[Clinicomorphological aspects of adrenal pheochromocytoma diagnostics].

The removed pheochromocytomas of 25 patients aged from 25 to 72 years have been studied. Among them 5 tumors have had bilateral character, 8 pheochromocytomas have been diagnosed as malignant, 4 patients have had metastases. The average size of benign pheochromocytomas has been 4.0 cm, malignant - 4.5 cm. The majority of malignant tumors have had areas with diffusing growth patterns. The results of immunohistochemical study of benign and malignant pheochromocytomas have had small differences. The study of tumor ultrastructure hasn't found out their biological potential.

[The Saint Petersburg Society of Pathologists is 100 years old].

The paper describes the history of the Saint Petersburg Society of pathologists since it was founded in 1909. It shows what great role is played by outstanding Russian medical scientists who have established their own schools of pathomorphologists and are respected in our and foreign countries. The activities of the society's members in research developments in cardiovascular and infectious diseases, cancer morphology, etc., as well as their practical participation in the work of the health care facilities of the city and its region are characterized. This work is characterized by the permanent conformance to the world standards of human pathology as a basic science of the present day, by steadily maintaining the established traditions of the Saint Petersburg school. The authors follow the evolution of a pathologist and his/her becoming to a clinical pathologist as the problems facing pathomorphology are extended and its methodic and methodological capacities are improved.

[Impact of the environmental factors on the incidence of thyroid diseases in the population of the Nizhnii Novgorod region].

None of the thyroid diseases is associated with the environment, as thyroid pathology since its structure and function depend on dietary intake of iodine and other trace elements. Iodine deficiency is not the only factor of development of endemic goiter as many authors show the high prevalence of the disease with sufficient dietary intake of iodine. Human thyroid disease may be considered to be a marker of environmental ill-being; therefore, while studying and untangling the mechanisms of development of goiter, thyroiditis, and thyroid tumors, one should keep in mind the environmental factors that have an evident influence on the development of thyroid diseases.

[Impact of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia on the thyroid morphofunctional state in experimental hyperthyroidism].

Within 5 days of hypoxia there was an increase in thyroid functional activity, but on days 15-30 there was a decrease in T3 and T4 concentrations and an increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone. Clear correlations were found between the morphometric indices of the thyroid epithelium and the blood concentration of T3 and T4. There was a relationship between the levels of thyroid hormones and the state of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

[Morphological changes in the hypertrophied palatal tonsils of children undergoing different methods of conservative treatment]. / Morfologicheskie izmeneniia gipertrofirovannykh nebnykh mindalin u detei pri razlichnykh metodakh konservativnogo lecheniia.

Morphological and immunological data on the efficiency of the conservative treatment of hypertrophic tonsils in 59 children are presented. Biopsies of tonsils were examined before and after treatment. Tonsils reduced in size as a result of treatment, their changes indicated activation of the morphological manifestations of cellular and humoral immunity. Intramuscular treatment with thymalin resulted in normalization of the peripheral blood immunological indexes. The lacuna lavage with thymalin led to the normalization of the disturbed epithelial barrier structure.

[Morphological characteristics of the function of the tonsil as an organ of immunogenesis]. / Morfologicheskaia kharakteristika funktsional'nogo sostoianiia nebnykh mindalin kak organa immunogeneza.

The review deals with the problem of the necessity to evaluate the immunological state of palatine tonsils in various pathologic conditions on the basis of morphological studies. The methods of investigation allowing the intensity of cellular and humoral immunity to be assessed are described. It is emphasized that a combined approach including morphological examinations of the palatine tonsils together with immunological methods used clinically is optimal for the evaluation of the immunological state of palatine tonsils. Investigation of the immunomorphological condition of palatine tonsils is important both for the evaluation of changes in the tonsils themselves and for characterization of the entire system of immunogenesis organs.

[Morphological characteristics of chordoma of the temporal bone: light amd electron microscopy]. / Morfologicheskie osobennosti khordomy visochnoi kosti: svetovaia i élektronnaia mikroskopiia.

For the first time chordoma of the temporal bone in a female aged 24 years is described. The tumor was studied histologically and ultrastructurally.

[Morphofunctional characteristics of palatine tonsil tissue and lacuna contents in chronic tonsillitis]. / Kharakteristika morfofunktsional'nogo sostoianiia tkani nebnykh mindalin i soderzhimogo lakun pri khronicheskom tonzillite.

Relationships between microbiological features and cell composition of lacunar content and morphofunctional status of the immunocompetent tissue of palatine tonsils were studied by histological, histochemical, morphometrical, microbiological, and cytological methods. Cytological and microbiological data on the lacuna content were found to reflect the reactive condition of the tonsils and should be regarded as a component of the morphofunctional characteristics of the palatine tonsils as a whole.

[Role of cytologic and histologic examination in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases in patients exposed to radiation]. / Rol' tsitologicheskogo i gistologicheskogo issledovanii v diagnostike zabolevanii shchitovidnoi zhelezy u lits, podvergshikhsia vozdeistviiu radiatsii.

