Case Reports in Oncological Medicine

Background. Mixed cryoglobulinemia syndrome (MCS) is a rare entity with a variety of causes but has not been associated with testicular germ cell tumors. We present here a case of a patient with a nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) presenting as a type III mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis. Case Presentation. A 58-year-old male exhibited typical clinical features of vasculitis, including weakness, fatigue, palpable purpura, multiple mononeuropathy, and a low C4 level. An MCS diagnosis was confirmed by the presence of cryoglobulins (6%) with polyclonal IgM and IgG components and biopsy proven leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Concomitantly, a stage IIIC (TxNxM1bS1) germ tumor with marked elevation of serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (2764 mUI/mL) was diagnosed. An aggressive treatment was needed, including methylprednisolone pulses, plasmapheresis, rituximab, followed by orchiectomy, and chemotherapy (bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin). After tumor resection and treatment, cryoglobulins decrease to 0%, suggesting a paraneoplastic origin of the vasculitis. Conclusion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of MCS possibly attributable to a NSGCT. This case further elaborates on the presentation of mixed cryoglobulinemia vasculitis and adds to the published literature on the topic.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) is the most common benign pediatric laryngeal neoplasm. Various adjuvant medical therapies have failed to reliably decrease surgical frequency in this challenging airway disease. Recently, systemic bevacizumab has shown promise in advanced, treatment-resistant papillomatosis. We describe the use of systemic bevacizumab in two children with severe RRP unresponsive to other therapies. Voice and breathing improved dramatically in both patients with minimal side effects. Both patients have not required surgery in 24 months and 16 months, respectively. Systemic bevacizumab is a promising long-term treatment for severe RRP, with oncology playing an important role in patient care.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, rapidly growing, and aggressive dermatological neoplasm. It is commonly reported in Caucasian ethnicities, and almost 50% of the patients have a concomitant malignancy and are on immunosuppressive chemotherapy. Here, we present a 79-year-old woman with a history of relapsed Stage II, grade III follicular lymphoma, receiving maintenance rituximab infusions. She presented with a raised erythematous papule on her left cheek. An excisional biopsy of the lesion confirmed a diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma. After which, she underwent a wider excision with 1-2 cm margins. PET scan did not reveal any FDG-avid uptake lesions that would be concerning for metastatic disease. However, she underwent a sentinel lymph node biopsy which was also negative. Thus, the diagnosis was finalized as Stage I (T1 N0 M0) MCC. There are only two reported cases in literature about the significant progression of Merkel cell carcinoma in patients who coincidentally were receiving rituximab as a part of treatment for another disease. This raises questions for future investigation and research on whether there is a direct association between rituximab use specifically and the rapid growth of MCC.

Adrenal gland metastatic disease is the most commonly occurring malignancy of the adrenal glands. Although metastatic disease is common, adrenal hemorrhage is a rare but potentially fatal manifestation of malignancy. The objectives of this case report are to highlight the unusual presentation of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma as spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage in a 64-year-old female who was otherwise asymptomatic. As well as to support the reasoning that metastatic disease should be considered as a differential in patients with this clinical presentation as this may have altered this fatal outcome.

Background. When lung cancer develops a solitary metastasis at the pontomedullary junction, due to surgical risk, the current oncologic treatment is radiosurgery and chemotherapy. Case Description. We describe a patient with a single intrinsic metastasis at the pons and medulla. Removal was successful, without complication. Conclusion. Surgery can provide excellent results, and in selected patients, it should be considered a first-line treatment in experienced hands.

Eccrine porocarcinoma (EPC) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm, with less than 500 reported cases worldwide since it was first described in 1963. EPC tends to affect the elderly and most commonly affects the head and neck. The mainstay of EPC treatment is surgery, with lymphadenectomy in the case of nodal involvement or presence of unfavourable characteristics. No evidence exists to guide the use of adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation. EPC is prone to misdiagnosis given its multiple clinical and histopathological mimics, especially in uncommon sites of presentation such as the breast. Herein, we report the case of a 59-year-old woman who presented with a left breast skin lump. The biopsied specimen revealed an infiltrative carcinoma involving the dermis and epidermis with positive IHC staining for P63 and CK5/6 and negative staining for ER, PR, and HER2. The tumour was resected and diagnosed as EPC with atypical features as overlapping characteristics of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were detected on histopathological analysis. In our case, a simple mastectomy with broad margins and axillary lymph node dissection with adjuvant radiotherapy to a dose of 60 Gy failed to achieve loco-regional control with nodal recurrence occurring 4 months postsurgery—a testament to the aggressive course of this rare malignancy.