Malignant rhabdoid tumors are high-grade neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS), kidneys and soft tissue that usually occur in children. The histologic diagnosis of malignant rhabdoid tumor depends on identification of characteristic rhabdoid cells-large cells with eccentrically located nuclei and abundant, eosinophilic cytoplasm-and immunohistochemistry with antibodies to vimentin, keratin and epithelial membrane antigen. In most malignant rhabdoid tumors, the SMARCB1/INI1 gene, located in chromosome band 22q11.2, is inactivated by deletions and/or mutations, so genetic diagnosis is often possible. However, tissue may not be available for genetic analysis or studies not confirmatory. We assessed SMARCB1/INI1 expression in 17 rhabdoid tumors and 57 other tumors of the CNS, kidney or soft tissue using immunohistochemistry. In total, 12 brain, three renal and two soft tissue rhabdoid tumors were examined along with four glioblastomas, four pilocytic astrocytomas, four oligodendrogliomas, two ependymomas, two choroid plexus papillomas, five pituitary adenomas, four germinomas, four renal carcinomas with Xp11.2 translocations, two clear cell sarcomas, two Wilms' tumors, one renal medullary carcinoma, two desmoplastic small round cell tumors, two alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas, two embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas, one lowgrade chondrosarcoma, two extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcomas, one mesenchymal chondrosarcoma, four malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors, five metastatic carcinomas and four epithelioid sarcomas, two primary and two metastatic. The neoplastic cells of all rhabdoid tumors, the four epithelioid sarcomas and the renal medullary carcinoma did not express SMARCB1/INI1 by immunohistochemistry; neoplastic cells of all other tumors expressed SMARCB1/INI1. Immunohistochemistry to assess expression of SMARCB1/INI1 may be useful in the diagnosis of rhabdoid tumors of the CNS, kidneys and soft tissue.

SUMMARY:Congenital deficiency of carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) II has been known for at least 30 years now, and its phenotypic variability remains fascinating. Three distinct clinical entities have been described, the adult, the infantile, and the perinatal, all with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The adult CPT II clinical phenotype is somewhat benign and requires additional external triggers such as high-intensity exercise before the predominantly myopathic symptoms are elicited. The perinatal and infantile forms involve multiple organ systems. The perinatal disease is the most severe form and is invariably fatal. The introduction of mass spectrometry to analyze blood acylcarnitine profiles has revolutionized the diagnosis of fatty acid oxidation disorders including CPT II deficiency. Its use in expanded neonatal screening programs has made presymptomatic diagnosis a reality. An increasing number of mutations are being identified in the CPT II gene with a distinct genotype-phenotype correlation in most cases. However, clinical variability in some patients suggests additional genetic or environmental modifiers. Herein, we present a new case of lethal perinatal CPT II deficiency with a rare missense mutation, R296Q (907GϾA) associated with a previously described 25-bp deletion on the second allele. We review the clinical features, the diagnostic protocol including expanded neonatal screening, the treatment, and the biochemical and molecular basis of CPT II deficiency. (Lab Invest 2003, 83:1543-1554.T he carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) enzyme system, in association with acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) synthetase and the carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase (CACT), plays an important role in the transfer of long chain fatty acids (LCFA) from the cytosolic compartment to the mitochondrial matrix, where ␤-oxidation occurs (Bieber, 1988). Two genetically distinct mitochondrial membrane-bound enzymes make up the CPT system. CPT I is located on the inner aspect of the outer mitochondrial membrane. This enzyme is physiologically inhibited by the high levels of malonyl-CoA that occur postprandially and thus regulates the entry of LCFA into the mitochondria (McGarry and Brown, 1997). CPT II, which is not inhibited by malonyl-CoA, is situated on the inner aspect of the inner mitochondrial membrane (Murthy and Pande, 1987).CPT II deficiency was first reported by DiMauro and DiMauro (1973) in adults with exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis. It is an autosomal recessive disorder (Angelini et al, 1981;Meola et al, 1987) and is now regarded as one of the most common inherited disorders of lipid metabolism . Isolated presentation in two successive generations has been reported, indicating a possible dominant inheritance (Mongini et al, 1991). Partial CPT II deficiency with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern has also been reported (Ionasescu et al, 1980). The molecular basis for this presentation was not elucidated.To date, three distinct CPT II-deficient phenotypes have been described in the literature, for wh...

Ophthalmomyiasis externa is an uncommon condition in North America. If not recognized and managed accordingly, it can be complicated by the potentially fatal condition ophthalmomyiasis interna. Ophthalmomyiasis externa is mainly caused by the sheep bot fly Oestrus ovis; thus, it is more common in farming communities. We report a case of ophthalmomyiasis externa in a young woman from Dallas County, Texas, who had no known history of contact with farm animals.

Case Presentation A 9-year-old female with an unremarkable past medical history presented to a Tyler, Texas emergency department with a 7-day history of worsening frontal headache and bilateral lower extremity "aches." During the previous 4 days she had also experienced a cough, nasal congestion, and rhinorrhea. Her condition rapidly progressed to include an increasingly severe headache, photophobia, nonbloody emesis, neck pain, fever (103.6°F), irritability, and disorientation along with episodes of verbal outbursts, purposeless movements, and eye rolling. The patient underwent a lumbar puncture, and cerebral spinal fluid was analyzed with the following results: glu

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