A role for insulin-like growth factors (IGF) in autocrine or paracrine growth stimulation of tumor cells has been proposed for tumors of different origins. We have studied IGF gene expression in human uterus smooth muscle (myometrium) and in a panel of benign (leiomyoma) and malignant (leiomyosarcoma) smooth muscle tumors. Using RNA transfer blot analysis we could demonstrate that in smooth mus...

Smooth muscle tumors of the mesentery are rare lesions with unpredictable, usually malignant, biologic behavior irrespective of their histologic appearance. Such case is presented here. We present a case of a large smooth muscle tumor located in the mesentery of a 48 years old patient. The histopathologic features of the surgically excised tumor were that of a benign-appearing smooth muscle tum...

Mammary myofibroblastoma is a benign spindle cell tumor that can show variable morphologic patterns and lines of differentiation. Myofibroblastoma belongs to a family of CD34-positive tumors with similar morphology that show a deletion of 13q14, which includes RB1 and FOXO1A genes. A subset of these tumors demonstrates distinct smooth muscle differentiation. We aimed to characterize 4 cases of ...

Uterine and extrauterine tumors composed of cells featuring endometrial stromal cells often show ovarian sex cord-like structures and smooth muscle differentiation. A few cases of endometrial stromal tumors showing rhabdoid differentiation have been reported. The present case is a 20-year-old woman with endometrial stromal sarcoma that had sex cord-like structures, smooth muscle components and ...

The diagnosis of uterine leiomyosarcoma is usually straightforward since most clinically malignant smooth muscle tumors of the uterus show the microscopic constellation of hypercellularity, severe nuclear atypia, and high mitotic rate generally exceeding 15 mitotic figures per 10 high-power-fields (MF/10 HPF). Frequently, one or more supportive clinicopathologic features such as perior postmeno...

background: gastrointestinal stromal tumors (gists) constitute the majority of gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors. they usually express a proto-oncogen protein called cd117 detected by immunohistochemistry. this study investigated the differentiation of gists as well as the risk of aggressive behaviors in gists from surgically-treated patients in university affiliated hospitals.   methods: the...