Archives of pathology最新文献

The ultrastructure of a gastric glomus tumor was studied. The tumor cells were found to possess structural features similar to those of smooth muscle cells. In addition, hitherto undescribed granules of endocrine type and cilia were identified.

Sixty-four cases of hyperplastic polyp, mucinous cystadenoma, and cystadenocarcinoma of the appendix were studied in relation to the development of mucocele and "pseudomyxoma peritonei." Thirty-three cases were examples of hyperplastic polyps. In 11, the appendix was transformed into a mucocele; eight were associated with mucinous cystadenoma and one with mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. The hyperplastic polyp alone was the cause of mucocele formation in two. Thirty-five cases represented examples of mucinous cystadenoma; 32 resulted in mucocele formation. Rupture with localized pseudomyxoma peritonei was found in six; generalized pseudomyxoma peritonei was encountered only once. In four of the five cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, the appendix was grossly transformed into mucoceles. The histological features of mucinous cystadenoma are identical to villous adenoma of the large bowel and probably represent its counterpart within the appendix.

Of eleven cases of adenocarcinoma of the appendix that were studied, five were examples of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and four were examples of colonic-type adenocarcinoma. Two lesions were very distinctive, with thick, cord-like transformation of the appendix. The term linitis plastica carcinoma is proposed to describe this rare variant of appendiceal carcinoma. Justification for the separation of linitis plastica carcinoma from the other two types is based on morphological appearance and on outcome. Both our linitis plastica patients died of metastases within six months of surgery, whereas, in the other two groups, death was directly related to spread of the carcinoma in only two of nine patients.

Reading descriptions of computer-retrievable surgical pathology files, the tissue pathologist might like to institute a similar system, but faces two problems. He finds little cost information and, without either the time or the skill for computer programming, he is unable to proceed with system development. We have a system that was developed to maximize cost efficiency. All of the programs are written in FORTRAN so that the system will run on almost any time-sharing computer. There is a need for computer-retrievable systems in pathology, and after careful consideration of affordability and shareability, computerization is workable.

A variety of gestational factors have been reported to increase or decrease the incidence of hyaline membrane disease in newborn infants. The purpose of the current study was to determine if some of these factors influence the rate at which fetal lung structures mature. Histologic measures of lung maturation were retarded in some infants with Rh erythroblastosis and in some whose mothers had diabetes mellitus. By contrast, such maturation was accelerated in offspring of some toxemic gestations and in those whose membranes had ruptured before the onset of labor. Congenital bacterial pneumonia with intact membranes did not accelerate maturation. None of the factors that altered lung maturity influenced renal maturation.

A man with high urinary levels of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid had an oat cell carcinoma of the bronchus. The patient had symptoms of the carcinoid syndrome and at autopsy was found to have evidence of carcinoid heart disease. This report supports the hypothesis that bronchial carcinoids and oat cell carcinomas are derived from argentaffin (Kulchitsky)-type cells of the lung.

The mass of the left ventricle is normal in infants with total anomalous pulmonary venous return, but the ventricular cavity is compromised by leftward displacement of the interventricular septum due to the combined pressure-volume overload of the right side of the heart. Severe septal displacement is associated with distorted myocardial architecture in the region of the septal attachments of the left ventricular free wall. Abnormalities of septal motion are frequently detected in echocardiograms. Left ventricular output is low, as judged by arrested development of the aortic valve circumference, and is probably compromised both by the left to right shunt and by septal displacement. Successful correction of the anomaly may depend on intervention before the changes in septal position, structure, and function have become irreversible.

Growth of a plasma cell myeloma (Adj PC-5) was studied in mice made lathyritic by the administration of beta-amino-proprionitrile (BAPN). The number of bones that had their medually cavities filled with tumor cells was notably decreased compared with tumor-bearing mice not treated with BAPN. Other aspects of tumor growth were the same. BAPN caused some retardation of tumor growth in the medullary cavity, but also caused osteoporosis and decreased tensile strength of collagen that allowed expansion of tumor growth outside the bones to proceed as usual. Additionally, the tumor-bearing mice showed some inhibition in their response to BAPN. This agrees with previous work that has shown that the response to BAPN treatment is greatest in animals that otherwise are healthiest.

A patient had neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NNE), secondary to aortic thrombosis following umbilical arterial catheterization. The thrombus occluded the ostium of the inferior mesenteric artery. A review of cases reported in the literature with complications following umbilical arterial catheterization revealed four instances of NNE or NNE-like lesions due to thrombosis of the abdominal aorta or one of its major branches. Thrombosis of the aorta, with occlusion of one or more of its major abdominal branches following umbilical arterial catheterization, should be considered as a potential etiologic factor in certain cases of NNE.

During investigations of reactive dyes, Levafix Red Violet E-2BL was found suitable for staining of glia fibers. Experiments were carried out on 37% formaldehyde-fixed human autopsy material. Paraffin sections were treated with Luxol Fast Blue MBSN as usual, differentiated until glia fibers were decolorized, and counter-stained in a 0.25% solution of Levafix Red Violet E-2BL in 0.25% acetic acid. Myelin sheaths were colored blue. Gila fibers, smooth muscle cells, and nuclei were stained red violet. Axons and connective tissue remained unstained; occasionally, coarse bundles of collagen showed patchy coloration. Polarization microscopic studies proved that Levafix Red Violet E-2BL is bound to well-oriented fibrous proteins in glia fibers. The similar staining and polarization microscopic properties of glia fibers and smooth muscle support previous findings that glia fibers contain a myosin-like protein.