Zentralblatt fur allgemeine Pathologie u. pathologische Anatomie最新文献

A legal dispute broke out in Eupen near Aachen, 1873, and was to be protracted through 14 years. The case was about a twin monster that had died at or after birth. A physician in Eupen, at the same time public servant in the local government, was aware of Virchow's interest in collecting cases. He obtained the two interconnected dead bodies from the parents and promised the latter a sizeable amount of money, obviously assuming that Virchow had at his disposal funds for compensation, as had been the case with Rudolphi and Müller, some time before. The twin monster was sent to Berlin, but no money showed up. The parents sought legal counsel with their local police commissioner who also held the post of local attorney. The attorney opened an investigation, and the district commissioner got involved. The physician was officially reproved by the Aachen government for having trespassed his authority in obtaining the twin monster. Two questions were now cropping up in Eupen: Did Virchow pay money to the local physician? If so, why did the latter fail to pass it on to the parents? This might be a case for civil action. The police commissioner promised the parents to see Virchow in Berlin and to ask him for clarification. The father, when interrogated, insisted that one of the children had definitely lived for a short time after birth. This would entail a penal case on the physician and a charge of law-breaking. But this could be averted. The police commissioner managed to go to Berlin not before 1887. Hoping to have a legal claim to embezzled money even after 14 years, he intended to call on Virchow for questioning. Yet, he missed him and left behind a letter with a request for information on those past developments.

Biopsies obtained from 45 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma and 41 cases of cystic mastopathy were immunohistochemically investigated, with electron microscopy being used on some of them, for the purpose of clearing up presence, distribution, and ultrastructural peculiarities of the myoepithelial cells. Focal or diffuse myoepithelial proliferations were observed in all cases of cystic mastopathy, with peripheral layers of myoepithelium at the basal membrane being widely preserved. Myoepithelial cells had lost their normal position and cellular orientation in the regions with intraductal carcinoma. Actin-positive, high-microfilament myoepithelial cells were frequent findings recorded from parenchyma in cases of invasive ductal carcinoma without specific differentiation, though cells of that kind were rarely detectable from parenchyma in cases of medullary carcinoma. Particular attention should be given to the presence of tumor cells differing from each other for their morphological and functional differentiation in cases of carcinoma of the mammary gland.

35 intracranial tumours, 18 gliomas, 12 meningiomas, one neurilemmoma (neurinoma), one malignant melanoma and two metastases were successfully grown in-vitro and were submitted to immunocytochemical reactions, including cytokeratin, glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP), vimentin, fibronectin, S-100 protein, neurofilament proteins, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and basic myelin protein (MBP). Cytokeratin in metastases, GFAP and vimentin in gliomas, vimentin in meningiomas were consistently positive. S-100 protein was weakly and partially positive in gliomas, meningiomas, the neurilemmoma and malignant melanoma. Positive demonstration of fibronectin within cells was interpreted as a consequence of phagocytosis, except in meningiomas where fibronectin expression next to cell membranes seemed genuine. All other tested markers proved negative. The most important result seems to be that cells expressed markers irrespective of cellular shape and cytological morphology. It can be concluded that the cellular population as a whole consisted of tumour cells during the short time under observation and that supportive cell contamination during this early growth period was negligible.

Complex clinical and morphological studies were conducted into conditions of the thymus as well as of the lymphatic and neuro-endocrine systems in stillbirths and children up to five years of age. Thymic hormones in blood and thymic tissue were determined, as well. CTH, in most of these cases, was found to reflect dysfunction of the hypothalamic-hypophyseal system which eventually resulted in development of polyglandular endocrinopathy and congenital immune deficiency, primarily in the T-system. CTH has proved quite often to be associated with congenital malformations.

This study had been conducted for the purpose of obtaining information on incidence and biological significance of metaplasia and dysplasia of the urinary bladder. Therefore, postmortem investigations were made of 1,117 urinary bladders, using optical light microscopy and mapping. They were related to a medium-size industrial town with an autopsy frequency of 98%. Metaplasia (58%) and dysplasia (13%) are no rare urinary bladder findings and occur particularly to individuals in somewhat advanced age, with no significant sex-related difference. Urocystitis was recorded from over 50% of all cases reviewed. More strongly pronounced inflammatory processes appeared to be risk factors for higher severity of dysplasia. Inconspicuous as well as metaplastic von Brunn's nests or squamous and glandular metaplasia without atypical cells should not be considered precarcinomas. However, atypical cells in terms of dysplasia were recordable from a small number of these metaplasias. Precancerous importance might be attributed to few of them, particularly in male patients with dysplastic squamous cell metaplasia. No reliable information, however, was available on premature development of dysplasia in lower age groups which would have meant a long-drawn process of carcinogenesis.

