Cellular Angiofibroma (CA) represents a quite recently described mesenchymal tumour that occurs in both genders, in particular in the vulvo-vaginal region in women and in the inguino-scrotal area in men. The first description of this tumour dates from Nucci et al. article in 1997; since then, the literature reports different reviews and case report of this tumour in both genders, but no article specifically addressing CA treatment and follow-up in women. In this review we collected all 79 published female CA cases, analyzing the clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical features of the tumour.CA affects women mostly during the fifth decade of life, it is generally a small and asymptomatic mass that mainly arises in the vulvo-vaginal region, although there are reported pelvic and extra-pelvic cases. The treatment requires a simple local excision due to an extremely low ability to recurrent locally and no chance to metastasize. Throughout the immunohistochemical and pathological findings it is also easily possible a differential diagnosis from the other soft tissue tumours which affect the vulvo-vaginal area, such as spindle cell lipoma, solitary fibrous tumour, angiomyofibroblastoma and aggressive angiomyxoma.

A growing number of studies provided the evidence that human decidua is a pregnancy-related tissue capable of hormone production and metabolism. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible presence of inhibin subunits in human decidua. Tissue samples were collected in pregnant women during the first (8 weeks) and second trimester (18 weeks) of gestation and at term (40 weeks). Immunohistochemical data were obtained using affinity purified polyclonal antisera raised in rabbit against porcine alpha, beta A, or beta B subunits. Levels of the respective inhibin subunits were evaluated by Northern blot analysis using cDNA probes encoding sequences corresponding to each subunit. The present results indicated that human decidua contains and synthesizes inhibin alpha, beta A, and beta B subunits. The immunohistochemical data showed that decidual cells were stained with both inhibin alpha and beta B antisera, showing a similar localization. On the other hand, cells stained with inhibin beta A antisera were sparse and followed a distribution pattern different from that of cells stained with alpha or beta B antisera. The first inhibin alpha and beta B subunit mRNAs were both expressed in first trimester of pregnancy, and those mRNA levels showed a gestational related increase. The beta A subunit mRNA was expressed at very low levels at term and could not be detected earlier during pregnancy. The present data showed that human decidua actively produces inhibin subunits with a gestational-related profile. The results suggest that decidua may be a further source of inhibin-related proteins during pregnancy and emphasize the endocrine competence of human decidua.