Multiple clonal chromosome aberrations in a case of childhood focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver.

A case of focal nodular hyperplasia is described that was accompanied by intense reactive stromal changes giving rise to a pseudosarcomatous appearance. Cytogenetic study revealed complex karyotypic abnormalities including five partially identifiable clonal aberrations and one marker chromosome. The composite karyotype was interpreted as: 45-46,XY,add(4)(q21-25)[24], add(11)(p14)[24], add (19)(p13)[15], der(20)t(1;20)(q25;p12)[31], add(21) (q22)[13],-22[3], +mar[2][cp31]. In addition, quadriradial or complex figures, telomeric associations tas, unidentified ring chromosomes, chromosome breaks, and markers were seen in some cells. Such cytogenetic findings, although suggestive of malignancy, could most likely be related to a nonneoplastic condition, i.e., the unusual florid reactive changes associated with this focal nodular hyperplasia.

Ontogeny of cholecystokinin receptors in the human striatum.

The distribution of cholecystokinin binding sites was studied by receptor autoradiography in the human striatum at midgestation, birth and adulthood. In the adult, cholecystokinin receptors are inhomogeneously distributed with patches of reduced labeling. In the caudate nucleus but not in the putamen these patches match the striosomal organization as revealed by acetylcholinesterase staining. At midgestation, patches of high density of cholecystokinin receptors are in register with the dopamine D1 receptor-enriched striosomes. At birth, this striosomal organization has already evolved into the adult pattern of higher matrix level in contrast to the striosomal pattern of acetylcholinesterase staining.

Anatomy of the orbicularis oris muscle in cleft lip.

The anatomy of the orbicularis oris muscle was studied using histological sections of 18 operative specimens of unilateral cleft lip (14 incomplete and 4 complete). In incomplete clefts the intrinsic part of the orbicularis, located in the vermilion, is simply interrupted without distortion. The extrinsic part, lying higher in the lip, crosses the cleft but is distorted vertically according to the degree of the nasal deformity. In complete clefts the intrinsic bundle ends in the submucosa of the vermilion as in incomplete clefts. The extrinsic bundle is deviated towards the ala nasi on the lateral side. On the medial side, the fibres are rarer and more horizontal. Conclusions are drawn regarding reorientation of the muscle fibres during cheiloplasty.

Vitamin D, desferrioxamine and aluminum-induced bone disease in uremic rats.

The effect of 100 ng 1 alpha-OH vitamin D/week alone and in combination with desferrioxamine (DFO), 150 mg/week, was evaluated in aluminum loaded uremic rats. Vitamin D (Vit D) caused an increase of Al in muscle and a decrease in serum Al. Bone histology showed mineralization defect and an increase in bone mass, due to an increase in unmineralized bone, induced both by Al and Vit D administration. Treatment with DFO enhanced urinary Al excretion and lowered tissue Al, without inducing major changes of static bone histology. It is concluded that in Al-loaded uremic rats Vit D can redistribute body Al and that both Al and Vit D can cause a mineralization defect. A 6-week treatment with DFO lowers tissue Al without changing significantly static bone parameters.

The effect of desferrioxamine on tissue aluminum concentration and bone histology in aluminum-loaded rats with renal failure.

