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Most primary small cells carcinoma develop from the lung, and extra-pulmonary small cell carcinoma accounts for less than 5% of all small cell carcinoma cases. In the head and neck region, the most common sites are the larynx and salivary glands; however primary involvement of the palate is extremely rare. The extra-pulmonary small cell carcinoma is similar to its pulmonary counterpart regarding morphology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy features and derives from pluripotential stem cells that develop neuroendocrine features. There is growing evidence regarding the ability of extra-pulmonary small cell carcinoma to arise from pluripotent basilar cells capable of divergent differentiation with the consequence of arising neuroendocrine phenotype as a trans-differentiation phenomenon in the progression of an organ-specific carcinoma. The differentiation between primary and metastatic extra-pulmonary small cell carcinoma is challenging. There is also no standard guideline for treatment as it is a rare occasion, and there is no consensus between radiation oncologists and cancer surgeons about the best treatment strategy. In this study, a very rare case of hard palate small cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine pathology features is presented. To our best of knowledge, this is the third case report of extra-pulmonary small cell carcinoma involving the palate in the literature review. Knowing the clinical presentation and pathology characteristics of such rare tumor in addition to follow-up outcome can be highly useful to establish a reliable guideline for hard palate small cell carcinoma management.

Background: An initial evaluation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with 18F- fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan can modify treatment planning. We investigated the clinical significance of FDG PET/CT quantitative parameters (QPs) in NSCLC patients. Materials and Methods: We included 125 NSCLC patients for initial staging FDG PET/CT scan. The primary tumor (T), regional lymph node metastases (N), and distant metastases (M) were evaluated on FDG PET/CT images. QPs, including standard uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were calculated separately for each T, N, and M lesion and also for the whole body. Statistical analysis through SPSS version 22 was used to evaluate the clinical significance of PET/CT QPs concerning primary tumor pathology characteristics, initial tumor stage, and patient’s prognosis. Results: We followed the patients for 19.28 (±11.42) months. Considering primary tumor pathology, there was a significant difference in FDG PET/CT QPs, including primary tumor SUVmax (p=0.00), metastases SUVmax (p=0.014), whole-body MTV (p=0.045), and whole-body TLG (p=0.002). There was also a significant difference in QPs, including primary tumor SUVmax (p=0.00) and regional lymph node metastases SUVmax (p=0.048) when accounting for tumor initial stage. There was a significant prognostic value for the whole-body TLG (p=0.01) and a cut-off point of 568 was reached to differentiate better versus worse survival outcome. Conclusion: We demonstrated a statistically significant difference in FDG PET/CT QPs when accounting for primary NSCLC pathology characteristics and initial stage, as well as patient’s prognosis, and recommend incorporating QP values into clinical PET/CT reports.

We aimed to determine the characteristics of coronavirus disease-2019 among the Iranian population. In this study, we collected and analyzed the demographics, laboratory findings and outcomes of patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran between February 20, 2020 and April 2, 2020. Of 1061 patients, the median age was 55 years (interquartile range [IQR], 44-66 years) and 692 (65.2%) were male. Among these, 129 (12.2%) patients died at some point during hospitalization in the ward or intensive care unit (ICU). From the remaining 932 survivors, 46 (5.0%) patients were admitted to the ICU and 886 (95.0%) patients were hospitalized in the ward. Patients who died were significantly older than those hospitalized in the ward (p

