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We studied 21 patients who presented with a diagnosis of pentalogy of Cantrell. Their mean age was 40 days. All patients presented with congenital heart disease. Six presented with ectopia cordis. Every patient was subjected to echocardiography. Double outlet right ventricle, an atrial septal defect and dextrocardia were seen in 5 patients (24%). Four patients survived. Seventeen died, 12 from sepsis or septic shock. Autopsies were performed on 10 patients. All of the ectopia cordis patients died. Pentalogy of Cantrell is uncommon, and its association with ectopia cordis indicates poor prognosis. Full English text available from: www.revespcardiol.org.

We studied 21 patients who presented with a diagnosis of pentalogy of Cantrell. Their mean age was 40 days. All patients presented with congenital heart disease. Six presented with ectopia cordis. Every patient was subjected to echocardiography. Double outlet right ventricle, an atrial septal defect and dextrocardia were seen in 5 patients (24%). Four patients survived. Seventeen died, 12 from sepsis or septic shock. Autopsies were performed on 10 patients. All of the ectopia cordis patients died. Pentalogy of Cantrell is uncommon, and its association with ectopia cordis indicates poor prognosis.

The present study was aimed to assess the effect of protein carbonylation (PC) in hepatic cells and effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on indicators of tissue damage induced by liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI). Warm ischemia was performed by partial vascular occlusion during 90 min in Wistar rats. In serum, we determined the catalytic activity of Alanine Aminotransferase, Aspartate Aminotransferase, Lacticate Dehydrogenase, and Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase. In liver samples, we studied cellular alterations by means of histologic studies, lipid peroxidation, PC by immunohistochemistry, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species in bile by electron paramagnetic resonance. Based on PC data, sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) and Kupffer cells (KC) were the first to exhibit LIRI-associated oxidative damage and prior to parenchymal cells. Administration of piroxicam or meloxicam during the pre-ischemic period produced a highly significant decrease in all studied injury indicators. No significant differences were revealed between the protective action of the two drugs. The data shown here suggest the potential use of NSAIDs such as piroxicam or meloxicam in minimizing ischemic event-caused damage in liver. We also propose that PC may be employed as an adequate tool to assess tissue damage after oxidative stress.

Resumen El tumor miofibroblastico inflamatorio (seudotumor inflamatorio) es una lesion idiopatica, poco frecuente en cabeza y cuello, de etiologia desconocida, que se presenta mas comunmente en tejidos blandos, pulmon y orbita. En la literatura mundial solo se tiene conocimiento previo de 2 casos con afeccion amigdalar. Informamos del caso de una nina de 10 anos, que ingreso en nuestro hospital con cuadro clinico de dolor en la region cervical, tos con vomito, disnea y dislexia, la exploracion fisica mostro halitosis y una neoformacion dependiente de la amigdala izquierda, se le realizo amigdalectomia bilateral.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (inflammatory pseudotumor) is an idiopathic lesion, rare in the head and neck, of unknown aetiology. It is primarily a soft tissue, lung and orbital condition. In the world literature, only two cases with tonsillar disease have been found. We report a case of a 10-year-old girl admitted to our hospital with clinical complaints of pain in the neck region, cough with vomiting, dyspnoea and dyslexia. Clinical examination revealed halitosis and a neoformation dependent on the left tonsil. Bilateral tonsillectomy was performed.

Kimura disease is an uncommon chronic inflammatory condition of unknown etiology and is characterized by painless subcutaneous nodules, usually affecting the head and neck, eosinophilia, and markedly elevated immunoglobulin E levels. Several reports have described the main modalities of treatment; both corticosteroids and surgery have provided good results, but occasionally corticosteroids cannot be tapered as the disease flares up. We report here the case of an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with Kimura disease who was successfully treated with 1 dose of intravenous immunoglobulin as a steroid-sparing agent.

