Ocular toxoplasmosis is a vision-threatening disease and the major cause of posterior uveitis worldwide. In spite of the continuing global burden of ocular toxoplasmosis, many critical aspects of disease including the therapeutic approach to ocular toxoplasmosis are still under debate. To assist in addressing many aspects of the disease, numerous experimental models of ocular toxoplasmosis have been established. In this article, we present an overview on in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models of ocular toxoplasmosis available to date. Experimental studies on ocular toxoplasmosis have recently focused on mice. However, the majority of murine models established so far are based on intraperitoneal and intraocular infection with Toxoplasma gondii. We therefore also present results obtained in an in vivo model using peroral infection of C57BL/6 and NMRI mice that reflects the natural route of infection and mimics the disease course in humans. While advances have been made in ex vivo model systems or larger animals to investigate specific aspects of ocular toxoplasmosis, laboratory mice continue to be the experimental model of choice for the investigation of ocular toxoplasmosis.

For the histopathological work-up of resected neuroendocrine tumors of the small intestine (siNET), the determination of lymphatic (LI), microvascular (VI) and perineural (PnI) invasion is recommended. Their association with poorer prognosis has already been demonstrated in many tumor entities. However, the influence of LI, VI and PnI in siNET has not been sufficiently described yet. A retrospective analysis of all patients treated for siNET at the ENETS Center of Excellence Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, from 2010 to 2020 was performed (n = 510). Patients who did not undergo primary resection or had G3 tumors were excluded. In the entire cohort (n = 161), patients with LI, VI and PnI status had more distant metastases (48.0% vs. 71.4%, p = 0.005; 47.1% vs. 84.4%, p < 0.001; 34.2% vs. 84.7%, p < 0.001) and had lower rates of curative surgery (58.0% vs. 21.0%, p < 0.001; 48.3% vs. 16.7%, p < 0.001; 68.4% vs. 14.3%, p < 0.001). Progression-free survival was significantly reduced in patients with LI, VI or PnI compared to patients without. This was also demonstrated in patients who underwent curative surgery. Lymphatic, vascular and perineural invasion were associated with disease progression and recurrence in patients with siNET, and these should therefore be included in postoperative treatment considerations.

Necrosis in postoperative histology has been reported as being specific for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) compared to adenoma. We therefore retrospectively analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of the finding of necrosis in preoperative cross-sectional imaging and postoperative histology as a marker for ACC in our patient cohort. Among the 411 adrenalectomies in 396 patients performed between 2008 and April 2022, 30 cases of ACC (7.6%) were identified, with one tumor measuring less than 40 mm excluded. All 45 benign adrenocortical tumors of at least 40 mm in diameter, including Cushing, Conn, and hormonally inactive adenomas, served as controls. Preoperative imaging was available for 40 benign and 27 malignant adrenocortical tumors. In total, 10 of 40 (25%) benign adrenocortical tumors and 22 of 27 (81%) ACCs showed signs of possible necrosis in preoperative imaging. Pathologic examination confirmed necrosis in 1 of 40 (2.5%) benign tumors and in 26 out of 27 (96%) malignant tumors. The specificities of possible necrosis in preoperative imaging and necrosis in histology for diagnosing ACC were 75% and 97.5%, respectively, whereas the sensitivities were 81% and 96%, respectively. Signs of possible necrosis in radiologic imaging and tumor necrosis in histology proved to be very good predictive markers for the diagnosis of malignant adrenocortical tumors.

Indications for liver resection in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NET) vary from liver resection with curative intent to tumor debulking or tissue sampling for histopathological characterization. With increasing expertise, the number of minimally invasive liver surgeries (MILS) in GEP-NET patients has increased. However, the influence on the oncological outcome has hardly been described. The clinicopathological data of patients who underwent liver resection for hepatic metastases of GEP-NET at the Department of Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, were analyzed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to compare MILS with open liver surgery (OLS). In total, 22 patients underwent liver surgery with curative intent, and 30 debulking surgeries were analyzed. Disease-free survival (DFS) was longer than progression-free survival (PFS) (10 vs. 24 months), whereas overall survival (OS) did not differ significantly (p = 0.588). Thirty-nine (75%) liver resections were performed as OLS, and thirteen (25%) as MILS. After PSM, a shorter length of hospital stay was found for the MILS group (14 vs. 10 d, p = 0.034), while neither DFS/PFS nor OS differed significantly. Both curative intended and cytoreductive resection of hepatic GEP-NET metastases achieved excellent outcomes. MILS led to a reduced length of hospital, while preserving a good oncological outcome.

Background/Objectives: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) of the rectum (rNEN) are a rare and heterogeneous group of tumors that can vary greatly in their biological behavior, from benign to highly aggressive. While small and well-differentiated tumors can often be handled endoscopically and still face a very good prognosis, tumor size, and grade, as well as lymph node and distant metastasis, are known risk factors for impaired prognosis. This study aimed at the identification of further prognostic factors in rNEN. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients treated for rNEN at the ENTES Center of Excellence at Charité—Universitätsmedizin, including n = 121 patients, was performed to identify risk factors for recurrence, progression, and impaired outcome. Results: Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) differed significantly according to tumor grade (p < 0.001). In rNET patients undergoing surgery, the Ki-67 index and distant metastases were independent risk factors for shorter PFS. Among stage I rNETs, 10 patients developed disease recurrence, associated with lymphatic invasion (1.9% vs. 30.0%, p = 0.008) and higher Ki-67 values (2 (1–6) vs. 2 (1–16), p = 0.054). Conclusions: Tumor grade and presence of metastases represent important predictive factors in rNEN. Notably, even small, early-stage rNETs can harbor a risk of recurrence when unfavorable pathological features are present, highlighting the importance of tailored, risk-adapted surveillance strategies to optimize patient outcomes.