MyMedR

Fulltext Osteosarcoma in a sixteen-month old boy

Ibrahim S, Sundari MN, Masir N

Med J Malaysia, 1999 Jun;54(2):261-3.

PMID: 10972039

We report a case of a sixteen-month old boy with osteosarcoma of the left humerus. To the best of our knowledge this is the youngest case reported in Malaysia. This case illustrates that osteosarcoma although rare does occur in a very young child. The child died six weeks after presentation due to disseminated disease.

Fulltext A cervical ectopic masquerading as a molar pregnancy

Masir N, Tamby MR, Jamil MA

Med J Malaysia, 2000 Mar;55(1):138-40.

PMID: 11072500

We report a case of cervical pregnancy complicated by life threatening hemorrhage. An initial diagnosis of molar pregnancy was made preoperatively. During uterine evacuation she developed profuse hemorrhage which required an emergency hysterectomy for uncontrolled bleeding. Histopathological examination confirmed a cervical pregnancy. The clinical and pathological criteria for the diagnosis and the etiology of cervical pregnancy are discussed.

Signet-ring Cell Lymphoma-a Case Report

Masir N, Cheong SK, Noordin K

Hematology, 2001;6(3):187-92.

PMID: 27420125 DOI: 10.1080/10245332.2001.11746571

A case of signet-ring cell lymphoma diagnosed initially by fine needle aspiration cytology is reported. This rare tumor is a variant of follicular lymphoma, which closely resembles metastatic adenocarcinoma and other tumors which exhibit signet-ring cell appearance. Correct diagnosis can be achieved by careful morphologic analysis together with positive reactivity with lymphoid markers. The cytohistologic, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic features are described, and the differ ential diagnostic considerations are discussed in the report.

BCL2 protein expression in follicular lymphomas with t(14;18) chromosomal translocations

Masir N, Campbell LJ, Goff LK, Jones M, Marafioti T, Cordell J, et al.

Br J Haematol, 2009 Mar;144(5):716-25.

PMID: 19120369 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2008.07528.x

The t(14;18)(q32;q21) chromosomal translocation induces BCL2 protein overexpression in most follicular lymphomas. However the expression of BCL2 is not always homogeneous and may demonstrate a variable degree of heterogeneity. This study analysed BCL2 protein expression pattern in 33 cases of t(14;18)-positive follicular lymphomas using antibodies against two different epitopes (i.e. the widely used antibody BCL2/124 and an alternative antibody E17). 16/33 (49%) cases demonstrated strong BCL2 expression. In 10/33 (30%) cases, BCL2 expression was heterogeneous and in some of these, its loss appeared to be correlated with cell proliferation, as indicated by Ki67 expression. Double immunofluorescence labelling confirmed an inverse BCL2/Ki67 relationship, where in 24/28 (86%) cases cellular expression of BCL2 and Ki67 was mutually exclusive. In addition, seven BCL2 'pseudo-negative' cases were identified in which immunostaining was negative with antibody BCL2/124, but positive with antibody E17. Genomic DNA sequencing of these 'pseudo-negative' cases demonstrated eleven mutations in four cases and nine of these were missense mutations. It can be concluded that in follicular lymphomas, despite carrying the t(14;18) translocations, BCL2 protein expression may be heterogeneous and loss of BCL2 could be related to cell proliferation. Secondly, mutations in translocated BCL2 genes appear to be common and may cause BCL2 pseudo-negative immunostaining.

The expression of Bcl-2 by proliferating cells varies in different categories of B-cell lymphoma

Masir N, Jones M, Lee AM, Goff LK, Clear AJ, Lister A, et al.

Histopathology, 2010 Apr;56(5):617-26.

PMID: 20459572 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2010.03524.x

To investigate the relationship between Bcl-2 protein expression and cell proliferation at single-cell level in B-cell lymphomas using double-labelling techniques.

Pseudonegative BCL2 protein expression in a t(14;18) translocation positive lymphoma cell line: a need for an alternative BCL2 antibody

Masir N, Campbell LJ, Jones M, Mason DY

Pathology, 2010 Apr;42(3):212-6.

PMID: 20350212 DOI: 10.3109/00313021003631296

The t(14;18)(q32;q21) chromosomal translocation induces BCL2 protein expression in most follicular lymphomas. However, a small number of cases lack BCL2 expression despite carrying the t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation. This study aims to explore the mechanism accounting for the lack of BCL2 protein expression when the t(14;18) translocation is present.

Fulltext Multiple metastatic deposits in the head and neck region from a renal cell carcinoma

Ishak AI, Md Pauzi SH, Masir N, Goh BS

Malays J Med Sci, 2010 Oct;17(4):71-4.

