pancreas | Acta Medica Marisiensis

Adenosquamous and squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas: two histopathological variants of ductal adenocarcinoma

Tiberiu-Bogdan Szekely¹, Cornelia Toganel^1,2, Zoltan Kadar^1,2, Alexandra Daniela Sava¹, Tivadar Bara Jr.³, Daniela Roman¹, Simona Gurzu^4,5

1. Department of Oncology, Clinical County Hospital, Targu Mures, Romania
2. Department of Oncology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
3. Department of Surgery, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
4. Department of Pathology, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania
5. Research Center of Oncopathology and Translational Medicine (CCOMT), George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2021-0025

Introduction: Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas are rare malignancies for which diagnostic and treatment strategy are challenging. In this paper we present a literature review of these tumors based on two case reports.
Case presentation: In the first case, a 55-year-old male presented with an inoperable pancreatic head/body junction tumor. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration was practiced, and histopathological examination revealed a squamous cell carcinoma of the pancreas. After exclusion of any another tumor, the diagnosis of cT4N0M0-staged primary pancreatic SCC was made. The patient is under treatment with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin. The second case is represented by a 73-year-old patient in which imagistic examinations highlighted a cystic mass of the pancreatic body. Following coporeo-caudal splenic-pancreatectomy and histopathological-proved diagnosis of adenosquamous carcinoma, the patient started chemotherapy but died at 11 months after surgery. Both tumor components displayed positivity for markers which prove ductal (cytokeratin19, maspin) and squamous differentiation (p63, cytokeratin5/6) same as vimentin, as indicator of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT).
Conclusions: SCC and adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas are aggressive malignancies which prognosis remains highly reserved. These tumors might be variants of ductal adenocarcinomas which are dedifferentiated through EMT phenomenon.

The Influence of Row Soy Diet on Gastrointestinal Tract in Animal Model

Tiulea Corina¹, Peev Camelia¹, Mureşan Anca², Feflea Stefana¹, Ciurlea Sorina³, Motoc A.⁴

1 Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Victor Babeș Timișoara, Faculty of Pharmacy
2 Department of Morphopatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Victor Babeș Timișoara, Faculty of Medicine
3 Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Victor Babeș Timișoara, Faculty of Pharmacy
4 Department of Anatomy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Victor Babeș Timișoara, Faculty of Medicine

Background: Soybean is the vegetal product of soy, Glycine max fam. Fabaceae. It is well known that short-term ingestion of raw soy and plant trypsin inhibitors by mice greatly stimulates the exocrine pancreas, leading to increased enzyme production, organ enlargement and cellular hyperplasia.
The aim of this study is to examine changes that occur in the liver, an organ from the gastrointestinal tract less studied on this topic when row soy is administrated. Short time nutritional studies were conducted on C57BL/6J mice of four weeks.
Results showed a decrees in mice body mass after administration of row soybean. Histological analyze revealed an alteration of the pancreas showing the presence of inflammatory cell infiltrate, the phenomen of vascular congestion and edema of the parenchymal cells and of the liver highlighting fibrosis of the vascular wall, the presence of the intravascular infiltrate represented by fibrin and figurative elements (erythrocytes and leukocytes), of the Kupffer cells phagocyte active, and granulocytes with diapedez trend.
Conclusions: The main conclusion of this study is that row soybean diet has a negative action on the gastrointestinal tract in animal model affecting mostly the pancreas and the liver translated by decreasing body weight in mice.