FAS is a reliable prognostic marker in human melanomas. FAS predictive strength is increased when associated with Breslow thickness. The observation of FAS in human melanomas may stratify patients for stricter follow-ups and suggest different therapeutic approaches.

The present data indicate that flow cytometry identifies aneuploidy (hyperdiploidy) in approximately half of the cases of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors. This feature appears to reflect a more aggressive biologic behavior. In addition to the reported cytogenetic abnormalities, our data suggest that inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, generally considered a benign reactive inflammatory process, may evolve as a distinct, potentially malignant, lesion. Therefore, flow cytometric DNA analysis is a suitable tool to provide the clinician with both diagnostic and prognostic information and to individuate the most feasible therapeutic approach.

We observed 4 children with hemimegalencephaly, (3 boys, 1 girl aged 3-7 years). One child had a linear sebaceous nevus. All patients had a similar clinical, EEG, and neuroradiologic pattern. All patients had macrocrania, hemiparesis, hemianopsia, and psychomotor retardation of variable degree. All cases had an epileptic syndrome with onset during the first days or the first months of life. The seizures were consistently similar: partial motor seizures, generally hemiclonic and asymmetric brief tonic seizures, in series, involving predominantly one side of the body, contralateral to the cerebral damage. The EEG was initially characterized by a hemihypsarrhythmia and afterward, over the malformed hemisphere, by a rather high-frequency background activity associated with almost continuous transients of spikes, sharp waves, and spike and waves that progressively involved the contralateral hemisphere. Hemispherectomy was performed in two children with sudden and complete recovery from seizures and improvement in psychomotor development. Macroscopic examination was consistent with the computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing pachygyria and poorly represented white matter. Histologic examination showed the characteristic absence of cortical neuronal layering, and the presence of giant neurons, neuronal heterotopias, and gliosis. For hemispherectomy to be successful, we believe prolonged EEG monitoring is needed to verify that no seizures are originating in the normal hemisphere.

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Osteoclasts from a patient affected by osteopetrosis were examined in vivo and in vitro. Iliac crest biopsy revealed an osteosclerotic pattern, with prominent numbers of osteoclasts noted for hypernuclearity and incomplete adherence to the bone surface. A population comprising tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive, multinucleated and mononuclear cells, and alkaline phosphatase-positive stromal fibroblasts was obtained in vitro from bone marrow. Mononuclear TRAP-positive precursors spontaneously fused in culture to form giant osteoclast-like cells. These cells expressed the osteoclast marker MMP-9 and calcitonin receptor, and lacked the macrophage marker, Fc receptor. Expression and distribution of c-src, c-fms, and CD68, and response to steroid hormones relevant to osteoclast differentiation and function were apparently normal, whereas cell retraction in response to calcitonin was impaired. TRAP-positive multinucleated cells did not form osteoclast-specific adhesion structures (clear zone, podosomes, or actin rings). Bone resorption rate was severely reduced in vitro. Focal adhesions and stress fibers were observed en lieu of podosomes and actin rings. Adhesion structures contained low levels of immunoreactive vitronectin receptor, most of this integrin being retained in cytoplasmic vesicles. These data provide the first characterization of abnormal differentiation and function of human osteopetrotic osteoclastlike