Extratemporal intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma

Schwannomas of the eighth nerve are common, usually found in syndromic association with neurofibromatosis-2. The occurrence of seventh nerve schwannoma, especially in its extratemporal course, is very rare. Here, we present a case report of an extratemporal facial nerve schwannoma diagnosed preoperatively with cytopathology and postoperative histopathologic confirmation. Histopathology provides the confirmatory diagnosis in such cases. An atypical diagnosis of neural schwannomas should be kept in mind when facial palsy is clinically encountered in the absence of any other aetiological factors.

Candida Skull Base Osteomyelitis: a Case Report and Literature Review

Skull base osteomyelitis (SBO) also commonly known as malignant otitis externa was first described by Meltzer and Kelemen in 1959. Prior to the advent of the antibiotic era, this disease carried a poor prognosis with significant morbidity. It often proved fatal with mortality rates as high as 50%. Commonly seen in the immunocompromised patients, diabetes mellitus is an important associated comorbidity in the pathophysiologic development of this disease. Treatment is instituted by medical therapy with surgery having a limited role. Surgical intervention has a limited role, for example, in fungal SBO. Such cases may require local debridement and intraoperative tissue biopsies for histopathologic confirmation. This is to demonstrate fungal invasion into the skull base, as well as to exclude other sinister differential diagnoses like squamous cell carcinoma of temporal bone. In this case report, we present a rare case of candida SBO and the literature review.

Tissue Continues to Be the Issue: Role of Histopathology in the Context of Recent Updates in the Radiologic Classification of Interstitial Lung Diseases

Context.— High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging has an increasingly important role in clinical decision-making in patients with interstitial lung diseases. The recent Fleischner Society white paper on the diagnostic criteria for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis highlights the advances in our understanding of HRCT imaging in interstitial lung diseases. Objective.— To discuss the evidence and recommendations outlined in the white paper as it pertains to the radiologic diagnosis of interstitial lung disease, specifically highlighting the current limitations of HRCT in confidently predicting histopathologic findings. Data Sources.— The recent Fleischner Society white paper and other studies pertaining to the role of HRCT in predicting histopathology in interstitial lung diseases are reviewed. Conclusions.— High-resolution computed tomography is highly predictive of a usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on histopathology when the HRCT shows a typical UIP pattern on a “confident” read by the radiologist. A probable UIP pattern is also very predictive of a UIP pattern on histopathology, and histopathologic confirmation is not needed for most patients demonstrating this pattern in the appropriate clinical setting. A UIP pattern may be seen in a substantial proportion of patients with an “indeterminate UIP” pattern on HRCT and in many patients for whom the HRCT suggests an alternative diagnosis; histopathologic confirmation should be considered in patients demonstrating these patterns whenever feasible.

A Rare Case of Recurrence of Craniopharyngioma at Ectopic Site after Surgical Resection of Primary Tumor

Ectopic recurrence of craniopharyngiomas after surgical resection of primary lesion is extremely rare. In this article, the authors describe a case of a 12-year-old girl with ectopic recurrence of craniopharyngioma in an extra-axial location in the right frontal region, after an attempt to completely resect the lesion originally located in the sellar region. The patient was investigated radiologically, hormonally, and histopathologic confirmation was sought. During surgery, it is important to take extra care in removing the primary lesion in toto. In case of cystic tumors, it is very important to aspirate cystic fluid completely, before resecting the capsule to avoid rupture or spillage. Long-term clinical and radiologic follow-up is suggested as ectopic recurrence may occur at a very late stage.

Dermatoscopy of Verrucous Pigmented Lesions is Essential for Choosing the Appropriate Treatment

Dermatoscopy, as a noninvasive rapid method, which allows the viewing of melanin in the epidermis and papillary dermis, has an important role in diagnosis of the pigmented lesions localized on skin, mucous membrane, scalp and nails. The term of verrucous pigmented lesions includes a series of non-melanocytic and melanocytic, benign and malignant lesions. Among these, the most frequent is the seborrheic keratosis, a common epidermal tumor, affecting the sun exposed areas of adult. At the other end of the spectrum regarding the frequency is the seborrheic keratosis-like melanoma, whose underdiagnosis has a serious impact on the patient’s life. In this work we present the clinical and dermoscopical aspects of three cases of verrucous pigmented lesions (two seborrheic keratoses and one seborrheic keratosis-like melanoma) that determined the diagnostic algorithm as well as the therapeutic approach. The above-presented cases underline the importance of dermatoscopy to determine the malignant potential of the pigmented lesions, the final appropriate treatment being possible after the histopathologic confirmation.