Cryptorchidism is a risk factor for the development of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). The most common type of TGCT in cryptorchidism is seminoma. The intratubular germ cell neoplasia unclassified (ITGCNU) is a histological pattern preceding the development of seminomas and non-seminomas. It was suggested that in patients with cryptorchidism, the gonocytes remained undifferentiated with pluripotent abilities expressing proteins like POU domain class 5 transcription factor 1 (POU5F1), tyrosine kinase receptor c-Kit, placental-like alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), the transcription factor AP2γ and sal-like protein 4 (SALL4) that confer to the gonocytes this ability and therefore make them susceptible to develop ITGCNU. The aim of the present study was to determine if the gonocytes of patients with cryptorchidism express POU5F1, c-Kit, PLAP, AP2γ and SALL4 proteins after their differentiation period. Based on this, we evaluated samples of testicular tissue from newborns to 16-year old subjects with or without cryptorchidism in search of POU5F1, c-Kit, PLAP, AP2γ and SALL4 using immunocytochemical method, the results of which were validated by RT-PCR. The results showed that control subjects witnessed a down-regulation in the expression of these five proteins in the first year of life, which eventually disappeared. On the other hand, it was determined that 21.6% (8/37) of the patients with cryptorchidism continued to express, at least, one of the proteins analyzed in this study after the second year of life. And only 5.4% (2/37) of the patients were positive to the five markers. These data sustain the proposed hypothesis that in cryptorchid patients, ITGCNU arises from gonocytes that fail in their differentiation process to spermatogonia with conservation of the proteins (POU5F1, c-Kit, PLAP, AP2γ and SALL4) that maintain pluripotency and undifferentiated characteristics and which are responsible for making the gonocytes susceptible to malignancy. However, we cannot guarantee that these patients present neoplastic transformation.

Congenital cutaneous angioleiomyoma is an extremely rare benign smooth muscle tumor. We present a case of a firm, painful subcutaneous mass noticed at birth on the left leg that on surgical excision proved to be an angioleiomyoma. Prognosis is good, and recurrences are uncommon. To our knowledge, this is the second report of a congenital angioleiomyoma.

Cutaneous rhabdomyomatous mesenchymal hamartoma (RMH) is a rare benign tumor composed of two or more types of mesenchymal-derived cells. RMHs are generally sporadic and independent, but they can be associated with congenital abnormalities. We report a subcutaneous case of RMH in the sternoclavicular area with two recurrences after complete surgical excision. The course is variable and can range from spontaneous resolution to repeated recurrences.

Background: Extensive epidermal necrosis in newborn infants is an unusual event of heterogeneous cause. Objective: The objective of this article is to describe what seems to be a previously unrecognized lethal disease. Methods: The clinical and histopathologic features of three premature infants, two of them nonidentical twins, and the autopsy findings of one of them were analyzed. Results: Intrauterine lethal epidermal necrosis with hair follicle calcification, except for the face, hands, feet, elbows, and knees, was present in all three patients. Some histopathologic features were suggestive of epidermal apoptosis. Conclusion: We propose that the clinicopathologic alterations in our patients represent a new condition that may be caused by massive epidermal apoptosis.(J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38:712-5.)

Transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD) affects up to 10% of patients with Down syndrome (DS). A small proportion of newborns are asymptomatic and only manifest circulating blast cells, with or without leukocytosis, while others present with hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, serous effusions, and liver fibrosis. Few cases in the literature also have skin manifestations, described as crusted, erythematous, vesiculopustular eruptions occurring mainly on the face, with spreading to the trunk and extremities.Four patients with DS and TMD were studied due to the presence of cutaneous eruptions. Systemic involvement, work-up, and follow-up were documented for each patient. Our results were compared with the previously reported cases.All patients were males, with ages ranging from 1 to 20 days at the time of diagnosis. In three patients, the eruption was papulopustular, and two of them also had vesicles. In one patient, lesions resembled bullous impetigo. In all, the lesions involved the face, followed by the extremities in three and the trunk in two patients. Pathergy phenomena was present in one patient. Hepatomegaly and a leukemoid reaction were present in all patients. Bone marrow showed an M7 immunophenotype in three patients and normal cellularity in one. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 11 months, during which the patients were healthy.Recognition of the cutaneous eruptions associated with TMD in neonate patients with DS may lead to early diagnosis and avoidance of unnecessary chemotherapy. However, because leukemia may develop later, careful follow-up is mandatory in all cases.

