Case report: composite pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and neuroendocrine tumor: a new mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasm?

Background Mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasms (MiNEN) of the pancreas are extremely rare. Their pathogenesis and molecular landscape are largely unknown. Here, we report a case of mixed pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) and well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor (NET) and identify its genetic alterations by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Case presentation A fifty-year-old male was admitted into the hospital for evaluation of a pancreatic lesion detected during a routine examination. Abdominal ultrasound indicated a hypoechoic mass of 2.6 cm at the head of the pancreas. Malignancy was suspected and partial pancreatectomy was performed. Thorough histopathological examination revealed a mixed IPMN-NET. In some areas, the two components were relatively separated, whereas in other areas IPMN and NET grew in a composite pattern: The papillae were lined with epithelial cells of IPMN, and there were clusters of NET nests in the stroma of papillary axis. NGS revealed shared somatic mutations (KRAS, PCK1, MLL3) in both components. The patient has been uneventful 21 months after the surgery. Conclusions Our case provides evidence of a common origin for mixed IPMN-NET with composite growth features. Our result and literature review indicate that KRAS mutation might be a driver event underlying the occurrence of MiNEN. We also recommend the inclusion of mixed non-invasive exocrine neoplasms and neuroendocrine neoplasms into MiNEN.

Challenge of coexisting type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulinoma: a case report

Background Insulinomas are rare clinical entities, but concurrent diabetes mellitus is even more uncommon, and the combination is easily missed. Recurrent hypoglycemia could be misconstrued as improved glycemic control. We present an unusual patient with type 2 diabetes and neuroglycopenia, with apparent improved glycemic control due to an insulinoma. Case presentation A 54-year-old mixed ancestry man with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension 8 years prior to admission. He presented with episodes of abnormal behavior and hypoglycemia. Inappropriately high insulin and C-peptide concentrations were identified at the time of hypoglycemia. Despite poor adherence to his diabetic treatment, he had no target organ damage relating to diabetes, and his hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 5.3%. A diagnosis of insulinoma was made, and he was started on diazoxide, with endoscopic ultrasound revealing a possible lesion in the pancreatic tail measuring 12 mm × 12 mm. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy could not be performed due to overlying splenic arteries and the risk of vascular perforation. An intraoperative ultrasound confirmed a 15 mm × 10 mm tumor in the pancreatic tail, necessitating a partial pancreatectomy and splenectomy, which were curative. A well-differentiated intermediate grade 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor producing insulin was confirmed on histopathology. Conclusions Recurrent, progressive hypoglycemia and improved glycemic control in a diabetic, without an alternative explanation, may suggest an insulinoma. Insulinomas that exist with type 1 diabetes mellitus, particularly malignant insulinomas, must have escaped autoimmune attack through lack of autoantigen expression. Computed tomography on its own may be insufficiently sensitive for diagnosis of insulinomas, whereas endoscopic and intraoperative ultrasonography may improve the identification of the culprit lesion.

Giant Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pancreas: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background: Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) originating from the pancreas are rare, only 23 cases have been reported so far. Here, we report the largest one, which has its unique treatment characteristics.Case report: A 42-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain and abdominal mass, and the preoperative diagnosis was unclear. As the mass was rich in blood vessels, she underwent partial pancreatectomy after embolizing part of the blood vessels by preoperative intervention, which, at final pathology, showed spindle and oval cell proliferation and featured the presence of hemangiopericytoma-like blood. Immunohistochemistry showed cytoplasmic expression of CD34 and nuclear expression of STAT6, and mitotic activity was lower than 4 mitoses/10 high-power fields (HPFs). At the end, she was diagnosed with pancreatic SFT. The postoperative recovery was uneventful and she was alive and free of disease after 8 months.Conclusion: The diagnosis of SFT of the pancreas needs to be done very cautiously. Surgical treatment and postoperative follow-up are more reasonable methods at the moment.

