A calcified lung tumour and microcytic anaemia in a young woman: partial expression of the Carney triad.

The Carney triad is the non-familial addociation of gastric stromal tumours (GISTs), pulmonar chondromas and extra-adrenal paragangliomas. Fewer than 100 cases of the disorder have been reported since its description in 1977. The condition has a predeliction for young women. Most patients exhibit only two of the three components. The tumours tend to be multifocal in the affected organ or system. Herein, we describe the case of a 27-year-old woman with multiple gastric GISTs and a pulmonary chondroma, partial expression of the Carney triad. It is important to be aware of the Carney triad when one of its constituent tumours is found, particularly if the patient is a young woman, so that a search can be made for and surveillance instituted for the other components. Treatment for the gastric tumours (sarcomas) and the paragangliomas (potentially malignant) is surgical. The lung chondromas are benign neoplasms and ordinarily not symptomatic. If a diagnosis of the tumour can be established by biopsy, surgical resection may not be necessary.

Electron microscopy in the long-term follow-up of Whipple's disease. Effect of antibiotics.

The electron-microscopic and light-microscopic findings on jejunal biopsies from a case of Whipple's disease are described. Seven biopsies were obtained over a 3-year period. Rapid clinical recovery was accompanied by the disappearance of interstitial and intracellular bacteria from the lamina propria. The pathognomonic PAS-positive material on light microscopy corresponding to the phagocytic vacuoles in the macrophages of the lamina propria decreased markedly in amount but persisted throughout the 3-year-period. The sequential changes in the jejunal mucosa and in particular those occurring in macrophages are described and their relation to pathogenesis is discussed.

Granulomatous peritonitis in hydatid disease.

We report a rare case of persisting granulomatous inflammation within the peritoneal cavity due to previous leakage from a liver hydatid cyst, with the granulomata bearing hooklets originating from protosolices of Echinococcus granulosus. The patient was treated with a full three-month course of albendazole. We believe this represents a rare case of 'pseudotuberculous peritonitis'.

Atypical cilia of the human endometrial epithelium.

We suggest that human endometrial ciliated cells represent a developmental overlap with the uterine tube epithelium and that the high incidence of ciliary abnormality is related to the relatively high turnover rate caused by menstruation. Abnormal cilia appear to be due to a defect of ciliogenesis probably occurring after the formation of the basal bodies.

The presence of RNA complementary to HSV-2 (herpes simplex virus) DNA in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia after laser therapy.

In-situ hybridization of radiolabelled DNA probes to tissue sections detected RNA complementary to HSV-2 (herpes simplex virus) DNA in 65% (22 of 34) biopsies from cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and in none of internally paired benign epithelia from individuals before treatment by laser vaporization cone. Laser therapy did not produce an increase in clinical or subclinical HSV infections of the cervix. Of 18 patients with RNA complementary to HSV-2 DNA in CIN biopsies before treatment, in whom treatment was successful, virus transcripts were detected at follow-up in only two of them.