[Primary mediastinal (thymus) large B-cell lymphoma: clinically defined type of tumors and morphologic variants]. / Primárny mediastinálny (týmusový) vel'kobunkový B-lymfóm: klinicky definovaný typ nádoru a jeho morfologické varianty.

In the WHO lymphoma classification, primary mediastinal (thymic) large B-cell lymphoma (PMVBL) is defined as a subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) showing typical clinical manifestation. The patterns related to variability of tumor cell morphology were analyzed in the setting of 15 bioptically verified PMVBL cases. In the majority of the cases (n = 12), the tumor showed pleomorphic blastic morphology with individual cell patterns resembling those of polymorphic centroblastoma of the Kiel classification. In addition, some of the cases had clear-cell and/or lacunar appearance (5/12), while distinctive anaplastic appearance was rare (1/12). Other cases (n = 3) showed a monotonous morphology of uniform smaller-sized blasts with monocytoid-like cytoplasm. The described morphologic variants of PMVBL might be related to the known genotypic variability of DLBCL, although monotypic c-Ig expression verified in some of the cases would support post-follicular stage of the tumor cell development. In the absence of clinical data and within the described morphologic variability, it is recommended to prefer a diagnosis of DLBCL and to include the tumor into a clinically defined subtype of PMVBL only in cases with well defined and typical clinical presentation and progression of the disease.

[Hereditary nephropathy with signs of nephrotic syndrome]. / Hereditárna nefropatia s príznakmi nefrotického syndrómu.

The authors submit the description of two sisters with hereditary nephropathy, with symptoms of nephrotic syndrome. In the clinical picture dominated permanent anuria, rapid renal failure and death at the end of neonatal age. Histopathological findings classified the disease as infantile diffuse mesangial sclerosis. The third patient is a sporadic case of primary congenital nephrotic syndrome.

[Surgical treatment of small-cell pulmonary carcinoma]. / Súcasné moznosti chirurgickej liecby malobunkového karcinómu pl'úc.

Based on their longstanding experience of a department with surgical treatment of small-cell carcinoma of the lungs, the authors give an account of their experience. During the five-year period (1988-1992), when also patients in the third stage of the disease were operated, the authors followed up the survival after operation in relation to the presence or absence of N2. During the above period 31 patients were operated on account of small-cell carcinoma. This number comprised 9 patients in stage I and II, 14 patients in stage III, and in 8 patients on account of the advanced stage of the disease explorative thoracotomy was performed. Although the patient groups during the mentioned period were not large, the results are comparable with those of other, larger investigations. Patients operated in stages without tumourous affection of the mediastinal lymph nodes survived resection of the lungs supplemented by adjuvant chemotherapy significantly longer than patients with N2 affections and a similar therapeutic procedure. Based on the achieved results the authors do not recommend resection of the lungs in the IIIrd stage of the disease as the primary or as an adjuvant therapeutic modality.

[Frequency of asbestos fibers and asbestos bodies in lung sections]. / Zur Häufigkeit von Asbestfasern und Asbestkörperchen in Lungenresektaten.

100 specimens of lung resections coming from 100 patients operated on in 1980 in the thoracic surgical department were examined without any selection by turn for the presence of asbestos fibres or ferruginous asbestos bodies. Among these patients asbestos fibres were found in 65% and asbestos bodies in 46% of all cases examined. The observations were related to age, residence (town, village), occupation, and underlying diagnosis found with the surgical procedure. It could be recognized by the analysis that also the population of Slovakia is exposed to ubiquitious asbestos. An etiological relation between the frequency of asbestos fibres and the occurrence of malign tumours could not be proved. Such a relation is very complex, the cancerogenic effect of other factors (benzpyrene, smoking) has to be taken into consideration.

[Bronchofibroscopic and histological studies in the differential diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases in children]. / Bronkhofibroskopicheskie i gistologicheskie issledovaniia v differentsial'noi diagnostike interstitsial'nykh zabolevanii legkikh u detei.

The examination of 51 children with lung diseases revealed a great variety of their forms. While choosing the optimum method of early diagnosis of interstitial lung disease in children, it is necessary to use all currently available techniques: X-ray, tomography, scintigraphy, lung function tests, laboratory analyses, and morphological study of specimens of transbronchial lung biopsy and alveolar lavage (AL). In the authors' opinion, fibroscopy with transbronchial lung biopsy and lung are major techniques of differential diagnosis of pediatric pulmonology.