Sialolipoma: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Sialolipoma is a new variant of salivary gland lipoma first described in 2001. We present 2 cases of sialolipoma involving the soft palate and buccal mucosa of 2 female patients. A review of the English language literature revealed 16 cases of sialolipoma reported thus far. We have reviewed the clinicopathologic features of the literature cases and are adding the present 2 cases for a total of 18 cases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of sialolipoma involving the buccal mucosa and the second case in the soft palate. The purpose of this publication is to increase awareness of this recently described variant of lipoma and to address the diagnostic challenges posed both clinically and histopathologically.     

Pulmonary blastoma: a report of two cases and a review of the literature.

Pulmonary blastoma is the rarest malignant tumour of the lung. Two more cases are reported and the literature is reviewed. The first case, a woman, is the longest recorded survivor. An examination of all the reported cases shows that the tumour is less common and less agressive in women.     

Intraventricular craniopharyngioma: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Two unusual cases of purely intraventricular craniopharyngioma are presented. Both patients complained of headache as a sign of increasing intracranial pressure, but neither other neurological deficits nor hormonal disorders were present. Magnetic resonance images showed a mass lesion located within the third ventricle. Surgery confirmed that these two tumors were completely confined within the third ventricle, and histologically they proved to be squamous papillary craniopharyngiomas. Review of the literature demonstrates that craniopharyngiomas at this location have many common features and would appear to form a distinct entity.     

Spinal fibromatosis: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Background contextSpinal fibromatosis is a unique subset of fibromatosis that is only anecdotally described in the literature in sporadic case reports. According to our review of the literature, only 11 cases of spinal fibromatosis have been previously documented. This paucity of clinical data limits our understanding of its presentation and treatment.PurposeThe authors present the first two cases of spinal fibromatosis encountered at their institution, and review the literature of reported cases to elucidate the presentation and outcomes of patients with this rare tumor.Study designA report of two cases and review of the literature.MethodsThe two patients in our case report were women aged 45 and 38 years. Both of the patients presented to our clinic after previous excisional biopsy of a spinal mass, 17 years and 1 year later, respectively, with pain and paresthesias that recapitulated their former symptoms. Thirteen cases, including the two described in the current article, were culled from the literature.ResultsMagnetic resonance imaging revealed an enhancing lesion in the posterior elements of the spinal column in the first case and a paraspinal soft tissue mass in the second case. The tumors were histologically defined by haphazardly arranged, elongated, and slender spindle cells separated by abundant collagen without mitoses or necrosis. Surgical management resulted in intralesional resection in the first case and en bloc resection in the second case. By 40 and 10 months after surgery, both patients remain without neurologic deficits.ConclusionsAmong 13 cases of spinal fibromatosis, pain with or without a mass is the most common symptom at presentation. Tumor etiology is evenly distributed between de novo origin and surgical trauma. Treatment outcomes, although, cannot be determined from the limited data currently available.     

Retroperitoneal schwannoma: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Two cases of retroperitoneal schwannoma, one malignant, and the other benign, are herein reported. The first case was a 71-year-old female with a complaint of dull right flank pain. CT scan showed a large mass, which occupied almost the whole right half of the abdominal cavity extraperitoneally, accompanied by a low density portion in its central part. Angiography showed several feeding arteries, such as intercostal arteries, lumber arteries, and so on. Many tortuous and thin irregular vessels were seen. Tumor excision was performed under the diagnosis of malignant retroperitoneal tumor. No surrounding invasion or metastasis were seen. The tumor had a thick capsule, and cut surface showed lobulated appearance. No adjuvant therapy was done. Histological diagnosis was low grade malignant schwannoma. She is alive and well 17 months postoperatively. The second case was a 64 year-old male. His tumor was found incidentally, when he underwent a close examination of his gastric ulcer. According to CT scan, it was located behind the left kidney, and had a diameter of 3.0 X 2.5 cm. The tumor was removed including the fascia of lateral edge of quadratus lumbolum muscle, where it was firmly attached to. Surgical specimen showed a doughnut like appearance, because of its marked central necrosis. It had a white and thick capsule. Histological diagnosis was benign schwannoma of two different types, Antoni A and B. He remains well 13 months after operation. The 113 benign cases and 55 malignant cases reported in Japan, including our cases, were reviewed and discussed.     

Glomerulonephritis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a report of two cases and review of the literature.

