Successful management of post-esophagectomy chylothorax/chyloperitoneum by etilefrine.

Post-operative chylothorax and chyloperitoneum resulting from a thoracic duct injury are possible complications of esophagectomy for carcinoma. Management of such conditions includes conservative methods (pleural drainage, chyle flow reduction and supportive nutrition) and surgery. Etilefrine, a sympathomimetic drug used in the management of postural hypotension, also causes smooth muscle contraction of the thoracic duct.

A novel 9-base pair duplication in RET exon 8 in familial medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A syndromes are dominantly inherited diseases caused by activating germline mutations of the RET protooncogene. The majority of these patients carry a germline point mutation affecting one of five cysteine residues encoded by exon 10 (codon 609, 611, 618, or 620) or 11 (codon 634). In a few FMTC families, point mutations involving noncysteine codons in exon 13 (codons 768, 790, and 791), 14 (codon 804), or 15 (codon 891) have been reported.

[Oxyphilic cell and clear cell carcinoma of the thyroid].

Oxyphilic cell (Hürthle cell) carcinomas of the thyroid gland, variant of follicular carcinoma, are more malignant than follicular non oxyphilic cell carcinomas with a similar size and degree of invasiveness. Gross features, microscopic features of oxyphilic, clear and bicolored cells carcinomas and diagnostic techniques are related with a differential diagnosis with papillary oxyphilic cell carcinoma.

Importance in diagnosis of gastritis of detection by PCR of the cagA gene in Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from children.

The cagA gene has been detected by PCR and DNA hybridization in 45 Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from children. For each child, clinical symptoms, endoscopic aspect of the gastric mucosa, and histological gastritis were evaluated. Gene-positive strains were associated with hemorrhagic gastritis in 66.

[Corticoadrenal tumors in children. Apropos of 3 cases and review of the literature].

Report of corticoadrenaloma in three children (1 malignant and 2 benign tumors). These 3 cases are analysed in comparison with the 72 cases found in the medical literature. From the whole series, it can be concluded that these tumors are rare, and occur predominantly in females and in very young children.

Villous adenomas of the rectum. Results of endoscopic treatment with argon and Nd:YAG lasers.

Endoscopic treatment of rectal villous adenomas with argon and neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet lasers is reported in 56 patients. Patients treated include 25 who had polyp recurrence after non-laser polyp treatment, 8 who had small sessile polyps that would otherwise require major surgery, and 23 who had contraindications to surgery. Complete tumor ablation was documented over a 3-24-mo follow-up period in 42 of the 56 treated patients.

[Diagnostic approach to medullary and related thyroid gland cancers. Management].

In 80% of cases, the histological pattern of medullary carcinoma is well known. Further investigations are needed in atypical cases, such as immunohistochemistry and electronic microscopy. The authors emphasized different diagnostic methods with a special mention for cytological analysis.

[Gastric metastasis of a malignant melanoma of the choroid].

Gastric metastases of choroid malignant melanoma seem to be exceptional since less than 10 cases have been previously published. We report the case of a 71 year old patient with a gastric melanosarcoma secondary to a choroid malignant melanoma. Gastric metastasis was revealed by digestive bleeding occurring 18 years after right eye enucleation.

Vascular anatomy of the pisiformis bone.

The authors examined 41 dried pisiform specimens; it was found that the vascular apertures were situated on the lateral aspect, in the proximal half of the ridge occupied by the ulnar artery, on the medial aspect and at the distal tip of the bone. An average number of 6.9 foramina were encountered, their mean diameter attained 40/100 mm.

[Ectrouria. Apropos of a case].

Report of a case of sirenomelia (mermaid) anomaly. This male fetus was born from a 30 year-old mother and remained alive for 18 hours. The following anomalies were present: Potter's syndrome, absence of external genitalia and internal genital ducts, presence of two male gonads, renal agenesis, lack of bladder and ureteral ducts, single umbilical artery.

[Puncture biopsy in the diagnosis of papillary epitheliomas of the thyroid].

In this study of the cytological appearances of papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid after fine needle aspiration biopsy, the authors have brought together 60 examinations of thyroid nodules and 10 indicant ganglial metastases. They isolate three significant aspects. type I (25 cases) is notable for the dense cellular desquamation in papillary clusters with angular contours, numerous calcospherites and, above all, the presence of intranucleaur pseudo-inclusion bodies (PI) which are clearly visible after coloring with May Grunwald stain.