Muscle fiber types in tetrapods. A comparative histochemical and morphometric study.

A comparative histochemical and morphometric study in two groups of homologous muscles from different tetrapods (rat, pigeon, lizard and frog) was performed. On the basis of their fiber diameters and oxidative enzyme activities, an initial correlation between fiber types of all animals is observed, although in the lizard and frog muscles, another fiber type does exists that could not be demonstrated in higher vertebrates. When more than one histochemical techniques are used for the identification of each tetrapod fiber types, the lack of correlation between them becomes obvious. Thus, different animals groups, each showing a characteristic muscle metabolic pattern, could be distinguished.

Kuru plaques in the brain of two cases with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A common origin for the two diseases?

We present two patients aged 66 and 69, with a rapidly progressive disease (10 and 15 months' duration) in which the presenting symptom was instability of gait. Later dementia was also a prominent feature. One case had myoclonus. Repeated EEGs showed symmetrical slowing in one case and periodic generalised bursts of triphasic waves at 1 cps superimposed upon a slow (3-4 cps) background activity in the other. The pathological findings consisted of classical Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD), Kuru plaques (KP) were disseminated in the brain, but were more numerous in the cerebellum, putamen and thalamus. Neurons with large vacuoles in the cytoplasm were numerous in the putamen, thalamus and anterior horns. Stress is laid upon the common findings in both CJD and Kuru (K) (clinical features, pathological data, lack of antibody response, transmissibility, change in pattern on transmission). The possibility of a common origin of the two diseases is discussed.

Rhabdomyomatous dysplasia of lung and congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

A previously unrecognized association of pulmonary rhabdomyomatous dysplasia and congenital posterolateral diaphragmatic hernia is reported. The authors subscribe to the concept of ectopia and postulate an anomalous migration of cervical "diaphragmatic" rhabdomyoblasts as the most probable origin of the pulmonary muscle fibers.

Chondroma of the tongue. Report of a case and review of the literature.

A case of chondroma of the tongue in a 53-year-old male is reported. A review of the literature is presented.

Ciliogenesis in human vestibular epithelia. A scanning electron microscopic study.

Ciliogenesis events in human vestibular epithelia develop as an asynchronous process between neighbouring cells, but it is a synchronous one within each sensory cell, presenting the following stages. Initially, the cilia buds appear as stubby cylinders well aligned on the cuticular plate of the presumptive sensory cell. In the next stage, ciliary growth occurs at one pole of the cuticular plate where elongation of the kinocilium and the nearby stereocilia can be observed. Posteriorly, the elongation of the kinocilium and the nearby stereocilia continues, remaining shorter than the other emerging stereocilia buds. Finally, the staircase height pattern of the mature sensory hair bundle is reached by means of a ciliary buds differential elongation.

A scanning electron microscopy study on human otoconia genesis.

The genesis of the otoconia was studied with SEM in several human fetuses. The results of the present paper together with previous reports (1, 2, 13) support the hypothesis that otoconia genesis may develop according the following stages: (1) calcification of some sensory and supporting cells; (2) extrusion of the calcified cellular material and some organic substances in "sponge-like bodies"; (3) deposition of diverse core seeds in these areas giving rise to a random calcium carbonate crystallization and incorporation of matrix organic material; (4) growth of otoconia developing linearly with a gradual change in shape from spherical to ovoid, rhombohedral, and cylindrical forms; (5) inhibition of crystal growth occurring once a critical unsaturated calcium endolymph state and an adequate size of statoconial membranous chambers are reached.

Histochemical and morphometrical ageing changes in human vocal cord muscles.

A histochemical and morphometrical study of thyroarytenoid and posterior cricoarytenoid human muscles was done in 43 human adults (38 males, 5 females) with ages ranging from 46 to 87 years. Vocal cord muscles were taken from laryngectomy specimens with carcinoma (25) and from autopsies (18), excluding those with neuromuscular diseases. In all cases the studied vocal cords were clinically and histologically normal in appearance. Only 2 patients received radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle was studied in 6 patients with larynx cancer. Mean diameter of thyroarytenoid muscle type I fibers (n = 128) was 38.46 microns and for type II 39.68 microns; fiber percentage values (n = 127) were 44.16% for type I and 55.84% for type II. Mean diameter (n = 6) of posterior cricoarytenoid muscle type I fibers was 42.69 microns and of type II 46.56 microns; type I fibers percentage was 66.15% and type II 33.85%. Statistical regression analysis revealed a progressive decrease in thickness of the mucosa and lamina propria in the right vocal cord along the ageing process. A low increase of endomysial tissue with a low decrease in perimysium in both vocal cords was noticed. In thyroarytenoid muscle, a low increase in type I fiber percentage and a decrease in type II fiber percentage were found. Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle showed a significant decrease in type I fiber percentage and diameter, corresponding to the same increase in variables of type II fibers.