Aluminum (Al) intoxication is a condition that reponds well to treatment with desferrioxamine (DFO) in humans with renal failure. The present study deals with the effect of DFO administration on the Al concentrations of different tissues and on bone histology in rats with renal failure, loaded with Al. After the Al-loading there is an important increase of Al in serum, (1,103 +/- 355 micrograms/l) (mean +/- SD), bone (116 +/- 14 mg/kg), liver 238 +/- 78 mg/kg) and muscle (8.5 +/- 4.1 mg/kg). Urinary Al excretion averages 287 +/- 68 micrograms/d. Serum biochemistry reveals renal failure and hypercalcemia (3.5 +/- 0.3 mmol/l). The rats were subsequently treated by either placebo or 150 mg DFO per week. The placebo-treated rats show a spontaneous decrease of serum Ca and Al and of liver and muscle Al content. The DFO-treated rats had, compared to the placebo-treated animals, an increase of urinary Al excretion and lower Al concentration in bone and brain. Bone histology after Al-loading shows an increase in osteoid measurement when compared with non-Al-loaded animals with renal failure: osteoid volume 25.6 +/- 13.3% versus 5.0 +/- 2.9% and osteoid index 63.6 +/- 22.1% versus 27.3 +/- 15.3% in Al-loaded and non-Al-loaded animals, respectively. In addition, the aluminon stain covered 89.7 +/- 3.8% of the bone trabeculae of Al-loaded rats. Under placebo treatment the osteoid measurements increase, reflecting a worsening of Al-induced bone disease. DFO therapy did not result in a significant change of the different measurements of bone histology, despite the decrease of aluminon staining to 67.7 +/- 13.7%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the larynx]. / Carcinome sarcomatoide du larynx.

In this paper the clinical and pathological aspects of a case of sarcomatoid carcinoma (spindle cell squamous carcinoma) of the larynx are reported. The diagnosis is confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis.

Prostacyclin and thromboxane in benign and malignant breast tumours.

6-keto-PGF1 alpha and thromboxane B2 were determined by radioimmunoassay in 37 extracts of breast carcinomata, 8 fibroadenomata, 12 sclerocystic-disease specimens and 51 normal breast tissues. More prostanoids were extracted from carcinomata than from normal specimens, fibroadenomata or sclerocystic-disease tissues (P less than 0.05). The 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 ratio was higher in carcinomata than in normal tissues and fibroadenomata (P less than 0.05) but was not significantly different from the ratio in sclerocystic disease. The prostaglandin levels and the 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 ratios from carcinomata did not correlate significantly with age, tumour size, differentiation, lymph node status, nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, host cell reaction, mast cells, necrosis, elastosis, fibrosis or blood vessel density. Lower nuclear density was associated with lower 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 ratios (P = 0.01) whereas the latter value was higher when infiltration was lower (P = 0.03). There was a positive correlation between mitotic index and the 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 ratio (P = 0.04). Cumulation of variables revealed lower prostanoid ratios in tumours greater than 2 cm without lymph node metastasis then tumours less than 2 cm with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.04). A first follow-up (14 months) showed a higher 6-keto-PGF1 alpha/TXB2 ratio in patients who developed metastasis (P = 0.04). Our study does not confirm the hypothesis that high prostacyclin levels are a good prognostic index in breast cancer.

The effect of desferrioxamine on concentration and distribution of aluminum in bone.

Aluminum (Al) loaded rats were injected chronically with either desferrioxamine (DFO) or saline. Six rats of each treatment group were sacrificed before and after one, three, and nine months of treatment for determination of tissue and serum Al, and for histological localization of bone Al. Urinary Al was measured during one week before sacrifice. Al loading caused significant elevations of bone (136.2 +/- 22.0 micrograms/g) and liver (114.4 +/- 41.9 micrograms/g) aluminum. Serum Al in DFO-treated animals was not different from their controls (216.4 +/- 80.5 and 226.9 +/- 42.9 micrograms/liter after one month; 151.0 +/- 20.8 and 138.0 +/- 63.9 micrograms/liter after three months; 72.1 +/- 40.7 and 61.6 +/- 14.2 micrograms/liter after nine months in control and DFO-treated animals respectively). Urinary Al excretion in the DFO-treated group was increased at all times as compared to the control rats. A decrease of muscle Al occurred after one month of DFO treatment, but no significant differences of liver and bone Al could be shown between DFO-treated rats and their controls. Al decreased to a comparable degree in all tissues of both DFO and control rats after nine months of treatment. Histomorphometric examination of the bones showed that after one and three months of treatment, significantly less Al was localized at the calcification front of DFO-treated rats compared to their controls (75.6 +/- 6.9% and 53.4 +/- 20.9% after one month; 52.3 +/- 10.2% and 34.8 +/- 10.6% after three months in control and DFO rats respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prostaglandin F2 alpha in benign and malignant breast tumours.

Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) was determined by radioimmunoassay in 57 breast carcinomata, 16 fibroadenomata, and 33 sclero-cystic-disease (SCD) specimens. In 41 cases of carcinoma and 10 cases of fibroadenoma, histologically non-malignant tissue was also obtained from the same breast. PGF2 alpha levels were significantly elevated in breast cancer when compared with the normal tissues and benign diseases (P less than 0.005 for each group). High PGF2 alpha levels were positively correlated with differentiation, positive oestrogen and progestagen receptor status, and low mitotic index. Tumours with good prognosis (less than 20 mm, negative lymph nodes, some degree of differentiation) showed significantly higher PGF2 alpha levels than tumours with a bad prognosis (greater than 20 mm, positive nodes and undifferentiated). A tendency for elevated PGF2 alpha levels was observed with negative lymphatic permeation, postmenopausal status, low grade of nuclear and cellular polymorphism and high degree of elastosis and fibrosis. No correlation was observed between PGF2 alpha levels and host-cell reaction. Plasma levels of 15-keto-13, 14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha were not elevated in cancer patients when compared with the SCD-group. The present study demonstrates that PGF2 alpha levels are high in tumours with good prognosis. However, since other authors have suggested that a high PGE2 production is a bad prognostic index, it is possible that conversion of PGE2 to PGF2 alpha by 9-keto-reductase explains this relationship. Nevertheless, the presented results question the unrestricted use of prostaglandin-synthesis-inhibitors in the treatment of breast cancer.

[Dermoid cyst of the tongue]. / Le kyste dermoïde de la langue.

An epidermoid cyst of the tongue with sinus tract is discussed. Its interest comes from the fact that histologic sections show sinus tract wall and epidermoïd cyst wall made with the same major characteristics of skin structures. Both have therefore the same embryologic origin. Adequate treatment is surgical excision.

Bone scan in haemodialysis patients: relation to hyperparathyroidism and aluminium toxicity.

The influence of hyperparathyroidism and aluminium toxicity on bone scan scores (FS = Fogelman's score) was studied in 37 haemodialysis patients (group 1), of whom 24 had aluminium toxicity (group 2). FS, parathormone (iPTH) and aluminium status were assessed simultaneously, the latter by measuring serum aluminium before (BAl) and 48 hours after (PAl) a desferrioxamine infusion. FS correlated directly with iPTH in all groups, inversely with PAl and DAl (= PAl - BAl) in group 1; FS less than or equal to 2 was found in group 2 only (2 alpha less than 0.05). The time course of FS and aluminium concentration was also studied in 24 patients: a PAl increase was significantly associated with a FS decrease (2 alpha less than 0.001). In conclusion, hyperparathyroidism increases and aluminium toxicity decreases FS; FS less than or equal to 2 is very suggestive of aluminium toxicity.

Acute hepatic injury associated with minocycline.

Minocycline hydrochloride hepatotoxic effect occurred in one patient. Unlike the usual histologic features of tetracycline-induced hepatic injury, fatty metamorphosis was predominantly macrovesicular . The patient recovered when drug therapy was withdrawn. Close observation of liver function variables is recommended in patients treated with high parenteral doses of minocycline, particularly in cases of pregnancy or renal disease.

Cardiac tamponade as first manifestation of colonic cancer.

Metastatic cardiac tamponade was the presenting manifestation of a colonic carcinoma. The patient's condition improved after surgical treatment and shows no sign of recurrence of pericardial effusion after more than eight months of systemic chemotherapy. Metastatic pericardial effusions and their treatment are discussed.

[Inverted urothelial papilloma]. / Les papillomes inversés urothéliaux.

Three cases of inverted urothelial papilloma are reported. In one case this lesion, commonly considered as benign, was associated with a transitional cell carcinoma. In an other case inverted papilloma presented histological features of a malignant tumor. The possibility of common etiologic factors of inverted papilloma and other urothelial tumors, explaining their association, is discussed. Considering these results, patients with inverted papilloma must be carefully followed in the same way as patients with low grade urothelial tumors.