OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical response to and the histomorphometric effects of microablative fractional radiofrequency (MFR) in women with symptomatic vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS). METHODS: This was a pilot study on the use of MFR for the treatment of VLS. Upon recruitment and at each treatment session, all participants were examined and each of their symptoms were rated on a visual analog scale. After the procedure, the participants completed a satisfaction questionnaire. We compared the morphometric findings of vulvar biopsies performed at enrollment and after the last treatment session. The participants were divided into three groups according to previous treatment with corticosteroids: G1, no previous treatment; G2, treated for up to 5 years; and G3, treated for >5 years. RESULTS: This study included 26 women. After two to three sessions, most participants in all groups became either “asymptomatic” or “much better” than before treatment and were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the intervention. Pruritus and burning sensation were the most frequently reported symptoms. Nearly 40% of the participants in all groups reported complete remission of symptoms. The improvement was rated as moderate or higher by 80%, 76%, and 66% of the women in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The improvement of symptoms persisted for 11 months (range, 7-16 months), on average, after the treatment. Type III collagen concentration significantly increased and was associated with important symptom improvement. Tissue trophism and vascularization also increased but did not reach statistical significance, probably because of the small number of cases. CONCLUSIONS: MFR may be an effective and safe treatment for symptomatic VLS.

OBJETIVO: Comparar características prognósticas e preditivas entre os componentes in situ e invasivo de carcinomas ductais da mama. MÉTODOS: Selecionamos 146 amostras mamárias consecutivas com carcinoma ductal in situ (CDIS) associado com carcinoma invasivo (CI) adjacente. Avaliamos grau nuclear e a expressão imunoistoquímica de receptor de estrogênio (RE), receptor de progesterona (RP), receptor do fator de crescimento epidérmico humano 2 (HER2), citoqueratina 5/6 (CK5/6) e o receptor do fator de crescimento epidérmico (EGFR) em ambos componentes, in situ e invasor, e a porcentagem de células marcadas pelo Ki-67 no componente invasivo. CDIS e CI foram classificados nos tipos moleculares, determinados pelo perfil imunoistoquímico, como luminal (RE/RP-positivo/HER2-negativo), triplo-positivo (RE/RP/HER2-positivo), HER2-puro (RE/RP-negativo/HER2-positivo) e triplo-negativo (RE/RP/HER2-negativo). A discriminação entre luminal A e Luminal B não foi feita por motivos estatísticos. Correlações entre as categorias dos dois grupos foram feitas pelo método de correlação de Spearman. RESULTADOS: Houve significante associação entre grau nuclear (p<0,0001), expressão de RE/RP) (p<0,0001), superexpressão de HER2 (p<0,0001), expressão de EGFR (p<0,0001) e perfil molecular (p<0,0001) entre os componentes in situ e invasivo. CK5/6 mostrou distribuição distinta em CDIS e CI, apresentando significante associação com o fenótipo triplo-negativo em CI, mas uma associação negativa ente os CDIS. CONCLUSÕES:Nossos resultados sugerem que as características prognósticas e preditivas clássicas dos CI estão já determinadas no estágio pré-invasivo da doença. Entretanto, o papel da CK5/6 no carcinoma invasivo pode ser diferente daquele das lesões precursoras.

PURPOSE:To compare the prognostic and predictive features between in situ and invasive components of ductal breast carcinomas. METHODS:We selected 146 consecutive breast samples with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) associated with adjacent invasive breast carcinoma (IBC). We evaluated nuclear grade and immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in both components, in situ and invasive, and the Ki-67 percentage of cells in the invasive part. The DCIS and IBC were classified in molecular surrogate types determined by the immunohistochemical profile as luminal (RE/PR-positive/ HER2-negative), triple-positive (RE/RP/HER2-positive), HER2-enriched (ER/PR-negative/HER2-positive), and triple-negative (RE/RP/HER2-negative). Discrimination between luminal A and luminal B was not performed due to statistical purposes. Correlations between the categories in the two groups were made using the Spearman correlation method. RESULTS:There was a significant correlation between nuclear grade (p<0.0001), expression of RE/RP (p<0.0001), overexpression of HER2 (p<0.0001), expression of EGFR (p<0.0001), and molecular profile (p<0.0001) between components in situ and IBC. CK 5/6 showed different distribution in DCIS and IBC, presenting a significant association with the triple-negative phenotype in IBC, but a negative association among DCIS. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that classical prognostic and predictive features of IBC are already determined in the preinvasive stage of the disease. However the role of CK5/6 in invasive carcinoma may be different from the precursor lesions.