Introduction. Incidental hypermetabolic thyroid lesions on Positron Emission Tomography have significant clinical value and may harbor malignancy. In this study we evaluated laboratory, radiologic, and pathologic characteristics of incidental hypermetabolic thyroid lesions. Materials and Methods. We evaluated 18 patients prospectively with various malignancies and hypermetabolic thyroid incidentaloma. The thyroid function tests, ultrasound assessment, and guided FNA biopsy were performed on all cases. Results. We included 9 male and 9 female patients with mean age of 51 years. Most common malignancy was colon cancer. Metabolic activity quantification using maximum standard uptake value demonstrated range between 1.4 and 65.4 with mean value of 9.4. We found highest metabolic activity in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, B-cell lymphoma, and colon adenocarcinoma. On ultrasound exam most thyroid lesions were of solid, hypoechoic, noncalcified nature with either normal or peripheral increased vascularity. FNA biopsy report was benign in 15 cases and malignant or highly suggestive for malignancy in 3 other cases. Two of the three malignant cases demonstrated metabolic activity higher than average SUV max. Conclusion. Most thyroid hypermetabolic incidentalomas are benign lesions, while higher values of SUV max are in favor of malignancy. This mandates further evaluation of incidentally found thyroid hypermetabolic lesions on routine PET/CT scans.

Background Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, limited studies have investigated the histopathologic findings of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Material and methods This study was conducted on 31 deceased patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 in a tertiary hospital in Tehran, Iran. A total of 52 postmortem tissue biopsy samples were obtained from the lungs and liver of decedents. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and microscopic features were evaluated. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for SARS-CoV-2 was performed on specimens obtained from nasopharyngeal swabs and tissue biopsies. Results The median age of deceased patients was 66 years (range, 30–87 years) and 25 decedents (81 %) were male. The average interval from symptom onset to death was 13 days (range, 6–34 days). On histopathologic examination of the lung specimens, diffuse alveolar damage and thrombotic microangiopathy were the most common findings (80 % and 60 %, respectively). Liver specimens mainly showed macrovesicular steatosis, portal lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and passive congestion. No definitive viral inclusions were observed in any of the specimens. In addition, 92 % of lung tissue samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. Conclusions Further studies are needed to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 causes direct cytopathic changes in various organs of the human body.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare neoplasm, occurring most often in children and young adults. IMTs have intermediate biological behaviour with the chance of local invasion, recurrence and even distant metastasis. Wide range of clinical presentations makes the precise diagnosis of IMT more challenging. The best method for definitive diagnosis is tissue biopsy and newer imaging modalities including fleurodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT are useful tools in detection of disease recurrence or distant metastasis. Complete surgical resection is the best-known treatment for this tumour. Here we are presenting an IMT case in a 12-year-old girl in which her recurrent pulmonary IMT was diagnosed based on FDG PET/CT findings and referred for further salvage treatment. Overall imaging modalities are not specific, but PET/CT scan can be useful tool for evaluation of IMT regarding initial staging and restaging to assess treatment response and recurrence.

Background The similar clinical and computed tomography (CT) characteristics of cryptogenic organising pneumonia (COP) and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) make precise diagnosis challenging. Objectives To help differentiate between COP and CEP using high-resolution CT (HRCT). Design Clinical data and HRCT images of COP and CEP patients referred to Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from 2007 to 2015 were reviewed. Diagnosis of COP or CEP was confirmed using open lung biopsy or a combination of transbronchial biopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis, peripheral eosinophilia and a favourable response to corticosteroids. Results Ground-glass opacity, a dominant ground-glass pattern, upper-lobe pneumonia, increased thickness of bronchial walls and a mosaic pattern in the lungs were more frequent in CEP. Lower-lobe pneumonia, subpleural reticulation, a dominant consolidation pattern, nodules and masses, non-septal linear opacities, bronchial dilation and a reverse halo sign were more frequent in COP. History of asthma, wheezing and peripheral eosinophilia was significantly more common in CEP than in COP. Conclusion Distinguishing between CEP and COP based on HRCT alone is not always possible. However, in many cases, especially if the correct diagnosis cannot be established by other means, certain HRCT features can be very helpful.

