A new rapid technique for the fixation of thyroid gland surgical specimens.
(33/14535)
One of the main diagnostic problems in thyroid pathology is to distinguish between follicular adenoma and follicular carcinoma. Thorough sampling of the nodule's capsule is recommended in order to identify capsular invasion. However, during the hardening of the tissue, by the usual fixatives the capsule shrinks and rolls downwards and sometimes the capsule separates from the remaining tissue. The present work evaluates the use of "Lymph Node Revealing Solution" (LNRS) for the rapid fixation (2h) of different thyroid lesions as compared to that of formalin. Fifty-one unselected consecutive cases of thyroid nodules, which included various benign and malignant lesions, were examined. Each specimen was cut in two equal parts; one was fixed in LNRS, the other in formalin. Fixation in LNRS for 2 hours gave adequate results in sectioning and staining of the tissue, and excellent immunostains. Its advantage over formalin is the conservation of the natural relationship between the capsule and the rest of the tissue, on the same plane, as well as the short time required for the final diagnosis. (+info)
Preimplantation diagnosis by fluorescence in situ hybridization using 13-, 16-, 18-, 21-, 22-, X-, and Y-chromosome probes.
(34/14535)
PURPOSE: Our purpose was to select the proper chromosomes for preimplantation diagnosis based on aneuploidy distribution in abortuses and to carry out a feasibility study of preimplantation diagnosis for embryos using multiple-probe fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on the selected chromosomes of biopsied blastomeres. METHODS: After determining the frequency distribution of aneuploidy found in abortuses, seven chromosomes were selected for FISH probes. Blastomeres were obtained from 33 abnormal or excess embryos. The chromosome complements of both the biopsied blastomeres and the remaining sibling blastomeres in each embryo were determined by FISH and compared to evaluate their preimplantation diagnostic potential. RESULTS: Chromosomes (16, 22, X, Y) and (13, 18, 21) were selected on the basis of the high aneuploid prevalence in abortuses for the former group and the presence of trisomy in the newborn for the latter. Thirty-six (72%) of 50 blastomeres gave signals to permit a diagnosis. Diagnoses made from biopsied blastomeres were consistent with the diagnoses made from the remaining sibling blastomeres in 18 embryos. In only 2 of 20 cases did the biopsied blastomere diagnosis and the embryo diagnosis not match. CONCLUSIONS: If FISH of biopsied blastomere was successful, a preimplantation diagnosis could be made with 10% error. When a combination of chromosome-13, -16, -18, -21, -22, -X, and -Y probes was used, up to 65% of the embryos destined to be aborted could be detected. (+info)
A patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy accompanied by right ventricular dilation of unknown cause.
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Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a disease characterized by an unknown cause of hypertrophy in the left or right ventricle. The dilated phase of HCM shows disease conditions resembling dilated cardiomyopathy, such as ventricular dilation, thin ventricular wall, and reduction of the ejection fraction. A patient presented with left ventricular concentric hypertrophy accompanied by right ventricular dilatation of unknown cause. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy specimens showed characteristic myocardial disarray. Therefore, there is the possibility that the patient had right and left ventricular HCM in the process toward the dilated phase, in which dilatation first occurred in the right ventricle. (+info)
A case of eosinophilic myocarditis complicated by Kimura's disease (eosinophilic hyperplastic lymphogranuloma) and erythroderma.
(36/14535)
This report describes a patient with eosinophilic myocarditis complicated by Kimura's disease (eosinophilic hyperplastic lymphogranuloma) and erythroderma. A 50-year-old man presented with a complaint of precordial pain. However, the only abnormal finding on examinatioin was eosinophilia (1617 eosinophils/microl). Three years later, the patient developed chronic eczema, and was diagnosed with erythroderma posteczematosa. One year later, a tumor was detected in the right auricule, and a diagnosis of Kimura's disease was made, based on the biopsy findings. The patient developed progressive dyspnea 6 months later and was found to have cardiomegaly and a depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (17%). A diagnosis of eosinophilic myocarditis was made based on the results of a right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy. The eosinophilic myocarditis and erythrodrema were treated with steroids with improvement of both the eosinophilia and left ventricular function. (+info)
Juvenile nephronophthisis associated with retinal pigmentary dystrophy, cerebellar ataxia, and skeletal abnormalities.
