Marking of wire-localized breast biopsies for mammographically detected microcalcifications

Impalpable breast lesions (AU)

Fatal metastatic calcification in a patient with HTLV-I-associated lymphoma

Metastic calcification of the heart, lungs and kidneys is described in a 42-year-old male who had an HTLV-I-associated lymphoma. This fatal complication of HTLV-I-associated lymphoma has been infrequently reported, and the case in question is the first to be recorded in the Caribbean, where HTLV-I is common. Aggressive therapy of hypercalcaemia should be instituted early in its genesis in these lymphomas, so as to avoid its fatal outcome (AU)

Malnutrition and diabetes mellitus: a case study

A ten-year-old girl was admitted with marasmic kwashiokor, mucocutaneous candidiasis. Necator americanus and Trichuris trichiura infestation, small bowel overgrowth and faecal impaction due to acquired megacolon. During early recovery, she had an acute overt hyperglycaemic episode without ketosis. This responded rapidly to intravenous fluids and soluble insulin. She then gained 1 kg per week for 8 weeks on a recovery formula. During this, her blood glucose level fluctuated between 1.3 and 25.5 mmol/l. Abdominal X-rays and ultrasonography demonstrated diffuse pancreatic calcification. After 3 months, she was changed to a mixed diet and, later, a single daily dose of lente insulin. She ceased weight gain and began height gain. Six months after admission, she was discharged to a very poor home environment. However, she continued to gain weight and height though her blood glucose level remained poorly controlled. Her mental age increased from 50 to 56 months, over 10 months. Her mother also had diabetes mellitus but without pancreatic calcification. It seems that her primary problem was malnutrition. The cause of pancreatic calcification which presumably led to her brittle diabetes mellitus remains unclear. Gut stasis with ensuing pancreatic duct infection may have been largely responsible. Her monotonous diet, in particular, its relatively high carbohydrate content and the inclusion of `coldbush' tea, may also have contributed. In view of her continuing insulin dependence and her poor home situation, the prognosis remains guarded (AU)

Calcific pancreatic diabetes mellitus

A case report of a young man developing calcific pancreatic diabetes mellitus secondary to alcoholic pancreatitis has been presented. His clinical course demonstrates phasic insulin dependence (AU)

Large calcified right atrial myxoma in a newborn: rare cause of neonatal death

A newborn baby girl presented at birth with severe cyanosis, congestive cardiac failure, and an ischaemic leg ulcer, and died within 10 hours of birth. Necropsy disclosed a large haemorrhagic, calcified right atrial myxoma obstructing the tricuspid valve (AU)

Sickle cell beta thalassaemia in Jamaica

An analysis of the radiological appearances in a skeletal survey of 48 patients in Jamaica with sickle cell beta thalassaemia is presented. The appearances are similar to those in homozygous sickle cell disease and SC disease and a confident distinction between the conditions on radiological grounds alone is likely. (AU)

Pleural mesothelioma associated with massive hepatic calcification and unusual metastases

A case of diffuse, malignant, pleural mesothelioma is reported in a 60-year-old Negro man. The clinical picture was most unusual; when the patient presented initially with chest pain, the radiographic appearances in the chest were normal, but extensive liver calcification was demonstrated. The latter was subsequently shown to be caused by metastases from the mesothelioma which took 2 more years to produce clinical and radiographic changes in the chest. There was microscopic evidence that the extensive liver calcification was dystrophic in nature and had resulted from marked degenerative changes and necrosis in the metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma. Radiographs of the skeleton revealed focal, translucent lesions with sclerotic margins in the right seventh rib and the right iliac. Microscopic examination showed these bony lesions to be metastases. No previous report of secondary deposits in bone producing such radiographic appearances could be found in the literature (AU)

Uterine leiomyoma: incidence of degenerative change and a correlation of associated symptoms

A clinical and pathologic study of 298 patients with uterine leiomyomas revealed no significant relationship between the presenting symptoms and degenerative changes in the tumors. Some form of degeneration was demonstrated in 65 percent of specimens. Hyaline degeneration occurred most frequently, accounting for 63 percent of all types of degeneration. Sarcomatous change occurred in two tumors, giving a corrected incidence of 0.37 percent.(AU)

Calcinosis

Two cases of "idiopathic" calcinosis in young boys are reported. One patient received no treatment; in the other, rapid recurrence, followed excision. Both patients are well two and a half years and one and a half years, respectively, after the diagnosis was made and show no evidence of collagen disease. The literature is reviewed (Summary)

Calcification of articular cartilage

Idiopathic calcification of articular cartilages is described in a Jamaican woman of thirty-one years who had intermittent joint pains for ten years and who had evidence of past gonococcal infection. She was otherwise normal. The etiology of the condition is unknown. Previous literature is reviewed. (Summary)