PMID: 22135565 MyJurnal

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) presenting with multiple deposits in the head and neck region is unusual. It is not uncommon for a RCC to metastasise to a distant site after years of a tumour-free period, but most of it would be expected to have a single site of deposit. We report a rare case of a patient who had a nephrectomy 10 years earlier for RCC and presented with tumours in the frontal sinus and posterior pharyngeal wall. Radiological imaging and histology confirmed metastatic RCC at both sites.

Fulltext Myeloid sarcoma of the urinary bladder with cutaneous tumour seeding after percutaneous suprapubic catheterization

Geok Chin T, Masir N, Noor Hussin H, Mohd Sidik S, Boon Cheok L, Yean T

Malays J Pathol, 2011 Jun;33(1):47-51.

PMID: 21874752 MyJurnal

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a rare extramedullary myeloid tumour. It has been reported in various sites, including lymph node, bone, skin, soft tissue, various organs and the CNS. It may precede or occur concurrently with acute myeloid leukemia. Urinary bladder involvement is extremely uncommon. We report a 70-year-old female who had MS of the urinary bladder, presented with frank and persistent hematuria associated with lower abdominal pain. She subsequently had tumour seeding in the abdominal skin via percutaneous suprapubic catheter. Tumours from both the urinary bladder and skin showed immature cells that were immunoreactive toward LCA (focal), MPO (strong), CD99 (weak) and CD117 (weak). Summary of cases in the literature is presented. The potential of its misdiagnosis and the useful markers for the diagnosis of MS are discussed.

Fulltext Churg-Strauss syndrome presenting with conjunctival and eyelid masses: a case report

Ameli F, Phang KS, Masir N

Med J Malaysia, 2011 Dec;66(5):517-9.

PMID: 22390118 MyJurnal

Churg-Strauss syndrome, a small and medium vessel vasculitis, was first described by Churg and Strauss in 1951. It is characterised by the presence of asthma, prominent tissue and blood eosinophilia, systemic vasculitis, and pulmonary and systemic necrotising allergic granulomas. Involvement of the skin, heart and gastrointestinal tract is well documented, but ocular presentation is unusual. We describe a 40-year-old lady who presented with recurrent upper eyelid swelling due to conjunctival lesions. Although she has chronic asthma, Churg-Strauss syndrome was never suspected. The diagnosis of Churg-Strauss syndrome was only made following histological examination of the conjunctival lesions.

Fulltext Primary adenocarcinoma of the fallopian tube mimicking pelvic inflammatory disease

Tamby, M.R., Juliana, M.B., Wan Hamilton, W.H., Masir, N., Hemlata, K.G.

Medicine & Health, 2011;6(2):139-142.

MyJurnal

Primary fallopian tube carcinomas are rare and are difficult to diagnose preoperatively.
We describe a fallopian tube carcinoma in a 50-year-old lady who presented with symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease. Ultrasound examination showed bilateral hydrosalphinx. However, CT scan showed features suggestive of a malignant ovarian tumour. At surgery, a markedly dilated left fallopian tube was found and histopathological examination confirmed the presence of a primary serous adenocarcinoma. The uterus and both ovaries were free of tumour. This report highlights that carcinoma of the fallopian tube should be considered as a differential diagnosis in females who present with lower abdominal pain.

RCL2, a potential formalin substitute for tissue fixation in routine pathological specimens

Masir N, Ghoddoosi M, Mansor S, Abdul-Rahman F, Florence CS, Mohamed-Ismail NA, et al.

Histopathology, 2012 Apr;60(5):804-15.

PMID: 22320393 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2011.04127.x

To investigate RCL2 as a fixative for tissue fixation in routine histopathological examination and to assess tissue suitability for ancillary investigations.

Variation in BCL2 protein expression in follicular lymphomas without t(14;18) chromosomal translocations

Masir N, Jones M, Abdul-Rahman F, Florence CS, Mason DY

Pathology, 2012 Apr;44(3):228-33.

PMID: 22406486 DOI: 10.1097/PAT.0b013e3283513fb2

The hallmark of follicular lymphoma is the t(14;18)(q32;q21) chromosomal translocations that lead to deregulation of BCL2 expression in tumour cells. However, not all cases of follicular lymphoma express BCL2, nor is the t(14;18) translocation always present. Follicular lymphomas lacking the BCL2 rearrangement are less well studied with regards to their immunohistochemical and molecular features. This study aims to investigate the BCL2 protein expression pattern in t(14;18) negative follicular lymphomas.

Keratoacanthoma: an unusual nasal mass

Sazafi MS, Salina H, Asma A, Masir N, Primuharsa Putra SH

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital, 2013 Dec;33(6):428-30.

