Ebook: The Human Yolk Sac and Yolk Sac Tumors

I am honored to have been invited to write a foreword for this book, because tumors of the yolk sac have been a preoccupation of mine since the days of my residency, now more than 3 decades ago. At that time, a 3-year-old boy died of a testicular cancer of unknown histo­ genesis. It was bad enough that the child died, but it bothered me even more that medical science did not know the histogenesis of the tumor that destroyed him, and I decided to study testicular cancer. For re­ search training I sought out F. J. Dixon, who had written the Armed Forces Fascicle on testicular tumors. Dr. Dixon and I showed that embryonal carcinoma was a multipoten­ tial malignant stem cell that differentiated into the three embryonic germ layers of murine teratocarcinoma. This led to the idea that the normal counterpart of embryonal carcinoma must also be multi­ potent, and we focused on the preimplantation embryo for the histo­ genesis of the tumor. This idea was strengthened by the discovery that embryonal carcinoma cells made embryoid bodies in the ascites and it was possible to observe the development of these bodies in vitro. These observations led to the idea that embryonal carcinoma was a caricature (gross misrepresentation) of early development, and car­ cinomas in general were a caricature of the process of renewal of their normal counterpart.

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This is the only monograph to date that deals with the subject of the human yolk sac and yolk sac tumors in a multidisciplinary form. Recent interest in the study of early pregnancy and advances in imaging techniques, biochemistry, teratology, etc., have focused attention on the fact that the yolk sac is one of the few organs in humans that has not, as yet, been explored in depth. Human yolk sac tumors are shown to be a malignancy with an exciting histopathology and treatment schedules are saving an ever-increasing number of patients. The book consists of original research work from scientists worldwide in the fields of developmental biology, histology, and biochemistry. Aspects relevant to clinical practice are provided in chapters on ultrasound, and on the pathology of the human yolk sac in normal and abnormal pregnancies. Yolk sac tumors are studied from the viewpoints of their histogenesis, histopathology and treatment.

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This is the only monograph to date that deals with the subject of the human yolk sac and yolk sac tumors in a multidisciplinary form. Recent interest in the study of early pregnancy and advances in imaging techniques, biochemistry, teratology, etc., have focused attention on the fact that the yolk sac is one of the few organs in humans that has not, as yet, been explored in depth. Human yolk sac tumors are shown to be a malignancy with an exciting histopathology and treatment schedules are saving an ever-increasing number of patients. The book consists of original research work from scientists worldwide in the fields of developmental biology, histology, and biochemistry. Aspects relevant to clinical practice are provided in chapters on ultrasound, and on the pathology of the human yolk sac in normal and abnormal pregnancies. Yolk sac tumors are studied from the viewpoints of their histogenesis, histopathology and treatment.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XVI
Comparative Development of the Mammalian Yolk Sac....Pages 1-32
Development of the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 33-47
Histology of the Secondary Human Yolk Sac with Special Reference to Hematopoiesis....Pages 48-69
Kinetics of Hematopoiesis in the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 70-83
Macrophages in the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 84-108
?-Fetoprotein and Other Proteins in the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 109-125
Yolk Sac Abnormalities: A Clinical Review....Pages 126-134
Experimental Models of Injury in the Mammalian Yolk Sac....Pages 135-160
Ultrasonography of the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 161-173
Morphological Changes of the Secondary Human Yolk Sac in Early Pregnancy Wastage....Pages 174-194
Yolk Sac Carcinoma: History of the Concept and the Experimental Models....Pages 195-215
Immunohistochemical Markers of Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 216-227
Pathology of Ovarian Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 228-244
Clinical Features and Management of Gynecologic Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 245-261
Pathology of Testicular Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 262-284
Pathology of Extragonadal Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 285-308
Unusual Patterns, Subtypes, and Differential Diagnosis of Gonadal Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 309-342
Clinical Features and Management of Testicular and Extragonadal Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 343-358
Back Matter....Pages 359-367

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This is the only monograph to date that deals with the subject of the human yolk sac and yolk sac tumors in a multidisciplinary form. Recent interest in the study of early pregnancy and advances in imaging techniques, biochemistry, teratology, etc., have focused attention on the fact that the yolk sac is one of the few organs in humans that has not, as yet, been explored in depth. Human yolk sac tumors are shown to be a malignancy with an exciting histopathology and treatment schedules are saving an ever-increasing number of patients. The book consists of original research work from scientists worldwide in the fields of developmental biology, histology, and biochemistry. Aspects relevant to clinical practice are provided in chapters on ultrasound, and on the pathology of the human yolk sac in normal and abnormal pregnancies. Yolk sac tumors are studied from the viewpoints of their histogenesis, histopathology and treatment.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XVI
Comparative Development of the Mammalian Yolk Sac....Pages 1-32
Development of the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 33-47
Histology of the Secondary Human Yolk Sac with Special Reference to Hematopoiesis....Pages 48-69
Kinetics of Hematopoiesis in the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 70-83
Macrophages in the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 84-108
?-Fetoprotein and Other Proteins in the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 109-125
Yolk Sac Abnormalities: A Clinical Review....Pages 126-134
Experimental Models of Injury in the Mammalian Yolk Sac....Pages 135-160
Ultrasonography of the Human Yolk Sac....Pages 161-173
Morphological Changes of the Secondary Human Yolk Sac in Early Pregnancy Wastage....Pages 174-194
Yolk Sac Carcinoma: History of the Concept and the Experimental Models....Pages 195-215
Immunohistochemical Markers of Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 216-227
Pathology of Ovarian Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 228-244
Clinical Features and Management of Gynecologic Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 245-261
Pathology of Testicular Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 262-284
Pathology of Extragonadal Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 285-308
Unusual Patterns, Subtypes, and Differential Diagnosis of Gonadal Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 309-342
Clinical Features and Management of Testicular and Extragonadal Yolk Sac Tumors....Pages 343-358
Back Matter....Pages 359-367
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