Annales d'anatomie pathologique最新文献

Malignant sarcoma reaching a focal endometriosis is a rare condition. It cannot be distinguished from an endometrial sarcoma except in cases which are developped in extra-uterine endometriosis without uterus involvement. The case reported is a forty-seven old white woman with a sarcoma of the endometrial stroma reaching a Douglas focal endometriosis. Cases from literature are reviewed.

The authors report two new cases of segmental dilatation of the small bowel at birth. In the pathological intestinal areas, they describe inflammatory alterations similar to neonatal necrotizing enteritis, and some particular lesions of the myenteric plexus with a deterioration of the ganglionic cells. It is suggested that such lesions might have a certain responsibility in the etiology of chronic idiopathic pseudo-obstruction syndrome.

It is possible to make an early diagnosis of rat " op " osteopetrosis. The growth of the mandibular incisor is stopped at birth by failure of bone resorption around the dental root. The primary trabeculae of the long bones fail to undergo resorption: osteoblasts differentiate along them, but osteoclasts are missing and reticular cells are not distinguishable. When 2 and 3 days old, the medullary cavity is obstructed by osseous trabeculae, vascular system is lacking, hemopoietic cells no longer differentiate, osteoclasts are scarce and degenerative; medullary tissue is compact, including numerous osteoblastic cells. Bone marrow smears clearly show medullary cell deficiency, weakening hemopoiesis, prevalent osteoblasts and a lack of osteoclasts. Marrow is taken out "in vivo" from an excised metatarsal bone, at birth and over the next few days. Osteopetrotic rats identified in this way in litters issued from heterozygote pair can be treated from the first week.

Luteal insufficiency, an entity accepted with difficulty, is responsible for 3.5 p. 100 of cases of infertility and 35 p. 100 of early abortions. This study, carried out in 328 women with an average age of 29 years, involved clinical and histological features, as well as the estimation of plasma levels and endometrial receptors of ovarian steroids. Three broad histological patterns emerged:--luteal insufficiency associated with oestrogenic insufficiency indicative of overall ovarian deficiency;--luteal insufficiency with functional dysmaturation indicative of deficient or delayed luteal function, with or without persistence of excessively high oestrogen activity,--luteal insufficiency related to the short life of the corpus luteum which stops on the 20th day. Relationships between histological findings, the measurement of receptors and plasma estimations are discussed and precise analysis of endometrial biopsies must be considered as one of the best test of luteal insufficiency.

Regencrative nodular hyperplasia (RHN) is a rare condition, the diagnosis of which is based upon histological findings. It is seen in Felty's syndrome with portal hypertension (PHT), as was the case in the patient reported here. This was a 72-year-old man, with long standing rheumatoid arthritis, hepatosplenomegaly, a neutrophil leucopaenia and oesophageal varices responsible for recurrent haematemeses. Despite a portocaval anastomosis, the patient died from postoperative acute hepatic failure. Histological study revealed changes in the hepatocytes and the reticulin system typical of RNH without cirrhosis. The relationship between Felty's syndrome and RHN, as well as the mechanism of the hypertension, are discussed in the light of cases from the literature.

The culture of human cutaneous malignant melanomas is an important stage in the preparation of oncolysates for therapeutic purposes. The authors recall the definition of oncolysate: lysis of the malignant melanocyte by vaccinia virus liberates masked antigens which when reinjected into the patient accelerate or restimulate the production of antibodies. Culture is used to increase the number of malignant melanocytes, i. e. antigenic material, which is an essential precaution in tumours of small size. Production of oncolysate requires the exclusive use of the malignant melanocyte, i. e. the importance of morphological identification during the "in vitro" phase. The optical criteria defined by Fedoroff are inadequate and a source of error. Ultrastructural studies render this identification more valid, insofar as the normal and pathological markers which are the melanosomes are better known. Ultrastructural studies may be used to differentiate the malignant melanocyte from the ordinary macrophage in media which are black, and light cultures to distinguish fibroblastic growth, with no antigenic value, from the malignant melanocyte without pigment (achromic), recognisable by its premelanosome.

Three cases of acute myeloid leukemia with megakaryocyte predominance are reported. In the first case megakaryocytosis was particularly evident in bone marrow, liver and spleen. In the second case high content of megakaryocytes was observed in the bone marrow and spleen, during the preleukemic phase only. Third case exhibited a strong predominance of megakaryocytes exclusively within the bone marrow. The characteristics of such observations and their nosologic position within myeloproliferative disorders group are discussed, with special reference to modern views concerning myeloid leukemia.

The authors assessed the surface areas of osteocytic lacunae in non-decalcified bone sections using a histomorphometric method involving a device with an adaptable drawing on the microscope and a graduated sheet. In 7 cases of primary hyperparathyroidism proven surgically and in 8 cases of hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic renal failure, there was significant periosteocytic enlargement in comparison with a group of 7 controls. This method involving non-decalcified bone sections makes it possible to use the same slides as for the quantitative study of bone volumes, and osteoid, osteoclastic and fibrous surface areas. It is thus of great interest in the positive histological diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism.

The literature was reviewed in the light of two cases of malignant teratoma of the thyroid in young women. It would seem that the histological diagnosis is easy, with frequent predominance of neuroid tissue at varying levels of maturity. By contrast, the histogenesis remains in the area of hypothesis: germinal theory and embryonic theory of teratomas, or heterotopism of cells of the neural crest, taken up by thyroid C cells.