Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are mesenchymal tumors composed of histologically, immunohistochemically, ultrastructurally, and genetically distinctive cells. PEComas have been described in different organs and are considered ubiquitous tumors. In this review we discuss recent informations related to PEComas in the genitourinary tract.

In this study, we reported the first PEComa arising within the cervix with TFE3 gene rearrangement and aggressive biological behavior. Morphologically, the tumor showed infiltrative growth into the surrounding parenchyma. The majority of tumor cells were arrayed in sheets, alveolar structures, or nests separated by delicate fibrovascular septa. There was marked intratumoral hemorrhage, necrosis...

Perivascular adipose tissue AT is a critical regulator of vascular function, which until recently has been greatly overlooked. Virtually all arteries are surrounded by a significant amount of perivascular adipose tissue, which has long been considered to serve primarily a supportive, mechanical purpose. Recent studies show that both visceral and perivascular fat is a very active endocrine and p...

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) directly abuts the lamina adventitia of conduit arteries and actively communicates with the vessel wall to regulate vascular function and inflammation. Mounting evidence suggests that the biological activities of PVAT are governed by perivascular adipocytes, a unique class of adipocyte with distinct molecular and phenotypic characteristics. Perivascular adipoc...

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors or PEComas can arise in any location in the body. However, a limited number of cases of gastric PEComa have been reported. We present two cases of gastric PEComas. The first case involved a 62-year-old woman who presented with a 4.2 cm gastric subepithelial mass in the prepyloric antrum, and the second case involved a 67-year-old man with a 5.0 cm mass sligh...

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors are soft tissue tumors that can occur in various locations in the body whose incidence is rising. Hepatic PEComas are quite rare and diagnosis involves positivity of Melan-A and HMB45 on immunohistochemistry. Usual treatment is surgery for benign tumors and chemotherapy including mTOR inhibitors for malignant tumors. Here we discuss the radiological and path...

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is an important brain area for the regulation of neuropathic pain. The α2A adrenoceptor is a good target for pain management. However, the role of cingulate α2A adrenoceptors in the regulation of neuropathic pain has been less studied. In this study, we investigated the involvement of cingulate α2A adrenoceptors in the regulation of neuropathic pain at differ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) closely associate with nerves and smooth muscles to modulate gut motility. In the ICC microenvironment, although the circulating hormones/factors have been shown to influence ICC activities, the association between ICC and microvessels in the gut wall has not been described. We applied three-dimensional (3D) vascular histology with c-kit stain...

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are a rare collection of tumors arising in a wide array of anatomic locations and characterized by a myomelanocytic phenotype. PEComas which occur in non-classic anatomic distributions are known as perivascular epithelioid cell tumor-not otherwise specified (PEComa-NOS), and one of the most common primary sites for PEComa-NOS is the uterus. The ris...