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Introduction: Recto-colic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a frequent and serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell allogeneic transplantation, which is sometimes difficult to diagnose. The aim of our study was to identify histological diagnostic and prognostic criteria for recto-colic GVH., Material and Method: Patients allografted at Amiens university hospital from 2012 to 2017 were retrieved. Those who had a recto-colic biopsy were included and divided into two groups (final diagnosis of GVH and non-GVH), then biopsies were reviewed by 2 pathologists., Results: One hundred and nineteen patients were included. Sixty-seven were allocated to the GVH group and 52 to the non-GVH group. In the GVH group, we observed a significantly greater number of apoptotic bodies (AB) on standard HES staining and with the anti-Caspase 3 immunohistochemistry, cryptolytic AB abscesses, atrophy, regenerative glands and glands lined with eosinophilic cells (P<0.001). Anti-Caspase 3 immunohistochemistry revealed more AB than standard HES staining (P<0.005). But to differentiate GVH cases from non-GVH cases, we obtained a threshold value of 3.5 AB per 10 contiguous crypts on standard HE staining and with the anti-Caspase 3 immunohistochemistry. From 4 AB per 10 contiguous crypts, on HES staining and anti-Caspase 3 immunostaining, the diagnosis of GVH became consistent. No non-GVH case had more than 6 AB per 10 contiguous crypts. GVH patients with more than 8 AB per 10 contiguous crypts had a worse prognosis (P<0.001)., Conclusion: We confirm the value of AB and their counting in the diagnosis of GVH, with a diagnostic threshold of 4 AB and a prognostic threshold of 8 AB. Glands lined with eosinophilic cells could be an additional diagnostic criterion in favor of GVH to be confirmed by further studies., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Enteritis cystica profunda is a rare and benign disease defined as the invagination of the intestinal epithelium into the submucosa and more profound layers of intestinal wall leading to the formation of mucin-filled cystic spaces. We reported the case of a 45-year-old female, suffering from a Crohn's disease, with a Koenig's syndrome, diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss. The colonoscopy and the abdominopelvic scan showed a terminal ileal stenosis, with parietal calcifications. A surgical ileocecal resection was decided. Gross examination of the ileocecal resection showed a thickening of the ileal wall, with many mucin-filled cysts measuring 1mm to 2cm, with some calcifications. The ileal mucosa was ulcerated, and showed a stenotic sector extending over 3cm. Histological examination showed acute ulcerated ileitis lesions, with chronic ileitis lesions and stenosis, compatible with the known diagnosis of Crohn's disease. There were also many cysts into the ileal wall. They were lined with a regular ileal epithelium. The cysts contained mucus, with some calcifications. Some cysts were ruptured, with extravasation of mucus within the wall. Cystica profunda can be found anywhere along the digestive tract. The physiopathology is not yet well understood, but it seems to be favored by chronic aggression of the intestinal wall. This pathology most often coexists with Crohn's disease. The main differential diagnosis is mucinous adenocarcinoma. Cystica profunda does not require any specific treatment., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (IBD) of the digestive tract are known to have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. These are usually adenocarcinomas, and the occurrence of malignant mesenchymal tumours, particularly leiomyosarcomas, is exceptional. We report one case in a 40-year-old woman, followed for 9 years for ulcerative colitis. The tumour measured 2cm in length and infiltrated the entire rectal wall as far as the subserosa. It was composed of fusiform cells, with 5 mitoses for 10 fields at ×400 magnification, and expressing actin, desmin and caldesmone under immunohistochemical study. We review the 2 cases of leiomyosarcomas associated with Crohn's disease and 3 cases developed during ulcerative colitis published in the literature., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The gastric mucosal calcinosis is a benign condition corresponding to calcium deposits in the gastric mucosa. A 39-year-old women, with an history of transplantation, transplant rejection and hemodialysis, treated with corticosteroids and calcium/phosphoremic supplements, had chronic diarrhea. Gastroduodenal fibroscopy found an atypical atrophic gastritis appearance with small focal whitish deposits in the gastric mucosa. Histological examination revealed brown and gray-bluish crystalline deposits in superficial chorion, stained by Von Kossa, leading to a diagnosis of gastric mucosal calcinosis. This lesion can be categorized as systemic, dystrophic, iatrogenic and idiopathic. In our observation, gastric mucosal calcinosis was probably mixed, linked to renal disorders, and mainly to exogenous phosphocalcic drug intakes. The gastric mucosal calcinosis is commonly found  in kidney transplant patients reaching a frequency of 15 to 29%., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. It frequently affects the digestive tract. Oesophageal damage is not part of its typical clinical picture. The objective of this study was to determine whether oesophageal lesions could be found in this condition., Material and Methods: Cases coded as GVH at the CHU of Amiens in anatomopathology were identified from 2004 to 2019. Each patient who had an oesophageal biopsy was included. The slides were re-read by 2 pathologists to assess the lesions., Results: A total of 24 patients were included. A total of 79.1 % of the biopsies showed inflammatory lesions: 25 % erosions, 37.5 % a cleavage between the lamina propria and squamous epithelium, 41.7 % a lichenoid inflammatory infiltrate, 54.1 % apoptotic cells and 54.1 % epithelial vacuolations. 25 % of the biopsies were classified as Lerner's grade 4 (used in dermatopathology to assess cutaneous GVH lesions), 12.5 % as grade 3, 25 % as grade 2, 16.7 % as grade 1, and 20.8 % of the biopsies did not show oesophageal GVH lesions. None of the histological lesions observed were correlated with the prognosis, however erosions and epithelial cleavage were more frequently associated with death., Conclusion: Lesions evocative and probably specific for acute GVH can be found in the esophagus. They could help and be part of the diagnosis. A protocol for oesophageal biopsy sampling, and the exclusion of other causes of esophagitis, should be performed in the future during suspicion of acute GVH., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To assess the incidence of colonic spirochetosis, diagnosed by immunohistochemical stain with anti-Treponema pallidum antibody, in a prospective study of colonic biopsies of patients presenting with chronic diarrhea., Material and Methods: From March 2017 to March 2018 the colonic biopsies of patients presenting with chronic diarrhea were stained with Hematoxylin Eosin and anti-Treponema pallidum antibody. The positive cases were also stained with Steiner stain., Results: A total of 137 colonic biopsies were assessed and 3 cases were positive for immunohistochemical stain with anti-Treponema pallidum antibody (2% of the patients). One case was easy to diagnose with HE stain but the 2 other cases were not. The bacteria were stained with Steiner stain, but less easily seen than with the immunohistochemical stain. No patient was treated with antibiotics., Discussion and Conclusion: The colonic spirochetosis can be easily diagnosed by pathologists with immunohistochemical stain with anti-Treponema pallidum antibody. The bacteria are more easily diagnosed with immunohistochemical stain than with HE stain or Steiner stain. However, colonic spirochetosis is rarely diagnosed on colonic biopsies of patients presenting with chronic diarrhea (2% of the patients in our study). Due to the rarity of the entity, and the cost of immunohistochemical stain and the weak benefit for the patient (no patient in our study was treated with antibiotics for colonic spirochetosis) we cannot advise to perform systematic immunohistochemical stain with anti-Treponema pallidum antibody in all the colonic biopsies of patients presenting with chronic diarrhea., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)