Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors are mesenchymal neoplasms defined by the presence of histologically and immunohistochemically distinctive perivascular epithelioid cells. The perivascular epithelioid cell has no known normal tissue counterpart and coexpresses myoid and melanocytic markers. This tumor family shows marked female predominance and includes angiomyolipoma, clear cell sugar tumor, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, ...

Follicular dendritic cell tumor (FDCT) is an uncommon neoplasm that typically presents as a slow-growing, painless mass without systemic symptoms. Histologically, FDCT is characterized as a proliferation of spindle to ovoid cells having plump eosinophilic cytoplasm with indistinct borders and nuclei with vesicular or granular chromatin and small distinct nucleoli. ...

Context.--Currently, more women are being treated with chemotherapy or hormonal agents before surgery (neoadjuvant chemoendocrine therapy) for earlier-stage operable breast carcinoma. The pathologic examination of these specimens can be quite challenging.

Context.--A strong independent association has been recently observed between elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and increased incidence of cardiovascular events.

Context.--Shaken baby syndrome is a controversial topic in forensic pathology. Some forensic pathologists state that shaking alone is insufficient to explain death and that an impact must have occurred even if there is no impact site on the head.

Context.--The Joint Commission (JC) established new medical staff privileging requirements effective January 2008. The new requirements include the development of ongoing professional practice evaluation (OPPE) and focused professional practice evaluation (FPPE) processes and incorporate the general competencies of patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, ...

Context.--Intratumoral heterogeneity of HER2 gene amplification has been well documented and represents subclonal diversity within the tumor. The reported incidence of intratumor HER2 amplification genetic heterogeneity ranges in the literature from approximately 5% to 30%. The presence of HER2 genetic heterogeneity may increase subjectivity in HER2 interpretation by the pathologist.

* Context.--A subset of lung adenocarcinomas appears preferentially sensitive to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). EGFR-activating mutations and never smoking are associated with response to TKIs.

* Context.--Rh(D)-negative women with a large fetomaternal hemmorrahage (FMH) from an Rh(D)-positive fetus are at risk for anti-D alloimmunization if they do not receive adequate Rh immune glbulin (RhIG). Determination of the adequate RhIG dose for these women is a critical laboratory procedure for protecting their future Rh(D)-positive children.

* Context.--The pancreas gives rise to an array of distinct neoplasms that can be solid, cystic, or intraductal and can recapitulate the various lines of differentiation present in the normal gland.

* Context.--A variety of nonneoplastic conditions may form pancreatic masses that mimic carcinoma. Approximately 5% to 10% of pancreatectomies performed with the clinical diagnosis of pancreatic cancer prove on microscopic evaluation to be pseudotumors.

* Context.--Cystic lesions of the pancreas are being recognized with increasing frequency and have become a more common finding in clinical practice because of the widespread use of advanced imaging modalities and the sharp drop in the mortality rate of pancreatic surgery. Consequently, in the past 2 decades, the nature ...

* Context.--Metastatic disease is the most critical determinant of resectability of pancreatic cancer and accounts for the poor outcome of patients with this disease. Thus, a better understanding of metastatic pancreatic cancer will afford new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

* Context.--Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. Most cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage when the disease is beyond surgical intervention. Molecular studies during the past decade have contributed greatly to our understanding of this disease. Various germ-line and somatic mutations associated with pancreatic ...

* Context.--Pancreatic cytopathology plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with solid and cystic lesions of the pancreas.

* Context.--Distinguishing chronic pancreatitis from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a well-known challenge, at both the clinical and the morphologic level.

* Context.--Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival of less than 5%. Early detection is at present the only way to improve this outlook. This review focuses on the recent advances in our understanding of pancreatic carcinogenesis, the scientific evidence for a multistaged tumor progression, and the ...

Context.--Approximately 5% to 10% of individuals with pancreatic cancer report a history of pancreatic cancer in a close family member. In addition, several known genetic syndromes, such as familial breast cancer (BRCA2), the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, and the familial atypical multiple mole melanoma syndrome, have been shown to be associated with ...

* Context.--Pancreatic endocrine neoplasms (PENs) are diagnostically challenging tumors whose natural history is largely unknown. Histopathology allows the distinction of 2 categories: poorly differentiated high-grade carcinomas and well-differentiated neoplasms. The latter include more than 90% of PENs whose clinical behavior varies from indolent to malignant and cannot be predicted by ...

* Drug-induced thrombocytopenia was first described in the 19th century, yet our understanding of its pathogenesis continues to evolve. The list of drugs implicated in drug-induced thrombocytopenia is extensive and growing. Many, if not most, of these medications induce thrombocytopenia by immune mechanisms. Because the degree of thrombocytopenia can put ...