Congenital hyperinsulinism in newborns and young children: the state of the problem and the results of surgical treatment

Congenital hyperinsulinism causes irreversible damage to the cerebral cortex with subsequent disability in children. The article presents the features of etiopathogenesis, clinical picture of the disease. The histological variants of pancreatic lesions are analyzed in detail. The principles of correct diagnosis are formulated. A new in Russia method for the preoperative determination of the histological form of the disease, which is carried out at the y, Almazov National Medical Research Centre since 2017, – PET/ CT with 18F-DOPA, explained the biochemical basis of its clinical application and the examination technique. The principles of the selection of drug therapy with possible complications, the need for an adequate assessment of its effectiveness are described. If it is impossible to achieve a stable target euglycemia without the need for intravenous glucose infusion, surgical correction of the disease is indicated. In schematic drawings and intraoperative photographs, approaches to surgical treatment are described, the stages of operations and possible complications are clearly disassembled. The results of surgical interventions at the N.N. V.A. Almazov for 01.2017–02.2021, where 39 children with congenital hyperinsulinism were operated on. According to PET/CT with 18F-DOPA, 15 diffuse and 24 focal forms were diagnosed. After surgery, in 12 (31%) patients, a diffuse lesion of the gland was confirmed, in 23 (59%) – a focal nature of the lesion, in 4 (10%) – an atypical form was diagnosed intraoperatively. Of 39 children, 36 (92%) have complete relief of hyperinsulinism, a significant improvement in psychomotor development, of which 9 (23%) need insulin replacement therapy with minimal dosages, these are 8 children with a diffuse form of the disease and 1 child with an atypical one. Intraand postoperative complications were not observed. Thus, partial pancreatectomy for focal forms, subtotal for atypical and near total for diffuse forms, can cope with hypoglycemia due to congenital hyperinsulinism and prevent damage to the central nervous system of newborns and infants.

A case of primary nonleukemic myeloid sarcoma of the spleen, successfully treated by surgery and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Background Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a rare disease, mostly found in conjunction with acute myelogenous leukemia or other diseases, and primary nonleukemic MS of the spleen is particularly rare. Case presentation We report a 57-year-old male who presented with a spleen mass that was found incidentally, and was enlarged. As a result of various examinations, he was diagnosed with primary MS of the spleen with suspected involvement of the transverse colon, left kidney, pancreatic tail, and left diaphragm. He underwent a total splenectomy, partial pancreatectomy, partial colectomy, left nephrectomy, and left diaphragm partial resection. Histological examination revealed splenic primary MS. Bone marrow biopsy and immunophenotypic flow cytometry revealed no evidence of myeloid leukemia. He underwent umbilical cord blood transplantation, and he is currently living without a sign of recurrence at 10 months after surgery. Conclusions We experienced a very rare case of primary spleen MS that was discovered without a hematologic malignancy. Two cases of surgically resected primary splenic MS have been reported, including the present case.

A Systematic Comparison of Protocols for Recovery of High-Quality RNA from Human Islets Extracted by Laser Capture Microdissection v1

The isolation of high-quality RNA from endocrine pancreas sections represents a considerable challenge largely due to the high ribonuclease levels. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) of mammalian islets, in association with RNA extraction protocols, has emerged as a feasible approach to characterizing their genetic and proteomic profiles. However, a validated protocol to obtain highquality RNA from LCM-derived human pancreas specimens that is appropriate for next-generation sequencing analysis is still lacking. In this study, we applied four methods (Picopure extraction kit, Qiazol protocol, Qiazol + Clean-up kit, and RNeasy Microkit + Carrier) to extract RNA from human islets obtained from both non-diabetic individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes who had undergone partial pancreatectomy, as well as handpicked islets from both non-diabetic and diabetic organ donors. The yield and purity of total RNA were determined by 260/280 absorbance using Nanodrop 100 and the RNA integrity number with a bioanalyzer. The results indicated that among the four methods, the RNeasy MicroKit + Carrier (Qiagen) provides the highest yield and purity.