Pregnancy-associated Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumors of the Uterus Are Clinically Distinct and Highly Enriched for TIMP3-ALK and THBS1-ALK Fusions

Reading time: 1 minute

For the latest news in the Surgical Pathology industry, you can always rely on Lab.Equipment as we publish articles from trusted online sources on a regular basis. Check out this entry acquired from AJSP:

As inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) have become more widely recognized in the female genital tract, an intriguing subset of uterine tumors associated with pregnancy has emerged. Whether uterine IMTs occurring in the setting of pregnancy are clinically or biologically distinct from other uterine IMTs is unknown. Furthermore, little is known about the perinatal factors that may influence the development of these tumors. Here, we report the largest case series of 8 pregnancy-associated IMTs. All pregnancy-associated IMTs in this series occurred in association with pregnancy complications, including abnormal implantation (n=1), gestational diabetes (n=2), preeclampsia and/or HELLP syndrome (n=2), antiphospholipid syndrome (n=1), premature rupture of membranes (n=1), and hepatitis B (n=1). Notably, all IMTs were expelled at the time of delivery or immediately postpartum and were either adherent to the placenta or presented as separate, detached tissue. Tumors ranged from 2.0 to 6.0 cm (median, 3.9 cm), were well-circumscribed and showed classic histologic features of IMTs, including myxoid stroma and a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Seven of 8 cases were positive by ALK immunohistochemistry and confirmed to have an ALK gene rearrangement by fluorescent in situ hybridization and RNA sequencing. The ALK-rearranged IMTs were found to be particularly enriched for TIMP3-ALK (n=5) and THBS1-ALK (n=2) fusions. The single case that was negative for an ALK rearrangement exhibited the classic morphology of an IMT. None o... Find the entire article at the AJSP Blog.

If you are in the Pathology industry and are in need of premium Surgical Pathology equipment for clinical medicine or specimen collection, basic or advanced applications, then you are in the right place. Lab.Equipment showcases an extensive range of equipment for labs running numerous histophatological tests. Check out our recommended Surgical Pathology equipment including:

• Lab Balances
• Laboratory Shakers
• Lab Centrifuges
• Pipettes
• Lab Stirrers

We showcase versatile lab equipment from established MFGs like:

• Aczet
• Radwag
• Ohaus
• Scilogex

Focusing on other applications? You can depend on Lab.Equipment for much needed help. Raise facility productivity and efficiency with lab equipment for other industries including microbiology, environmental, clinical, and more. Check out what you need for your application here.