REFERENCES1 Gibson JA, Hornick JL. Mucosal Schwann cell 'hamartoma': Clinicopathologic study of 26 neural colorectal polyps distinct from neurofibromas and mucosal neuromas.

Background: Imprint cytology may provide a fast and accurate method for intraoperative screening of sentinel lymph nodes, so a decision can be made regarding whether to perform axillary clearance during primary surgery. If the findings are negative, in many cases axillary dissection can be omitted. Patients and Methods: 128 sentinel nodes from a cohort of 87 patients that had been identified using technetium-99m nanocolloid as a radioactive tracer and Patent blue dye were disected for rapid Diff-Quick stained touch preparations. Intraoperative evaluation of sentinel node status by imprint cytology was correlated with histopathological results of permanent sections. Tumor-negative nodes in routine paraffin sections were further investigated with the employment of an anti-cytokeratin antibody. Results: 36 of all sentinel nodes harbored metastases in the paraffin sections, of which 32 were identified by imprint cytology (sensitivity 88.8%). 3 sentinel nodes were positive by imprint cytology and negative by histopathology of the paraffin sections. Comparison of the results of the touch preparations with the final histopathology (hematoxylin-eosin and anticytokeratin antibody stains) demonstrated a sensitivity of 83.3% and a negative predictive value of 92.5%. The specificity and positive predictive value were 100% each. Conclusions: Touch imprint cytology is potentially useful for intraoperative evaluation of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients.

Aims Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a heterogeneous disease with an aggressive behaviour in most cases, which is associated with expression of sex determining region‐Y‐box11 (SOX11). Experimental studies have shown that SOX11 expression is associated with an angiogenic switch characterised by increased expression of angiogenic‐related signatures and vascularisation of murine tumours. However, the relationship between angiogenesis and SOX11 expression in primary tumours is not well understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the development of microvascular angiogenesis in primary MCL in relation to SOX11 expression and its potential prognostic value. Methods and results Fifty‐six patients diagnosed with MCL, 38 SOX11‐positive and 18 SOX11‐negative, were studied. The relative intratumoral microvascular area (MVA) and microvessel density (MVD) (number of intratumoral microvessels/μm2) were measured on CD34‐stained slides using a computerised image analysis system. SOX11‐positive MCL showed a significant higher microvascular development than negative tumours (median MVA = 14.5 × 10−3 versus 5.0 × 10−3 P < 0.001; median MVD = 18.6/μm2 versus 14.2/μm2, P = 0.021). Analysing the MVA and MVD as continuous variables, a high MVD was associated with shorter overall survival (P = 0.004), and a similar tendency was observed for high MVA (P = 0.064). The microvascular development was not related to the Ki‐67 proliferative index or 17p/TP53, 9p or 11q alterations. Conclusions These findings suggest that SOX11 promotes an angiogenic phenotype in primary MCL, which may contribute to the more aggressive behaviour of these tumours.

Synchronous malignancy of squamous cell carcinoma and malignant lymphoma in the head and neck region is extremely rare. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a nonlymphomatous, squamous cell carcinoma that occurs in the nasopharyngeal epithelium. Reported herein is a unique case of nasopharyngeal carcinoma occurring simultaneously with MALT-type lymphoma in an 83-year-old woman, who complained of deglutition dysfunction. Endoscopic examination of respective organs revealed a submucosal tumour on the posterior wall of pharynx. Biopsy of the hypopharynx was taken and sent for histological examination, which revealed two different neoplasms. Immunohistochemical and molecular analysis confirmed the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma coexisting with a MALT-type lymphoma.