Since the lathyrogen beta-aminopropionitrile is known to affect the fibrogenic and physical properties of collagen polymers, we have examined its effects on collagenous components of methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma in rat. Lathyrogen treatment reduced total collagen content of tumours from approximately 17 to 12 mg collagen/g tissue. It also proportionately increased the solubility of specific collagen fractions, the summation of all extractable solubilized collagens reflecting 37 and 67% of total collagen content for control and lathyric tumours, respectively. Although lathyrogen had no significant effect on the growth and overall size of fibrosarcoma, histological studies confirmed that changes had occurred to appearance and distribution of collagenous components of extracellular matrix.

Optical light and electron microscopy were used in studies into two cases of infantile GM2-gangliosidosis. The results are reported in this paper. The correlation has been evident between histological and ultrastructural findings. Reliable delimitation between two different variants of infantile GM2-gangliosidosis was achieved through biochemical investigation of postmortally cultured skin fibroblasts. A classical form with isolated hexosaminidase-A defect (Tay-Sachs disease) was distinguished from a second variant with complete defect of both isoenzymes of hexosaminidase (Sandhoff's disease). Biochemical investigation of postmortally cultured fibroblasts today has become indispensable to enlargement of autopsy findings from other storage diseases, as well.

According to present knowledge, mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), implicated in the mitochondrial theory of carcinogenesis that had been inaugurated 50 years ago by Graffi, appear to be involved in malignant transformation of cells, although no definite evidence has been provided, as yet. However, as very recently elucidated, a clear-cut association exists between different classes of mutations of mtDNA (among them point mutations, deletions and duplications) and some human mitochondriopathies, particularly neuromuscular diseases. These include Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, the Kearns-Sayre syndrome and two encephalomyopathies known by the acronyms MERRF and MELAS syndrome. The different alterations of mtDNA, though variable, can be assigned to defined positions on the genetic map of mtDNA. Point mutations of mtDNA seem to occur preferentially in conjunction with maternally inherited disorders. Although the results obtained so far are of interest mainly in terms of cognitive theory they provide new stimuli for the development of molecular diagnosis, genetic counselling and possibly for more effective treatment of the above diseases.

Infantile cortical hyperostosis, also known as Caffey's disease or Caffey-Silverman syndrome, is an uncommon clinico-pathological lesion of unknown etiology and uncertain histogenesis. One of the most striking features is the early age of patients at the onset of the disease, showing swelling of the soft tissues overlaying bones, hyperirritability, and, subsequently, periosteal new bone production. The natural history of the disease proves to be self-limiting. Multiple areas are involved in the majority of cases. These polyostic forms are easily clinically diagnosed. But in rare monostic presentations, especially manifestations in the scapular region, there may be a great suspicion of a malignant tumor. Histologically, such lesion may also be misdiagnosed as a malignant neoplasm because of the great variety of microscopic appearances. This study was conducted into 5 cases (biopsies from one male and four female infants, 6 weeks to 4 months of age) to characterize the histological variability in the natural course of the disease. Electron microscopical investigations were additionally performed on two cases. Histologically, the process corresponds to typical ossifying periostitis. Three phases can be distinguished according to the main histological characteristics: 1. Acute inflammatory and proliferating phase; 2. Osteogenic phase; 3. Phase of remodelling. The first phase is characterized by a loss of periost, areas showing proliferation of fibroblast-like cells, and by edema of surrounding musculature. Infiltration by leucocytes was occasionally observed and was accompanied by micro-abscesses. The osteogenic phase was characterized by formation of woven bone. Ultrastructurally proliferations of osteogenic mesenchyma were found and resulted in typical mineralization patterns with matrix vesicles and interfibrillar depositions of hydroxyapatite crystals. Calcification of mitochondria was also detected. Viruses could not be observed. Only thread-like structures were found in the nuclei. At first interpretation, they appeared to be pathological protein depositions. However, further investigations will be necessary to elucidate their genesis. The pathogenesis is discussed. Biopsy still remains indicated in cases of an unclear course of monostic disease.

Described in this paper are two cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) of the thyroid gland in women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. NHL may be misinterpreted for its histological similarity to anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. The immunoperoxidase technique can be used with good success to confirm the lymphocytic origin of tumor cells.