Na početku 21. veka, u vremenu društveno-političkih i ekonomskih previranja, u tadašnjoj Jugoslaviji nije bilo organizovanih naučnih i edukativnih aktivnosti u oblasti ehokardiografije. Zahvaljujući entuzijazmu nekoliko srpskih kardiologa, koji su prepoznali potrebu za promenom, aprila 2001. godine u Beogradu je osnovano ehokardiografsko udruženje, sa ciljem da postavi standarde ehokardiografskog pregleda, podrži naučne aktivnosti u oblasti ehokardiografije i osnaži saradnju sa međunarodnim ehokardiografskim organizacijama. Nakon raspada bivše Jugoslavije, prvobitan naziv «Jugoslovensko ehokardiografsko udruženje» (YUECHO), 2006. godine promenjen je u Ehokardiografsko udruženje Srbije (ECHOS).

Aim: The aim of this research is to analyze the profile of Ezh2 expression in superficial urothelial bladder cancer, to investigate its correlation with clinicopathological parameters, as well as to determine the prognostic significance of Ezh2. Introduction: Superficial urothelial bladder cancer, without invasion of muscle layer, is associated with frequent recurrence, and represents significant burden for health care system. Ezh2 is epigenetic regulator with a major role in urothelial oncogenesis. Clinical investigations of Ezh2 inhibitors in treatment of solid cancers have already given encouraging results. Materials and Methods: Tumor samples from 410 patients with superficial bladder cancer (172 pTa, 238 pT1), obtained by transurethral resection, were incorporated in tissue microarrays, and analyzed immunohistochemically to Ezh2 expression. Correlation analysis with clinicopathological parameters was performed using SPSS 18.0. Results: High nuclear expression was found in 33.4% tumors, and it was significantly more frequent in pT1 (46.6%), compared to pTa tumors (15.1%) (p<0.001). Ezh2 expression was associated with high histologic grade, presence of carcinoma in situ, and cancer specific death (p<0.001, respectively). In Kaplan-Mayer survival analysis high Ezh2 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis and shorter patients survival (p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between Ezh2 and recurrence of the disease, and recurrence free interval (p<0.05). Conclusion: Immunohistochemical expression of transcription repressor Ezh2 in superficial urothelial bladder cancer indicates aggressive behavior of the tumor, and poor prognosis. Ezh2 could be used as pronostic marker in selection of the patients that might require more intense clinical treatment, and as potential target of anticancer therapy.

Aim: To present three cases and review literature of splenic myoid angioendothelioma (SMA) focusing on immunohistochemical features. Introduction: SMAs are very rare, mainly in middle-aged and elderly patients of both sexes and are characterized by a mixed proliferation of cord capillaries and myoid cells, distinguished from other splenic angioendotheliomas by additional myogenic/myofibroblast differentiation. Material and Methods: Three cases of SMA from the Department of Histopathology Registry of Clinical Centre of Serbia were detected during last 12 years (2006-2017) in one male and two female patients (42,5 ys average age). Histomorphological findings were revised by reviewing all serial HE sections, histochemical trichrome stains and immunohistochemical stainings for CD8, CD31, CD34, CD68, SMA, desmin and Ki-67. Results: All cases showed sharply demarcated non-encapsulated solitary tumors with diameters 42, 55 and 20 mm. Histologically there are dense network of capillary blood vessels intermingled with polygonal myoid stromal cells and at least focally expressed non-homogeneous cellularity of stromal and lymphoid cells with focal sclerosis. Neocapillaries show distinctive CD8- / CD31 / CD34 immunophenotype (differing them from splenic hamartomas) and characteristic mixture with myogenic elements (differing them from cord capillary hemangiomas): intense SMA (3/3), rare focal desmin (2/3) and focal CD68 (1/3) immunoexpression. Conclusion: SMA is underrecognized type of vascular neoplasia, which has a clinico-pathological differential diagnostic significance because it radiologically imitates splenic metastase. Cellular form of SMA must be distinguished from hamartoma, but also from hemangiopericytoma and well-differentiated angiosarcoma of the spleen

