The development of sarcomatous component (SC) in testicular germ cell tumor (GCT) is an uncommon phenomenon. We searched our surgical pathology files from 1985 to 2007 and identified 33 cases of testicular GCTs with SC. The average age of patients was 31 years. All patients underwent radical orchiectomy, which demonstrated a GCT in all patients except for 3 patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. All testicular GCTs contained a teratomatous component. The GCTs were pure teratomas in 3 cases, and were mixed GCTs in the other cases. The SC was observed in primary testicular tumor (n = 19), in metastasis (n = 11), or in both primary testicular tumor and metastasis (n=3). The average percentage of the SC in the primary testicular GCT was 32% (range, 5% to 99%). The most common histologic type of SC was rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 24), followed by high-grade unclassified sarcoma (n = 5), rhabdomyosarcoma admixed with high-grade unclassified sarcoma (n = 2), angiosarcoma (n = 1), and low-grade myxoid sarcoma (n = 1). Clinical follow-up information was available for 27 patients. Of the 13 patients whose SC was limited to the testicular GCT, 2 died of GCT not otherwise specified (NOS) at 37 and 68 months, respectively; and 11 patients were free of disease at a mean of 46 months. Of the 14 patients with a SC in the metastasis, 7 patients died of GCT NOS at a mean of 95 months, and 7 patients were free of disease at a mean of 104 months. These results suggest that patients with a SC confined to the primary testicular GCT may not have a higher risk of mortality than those at a comparable stage without a SC. However, patients with a SC in the metastasis have an increased risk of mortality.

The development of an angiosarcomatous component in germ cell tumors (GCTs) is rare. Here we studied 12 cases of mediastinal GCTs with an angiosarcomatous component. All patients were men with a mean age of 34 years (range, 24 to 49 years). No patient had a documented testicular GCT. The mean size of mediastinal tumors was 12.9 cm (range, 5.5 to 16.0 cm). Grossly, the tumors were cystic with variegated hemorrhagic, mucinous and fleshy solid areas. Microscopically, all tumors were composed of GCT. The most common GCT component was teratoma (n=10), and other GCT components included seminoma (n=3), yolk sac tumor (n=3), embryonal carcinoma (n=2) and choriocarcinoma (n=1). The angiosarcomatous component was present in primary mediastinal tumors (n=6), metastasis (n=3), or both primary mediastinal tumor and metastasis (n=3). The angiosarcomatous component accounted for an average of 30% (range, 5% to 95%) of the primary mediastinal tumor. In addition, other non–germ cell components, including rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 3), leiomyosarcoma (n = 1), and poorly differentiated carcinoma (n = 1), were also present in the tumors. Of the 10 patients with follow-up available, all patients developed metastasis (n=8) or local recurrence (n=2); seven died of disease at a mean of 33 months (range, 21 to 75 months), and three patients were alive at a mean of 75 months (range, 5 to 120 months). Our findings suggest that the presence of an angiosarcomatous component in mediastinal GCT, even in a small amount, is associated with a poor clinical outcome.

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Background. Uterus transplantation (UTx) enables pregnancy in infertile women. This study describes the histopathological changes of ischemia reperfusion injury and mostly acute T-cell–mediated rejection (TCMR) in UTx and proposes modification toward a working formulation grading system with associated treatments. Methods. Protocol and indication biopsies from 11 living and 2 deceased donor UTx recipients were analyzed. Serving as a control were 49 age-matched nontransplanted uteri. All posttransplant histopathological specimens were evaluated in a blinded fashion by 3 pathologists. Response to treatment was assessed by follow-up biopsies. Serial serum donor-specific antibody (DSA) responses were also recorded. Results. Changes attributed to ischemia reperfusion resolved within 2 wk of UTx in most of the patients. For TCMR grading, perivascular inflammation, focal capillary disruption, and interstitial hemorrhage were added to interface inflammation, intercellular edema, stromal inflammation, and epithelial apoptotic bodies. Of the 173 protocol biopsies, 98 were classified as negative for TCMR; 34 as indeterminate-borderline; 35 as mild; 3 as moderate; and 3 as severe, 1 of which occurred in a DSA-positive recipient and also showed microvascular injury. Corticosteroids successfully treated all moderate-to-severe TCMR episodes. Mild TCMR was treated by increasing existing baseline immunosuppression. Indeterminate-borderline episodes were not treated. Neither ischemia-reperfusion injury nor TCMR with DSA adversely affected embryo transfer. Conclusions. Relying on a modified histopathological grading system, we developed a treatment strategy resulting in resolution of TCMR and successful pregnancies.

Enterococci are among the common organisms associated with hospital-acquired infections. We examined in vitro activities of different antibiotics to 103 enterococcal isolates. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of penicillin G, ampicillin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, grepafloxacin, trovafloxacin and gemifloxacin were determined by broth microdilution testing method. Among the isolates 71 (69%) were identified as E. faecalis and 32 (31%) as E. faecium. While over 75% of E. faecium isolates were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin, approximately 25% of E. faecalis isolates were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin. None of the E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates were resistant to vancomycin. While 17 (52%) of E. faecium isolates exhibited high-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR), high level streptomycin resistance (HLSR) was detected in 24 (74%) of the isolates. In contrast, HLGR and HLSR rates for E. faecalis were 14 (20%) and 22 (31%), respectively. Both HLGR and HLSR were detected with higher frequency in ampicillin resistant isolates. Among fluoroquinolones, gemifloxacin and trovafloxacin were the most potent antibiotics tested. There was no increase in MIC 90 values of the fluoroquinolones in ampicillin resistant isolates in comparison with ampicillin susceptible isolates. Our data suggest newer fluoroquinolones would be good alternative agents to use especially for combination drug therapy where enterococci with ampicillin resistance and HLAR are prevalent.enterococci; susceptibility; infection