Background The programme death ligand1 and its receptor (PD-1/PD-L1) interaction is a target for blockage by immunotherapy that uses the body’s own immune system. Some studies show that PD-L1 expressing tumours are also more aggressive with poor prognosis. This study evaluated the immunohistochemical expression of PD-L1 in uterine cervical carcinomas. Women with cervical cancer would benefit from its use as a marker in therapy and prognosis. Methods Hospital-based cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted. The study materials included 183 archived formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks with histological diagnosis of cervical carcinoma diagnosed in our facility within a five-year period (January 2012 and December 2016) that met the study criteria. Data were extracted from records in the Department and immunohistochemistry was done using polyclonal antibodies to PD-L1 (GTX104763, Genetex). Obtained data were analysed using SPSS version 23. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results A hundred and eighty-three cases of cervical cancer were studied. PD-L1 was positive in 57.4% of all cases. The diffuse pattern of staining was the major pattern accounting for 88.5% of positive cases. Poorly differentiated cervical carcinomas are less likely to express PD-L1. Within the histologic types, the squamous cell carcinomas expressed PD-L1 in 58.7%, and 50% of adenocarcinomas were positive. PD-L1 was not expressed in all cases of adenoid cystic carcinomas and basaloid squamous cell carcinomas. Conclusion A significant population of cervical carcinoma expresses PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry. PD-L1 prevalence is lower amongst the poorly differentiated cancers compared to other grades.

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Diaphragmatic eventration (DE) associated with intestinal malrotation and renal agenesis is a rare entity. The authors report a case of a 69-year-old man who had symptoms of heart failure. He had a previous imaging diagnosis of right diaphragmatic eventration and dilated cardiomyopathy. He died on the second day after the hospital admission and had a post mortem examination that confirmed complete right diaphragmatic eventration, intestinal malrotation, left renal agenesis, dilated cardiomyopathy, and anteriorly rotated right kidney and had findings suggestive of a thoracoabdominal compartment syndrome. Thoracoabdominal compartment syndrome is described as transmission of abdominal pressure through a defective diaphragm causing compression of the hemithorax viscera and mediastinal shift with a hemodynamic alteration. The association of these anomalies is rare, and the possibility of this finding in a patient with eventration should always be considered.

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