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Background Clinically non-functioning Pituitary Adenomas (NFPA) are among the most common neoplasms of the sellar region. They usually present with compressive symptoms such as headache and visual field defects and not infrequently, are found incidentally. NFPA are classified as gonadotropinomas, null cell adenomas, according to their immunohistochemical phenotype. The molecular alterations responsible for the development of these lesions are incompletely understood, and there is scarce information regarding the molecular alterations and markers. Objective We carried out an in-silico analysis aimed at identifying the molecular alterations in NFPA and to discover new molecular markers. Methods Twenty-three microarray libraries were analyzed. Fourteen correspond to NFPA and 9 to control tissue gland. They were analyzed using Partek Genomic Suite to identify differentially expressed genes and WebGestalt and Metascape to understand the meaning behind the gene lists. Results Pituitary adenomas showed a markedly different transcriptome compared to the non-tumoral gland, regardless of their putative immunophenotype. Genes related to calcium metabolism such as CACNA2D4, immune-related CXCR4, and stem cell-related KLF8 and PITX2 were altered. Conclusions Differentially expressed calcium metabolism and immune-related genes in NFPA represent attractive molecular markers and potential therapeutic targets.

We report a unique case of a 4-year-old girl with an intriguing fibrohistiocytic tumour. Magnetic resonance imaging scans showed a dural mass of variegated intensity compressing the left occipital pole and apparently extending toward the superior sagittal sinus. Grossly, the cut surface of the surgical specimen was yellow, pale, and soft with reddish kernel-like crusts. Histologically, the yellow areas resembled cholesterol granulomas with widespread coagulative necrosis, cholesterol clefts, powdery calcification, foreign body-type giant cells, and foamy macrophages, while the scattered red spots contained numerous multinucleated giant cells of foreign-body and Touton types, the former with amphophilic to slightly eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunoperoxidase reactions confirmed the expression of histiocytic markers and vimentin. As far as we know, no tumour displaying these peculiar morphological features has yet been described.

Pituitary apoplexy is characterized by a sudden increase in pituitary gland volume secondary to ischemia and/or necrosis, usually occurring in the context of pituitary adenoma. Little is known about craniopharyngioma apoplexy.

Haemangioblastomas are neoplasms of uncertain histogenesis with cellular and reticular variants advocated in current lore. Herein we describe an intriguing cerebellar specimen with unusual traits including spindle cell morphology and CD34 positivity. A thirty-nine-year old man had an infratentorial tumour discovered incidentally and resected three times. In all the instances, histopathological diagnosis was haemangioblastoma; nonetheless, he had neither physical stigmata nor family history of von Hippel-Lindau disease. By histology, the lesion was composed of areas of conventional stromal cells admixed with territories populated by short-spindled cells packed in lobules, sometimes giving the appearance ofgomitoli. Immunoperoxidase-coupled reactions confirmed the expression of inhibin A, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), PS100, and CD57 but also revealed focal immunolabeling for CD34, CD99, and FXIIIa. This case highlights the potential phenotypical diversity that can be found within these neoplasms. Rather than uncertain histogenesis, it may in fact reflect multiple lines of differentiation—histomimesis—prone to adopt unusual morpho- and immunophenotypes in a subset of haemangioblastomas.

Objective: To establish distribution frequency and demographic characteristics of salivary gland tumours (SGT) i6n order to identify possible risk profiles. Design of study: The present report constitutes an eight year retrospective study (January 2000-August 2007). The archives of the Clinical and Experimental Pathology Laboratory (Graduate and Research Division, Dental School, National Autonomous University of Mexico) as well as archives of the Surgical Pathology Service (General Hospital, Mexico City) were subject to revision in order to select all cases where SGT tumour diagnoses were emitted. Age and gender of patients as well as SGT topography were obtained from medical records. Selected cases were classified according to location of the lesion, histological lineage and biological behaviour. Results: 360 cases of SGT were included, 227 (67%) cases were benign tumours, while 83 cases (23%) were malignant tumours. SGT were most frequent in women with ages ranging from their 3rd to 5th decades of life. 275 tumours were located in major salivary glands, 78.9% of them were identified in the parotid gland. The most frequent location of tumours arising from minor salivary glands (33 cases, 38%) was found in the palatine glands. Tumours of epithelial lineage were the predominant histological type. The most frequent benign tumours were pleomorphic adenomas (86.1%) and papillary cystadenoma lymphomatosum (7.3%). The most frequent malignant tumours were adenoid cystic carcinomas (25%) and mucoepidermoid carcinomas (23.6%) Conclusions: Salivary gland tumours in Mexican population appear principally in major salivary glands of women in their 3rd to 5th decade of life. Key words: Salivary glands tumours, epithelial tumours, pleomorphic adenoma, papillary cistadenoma lymphomatosum, adenoid cystic carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

We report a 50-year-old woman with no relevant clinical history who presented with headache and loss of memory. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a left parieto-temporal mass with annular enhancement after contrast media administration, rendering a radiological diagnosis of high-grade astrocytic neoplasm. Tumour sampling was performed but the patient ultimately died as a result of disease. Microscopically, the lesion had areas of glioblastoma mixed with a benign mesenchymal constituent; the former showed hypercellularity, endothelial proliferation, high mitotic activity and necrosis, while the latter showed fascicles of long spindle cells surrounded by collagen and reticulin fibers. With approximately 40 previously reported cases, gliofibroma is a rare neoplasm defined as either glio-desmoplastic or glial/benign mesenchymal. As shown in our case, its prognosis is apparently determined by the degree of anaplasia of the glial component.