[Quality assurance of pathology laboratories: analysis of histopathological diagnosis of endoscopical biopsies from lower alimentary tract based on specimen types].

As a part of the internal quality assurance in the pathology laboratories, we focused on the diagnosis of biopsies from the lower alimentary tract, and investigated the number of independent lesions contributing the specimens, biopsy pieces, and paraffin blocks prepared in each pathological examination, from the standpoint of the types of biopsy procedures employed. In addition, we compared those of pre- and post-operative diagnoses, and examined the adequacy in the cases with repeated biopsies. Regarding the procedures, polypectomy and EMR (endoscopical mucosal resection) accounted for more than 60% of all the specimens handled during the study period. Most of the specimens taken by polypectomy or EMR were derived from neoplastic conditions, and roughly 40% of them were from malignancies including borderline lesions in a narrow sense. The examination of the surgically resected specimens confirmed a hundred percent accuracy ratio of the diagnosis on the biopsy specimens. Three cases (7.1%) out of 42 malignancies resected needed repeated biopsies in preoperative confirmation of malignancy, while the remainder (92.9%) had been diagnosed at the initial biopsy. The result disclosed that biopsies possessing both diagnostic and therapeutic value (polypectomy and EMR) are apparently increased in the field of lower alimentary tract, and the difficulty and efforts required for diagnosis are quite different and depend on the biopsy procedures employed.

[Delayed radiation necrosis of the temporal lobe following radiation therapy of maxillary carcinoma].

A case of delayed radiation necrosis following radiation therapy for maxillary carcinoma was reported. The diagnosis of this case for the radiation necrosis was clinically suggestive and established by the pathological findings of autopsy. This 66 year-old man had been treated by the partial resection for the right maxillary carcinoma with chemotherapy (pepleomycin 110 mg, adriamycin 20 mg). Pre- and postoperatively total dose of 5040 rads were irradiated with cobalt therapy during 42 days at a dose of 180 rads and 5 times in a week through two ports at 8 x 8 cm field including right orbital region. Three years 7 months after radiation therapy he complained of disorientation, recent memory disturbance and slight left hemiparesis. On enhanced CT irregular ring enhanced mass lesion was seen in left temporal lobe inside the radiation field with extensive low density over temporal lobe on plain CT. MR imaging demonstrated that T 1-weighted spin echo images with a 50-msec repetition time (TR) and 22-msec echo time (TE) had irregular low signal intensity and extensive high signal intensity combined with partially low intensity in the central area on T2 weighted spin echo images with 2300 msec TR and 100 msec TR. There were not appeared vascular obstruction and stenosis on right carotid angiogram. He improved remarkably on clinical symptoms and CT by treating of dexamethasone and osmotic diuretics, but died of pneumonia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[An autopsy case of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung presenting with small and large bowel metastasis].

A 81-year-old male with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the lung was admitted because of melena. Upon autopsy, bleeding sites were found in the small and large bowel; they were lesions from the lung carcinoma. Gastrointestinal metastases from primary lung carcinoma are clinically rare, although they are seen in autopsy cases. Review of autopsy data on 1181 cases of primary lung carcinoma showed that 218 (18.5%) manifested gastrointestinal metastases.

Intracellular dynamic response characteristics of pineal photoreceptors.

The dynamic properties of single pineal photoreceptors of Lampetra japonica were measured intracellularly by sinusoidal modulated light stimuli. According to the Bode plots the response amplitude and phase characteristic of pineal photoreceptors could be simulated by a linear model with 4th-order transfer function. A similarity to the receptor response of the vertebrate lateral eye was observed.