Diagnostic findings in adenomyosis: a pictorial review on the major concerns.

Adenomyosis is a benign pathology with a marked impact on women in reproductive age. The prevalence of adenomyosis ranges from 5 to 70%. Dysmenorrhea, metrorrhagia, chronic pelvic pain, dyspareunia and infertility often occur, while a third of the women is asymptomatic. This pictorial review focuses on the peculiar patterns of presentation in adenomyosis. They are identified by means of non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques, with particular reference to 2D- and 3D-transvaginal sonography, sonohysterosalpingography, magnetic resonance imaging, and endoscopic techniques (i.e. hysteroscopy and laparoscopy).

Development of miliary tuberculosis under infliximab in a patient with spondyloarthritis and suspected Crohn's disease.

Tuberculosis (TB) infection is a major concern in patients with chronic autoimmune conditions under immunosuppressive therapy. Gastrointestinal tuberculosis can be misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease with detrimental consequences for the patient. We report on a 40-year old ethnic Turkish patient with HLA-B27 positive spondyloarthritis who developed gastrointestinal symptoms under immunosuppressive treatment with infliximab. Crohn's disease was diagnosed at a primary care hospital and immunosuppressive treatment was escalated. Initial diagnostic tests for tuberculosis were negative. When the clinical condition deteriorated, the patient was transferred to our intensive care unit for further diagnosis and treatment. Tuberculosis was suspected due to clinical presentation and radiological signs and anti-tuberculous treatment was initiated. After the onset of treatment, first microbiological results confirmed the diagnosis of miliary TB with Mycobacterium bovis. As an infection route we assume primary gastrointestinal infection with M. bovis during the patient's annual holidays in Turkey with a rapid development of miliary TB under infliximab and escalated immunosuppressive therapy. This case report demonstrates the difficulties in differentiating intestinal TB from other granulomatous conditions such as Crohn's disease. The diagnostic tools for gastrointestinal tuberculosis are discussed in detail regarding their sensitivity, specificity as well as positive and negative predictive values.

Liver and iron metabolism--a comprehensive hypothesis for the pathogenesis of genetic hemochromatosis.

It is hypothesized that a homozygous C282Y mutation of the HFE gene prohibits the assembly of the transferrin-receptor 1 (TFR1) with the divalent metal transporter (DMT1) as the main iron update complex in hepatocytes membrane. Thus, the cellular influx of transferrin-bound iron from the endosomal compartment into the cytasol is compromised. As a consequence, transferrin saturation increases while concomitantly a cytosolic iron deficiency state develops. This in turn triggers the suppression of hepcidin synthesis in hepatocytes. Its impaired release into the bloodstream, causes the increased intestinal iron absorption of hemochromatosis. Excessively absorbed iron cannot be used by the erythron as a surplus for hemoglobin synthesis and is therefore trapped in ferritin complexes of RES macrophages. The ferritin is thereafter released into the bloodstream and taken up by hepatocytes for final disposal. In the lysosomal compartment ferritin is degraded to hemosiderin. Here, the release of excessive iron molecules may induce cellular injury via free radicals. The phenotypic expression of genetic hemochromatosis may depend on the activity of the erythron to use transferrin-bound-iron for heme synthesis. Therefore, a high erythron requirement for iron can utilize excess iron and may represent the rationale of phlebotomy therapy in this disease.

Telomerase activity in fine needle aspiration biopsy samples: application to diagnosis of human thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of thyroid follicular carcinoma by fine needle aspiration biopsy is a well known problem in thyroid pathology. METHODS: We evaluated telomerase activity (TA) in 85 fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples from patients with thyroid nodules. Surgery samples from patients with tumor or follicular adenomas were also analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty of the FNAB samples corresponded to carcinomas and were positive to telomerase assay (TA >10 Units). Among them, 4 follicular carcinomas and 1 papillary carcinoma were labeled as indeterminate by FNAB cytological examination. Four percent false positive cases and no false negative cases for TA in FNABs were reported. FNAB samples from follicular adenomas were diagnosed as indeterminate by cytological examination, but they showed no detectable TA. Tumor tissues from patients with follicular or papillary thyroid carcinomas presented TA >10 Units, whereas follicular adenoma tissues (benign nodules) showed no TA. CONCLUSION: Our results showed a good correlation between TA in FNAB samples and tumor/nodule thyroid tissue. This suggested that use of TA as a biological marker of malignancy might be a useful tool in the diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinomas or follicular thyroid adenomas using FNAB samples.

Relationship between the level of c-myc mRNA and histologic aggressiveness in thyroid tumors.

We investigated the relationship between the level of c-myc mRNA and histologic aggressiveness in thyroid tumors obtained at surgery. In thyroid carcinomas, there was a positive correlation between these two parameters, while in benign tumors there was no correlation between cellularity and the expression of the proto-oncogene c-myc. These results might be useful in the prognosis of thyroid tumors and consequently helpful in the management of the patient.