Midfacial granuloma syndrome. A clinic and pathological report on four patients.

Four cases of midfacial necrotizing lesions are reported. All patients were males with ages ranging from 25 to 76 years. The relationship between subjective symptoms and laboratory data prior to therapy (leukopenia, elevated ESR, increment of IgA and IgG), as well as between fever crisis with sweats and chills and the progression of the lesions were pathognomonic clinical signs for us. In all cases, paranasal sinus and nasopharynx were involved. Middle ear, eye and kidney involvement was present in 2 cases, and joints lesions only in one. Three patients died (2 of sepsis and one from hemorrhage) despite therapy. A pleomorphic cellular infiltrate with atypical lymphocytes and a tendency to angiocentricity was found in these cases. Such features and PAP positivity to beta and kappa chains led us to consider these lesions as an extranodal B-lymphocyte lymphoma-like. In the fourth case the histological picture was that of a necrotizing granuloma with clustered giant cells. This patient, treated only with prednisone, had a total remission of his symptomatology up to 11 years after the onset of the disease.

[Ultrastructure of Darier's disease]. / Ultraestructura de la enfermedad de Darier.

Biopsies from four patients with Darier's disease were studied by electron microscopy. The desmosome-tonofilament complex does not seem to be primarily involved in the acantholytic process responsible for the epidermal cells separation with formation of suprabasal lacunae. Grains and corps ronds are consistent histopathological findings in Darier's disease: the ultrastructure of these cells is described.

[Menkes disease: anatomoclinical study]. / Enfermedad de menkes: estudio anatomoclínico.

This paper presents the anatomoclinical study accomplished on a patient with Menkes Syndrome, which shows typical clinical, radiological and anatomopathological changes, as well as very low levels of copper. The hair changes observed with scanning electronmicroscopy are shown. Through the study of the literature the actual controversy on this disease is analyzed.

A study of the development of utricular and saccular maculae in man and in rat.

The ultrastructural development of utricular and saccular maculae in man and rat is described. In the human fetus with a crown-rump length (CRL) of 50 mm, the utricular and saccular epithelia consist of a pseudostratified layer of dark and light cells without nerve endings. In human fetuses of 110 and 220 mm CRL, as well as in 17- and 18-day-old rat embryos, it is already possible to identify sensory and supporting cells in various stages of differentiation. Nerve endings can also be found. Ciliogenesis is present in both sensory and supporting cells of the 17- and 18-day-old rat embryos. During epithelial differentiation a heavy calcium deposition occurs on vestibular cells of both man and rat. Otoconial mineralization increases gradually as epithelial maturation advances. Phagocytosis of otoconia by free macrophages occurs in 50-mm CRL human fetuses. Vestibular nerve myelination is asynchronous and is present in 110-mm CRL human fetuses and in 30-minute postpartum rats.

Early apocrine change in hyperplastic cystic disease.

Biopsy material from 42 cases of florid hyperplastic cystic disease of the breast were reviewed and were found to have foci of apocrine metaplasia. This appearance was limited to the ductular epithelium of hyperplastic lobules. It is believed that this scattered change is an initial feature in relation to the genesis of apocrine-lined and fully developed cysts.

Leukaemoid reaction and eosinophilia in "inflammatory fibrous histiocytoma".

A case of retroperitoneal inflammatory fibrous histiocytoma associated to a marked granulocytic blood reaction and high eosinophilic count is reported. The paraneoplastic nature of the haematological findings and their probable prognostic role are discussed. Ultrastructurally the tumor does not differ significantly from "non inflammatory" fibroxanthosarcomas.

Focal fibrous disease of breast. A common entity in young women.

The study concerns a problem of practical importance in the daily routine work. 218 cases of focal fibrous disease of the breast were classified into three types with conventional methods of pathohistology and statistics. The peak incidence between 20 and 25 years is considerably lower than the incidence figures reported by other authors. The authors postulate the progressive evolutive nature of the lesion.