Most of the malignant neoplasms of the pancreas demonstrate features that are consistent with adenocarcinoma. According to the WHO classification, primary clear cell carcinoma of the pancreas is rare and it is classified as a "miscellaneous" carcinoma. In addition, there is not an adequate systematic overview that can demonstrate its true existence as a definable entity. We report here on an unusual case of primary pancreatic clear cell carcinoma, which is the first such reported case in Korea. A 66 year old woman presented with abdominal pain and significant weight loss over the previous three weeks. On the abdominal computed tomography (CT), we detected an abdominal mass involving the pancreas tail and liver, and clear cell carcinoma with rhabdoid feature was seen on the histologic evaluation. The tumor cells showed well defined cell membranes, clear cytoplasm and prominent cell boundaries. The immunohistochemical stains showed positive reactions to antibodies against pan-cytokeratin, cytokeratin 7, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). On the other hand, there was a negative reaction for cytokeratin 20, chromogranin, synaptophysin, smooth muscle actin and HMB-45. She was diagnosed with a primary pancreatic clear cell carcinoma with hepatic metastasis and she received palliative gemcitabine chemotherapy. The patient died one month later of pancreatic cancer progression.
Abdominal Pain ; Actins ; Adenocarcinoma ; Antibodies ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Cell Membrane ; Coloring Agents ; Cytoplasm ; Deoxycytidine ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Keratin-20 ; Keratin-7 ; Korea ; Liver ; Mucin-1 ; Muscle, Smooth ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Rhabdoid Tumor ; Synaptophysin ; Weight Loss

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) can be classified as primary or secondary according to the presence of an underlying non-malignant or malignant disorder, including lymphoproliferative disorders. The estimated prevalence of ITP in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma is about 1%, and its clinical course has been reported in approximately 50 patients. ITP is an unusual and poorly documented complication in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Some cases have been described in patients who have undergone high-dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow/peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Rare cases appear to be coincidental. Here, we report on a rare case of a 61-year-old man who had ITP after being in a state of complete remission of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for about 15 months.
Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin ; Lymphoproliferative Disorders ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic ; Splenectomy ; Stem Cell Transplantation