(37/14535)
A boy aged 9 3/4 years with interstitial nephritis, retinal pigmentary dystrophy, cerebellar ataxia, and skeletal abnormalities is described. The association may be due to a new genetic disorder, since 2 similar cases have been reported. (+info)
Pulmonary eosinophilic gramuloma in a child.
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The occurrence of pulmonary eosinophilic granuloma in a 3-year-old child is described. She presented with a pneumothorax and typical radiological changes and the diagnosis was confirmed by lung biopsy. There was no objective evidence of improvement after radiotherapy when lung function was assessed by gamma scans. She died suddenly while abroad. (+info)
Dietary determinants of colorectal proliferation in the normal mucosa of subjects with previous colon adenomas.
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Dietary determinants of colorectal mucosa proliferation were studied in 69 subjects previously operated for at least two sporadic colon adenomas. Information on recent dietary habits was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire, and proliferation was measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation in colorectal biopsies by determining the labeling index (LI) and the percentage of LI in the upper part of the crypt, two parameters that are increased in subjects at high risk of colon cancer. The LI was significantly higher in women as compared with men (P = 0.01). Diet showed several associations with colorectal mucosa proliferation: (a) subjects in the highest tertile of fish consumption had a significantly lower LI (P = 0.0013) compared with those in the lower tertiles [5.20 +/- 1.87 versus 6.80 +/- 2.18 (mean +/- SD)]; (b) subjects with a low red meat consumption had lower proliferation in the upper part of the crypt [2.38 +/- 2.10, 5.30 +/- 4.62, and 5.89 +/- 4.82 in the low, middle, and high tertile of consumption, respectively (mean +/- SD); P = 0.0093]; (c) according to estimated nutrient intakes, the LI was lower in subjects reporting a high intake of starch (P = 0.006) and higher in subjects with a low intake of beta-carotene (P = 0.002). The results show that subjects reporting a diet rich in fish, starch, and beta-carotene and low in red meat had lower colorectal mucosa proliferation and a normal pattern of proliferation along the crypt. Given the correlation between colorectal proliferative activity and colon cancer risk, such a dietary pattern might be beneficial for subjects at high risk of colon cancer. (+info)
Autologous endometrial co-culture in patients with repeated failures of implantation after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.
(40/14535)
PURPOSE: Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of coculture on preembryo development and clinical outcome. METHODS: Enrolled patients underwent a luteal-phase endometrial biopsy. The tissue was then enzymatically digested (collagenase) and the stromal and glandular cells were separated by differential sedimentation rates. These cells were cultured to confluence, released, and then cryopreserved until the patient's in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) cycle. All normally fertilized oocytes were then placed on the co-cultured cells until transfer on day 3. Preembryo development on co-culture was compared to that in the patient's noncocultured previous cycle. Implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were compared to those in a control group of patients undergoing IVF during the study period who were matched for age, stimulation protocol, number of oocytes retrieved, and preembryos transferred. RESULTS: Twenty-nine women underwent 31 cycles of IVF-ET. On day 3 the overall mean number of blastomeres per preembryo on co-culture compared to that in the patient's previous cycle was 6.3 +/- 1.8 vs. 5.6 +/- 1.2 (P = 0.04). The average percentage of cytoplasmic fragments on co-culture compared to the previous cycle was 16 +/- 9% vs. 19 +/- 9% (P = 0.32). At transfer, after preembryo selection, the mean number of blastomeres per preembryo on co-culture compared to that in the patient's previous cycle was 6.8 +/- 1.6 vs. 6.6 +/- 1.3 (P = 0.5). The implantation and clinical pregnancy rates between co-culture and the matched control group were 15% (14/93) vs. 13% (16/124) (P = 0.79) and 29% (9/31) vs. 25% (10/40) (P = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant improvement in the average number of blastomeres per preembryo on co-culture compared to that in the patient's previous noncoculture cycle. The overall implantation and clinical pregnancy rates between co-culture and a matched control group were not significantly different. (+info)