PMID: 24376301

We report a case of keratoacanthoma in a non-sun-exposed nasal vestibule of an 84-year-old man. He presented with a progressively growing left nasal mass that had been present for 8 months. Examination showed a non-tender protruding mass arising from medial vestibular wall of the left nostril. Histopathology indicated it was a keratoacanthoma. In an elderly patient with a history of a progressively growing mass in the nose, a differential diagnosis of malignancy should be ruled out, and histological conformation is essential. To our knowledge, only a very small number of cases of nasal vestibular keratoacanthoma have been reported.

Fulltext An interesting case of systemic lupus erythematosus presenting with hypercalcemia: A diagnostic dilemma

Abdul Gafor AH, Cader RA, Das S, Masir N, Wahid FA

Am J Case Rep, 2013;14:1-3.

PMID: 23569551 DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.883849

BACKGROUND: Hypercalcemia is common in primary hyperparathyroidism malignancies and even in tuberculosis. Interestingly, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) rarely presents with hypercalcemia.
CASE REPORT: We describe an interesting case of SLE in a patient who was otherwise thought to have either tuberculosis or a malignancy. The patient initially presented with feeling unwell, with generalized lymphadenopathy, bilateral pleural effusion, and bilateral corneal calcium deposits secondary to severe hypercalcemia. The diagnosis of SLE was made based on positivity of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-dsDNA, the presence of serositis, lymphadenopathy, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and constitutional symptoms. She was treated with steroids, with tremendous improvement in her general well-being, resolution of lymphadenopathy and pleural effusion, and normalization of her hemoglobin and serum calcium. The atypical presentation of SLE with hypercalcemia with pleural effusion is discussed.
CONCLUSIONS: SLE should be one of the differential diagnoses in patients presenting with severe hypercalcemia.
KEYWORDS: atypical presentation; hypercalcemia; systemic lupus erythematosus

Fulltext A case of t(14; 18)-negative follicular lymphoma with atypical immunophenotype: usefulness of immunoarchitecture of Ki67, CD79a and follicular dendritic cell meshwork in making the diagnosis

Wong Y, Abdul-Rahman F, Samsudin AT, Masir N

Malays J Pathol, 2014 Aug;36(2):125-9.

PMID: 25194535 MyJurnal

Follicular lymphoma is characterised by the t(14;18)(q32;q21) chromosomal translocation causing BCL2 protein overexpression. A proportion of follicular lymphomas do not carry the t(14;18) translocation and lacked BCL2 protein expression. We describe a case of a BCL2 protein- and t(14;18)-negative follicular lymphoma that caused diagnostic difficulty. The usefulness of several immunomarkers including Ki67, CD79a and CD21 in aiding the diagnosis is discussed. The patient is a 51-year-old male who presented with gradually enlarging lymphadenopathy. Histopathological examination of the lymph node showed complete architectural effacement by neoplastic follicles containing expanded CD21-positive follicular dendritic cell meshwork. The neoplastic cells expressed pan-B cell markers (CD20, CD79a) and germinal centre marker (BCL6) but not BCL2 and CD10. Of interest are the staining patterns of Ki67 and CD79a. We observed that the Ki67- positive proliferating cells were evenly distributed within the neoplastic follicles without zonation. In addition, CD79a was homogeneously strong within the neoplastic follicles. These staining patterns were distinctly different from that observed in reactive lymphoid follicles. Fluorescent insitu hybridisation (FISH) analysis however showed absence of BCL2 gene rearrangement. Despite the atypical immunophenotype and lack of BCL2 gene rearrangement, the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma was made based on careful observation of the morphology as well as immunoarchitecture of the Ki67, CD79a and CD21 markers.

Fulltext NK/T cell lymphoma associated with peripheral eosinophilia

Yap E, Wan Jamaluddin WF, Tumian NR, Mashuri F, Mohammed F, Tan GC, et al.

Malays J Pathol, 2014 Dec;36(3):201-5.

PMID: 25500520 MyJurnal

NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type is an aggressive and uncommon malignancy. Disease that occurs outside of the aerodigestive tract exhibits an even more aggressive clinical behaviour and does not respond as well to conventional therapy compared to its nasal counterpart. We report such a case of NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type, that presented as an anterior chest wall mass, arising from the left pectoralis muscle. An interesting feature we wish to highlight is the associated eosinophilia that corresponded to disease activity, exhibiting fluctuations with surgical resection and chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge this is the third reported case of NK/T cell lymphoma that is associated with peripheral eosinophilia. Our case highlights the role of certain NK cell subsets that play a major role in eosinophilic activation in NK/T lymphomas and calls for more research into further classification of this disease by virtue of its NK cell subsets.

Fulltext Systematic Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoproliferative disease presenting as a persistent fever and cough: a case report

Ameli F, Ghafourian F, Masir N

J Med Case Rep, 2014;8:288.