Background Transient myeloproliferative disorder (TMD) affects up to 10% of patients with Down syndrome (DS). A small proportion of newborns are asymptomatic and only manifest circulating blast cells, with or without leukocytosis, while others present with hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, serous effusions, and liver fibrosis. Few cases in the literature also have skin manifestations, described as crusted, erythematous, vesiculopustular eruptions occurring mainly on the face, with spreading to the trunk and extremities. Materials and methods Four patients with DS and TMD were studied due to the presence of cutaneous eruptions. Systemic involvement, work-up, and follow-up were documented for each patient. Our results were compared with the previously reported cases. Results All patients were males, with ages ranging from 1 to 20 days at the time of diagnosis. In three patients, the eruption was papulopustular, and two of them also had vesicles. In one patient, lesions resembled bullous impetigo. In all, the lesions involved the face, followed by the extremities in three and the trunk in two patients. Pathergy phenomena was present in one patient. Hepatomegaly and a leukemoid reaction were present in all patients. Bone marrow showed an M7 immunophenotype in three patients and normal cellularity in one. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 11 months, during which the patients were healthy. Conclusions Recognition of the cutaneous eruptions associated with TMD in neonate patients with DS may lead to early diagnosis and avoidance of unnecessary chemotherapy. However, because leukemia may develop later, careful follow-up is mandatory in all cases.

Congenital cutaneous angioleiomyoma is an extremely rare benign smooth muscle tumor. We present a case of a firm, painful subcutaneous mass noticed at birth on the left leg that on surgical excision proved to be an angioleiomyoma. Prognosis is good, and recurrences are uncommon. To our knowledge, this is the second report of a congenital angioleiomyoma.

The present study was aimed to assess the effect of protein carbonylation (PC) in hepatic cells and effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on indicators of tissue damage induced by liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI). Warm ischemia was performed by partial vascular occlusion during 90 min in Wistar rats. In serum, we determined the catalytic activity of Alanine Aminotransferase, Aspartate Aminotransferase, Lacticate Dehydrogenase, and Ornithine Carbamoyltransferase. In liver samples, we studied cellular alterations by means of histologic studies, lipid peroxidation, PC by immunohistochemistry, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species in bile by electron paramagnetic resonance. Based on PC data, sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) and Kupffer cells (KC) were the first to exhibit LIRI-associated oxidative damage and prior to parenchymal cells. Administration of piroxicam or meloxicam during the pre-ischemic period produced a highly significant decrease in all studied injury indicators. No significant differences were revealed between the protective action of the two drugs. The data shown here suggest the potential use of NSAIDs such as piroxicam or meloxicam in minimizing ischemic event-caused damage in liver. We also propose that PC may be employed as an adequate tool to assess tissue damage after oxidative stress.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of 14 cases of central odontogenic fibroma (COF), and the ultrastructural features of 2 of them.Collaborative retrospective study based on the records of 4 oral pathology diagnostic services in Latin America based on the current World Health Organization classification.There were 7 male and 7 female patients (mean age 31.8 years). Eight tumors occurred in the maxilla and 6 in the mandible. Thirteen cases were epithelium-rich and 1 epithelium-poor COF. Three were classified as hybrid COF with giant cell lesion. Mean size of the hybrid lesions were larger than pure COF (3.8 vs. 2.4 cm). Odontogenic epithelial islands were immunoreactive for cytokeratin (CK) AE1/AE3, CK5, CK14, CK19, and 34BE12 and negative for CK1 and CK18. Langerhans cells positive for S-100 and CD1a were found within the epithelial islands in 6/6 tested cases. CD68 was expressed in the giant cells of the hybrid lesions and in a few mononuclear cells of 2 cases of COF. Ki-67 index was1% in all cases. In 6 tumors (42.8%), there were small globular eosinophilic droplets within the epithelial islands, which were positive for collagen type IV, and 9/13 cases (69.2%) were focally positive for smooth muscle actin. In addition to fibroblasts, myofibroblastic differentiation was found in the 2 cases studied ultrastructurally.Immunohistochemistry was useful to confirm the presence of epithelium and to exclude other central fibrous tumors. COF also contains a variable number of mast cells, Langerhans cells, and myofibroblasts, and further studies are needed to better understand the participation of these cells in COF histogenesis.

The aims of the present study were to examine whether the pattern of syndecan-1 expression correlates with cellular proliferation index in desmoplastic ameloblastomas (DA), peripheral ameloblastomas (PA) and ameloblastic carcinomas (AC), and to compare with that previously reported for solid (SA) and unicystic (UA) variants of ameloblastoma. Immunohistochemistry was performed for syndecan-1 and Ki-67 in seven ameloblastomas (four DA and three PA) and three AC. Expression of syndecan-1 was related to the histological subtype of tumors and, in the case of malignancy, to lower expression levels observed in AC (22.5%) than in PA (47.5%) or DA (77.5%) (P < 0.05). Syndecan-1 expression correlated inversely with Ki-67 proliferative index: the expression was lower in both types of ameloblastomas (1.5% in DA and 6.4% in PA) than in AC (41.2%; P < 0.05). The present results suggest that the decrease in syndecan-1 expression and increase in the Ki-67 index observed in AC is in accordance with its higher aggressiveness as compared to the rare DA and PA. Interestingly, DA had a lower proliferation index as well as the highest levels of syndecan-1 expression. These data suggest that DA differ from the other types of intraosseous ameloblastomas but more studies are necessary to better understand the role of this protein as a marker in the biological behavior of the epithelial odontogenic neoplasms.

