"Truffle sign". A suspicious malignant pattern of lymphadenopathies in children observed on ultrasound. Preliminary study.

Background: The differential diagnosis of lymphadenopathies in children including benign and malignant conditions is often difficult to identify by ultrasound (US). The lymphadenopathies in children are frequent and mostly benign, therefore it is essential to decide what patients should undergo further studies.

Objective: To describe the potential usefulness of a new suspicious ultrasound sign on pediatric lymphadenopathies that can orient the diagnosis of malignancy.

A Method for Functional Task Alignment Analysis of an Arthrocentesis Simulator.

Introduction: During simulation-based education, simulators are subjected to procedures composed of a variety of tasks and processes. Simulators should functionally represent a patient in response to the physical action of these tasks. The aim of this work was to describe a method for determining whether a simulator does or does not have sufficient functional task alignment (FTA) to be used in a simulation.

Diagnostic errors with inserted tubes, lines and catheters in children.

Background: Tubes and catheters are frequently used in the care of hospitalized children. Yet little is known about errors in diagnosis in commonly implanted devices in a pediatric population.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and range of diagnostic errors with inserted devices in a pediatric population.

Clinical preceptor evaluation of veterinary students in a distributed model of clinical education.

The study reported here investigates the reliability and validity of a standardized evaluation form used to assess students' knowledge, clinical skills, interpersonal skills, and professionalism during fourth-year clinical rotations in a distributed model of veterinary education. A form designed to assess veterinary knowledge (5 items), clinical skills (7 items), interpersonal skills (3 items), and professionalism (6 items) was used by clinical preceptors to evaluate student performance across different rotations. For the period January--May 2007, 218 evaluations were completed for 81 students; each student was assessed in at least two rotations.

Role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the development of spontaneous hepatic toxicity in Long-Evans Cinnamon rats.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential role of TNF-alpha in the onset of acute hepatitis in the Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rat, an animal model for inherited copper (Cu) toxicosis. In LEC rats, Cu is accumulated in the liver with age, and clinical signs of acute hepatitis were observed as, icterus, reduced body weight, nasal bleeding, dehydration, and reduced food intake at 12 weeks of age. Cellular changes such as apoptosis in the liver were evident in these rats with increasing age.

Animal models of copper-associated liver disease.

Recent advances in molecular biology have made possible the identification of genetic defects responsible for Wilson's disease, Indian childhood cirrhosis and copper toxicosis in Long Evans Cinnamon rats, toxic milk mice, and Bedlington terriers. The Wilson's disease gene is localized on human chromosome 13 and codes for ATP7B, a copper transporting P-type ATPase. A genetic defect similar to that of Wilson's disease occurs in Long Evans Cinnamon rats and toxic milk mice.

Metallothionein expression in canine and feline mammary and melanotic tumours.

Moderate to strong immunohistochemical metallothionein (MT) positivity (MT expression) is associated with a poor prognosis in some human tumours. The aim of this study was to determine MT expression in mammary tumours and cutaneous melanomas in dogs and cats. Canine (67) and feline (47) mammary tumours, and cutaneous melanomas (canine 40, feline 26) were immunolabelled with MT monoclonal antibody E9.

Morphological and biochemical assessment of the liver response to excess dietary copper in Fischer 344 rats.

The aim of this study was to determine the amount of excess dietary copper (Cu) necessary to experimentally induce liver lesions characteristic of Cu-associated disease in Fischer 344 rats. Male weanling Fischer 344 rats of uniform age were divided into 6 groups (n = 5) and fed a rodent diet containing 18 (control), 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, and 2000 microg/g Cu added as CuSO4. Rats were euthanized after 3 months on the experimental diets and their livers processed for histology, histochemistry, Cu analysis (by atomic absorption spectrophotometry), and quantification of malondialdehyde (MDA) by the thiobarbituric acid reaction.

The failure of selenium supplementation to prevent copper-induced liver damage in Fischer 344 rats.

This study evaluates the ability of selenium (Se) supplementation to prevent experimental copper (Cu)-induced hepatocellular damage. Weanling male Fischer 344 rats were randomly assigned to groups of 15, 3 groups (A,B,C) were fed Cu-loaded diets (containing 2000 microg/g copper, added as CuSO4) and different levels of Se (added as Na2SeO3 x 5H2O) as follows: A) Cu-loaded/Se adequate diet (0.4 microg/g Se, fed basis); B) Cu-loaded/Se-supplemented diet (2 microg/g Se); and C) Cu-loaded/Se-deficient diet (< 0.

Copper toxicosis in the Bedlington terrier: a diagnostic dilemma.

