Malignant seminoma with metastasis, Sertoli cell tumor, and pheochromocytoma in a spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) and malignant seminoma with metastasis in a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

Seminoma with metastasis was diagnosed in a spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) and an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Sertoli cell tumor and pheochromocytoma were also diagnosed in the spotted dolphin. The spotted and bottlenose dolphins were adult males that stranded and died on the coasts of northwest Florida and southeast North Carolina, respectively. Neoplasia is infrequently reported in cetaceans. This is the first report of seminoma, Sertoli cell tumor, and pheochromocytoma in a dolphin, the first report of three distinct neoplasms in a dolphin, and one of the few reports of malignant neoplasia in dolphins.

Chronic regional pain syndrome, type 1: Part II.

Chronic regional pain syndrome, type 1 (CRPS1) is a complex neurologic disease characterized by chronic, severe, burning pain; hyperesthesia; soft tissue swelling; dystrophy; hyperhidrosis; vasomotor and sudomotor instability; joint stiffness; and patchy osteoporosis. Five to six million people in the United States alone suffer from CRPS1. To date, CRPS1 is poorly understood and often is not recognized clinically. This syndrome requires early detection, pain control, and treatment in tandem with physical therapy to the affected area. Part I (published in September) discussed background information on CRPS1 and sympathetic nerve blocks. Part II focuses on the remaining treatment modalities (e.g., sympathectomy, physical therapy, stimulators, trigger point injections, acupuncture, tourniquet effects, placebo effects, amputation).

A study of the lifetime occurrence of neoplasia and breed differences in a cohort of German Shepherd Dogs and Belgian Malinois military working dogs that died in 1992.

The population of U.S. Department of Defense military working dogs provides an opportunity to study the lifetime occurrence of neoplasia in 2 breeds of dogs--the German Shepherd Dog and the Belgian Malinois. Medical records were reviewed for all dogs that died or were euthanized in 1992 (135 German Shepherd Dogs and 106 Belgian Malinois). Histologically confirmed neoplasms were recorded. More than 30% of both breeds (41 German Shepherd Dogs and 33 Belgian Malinois) developed at least 1 primary neoplasm during their lives, with 10% developing more than 1 neoplasm. Nearly 57% of the neoplasms were benign, and approximately 43% were malignant. German Shepherd Dogs lived 9.7 years, on average, and Belgian Malinois lived 7.9 years, on average. Of the dogs that developed any neoplasm, Belgian Malinois had a mean age at 1st diagnosis that was 1.1 years younger and a mean age at 1st diagnosis of malignancy that was 1.7 years younger than those in German Shepherd Dogs. The risk of a malignancy being the cause of death or euthanasia of a Belgian Malinois was 4.21 times the risk in German Shepherd Dogs (95% CI: 1.32, 13.47). Seminoma was the malignancy that occurred most frequently. Hemangioma was the benign neoplasm that occurred most frequently. Veterinarians identified masses clinically at equal rates in both groups.

Spatial patterns of entomopathogenic nematodes in microcosms: implications for laboratory experiments.

LABORATORY MICROCOSMS WERE USED TO: i) measure the effects of soil moisture on survival of Steinernema riobravis and ii) investigate the suitability of using microcosms to study motility and survival of these nematodes. Nematodes recovered from soil contained in petri dishes declined by more than 95% during 7 days, whereas nematodes recovered from the inner surfaces of dishes increased 35-fold. After 7 days in dishes, >20 times as many nematodes were recovered from dish surfaces than from soil. Nematodes exhibited a negative geotropism; greater numbers of nematodes were recovered from the lid surfaces than from the surfaces of dishes. Survivorship of nematodes in soil in plastic centrifuge tubes was somewhat greater than in petri dishes, and fewer nematodes ascended above the soil line in tubes than dishes. Downward migration of nematodes was inversely related to soil column diameter, possibly due to relatively unimpeded movement along container surfaces. An assay was developed by which nematodes were rinsed from the inner surfaces of centrifuge tubes into the soil. The resulting slurry was then processed on Baermann trays to recover motile nematodes. Nematode survival in soil in centrifuge tubes was higher at soil moistures between 2-4% than at lower (0.5-1.0%) and higher (4.0-12.0%) moisture levels. Survival of S. riobravis may be enhanced by quiescence induced by moisture deficits.

Bioethics and nursing.

Today, more than ever, nurses and their patients need to keep pace with the technologic revolution in patient care. There are choices now in health care that patients or their caregivers in the past did not have to face. In making these ethical decisions, nurses rely on systematic problem solving, legal advice, ANA Code of Ethics, Nurse Practice Acts, Patient Bill of Rights, clergy, colleagues, and hospital protocols, along with the examination of their own ideals and morals. Ethics is a complex field, and one must look beyond the surface to examine the incidents in the order in which they occurred. In most situations, therefore, one must look past simplistic statements made about the case. After a detailed analysis, what becomes apparent is that the nurse is not necessarily in the wrong.

A histomorphologic and immunohistochemical study of chordoma in twenty ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).

The histomorphologic and immunohistochemical features of chordoma in 20 ferrets were evaluated. The mean age was 3.4 years, and, in the cases for which sex was known, females (n = 10) outnumbered males (n = 5) two to one. All 20 tumors occurred on the tip of the tail. Nineteen of 20 tumors (95%) were composed of three tissue components, often arranged concentrically with lobules of physaliferous cells at the periphery, trabecular bone in the center, and cartilage in between. The bone often contained marrow and hematopoietic cells. One tumor lacked chondromatous or osseous tissue. Immunohistochemical results were consistent with previous studies of chordoma. All 20 tumors (100%) were positive for keratin and vimentin intermediate filaments; 15 (75%) were positive for S-100 protein; and 17 (85%) were positive for neuron specific enolase. This neoplasm shares morphologic and immunohistochemical features with "classic," as well as chondroid chordoma, of human beings, making it a potential animal model.