Heavy Metal Bioaccumulation in an Atypical Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor of the Abdominal Wall

Abstract

Heavy metals are able to interfere with the function of vital cellular components. Besides in trace heavy metals, which are essential at low concentration for humans, there are heavy metals with a well-known toxic and oncogenic potential. In this study, for the first time in literature, we report the unique adulthood case of an atypical primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the abdominal wall, diagnosed by histology and immunohistochemistry, with the molecular hybridization support. The neoplasia occurred in a patient chronically exposed to a transdermal delivery of heavy metal salts (aluminum and bismuth), whose intracellular bioaccumulation has been revealed by elemental microanalysis.

• Aluminum
• bioaccumulation
• bismuth
• Ewing’s sarcoma/primitive euroectodermal tumor
• heavy metals
• microanalysis
• scanning electron microscope

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would express their thanks to Luca Fabbiani and Paola Manni for their technical assistance.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

This study was supported by Nanodiagnostics Laboratory (Modena, IT).