Aims/Background-Giant cell tumour of the tendon sheath (GCTTS) is regarded as the most common neoplasm of the hand that can recur after excision. The objective of this study was to review a series of cases in our department and to determine any clinical or pathological features that might predict the likelihood of recurrence. Giant cell tumour of the tendon sheath (GCTTS) is a benign lesion, most commonly occurring in hands and feet, but also found around the ankle and knee joints. Methods-Clinical1 2 GCTTS aVects individuals between the age of 30 to 50 years and is more often seen in women than in men.2 The nature and cause of GCTTS are unclear. It has been considered to be an inflammatory process arising as a consequence of chronic antigenic stimulation; a reactive proliferation developing from the synovial lining of the tendon sheath and joint 3 ; or a lesion of monocyte/macrophage derivation. 4 Data from previous studies have shown a 50% history of trauma and multifocality, and similar lesions can be induced experimentally after extra articular injection of blood in experimental animals. 4 Recent studies demonstrating cytogenetic abnormality in the form of trisomy 7 and autonomous growth, in addition to the clinical features of local recurrence and case reports of metastatic GCTTS, raised the possibility that it is a cancer. 5 6 However, Vogrincic et al used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based assay for methylation of the X linked human androgen receptor (HUMARA) in female subjects to demonstrate that GCTTS is a polyclonal proliferation. They argued that if one accepted that a population of cells forming a tumorous mass must show clonality to be classified as a neoplasm, then GCTTS is either a reactive or hyperplastic process. 7A high mitotic rate is thought to be indicative of local recurrence, 8 9 but there is debate as to how many mitoses are required. Our study was performed to ascertain whether mitotic figures were associated with recurrence and, if so, the numbers required. Materials and methodsThe department of pathology, Edinburgh University Medical School serves a population of 400 000. We searched the departmental surgical files between the years 1990-7 for cases reported as GCTTS or localised nodular tenosynovitis. We did not include cases of diVuse villoglandular tenosynovitis. The clinical data were obtained from request forms and in patient notes and evaluated together with the gross and microscopic appearances of the lesions. Haematoxylin and eosin stained sections were retrieved and examined for the following features: growth patterns, presence or absence of capsule, and its status and cellular constituents. The mitotic and apoptotic counts were assessed by randomly counting 10 diVerent high power microscopic fields (×400 magnification; field size of 0.152 mm 2 ) and were recorded as the number of mitotic or apoptotic figures/10 high power fields (HPF). Apoptotic figures accepted had a minimum size of 0.1 mm. Results CLINICAL FINDINGSWe found a total of 71 patients within a period...

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Tables: 2 (plus 3 supplemental tables) 4 AbstractA rising incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) incidence has occurred throughout the developed world, where it has been attributed to an increasing impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) on disease etiology. This report presents the findings of a multicenter crosssectional retrospective study aimed at determining the proportion of HPV-positive and HPV-negative

Although the WHO system describes a number of well-defined tumour types with clear diagnostic criteria, the overall level of agreement was moderate and improved if some groups were amalgamated.

Background: Optimal management of patients with lung cancer requires accurate cell typing of tumours and staging at the time of diagnosis. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided lymph node aspiration as a method of diagnosing and staging lung cancer is a relatively new technique. Aim: To report the use of liquid-based-thin-layer cytology for the processing and reporting of these specimens. Methods: The specimens obtained from 80 patients were processed using the ThinPrep system, with the remainder of the samples being processed as a cell block. Results: 40 of the 81 procedures yielded malignant cells (30 non-small cell carcinoma, 8 small-cell carcinoma and 2 combined small-cell carcinoma/non-small-cell carcinoma). The cell blocks were found to contain sufficient material to allow the immunohistochemical characterisation of tumour cells with a range of antibodies. Conclusion:The use of liquid-based-thin-layer cytological techniques provides high-quality specimens for diagnostic purposes. When used in conjunction with cell blocks, sufficient material may be obtained to allow immunohistochemical studies to confirm the tumour cell type. Given the current move towards centralisation of pathology services, this approach gives the pathologist high-quality specimens without the need for direct onsite support at the time of the procedure.