Complex cytological and ultrasound study was conducted in 300 patients with thyroid pathology exposed to 5-250 cSv. Benign goiter changes and autoimmune thyroiditis were detected in 66.2% while malignant thyroidal nodules--in 3.7%. Benign and autoimmune changes alone were in 38%. Pathomorphological features of nodular changes and autoimmune thyroiditis patterns as well as their ultrasound representations were identified.

[Clinical-morphological assessment of the functional status of tonsils in clinical manifestations of chronic tonsillitis]. / Kliniko-morfologicheskaia otsenka funktsional'nogo sostoianiia nebnykh mindalin pri klinicheskikh proiavleniiakh khronicheskogo tonzillita.

Correlations between lacunar content and morphofunctional condition of palatine tonsil immunocompetent tissue were studied histologically, histochemically, morphometrically, microbiologically and cytologically. The microbiological and cytological lacunar findings provide a life-time assessment of tonsillar functional activity. Clinical efficiency of the method makes it valuable for choice of treatment and evaluation of the response to conservative treatment of chronic tonsillitis.

[Clinical morphological features of middle ear chemodectomas]. / Kliniko-morfologicheskie osobennosti khemodektom srednego ukha.

Eight cases of glomus tumor (chemodectoma) are reported. All the patients were women aged 46-55 years with complaints of noise in the ears, diminished hearing, pains on the side of the tumor. Some of the patients had ear discharge. Neurinoma, ear polyp, hemangioma and ceruminoma were rejected at differential diagnosis. All the patients were treated surgically. One patient was reoperated 12 years later. Operative biopsies of the tumor tissue were studied histologically and histochemically using hematoxiline-eosine and picrofuxine staining, Gordon and Sweet impregnation, PAS-reaction for detection of neutral mucopolysaccharides, Sternberger PAP technique for identification of biogenic amines and peptide hormones. In most cases the tumor had angiomatous structure with marked stromal fibrosis. An alveolar (glandular) variant occurred less frequently. Serotonin granules detected at immunoperoxidase test appeared to be aspecific marker of glomus tumor cells.

[Morpho-functional status of the pharyngeal and palatine tonsils in children with regional lymphadenitis]. / Morfofunktsional'noe sostoianie glotochnoi i nebnykh mindalin u detei s regionarnym limfadenitom.

The authors give clinicomorphological analysis of 100 cases of chronic tonsillitis in young children who had marked regional lymphadenitis in the absence of clinical manifestations of tonsillitis. General and local immunity were examined in these children. Lifetime assessment was made of functional tonsil condition by cytological and microbiological examination of the content of deep lacune parts. Removed palatine tonsils were examined histologically, immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. Uncommon location of the upper tonsillar pole impairs drainage function of the lacunes, attenuation of lymphoepithelial symbiosis, functional activity of the affected part of the tonsils which give rise to pathological processes in the regional lymph nodes. Impairment of lymph nodes becomes leading in clinical course of the disease.

[Metabolism and the functional activity of the thyroid in patients with chronic tonsillitis and excess body weight]. / Sostoianie obmena veshchestv i funktsional'noi aktivnosti shchitovidnoi zhelezy u bol'nykh khronicheskim tonzillitom s izbytochnoi massoi tela.

Clinical and laboratory tests were conducted in 138 females of reproductive age with chronic decompensated tonsillitis (CDT) with normal and excessive body mass. Improper diet of the obese patients was responsible for specific manifestations of CDT, disturbances of lipid, carbohydrate and mineral metabolism, thyroid function.

[The evaluation of the palatine tonsil function in patients with chronic tonsillitis]. / Otsenka funktsional'nogo sostoianiia nebnykh mindalin u bol'nykh khronicheskim tonzillitom.

The authors review the results of the research performed in patients with chronic tonsillitis in 1997-1999. Immunological activity of their palatine tonsils was evaluated according to the original technique which demonstrated relations between external functional activity of the palatine tonsils and age as well as symptoms of chronic tonsillitis. Additional information is presented on interrelations between lymphocytopoietic production of the palatine tonsils and hormonal status, metabolism, ecological and physical factors. The study of lifetime activity of the palatine tonsils is necessary for examination of local immunity of the mucous membranes of the lymphoid pharyngeal ring.

[A comparative study of conservative treatment schemes in chronic tonsillitis in children]. / Sravnitel'noe izuchenie nekotorykh skhem konservativnogo lecheniia khronicheskogo tonzillita u detei.

Three schemes of conservative treatment of chronic tonsillitis in children are compared. Chelidonium majus L. tincture improved tonsillar function, cellular and humoral immunity, nonspecific resistance, promoted a reduction in the number of recurrences.

[An assessment of the immune status of the mucosal membranes in chronic rhinosinusitis]. / Otsenka immunnogo statusa slizistykh obolochek pri khronicheskom rinosinusite.

The authors studied immune status of upper respiratory tracts mucosa in patients with different forms of chronic rhinosinusitis (purulent, polypous, vasomotor) in comparison to control subjects. An original complex of laboratory diagnostic techniques is proposed which can assess functional condition of the defense barriers of the upper respiratory tract mucosa in chronic inflammation, estimate impairment of specific and nonspecific resistance. This facilitates choice of optimal scheme of pathogenetic therapy of chronic inflammation in the upper respiratory tracts.