Two cases of glomerulonephritis associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are described. The first patient presented with the nephrotic syndrome and normal renal function, whereas the second suffered from recurrent acute renal failure together with a unique pattern of IgM deposition within glomerular capillaries. Our review of the literature suggests that this association, although rare, has been documented in a sufficient number of cases to show that it is more than coincidental. Whereas the most common renal lesion associated with Hodgkin's disease is minimal change disease, more advanced glomerular changes are found in the patients with NHL. This is reflected in the higher incidence of renal failure in the latter patients. Treatment of the lymphomas has been shown to result in improvement or even cure of the renal disease, although long-term follow-up is rarely available in the reported cases.     

Soft tissue echinococcosis: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Echinococcosis (hydatid cyst disease) is a zoonotic infection caused by the parasitic tapeworm Echinococcus. The larval stage of this parasite can implant in many organs of the body, most commonly the liver, and create internal budding cystic masses. Echinococcal cysts also can implant in soft tissues; however, a review of the literature revealed no published case with the patient initially presenting with a soft tissue mass. Two such cases are reported in the current study. Physicians who evaluate soft tissue masses, particularly in patients from Echinococcus-endemic areas, need to include echinococcosis in their differential diagnoses. The current treatment of choice for soft tissue echinococcosis is wide resection combined with perioperative medical therapy.     

Spinal extradural angiolipoma: a report of two cases and review of the literature

Extradural angiolipomas are rare tumors that can produce spinal cord compression. Two patients with thoracic spinal angiolipoma are presented that were treated with surgical resection and radiation. The histological and clinical features of the 18 previously reported cases of these tumors are discussed.     

Intracranial meningeal melanocytoma: a report of two cases and a review of the literature

Two rare cases of intracranial meningeal melanocytoma are reported with clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings. In one of these the diagnosis was established by ultrastructural studies that showed premelanosomes and melanosomes in nonarachnoid-derived tumor cells. The other case was diagnosed retrospectively after a very long survival and is still alive 35 years after total excision and radiotherapy. The occurrence of these tumors in the cerebellopontine angle is rare as seen in our case.     

Primary intracranial choriocarcinoma: a report of two cases and a review of the literature

Among 848 cases of primary intracranial malignancy seen during a 63-year period at a pediatric hospital, there were 2 cases of primary pineal choriocarcinoma. The clinical and laboratory findings of these 2 cases were similar to those of 33 cases of intracranial choriocarcinoma reported in the literature. In 1 patient with precocious puberty, the diagnosis was confirmed by labeling human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) within the tumor, which had been stored for 25 years. In the other patient, who is alive and well 18 months after diagnosis, the response to cranial irradiation and intensive chemotherapy was monitored with serial measurements of serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and urinary HCG and with computed tomography. We conclude that intensive chemotherapy, radiation, and tumor resection, if feasible, offer the best chance of curing this otherwise fatal disease.     

Calvarial hemangiomas: report of two cases and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Primary hemangiomas of the bone are uncommon tumors, accounting for less than 1.0% of all bone neoplasms. These tumors are mostly found in vertebral bodies. Hemangiomas are rarely seen in the calvarium, where their frequency is 0.2% of all bone neoplasms. Because of their infrequent appearance in the skull, vague symptoms, and absence of prototypical radiological findings, these tumors can be missed in many cases or may be misinterpreted as more ominous lesions like multiple myeloma or osteosarcoma. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report two cases of calvarial hemangiomas: one with a single mass on the right sphenoid wing, and another with two similar lesions on the right occipital and left parietal bones. The diagnoses could be established only by histopathologic analysis. CONCLUSION: Histopathologic confirmation of the tumor is the definitive method for diagnosis of intraosseous hemangiomas. Radiological findings are not always characteristic for calvarial hemangiomas. Due to possible complications and the possibility of effective treatment, this lesion should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of skull lesions.     

Germanium-induced nephropathy: report of two cases and review of the literature

We report two cases of renal failure following long-term ingestion of germanium dioxide (GeO2) and comment on eight other cases reported in Japan. Ge-induced nephropathy is characterized by insidious onset of renal failure without proteinuria or hematuria after oral intake of Ge-containing compounds for more than several months, and by degeneration of renal tubular cells with minor glomerular abnormality in histology. When patients ceased to ingest Ge compounds, renal function gradually recovered but never returned to the normal range. Serious extrarenal complication can contribute to an unfavorable prognosis.     

Meckel's diverticulum: report of two cases and review of the literature

Meckel's diverticulum is considered the most common diverticulum of the small intestine. Of the various complications associated with this condition, intestinal obstruction is one of the most common. Rapid diagnosis and treatment are essential. Resection of the obstructing element is the treatment of choice. The authors report on their recent experience with two patients with Meckel's diverticulum, both of whom had intestinal obstruction as the presenting complication. The authors discuss the etiology and various complications of Meckel's diverticulum and present information on the frequency of associated mortality and morbidity.