Ameloblastoma is the most frequent odontogenic tumor and is considered a benign, but locally invasive, neoplasm with variable clinico-pathological expression. Syndecan-1 is a cell surface proteoglycan that binds cells to the extracellular matrix and its expression is down-regulated in many cellular transformation models. The aims of this study were to examine the pattern of syndecan-1 expression, to evaluate the proliferating activity in a large series of solid/multicystic (SA) and unicystic ameloblastomas (UA), and to study its possible correlation to their biological behavior. Immunohistochemical studies were performed for syndecan-1 (clone MI15) and Ki-67 (clone MIB-1) in 120 ameloblastomas (75 SA and 45 UA). The salient finding was that expression of syndecan-1 was related to the histological subtype of tumors, as there was a lower expression in SA (40.2%) as compared to UA (49.7%) (p0.05). These findings did not correlate with Ki-67 expression, as this was similar in both types of ameloblastomas. Our results suggest that the reduced expression of syndecan-1 supports the view that SA has a more aggressive biological behavior than the UA. The lack of correlation between reduction of the syndecan-1 and Ki-67 index may be due to the different histomorphologies of both types of ameloblastoma, and more studies are necessary to better understand the role of this protein in the biological behavior of these tumors.

Duplications of the intestinal tract are rare malformations, and triplications are even less frequent; only two cases are found in the literature. Peritoneal melanosis, a diffuse, black pigmentation of the peritoneum is also rare; only six cases have been reported; five in young women and one in a 2-year-old girl. The authors report on a 6-month-old boy with a gastric triplication and peritoneal melanosis. The diagnostic criteria and the possible embryological origin are discussed.

Hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by recurrent skin abscesses, recurrent pneumonia with pneumatocele formation, eczema, eosinophilia, and elevated levels of serum IgE. Patients with the autosomal recessive (AR) form of HIES appear to be prone to developing autoimmune diseases. We present two cases of HIES with autoimmune complications; one case was a product of a consanguineous marriage, the other one was a sporadic case. The first patient presented with recurrent episodes of erythema nodosum, warts, bronchiolitis obliterans and thrombocytopenia. The second patient developed glomerulonephritis resulting in endstage renal failure. She later developed malar rash, oral ulcers, cerebral infarcts with vasculitis and positive ANA, anti-dsDNA, and antiphospholipid antibodies. We discuss the dilemma in treating patients who present with both primary immunodeficiency and autoimmunity.

Among 27 pediatric patients with a clinicopathologic diagnosis of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), 15 had localized cutaneous lesions and 12 had disseminated lesions. During a mean follow-up period of 36 months, seven patients (26%) developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Four of these patients were less than 10 years of age. No correlation was found between localized and disseminated lesions and evolution to SLE. Three of four patients with a positive family history for rheumatoid disease developed SLE (p < 0.05). Hyperpigmentation was significantly more frequent (p < 0.04) in children less than 10 years of age. There was a female predominance of 5:1 among patients less than 10 years of age. Our findings suggest that onset of DLE prior to 10 years of age does not indicate a greater risk of developing SLE. The occurrence of localized or disseminated lesions does not seem to influence the outcome.

The natural history of a rare parotid tumor, the sialoblastoma (embryoma) is reported. It is a blastematous neoplasm said to recapitulate the epithelial differentiation of a gland at various stages of development. The tumor grew in a period of 5 years (from shortly after birth until it was excised) to a firm asymptomatic mass measuring 5 cm in greatest diameter. With a diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma (a common misdiagnosis), the patient was referred to the reporting institution, where the diagnosis was revised. Five months later, completion parotidectomy for presumed recurrence failed to demonstrate residual tumor. One year later, the patient appears to be free of disease. The authors propose that sialoblastomas should be regarded neither as benign nor malignant, but as one single disease with local infiltrative potential. Based on this concept, sialobiastomas can be treated with early conservative surgery alone, provided that free margins are obtained.