Practice question answers II Tumor of heart and vessels

Practice question answers
Tumor of heart and vessels
© Jun Wang, MD, PhD

1. C. A hypocellular tumor with scattered stromal cells without significant atypia in an edematous/myxoid background is most likely myxoma. Angiosarcoma is the most common malignant tumor of heart, and is characterized anastomosing vessels with endothelial atypia. Mucinous adenocarcinoma has atypical epithelial cells in mucin pools, not myxoid background. Papillary fibroelastoma is characterized by a papillary growth with central dense fibrous cores surrounded by loose connective tissue, not myxoid background. Rhabdomyoma is characterized by sharp demarcation and “spider cells”.

2. A. This is a case of Carney complex, presented with Cushing syndrome due to adrenal cortex hyperplasia and cardiac myxoma. Horner syndrome is caused by interruption of the sympathetic nerve supply to the eye, presents with triad of miosis, partial ptosis and loss of hemifacial sweating. Superior vena cava syndrome is caused by tumor compression of superior vena cava, with presentation including dyspnea and facial swelling, etc. Tuberous sclerosis is characterized by hamartomatous lesions in various sites, including brain, heart, skin, etc. It is associated with cardiac rhabdomyoma but not myxoma. von Hippel-Lindau syndrome has increased risk of renal cell carcinoma, adrenal pheochromocytoma, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, hemangioblastoma, etc.

3. C. Mutation of PRKAR1A is seen in Carney complex. APC mutation is seen in familial adenomatous polyposis. EGFR mutation is associated with various tumors, including adenocarcinoma of lung. TSC mutation is seen in tuberous sclerosis. VHL mutation is seen in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.

4. E. The clinical presentation and radiologic findings are indicative for ischemic stroke and echocardiogram should be included in the work ups. Infectious endocarditis usually presents with fever, petechiae, etc. Meningitis and spread of malignant tumors usually has more relevant symptoms and signs.

5. B. Papillary growth with central dense fibrous cores covered by flat endothelial cells is most likely papillary fibroelastoma. Endocarditis usually has inflammation and surface thrombus. Hodgkin lymphoma involving heart is very rare and should have classic features such as Reed–Sternberg cells in a background of inflammatory cells. Rhabdomyoma is a myocardial tumor characterized by sharp demarcation and “spider cells”.

6. E. Sharply demarcated heart tumor with spider cells is most likely rhabdomyoma. When multiple, it is strongly suggestive of tuberous sclerosis, as shown in this patient with assoicciated neurological and renal manifestations. Leiomyoma is characterized by spindle cell proliferation with cigar shaped nuclei and expression of muscular markers, such as desmin. Lipoma is composed of mature adipose tissue, not spider cells. Myxoma is hypocellular tumor with scattered stromal cells without significant atypia in an edematous/myxoid background. Papillary fibroelastoma is characterized by a papillary growth with central dense fibrous cores surrounded by loose connective tissue, not spider cells.

7. A. This is a patient with tuberous sclerosis, and the kidney tumor characterized by distorted thick-walled vessels, spindle cells with cigar-shaped nuclei, and mature adipose tissue is consistent with angiomyolipoma, a tumor associated with tuberous sclerosis. Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant smooth muscle tumor with marked atypia. Liposarcoma is a malignant tumor with adipose tissue differentiation and characterized by the presence of lipoblast. Oncocytoma is composed of cells with eosinophilic granular cells (oncocytic changes) and a central scar. Renal cell carcinoma has various degree of cytological atypia. None of these tumors has three components of vessels, muscle and adipose tissue.

8. C. Tuberous sclerosis is characterized by hamartomatous lesions in various sites, including brain, heart, skin, kidney, etc. It is associated with cardiac rhabdomyoma. Carney complex is characterized by cardiac myxoma, adrenocortical changes, pituitary adenoma, etc. Neurofibromatosis II is characterized by acoustic schwannomas, meningiomas, café au lait, etc. von Hippel-Lindau syndrome is characterized by formations of tumors and cysts in kidneys, pancreas, etc, and has increased risk for renal cell carcinoma, adrenal pheochromocytoma, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, hemangioblastoma, etc. WAGR syndrome is characterized by aniridia, genitourinary malformations, mental retardation and Wilms tumor.

9. D. TSC mutation is seen in tuberous sclerosis. APC mutation is seen in familial adenomatous polyposis. Mutation of PRKAR1A is seen in Carney complex. NF2 mutation is seen in neurofibromatosis II. VHL mutation is seen in von Hippel-Lindau syndrome.

10. A. Red growth in the area of previous radiation therapy for breast cancer should raise the concern of angiosarcoma. Expression of von-Willibrand factors is consistent with endothelial origin. Anastomosing spaces lined by atypical cells that express von-Willibrand factor is consistent with angiosarcoma, and is positive for CD31. E-cadherin is positive in many epithelial cells, including benign and malignant duct cells of breast. ER is expressed in tissue of female reproductive system, including breast tissue, but not endothelium. Her2 is amplified in many high grade tumors, but less likely in angiosarcoma.

11. B. Anastomosing spaces lined by atypical cells that express von-Willibrand factor is consistent with angiosarcoma. Acute and chronic mastitis has neutrophilic or lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, but not atypia. Pyogenic granuloma is characterized by lobular proliferation of capillaries separated by fine fibrous tissue without significant cytological atypia. Recurrent ductal carcinoma has ductal differentiation, but not von-Willibrand factor expression.

12. B. Mass of small vessels lined by atypical cells in a background of lymphedema is most likely lymphangiosarcoma, especially in a patient with history of mastectomy and lymphedema. Either cellulitis or lymphedema should not have vascular proliferation with atypia. Metastatic lobular carcinoma has growth of epithelial cells that are positive for cytokeratin, but negative for CD31. Hodgkin lymphoma has classic features such as Reed–Sternberg cells in a background of inflammatory cells.

13. B. Vascular proliferation with complex anastomosis and lined by atypical cells is consistent with angiosarcoma. Alcoholic liver disease is characterized hepatocytic damage, not vascular proliferation. Cavernous hemangioma has large vessels but not atypia. Hepatocellular carcinoma do not have large spaces, and is negative for CD31. Regenerative nodules seen in liver cirrhosis are proliferation of CD31-negative hepatocytes without large vascular spaces.

14. D. Polyvinyl chloride is associated with angiosarcoma in liver. Alcohol, hepatitis virus B and C are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Tobacco is associated with many type of cancers, but less likely angiosarcoma.

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