Diagnosis of copper toxicosis (CT) in Bedlington terriers by the quantitative and qualitative assessment of copper (Cu) in, and pathology of, biopsies has been largely superseded by a DNA-based assay which uses a microsatellite marker (C04107) linked to the CT disease allele. A retrospective study was conducted comprising 154 liver biopsies from Bedlington terriers with 22 matched DNA markers to compare the two methods in the diagnosis of CT. For the biopsy method, three categories (phenotypes) were identified based on analytical and morphological criteria: 'unaffected' in 83 samples (54 per cent), where Cu was much less than 400 microg/g, and there was an absence of visual Cu or liver damage; 'intermediate' in 18 samples (12 per cent), where Cu was less than 400 microg/g, and there was limited histochemical Cu and no/equivocal damage; and 'affected' in 53 samples (34 per cent), where Cu was greater than 400 microg/g, there was histochemical Cu and liver damage was poorly related to Cu content.

Effect of age and sex on liver damage due to excess dietary copper in Fischer 344 rats.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the morphologic and biochemical effects of excess dietary copper in young and adult rats of different sex.

Methods: Adult Fischer 344 male and female rats were given a diet containing 1500 ppm copper for 18 weeks. Young male and female rats were fed a similar copper-loaded diet from birth until 16 weeks of age.

Pathogenesis of liver lesions caused by experimental infection with Piscirickettsia salmonis in juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

Piscirickettsia salmonis, the etiologic agent of salmonid rickettsial septicemia (SRS), or piscirickettsiosis, causes substantial economic losses to the salmon industry. The pathogenesis of the disease has not been fully characterized. The aim of this study is to describe the hepatic lesions associated with experimental P.

Eccrine adenocarcinoma of the footpads in 2 cats.

Adenocarcinoma of sweat glands of the footpads was diagnosed in 2 cats. Clinical signs included lameness and swelling of multiple digits. Pulmonary metastasis was detected in one case.

The Long Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rat develops hepatocellular damage in the absence of antimicrosomal antibodies.

Long Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats are an inbred strain with a mutation affecting a copper transporter. As a result, hepatic copper levels rise and the rats spontaneously develop hepatitis that is fatal in about 40% of the rats. The rats that die have been reported to develop anti-microsomal antibodies, most frequently against protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), prior to the onset of liver damage.

Purification and partial characterization of a cadmium-binding protein from the liver of rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss).

This study describes the isolation and partial characterization of a low molecular weight (approximately 14 kDa), cadmium-binding protein from rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss) liver. Rainbow trout were injected intraperitoneally with 3.5 mg/kg cadmium chloride (total body dose) twice weekly for 3 wk.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of metallothionein in benign and malignant canine mammary tumours.

Immunocytochemical demonstration of metallothionein (MT) has been reported as a useful prognostic tool in human breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the immunohistochemical location of MT in canine mammary tumours and its possible correlation with the morphologic characteristics of these tumours. Surgical specimens from spontaneous malignant (n = 20) and benign mammary neoplasms (n = 20) were processed for routine histological examination and immunohistochemical study.

Immunohistochemical detection of metallothionein in liver, duodenum and kidney after dietary copper-overload in rats.

Metallothionein (MT) has been used in immunohistochemical techniques to indicate presence and distribution of heavy metals within biological tissues. This study describes a comparison of the pattern of MT-immunostaining in the liver, duodenum and kidney during dietary copper overload in rats. Sixteen male 10-week-old Wistar rats were randomly allocated into groups of four.

Pathobiology of copper-induced injury in Bedlington terriers: ultrastructural and microanalytical studies.

The pathogenesis of copper (Cu)-induced liver injury has been investigated in Bedlington terriers with familial Cu toxicosis using ultrastructural and microanalytical techniques. Livers from 3 affected and 1 non-affected Bedlington terrier were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and 2% glutaraldehyde for transmission electron microscopy and X-ray electron probe microanalysis. Cu analysis was performed on formalin fixed liver by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

The role of the liver, kidney and duodenum in tolerance in the copper-loaded rat.

The purpose of this study was to help characterize the pathway of copper in the liver, kidney and duodenum during copper loading and unloading in the rat. Male Wistar rats were allocated randomly into four groups: Group A (control) was composed of 16 animals fed a normal rodent diet. Group B had 16 animals fed a high copper diet (1500 ppm copper).

Mechanisms of tolerance in the copper-loaded rat liver.

The aim of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of copper-induced damage and subsequent recovery and tolerance to copper in the copper-loaded rat liver. Male Wistar rats were allocated randomly into groups of four, fed a pelleted diet containing 1500 mg/g copper, and killed at 1, 5, 6, 10, and 15 weeks. Two additional groups were treated as follows: (a) 5 weeks copper loading followed by 5 weeks with normal rodent diet (group 5-0), (b) 5 weeks copper loading followed by 5 weeks normal diet and 5 weeks of copper reloading (group 5-0-5).