Background: Chest wall tumors are rare and mostly malignant. More than half of the malignancies are primary and the remainder are metastatic. Many studies have reported that metastatic lesions occur with about the same frequency as primary tumor. We evaluate common histological types of chest wall tumors in a tertiary center for respiratory and thoracic diseases (National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease). Method: We performed a retrospective study of chest wall tumors at National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (NRITLD) from April 2001 to March 2010. The pathology slides of patients were retrieved from the pathology archive of NRITLD and reviewed by two pathologists. The lesions were classified as primary or metastatic according to the relevant clinical data and imaging findings. Result: A total of 124 chest wall tumors were identified in patients with a mean age of 47.7 years (range 4-90 years). The male/female ratio was 2:1. The most commonly affected side was the right (42.7%). There were 105 malignant tumors (84.7%), out of which 49 (46.2%) were primary and 57 (53.8%) were metastatic in origin. The majority of the metastatic lesions were epithelial tumors (36/57) (63.1%). The metastatic origin was clear in 51 cases, mostly arising from the lungs (35.7%). The most common types of primary chest wall tumors were primitive neuroectodermal tumor (15/49, 30.6%), chondrosarcoma (7/49, 14.3%), and malignant fibrous histiocytoma, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (5/49, 10.2%). The most common benign tumor was lipoma (5/18, 35.7%). Conclusion: Most common tumors of chest wall in this study were malignant, mostly metastatic epithelial neoplasms.

Endothelial cells harbor many antigenic determinants that may be targets for the immune system. The aim of this study was to determine the immunologic effects of decellularization, using 3 different methods, on xenograft rejection.In a sterile plate containing phosphate-buffered saline, fresh sheep aortic heart valves were decellularized using 3 different enzymatic methods: with 900 μg/mL of collagenase at 40°C (method A), with 450 μg/mL of collagenase at 4°C (method B), and with 900 μg/mL of collagenase at 4°C (method C). Intact and decellularized valves were implanted subdermally into inbred male albino rabbits and extracted after 21 days (extra valve pieces were also extracted after 60 days, as control samples, for assessing chronic rejection). Valves were histologically analyzed for inflammatory cell infiltration. Subendothelial structure integrity was determined using surface electron microscope.No inflammatory cell infiltration was seen around the decellularized valve with method A, and no subendothelial structure change was observed by surface electron microscope. Infiltration of immune cells involved in rejection was not seen around valves decellularized with method B, although the subendothelial structure was relatively preserved and valve stiffness was increased. With method C, we observed a foreign body-type reaction around the intact valve and the decellularized valve.Method A is considered the optimal method of decellularization in our study, as this method significantly reduced the immune response to xenograft tissue, while maintaining subendothelial tissue.

Rectal carcinoma with metastasis to skeletal muscle is a rare finding. According to literature review, 17 cases of skeletal muscle metastasis from colorectal carcinoma have been documented where only six cases were rectal carcinomas.We discuss a case of a middle-aged man with a known history of high-grade mucinous adenocarcinoma of the rectum, status post abdominoperineal resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. During the planned chemotherapy course, a right proximal thigh subcutaneous mass was incidentally found which on subsequent biopsy proved to be metastatic from rectal primary site. On subsequent 18F-FDG (Fluorodeoxyglucose) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scan after completion of chemotherapy for the purpose of treatment response evaluation, only FDG-avid lesion was residual right proximal thigh metastatic mass without involvement of other common sites, such as liver and lung. In this case, the 18F-FDG-PET/CT scan was able to exclude additional metastatic sites and also evaluate the patient’s treatment response.

Intracardiac involvement is a rare presentation of relapsed multiple myeloma. We present a case of lobulated mass in the wall of the right atrium, with extension to the inferior vena cava and obliteration and encasement of the interatrial septum in a 57-year-old man, a known case of multiple myeloma, with progressive exertional dyspnea and anasarca.

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), a systemic infection of the reticuloendotherlial system, is caused by a parasitic infection. The co-occurrence of VL and hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) has been previously reported in several studies. In this report we present two cases of HPS and VL among members of the same family.

Pulmonary complications are not infrequent after heart transplantation. Kaposi sarcoma is a vascular tumor that can involve the skin as well as visceral organs. We describe a case of visceral and cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma that presented with diffuse bilateral pulmonary infiltration and breathlessness 6 month after heart transplantation. Following modulation of the immunosuppressive regimen and addition of chemotherapy, the patient had an excellent response and has had an uneventful 1-year follow-up.