PMID: 25163591 DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-8-288

Systemic Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoproliferative childhood disease is an extremely rare disorder and classically arises following primary acute or chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection. It is characterized by clonal proliferation of Epstein-Barr virus-infected T-cells with an activated cytotoxic phenotype. This disease has a rapid clinical course and is more frequent in Asia and South America, with relatively few cases being reported in Western countries. The clinical and pathological features of the disease overlap with other conditions including infectious mononucleosis, chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and natural killer cell malignancies. We describe the rare case of systemic Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoproliferative childhood disease in a 16-year-old Malay boy.

Fulltext Obstructive jaundice in small cell lung carcinoma

Mokhtar Pour A, Masir N, Isa MR

Malays J Pathol, 2015 Aug;37(2):149-52.

PMID: 26277673 MyJurnal

Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) commonly metastasizes to distant organs. However, metastasis to the pancreas is not a common event. Moreover, obstructive jaundice as a first clinical presentation of SCLC is extremely unusual. This case reports a 51-year-old male with SCLC, manifesting with obstructive jaundice as the initial clinical presentation. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatograghy (ERCP) and abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed a mass at the head of the pancreas. The patient underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure). Histopathology revealed a chromogranin- A-positive poorly-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas. No imaging study of the lung was performed before surgery. A few months later, a follow-up CT revealed unilateral lung nodules with ipsilateral hilar nodes. A lung biopsy was done and histopathology reported a TTF- 1-positive, chromogranin A-positive, small cell carcinoma of the lung. On review, the pancreatic tumour was also TTF-1-positive. He was then treated with combination chemotherapy (cisplatin, etoposide). These findings highlight that presentation of a mass at the head of pancreas could be a manifestation of a metastatic tumour from elsewhere such as the lung, and thorough investigations should be performed before metastases can be ruled out.

Expression of DDR1 and DVL1 in invasive ductal and lobular breast carcinoma does not correlate with histological type, grade and hormone receptor status

Ameli F, Rose IM, Masir N

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(6):2385-90.

PMID: 25824769

BACKGROUND: Invasive ductal (IDC) and lobular (ILC) carcinomas are the common histological types of breast carcinoma which are difficult to distinguish when poorly differentiated. Discoidin domain receptor (DDR1) and Drosophila dishevelled protein (DVL1) were recently suggested to differentiate IDC from ILC.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the expression of DDR1 and DVL1 and their association with histological type, grading and hormonal status of IDC and ILC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted on IDC and ILC breast tumours. Tumours were immunohistochemically stained for (DDR1) and (DVL1) as well as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and C-erbB2 receptor. Demographic data including age and ethnicity were obtained from patient records.

RESULTS: A total of 51 cases (30 IDCs and 21 ILCs) were assessed. DDR1 and DVL1 expression was not significantly associated with histological type (p=0.57 and p=0.66 respectively). There was no association between DDR1 and DVL1 expression and tumour grade (p=0.32 and p=1.00 respectively), ER (p=0.62 and 0.50 respectively), PR (p=0.38 and p=0.63 respectively) and C-erbB2 expression (p=0.19 and p=0.33 respectively) in IDC. There was no association between DDR1 and DVL1 expression and tumour grade (p=0.52 and p=0.33 respectively), ER (p=0.06 and p=0.76 respectively), PR (p=0.61 and p=0.43 respectively) and C-erbB2 expression (p=0.58 and p=0.76 respectively) in ILC.

CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that DDR1 and DVL1 are present in both IDC and ILC regardless of the tumour differentiation. More studies are needed to assess the potential of these two proteins in distinguishing IDC from ILC in breast tumours.

Fulltext Can we confidently diagnose pilomatricoma with fine needle aspiration cytology?

Wong YP, Masir N, Sharifah NA

Malays J Med Sci, 2015 Jan-Feb;22(1):84-8.

PMID: 25892955 MyJurnal

Pilomatricomas can be confidently diagnosed cytologically due to their characteristic cytomorphological features. However, these lesions are rarely encountered by cytopathologists and thus pose a diagnostic dilemma to even experienced individuals, especially when the lesions are focally sampled. We describe two cases of histologically confirmed pilomatricoma. The first case is of a 13-year-old boy with posterior cervical 'lymphadenopathy', and the second one is of a 12-year-old girl with a lower cheek swelling. Both aspirates comprised predominantly atypical basal-like cells, with prominent nucleoli. 'Ghost cells' were readily identified by cell block in case two, but cell block in case one yielded no diagnostic material. In case two, pilomatricoma was accurately diagnosed pre-operatively. A cytological suspicion of a neoplastic process was raised in case one. Despite being diagnostically challenging, pilomatricoma can be diagnosed with careful observation of two unique cytological features of the lesions: (1) pathognomonic 'ghost cells' and (2) irregular, saw-toothed, loosely cohesive basaloid cells, with prominent nucleoli. The role of thorough sampling of the lesion, with multiple passes of various sites, cannot be overemphasized.

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