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Assessment of Ovarian Cancer Spheroid Attachment and Invasion of Mesothelial Cells in Real Time
Published on: May 20, 2014
Large cell variant ovarian small cell carcinoma: case report
Giuseppe Donato1, Francesco Conforti, Valeria Zuccala
1Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy. gdonato@unicz.it
Ultrastructural Pathology
|October 30, 2008
Summary
Large cell variant small cell carcinoma of the ovary (LCV-SCC) has unclear ultrastructural features. This case highlights two distinct cell types observed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), suggesting subtypes with potential prognostic significance.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Electron Microscopy
Background:
- Ultrastructural data on large cell variant ovarian small cell carcinoma (LCV-SCC) are limited and often contradictory.
- The diagnostic utility of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in assessing LCV-SCC remains unclear.
Observation:
- A case of LCV-SCC in a 30-year-old woman without hypercalcemia was studied.
- Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the diagnosis.
- Cytopathological examination of peritoneal washing revealed large neoplastic cells.
Findings:
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) identified two distinct neoplastic cell populations within the LCV-SCC.
- One cell type exhibited numerous coarse secretory granules lacking a dense core.
- The second cell type was an anaplastic variant, devoid of granules, featuring dilated endoplasmic reticulum and occasionally indented nuclei.
Implications:
- This case suggests the existence of diverse, poorly understood ultrastructural patterns in LCV-SCC that correlate with clinical and pathological behavior.
- TEM may prove valuable in differentiating LCV-SCC subtypes, potentially impacting prognosis and therapeutic strategies.