Objectives: Intravenous therapy is a complex procedure usually requiring the preparation of the medication in the clinical area before administration to the patient. Breaches in aseptic technique may result in microbial contaminations of vials which is a potential cause of different avoidable infections. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and pattern of microbial contamination of single- and multiple-dose vials in the largest pulmonary teaching hospital in Iran. Methods: In a period of 2 months, opened single- and multiple-dose vials from different wards were sampled by a pharmacist. The name of the medication, ward, labeling of the vials, the date of opening, and storing temperature were recorded for each vial. Remained contents of each vial were cultured using appropriate bacterial and fungal growth media. Results: Microbial contamination was identified in 11 of 205 (5.36%) of vials. The highest contamination rate was 14.28% for vials used in interventional bronchoscopy unit. The most frequent contaminated medication was insulin. Gram-positive bacteria (81.82%) were more significantly involved than gram-negative ones (9.09%) and fungi (9.09%), with the highest frequency for Staphylococcus epidermidis. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that repeated use of vials especially if basic sterility measures are disobeyed can cause microbial contamination of administered products to the patients. Infection preventionists are responsible to train health care workers regarding aseptic techniques and apply guidelines for aseptic handling of intravenous solutions. Keywords: Hospital, Infection control, Injection, Intravenous

Background Identification of gene rearrangements and clonality analysis are important techniques for the diagnosis of malignant lymphoproliferative diseases. These methods have various sensitivities based on the type of primer used and method of determination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. This study aimed at determining the clonality of B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Iranian patients using PCR method and 2 primers of FR2 and FR3. Materials and Methods Paraffin embedded blocks of 67 patients with B cell lymphoma and 19 cases with lymphoid hyperplasia of the lymph nodes who presented to NRITLD, Masih Daneshvari Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. After extracting the genomic DNA using phenol and chloroform, clonal analysis was performed using semi-nested PCR by using two primers: FR2 and FR3. PCR products were determined using 2 techniques of heteroduplex analysis, polyacrylamide gel and silver staining and the conventional method of agarose gel and ethidium bromide staining. Appearance of 1 or 2 bands in the desired location were considered as a sign of clonality. Results Monoclonal gene rearrangement was observed in 62 out of 67 patients (92.5%) as one or two discrete bands appeared within 60-120 base pairs (bp) and 200-300 bp range. Of the mentioned patients, 53 cases (79.1%) had FR2 and 51 (76.1%) had FR3 rearrangement. Heteroduplex analysis along with silver nitrate staining detected 3 out of the remaining 5 cases of lymphoma to be monoclonal. These cases had been reported negative by the conventional technique. In total, 65 out of 67 patients (97%) showed monoclonal gene rearrangement using both the abovementioned techniques. All hyperplasia cases were polyclonal by this method. Conclusion Our study showed that evaluation and detection of clonality using PCR, FR2 and FR3 primers along with heteroduplex analysis is a rapid sensitive technique for the diagnosis of malignant lymphomas.

Pulmonary complications are not infrequent after heart transplantation. Kaposi sarcoma is a vascular tumor that can involve the skin as well as visceral organs. We describe a case of visceral and cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma that presented with diffuse bilateral pulmonary infiltration and breathlessness 6 month after heart transplantation. Following modulation of the immunosuppressive regimen and addition of chemotherapy, the patient had an excellent response and has had an uneventful 1-year follow-up.

Neurilemmoma rarely develops in the biliary tree. Here, we report a 39-year-old Iranian woman with neurilemmoma in the extrahepatic bile duct presenting with progressively deepening jaundice. On the basis of clinical and radiological features, this tumor was initially suspected as Klatskin tumor. Histologically, the tumor was a typical neurilemmoma. Immunostaining showed that tumor cells were strongly and diffusely positive for S-100 protein, which supported the diagnosis of neurilemmoma. Neurilemmoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of obstructive jaundice.