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When more than one focus of stromal invasion is present in a superficially invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), determination of the tumoral lateral extent/horizontal extension, and hence tumor-nodes-metastases (TNM) staging, can be problematic. In recent years, a diagnostic approach to distinguish multifocal pT1a1 from pT1b cases has gained increased attention. These criteria call for classifying SCC as multifocal when invasive foci are separated by blocks of uninvolved cervical tissues, and/or are located on separated cervical lips in a tumor that is discontinuous, and/or are situated far apart (≥2 mm) from each other. In this study, we assess our experience with multifocal stage pT1a1 cervical SCC that was retrospectively classified as such using these criteria. Slides from the loop electrosurgical excision or conization specimens, comprising 212 pT1a1, 173 pT1a2, and 206 pT1b cases, were reviewed. Twenty-four (11%) of the 212 pT1a1 cases were classified as multifocal after review. The 24 multifocal pT1a1 cases were compared with the 188 unifocal pT1a1 cases regarding a variety of clinicopathologic parameters. Notably, these 2 groups showed no significant differences regarding all parameters that were evaluated, including patient age, recurrence rate, primary tumoral features in the primary excision specimen (rate of positive margins, median depth of stromal invasion, frequency of lymphovascular invasion), and frequency of residual disease in additional excisions. In summary, we demonstrate comparably favorable patient outcomes in both unifocal and multifocal cases of pT1a1 SCC of the cervix, and, accordingly, we conclusively affirm the validity of the aforementioned criteria for establishing multifocality.

Pleomorphic myxoid liposarcoma is an extremely rare, clinically aggressive subtype of liposarcoma that has been primarily reported in young patients. In this article, we report a case of a pleomorphic myxoid liposarcoma that presented as a second primary neoplasm in a 34-year-old man with history of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. During the clinical workup, the patient was diagnosed with a germline TP53 gene mutation and Li-Fraumeni syndrome. The tumor, a 2.9 × 2.3 × 2.0 cm well-demarcated and solid mass, was centered in the anterior chest wall soft tissue. Histologically, most of the tumor displayed abundantly myxoid stroma, low cellularity of mostly bland spindle cells, delicate branching capillaries, and lipoblasts; these areas transitioned to small areas whose features were reminiscent of pleomorphic liposarcoma. As assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, the tumor showed no DDIT3 ( CHOP ) (12q13) rearrangements or MDM2 gene amplification. Clinically, the tumor progressed with multiple recurrences and metastasis to the humerus bone. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pleomorphic myxoid liposarcoma diagnosed in an adult with Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

We describe the construction and performance of a passive, real-time terahertz camera based on a modular, 64-element linear array of cryogenic hotspot microbolometers. A reflective conical scanner sweeps out a 2 m x 4 m (vertical x horizontal) field of view (FOV) at a standoff range of 8 m. The focal plane array is cooled to 4 K in a closed cycle refrigerator, and the signals are detected on free-standing bridges of superconducting Nb or NbN at the feeds of broadband planar spiral antennas. The NETD of the focal-plane array, referred to the target plane and to a frame rate of 5 s(-1), is 1.25 K near the center of the array and 2 K overall.