Carcinoembryonic antigen immunoreactivity patterns in colorectal cancer: Correlation with morphologic parameters.

The expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was analyzed immunohistochemically in 100 colorectal cancer specimens. The tumors were divided into three groups, according to the predominant staining pattern which was either apical, cytoplasmic or stromal. CEA localization was apical in 26 cases, cytoplasmic in 48 and stromal in 26 cases. Overall, well differentiated tumors showed apical CEA, whereas the poorly differentiated tumors showed stromal staining. Significant correlation was noted between the CEA staining patterns and histological grading (P<0.001), nuclear grading (P<0.001), mucin synthesis (P<0.01), blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and peripheral nerve invasion (P<0.01), and lymph node metastasis (P<0.01). CEA staining pattern was not correlated with patients' age, sex or gross appearance of tumors and their site of origin, nor the Dukes' classificcation. It is concluded that the CEA immunoreactivity pattern may provide data that are relevant for the prognosis of the neoplastic disease.

Semiquantitative cytochemical estimation of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in benign diseases and carcinoma of the breast.

The level of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity was semiquantitatively evaluated in fresh imprints of infiltrative ductal carcinoma, fibrocystic disease and fibroadenoma of the breast. A significantly higher level of G6PDH activity was found in the carcinomas. The results suggest that the estimation of G6PDH activity could be a valuable method for evaluating the cells in benign and malignant breast lesions. It is possible that the intensification of G6PDH activity in carcinomas is a sign of the shift of the carbohydrate metabolism from an aerobic path or that the activity of the pentose shunt is higher because of the increased need for nucleic acid precursors in tissues with faster growth rates.

Cytology and histopathology of metastatic malignant melanoma involving a polyp on the uterine cervix. A case report.

A case of unusual localization of metastatic malignant melanoma on the cervix uteri, which was diagnosed by cytologic examination of a Papanicolaou smear is reported. The cells contained no pigment, but they had the characteristic appearance that suggested the possibility of a metastatic malignant melanoma, which was confirmed by histopathologic examination of an excised polyp.

[Fibrosarcoma as a cause of cardiac tamponade]. / Fibrosarkom kao uzrok tamponade srca.

Primary malignant tumours of the heart are exceptionally rare, what makes them particularly interesting for their research; on the other hand, clinical diagnosing of these tumours is even rarer. The authors present a patient with fibrosarcoma of the heart, which provoked the acute pericardial tamponade. The patient was successfully operated upon. The diagnosis was confirmed during the surgery itself with temporary biopsy. After the surgery the authors administered chemotherapy according to the VAC scheme (vincristine++, actinomycin D and cyclophosphamide ).