was to identify a suitable method for detecting MM and ITC in lymph nodes (LNs) of OSCC by combining SS and IHC and to compare it with conventional H&E staining. Materials and Methods: This laboratory-based, prospective study was conducted on 133 LNs harnessed from ten patients treated with radical neck dissection for primary OSCC. The LNs were subjected to SS at 100 μm intervals. The sections were stained with routine H&E staining, pan-CK and analyzed for MM and ITC according to criteria laid by Hermanek et al. Statistical Analysis: The obtained data were subjected to statistical analysis using Chi-square test. Results: The application of combination of SS and IHC using pan-CK (AE1/AE3) in our study revealed the presence of MM and ITC in 2.25% of the LNs diagnosed as negative on routine H&E examination. The detection of these occult metastatic deposits resulted in upstaging of 33.33% of the patients. Conclusion: In the view of crucial role of occult LN metastasis in prognosis and survival of OSCC patients with N0 neck, diagnostic tools such as IHC staining, particularly with pan-CK (AE1/AE3), combined with SS should be preferred over conventional methods as they result in upstaging, thus sparing the low-risk patients the morbidity of unnecessary treatment.

Background/Aim: Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by periods of remission and relapses. This study has been carried out in a group of North Indian patients, where the disease has shown an increasing prevalence and frequent relapses. Hence, there is a need to predict relapse for better management and to reduce morbidity. To assess the importance of biological and histological parameters in predicting relapse when the disease is in quiescent phase. Materials and Methods: A prospective study of twenty-six patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis was carried out in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Punjab. Only patients with clinical and endoscopic remission at the time of screening visit were included. Hemoglobin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C- reactive protein (CRP) and serum Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured. The baseline colonoscopic mucosal biopsies were retrieved and studied. Follow-up was conducted for one year at monthly interval or earlier if relapse occurred. Results: Fifteen out of twenty-six patients (57.69%) had evidence of clinical relapse during the follow-up. Hemoglobin, ESR, CRP and IL-6 levels were not found to be significant predictors of relapse. Increased number of eosinophils and neutrophils in the lamina propria were observed to be associated with significantly higher relapse rate. Conclusion: A higher risk of relapse in patients with quiescent colitis can be predicted by the presence of increased number of eosinophils and neutrophils in the lamina propria.