Karcinom dojke je najčešća maligna neoplazmu u žena, čini oko 25% svih svih malignih bolesti i 15% svih smrtnih slučajeva, u ženskoj populaciji. Cilj našeg rada je ispitivanje učestalosti karcinoma dojke u pirotskom okrugu u periodu od 1998-2017 godine. Za ispitivanje smo koristili histopatološke izveštaje Službe za patologiju Opšte bolnice u Pirotu. Istraživanjem je obuhvaćeno 573 pacijenta operisana od karcinoma dojke u periodu od 1998-2017god. Analizirani su broj obolelih,vreme nastanka bolesti, starosno doba pacijenta u vreme dijagnoze, pol i histopatološki tip tumora. Za ispitivanje statističke značajnosti između grupa korišćen je Studentov t test. Karcinom dojke je verifikovan u 558 (97.38%) žena i u 15 muškaraca (2.62%). Prosečna starost žena sa karcinomom dojke u vreme dijagnoze je 62 god, a prosečna starost obolelih muškaraca je 64 godine Najveća učestalost karcinoma dojke zabeležena je u 2017 godini, pri čemu je zapažen statistički značajan porast broja obolelih od 2007 do 2017 godine. U radu se diskutuje o mogućim patogenetskim faktorima koji su uticali na signifikantan porast incidence karcinoma dojke u pirotskom okrugu.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer in the world among women and there are nearly 1.7 million new cases worldwide each year. Due to a number of remarkable advances made in both diagnosis and therapy, the survival rates for BC patients have increased in those regions with adequate medical facilities. According to contemporary recommendations, any pathological diagnosis of breast lesions, before any treatment, should be based on a Core Needle Biopsy (CNB), or on a Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC), if CNB is not available. The prognosis of the newly diagnosed breast cancer patient depends on a number of factors, among which the most important is the extent of the spread of the disease to the axillary lymph nodes. Because any further treatment is influenced by the presence and number of axillary lymph nodes involved, a complete evaluation of the axillary lymph nodes is performed on every patient that is able to tolerate it, after a formal diagnosis of invasive carcinoma. At the very least an ultrasound with guided fine needle aspiration or core biopsy of suspicious lymph nodes should be undertaken.Although CNB is the main method employed in breast lesions diagnostics, FNAC still plays a significant role in the evaluation of pathological processes in the breast, a fact that has been well documented in the relevant literature in the last 20 years. The advantages of FNAC are: the sampling is quicker; the sampling technique usually does not require the use of anaesthetics; the trauma is small, and therefore more convenient for women using anticoagulant therapy; complications are rare; the availability of the results is within a few hours; skilled operators and pathologists regard this method as being highly sensitive in the detection of any malignant cells and the equipment is less expensive. The United Kingdom National Health Service Breast Screening Program (UK NHSBSP), began in 1988. Its guidelines have been published with regards to the mode of categorizing cell changes that may be seen in cytological samples obtained by needle aspiration. Five categories have been identified: C1 (unsatisfactory specimen - non-representative), C2 (benign), C3 (atypical - most likely benign), C4 (suspected - most likely malignant) and C5 (malignant). In 1996, the American National Cancer Institute (NCI) also suggested 5 categories for cytological diagnostics of breast lesions: benign, atypical, suspected, malignant and unsatisfactory. Patients with C3 and C4 categories, namely, atypical and suspected, which carry the risk of a malignant tumour, need to undergo further examination. C1 and C2 categories have to be correlated with the results of clinical and radiological examinations. C3 and C4 categories should not be represented in more than 5% of all analyzed aspirates. Currently, there is no individual morphological criterion that cytological diagnostics of malignant breast tumours could be based on. The most important cytological criteria that indicate whether it is a benign pathological process or a malignant tumor are: cellularity of the sample (a very important criterion, but it should be carefully interpreted), loss of cell cohesiveness (characteristic of malignant tumors), cellular arrangements, cell size, biphasicity in smear, the characteristics of the nucleus (size, contour, the appearance of chromatin, the appearance of nucleolus), characteristics of cytoplasm, nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, APSTRAKTI 93 MATERIA MEDICA • Vol. 34 • Issue 1, suplement 1 • april 2018. mitotic figures, background appearance (necrosis, peripheral blood cells, mucus…) and the presence of inflammatory cells. It is also possible to perform immuno-histochemical staining on cytological samples, flow cytometry and molecular analyses. The FNAC treatment is characterised by solid sensitivity, specificity and predictive value. The sensitivity of FNAC ranges from 89% to 98% and the specificity is between 98% and 100%. Major shortcomings of this method are the impossibility of diagnosing in situ carcinoma and lesions followed by any abundant production of connective tissue. The CNB treatment has gained remarkable popularity since the 1980s and in many institutions has replaced FNAC. The limitations of both methods are; atypical ductal hyperplasia, fibroepithelial tumours, radial scarring and papillary lesions. In the diagnosis of breast lesions apart from aspiration cytology, other sampling techniques for cytological analysis are also applied. In the era of breast conservation therapy, breast tissue is most commonly sent for intraoperative consultation. A frozen section analysis is performed through freezing and sectioning the surgical specimen with subsequent staining, in order to obtain an extemporaneous assessment of the margins. Although this technique is extensively used by many surgeons to avoid the need for a postponed rescission, some pitfalls have been reported, such as the occurrence of artefacts due to the freezing and thawing of the adipose tissue in the specimen. A different intraoperative method for margins evaluation is imprint cytology, which consists of pressing each of the 6 faces of the specimen on 6 different slides, so that any malignant cell on any involved margin is theoretically present on the cytology of the respective slide, because of the tendency of tumour cells to adhere to glass as compared to adipocytes. Imprint cytology can also be used in assessing the representational value of the CNB samples. A significant number of authors suggest that the application of the imprint of cytology reduces the number of inadequate samples obtained by CNB and can also provide a preliminary diagnosis, especially in cases of adequately sampled malignant tumours. Nipple discharge (ND) accounts for approximately 5% of the breast-related symptoms and is the third most common reason women seek medical attention. Approximately 7% to 15% of unilateral NDs are caused by malignant lesions, primarily ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS). A cytological examination of the obtained content is significant in the final treatment decision. Cytological analysis, in particular FNAC, continues to play an important role in the diagnoses of breast cancer. Skilled professionals can determine breast cancer through an analysis of the cytological sample as a reliable and accurate method.