An interdisciplinary approach for laparoscopic removal of a large retroperitoneal pelvic schwannoma attached to vital vessels: A case report.

Rationale: Retroperitoneal schwannomas are very rare and may grow very close to major abdominal vessels. Since the surgical approach to the retroperitoneal space may be complex due to surrounding vital organs, including major vessels, laparoscopic surgery is challenging and has only been recently adopted. Here, we report a case of laparoscopic resection of a large retroperitoneal schwannoma attached to large vital vessels.

Xanthomatous hypophysitis mimicking a pituitary adenoma: case report and review of the literature.

Background. Hypophysitis is an inflammatory disease of the pituitary gland that may mimic pituitary tumors clinically and radiologically. Case Description.

Equipment testing and tuning: the cold-knife cryomicrotome microm HM-560.

A major innovative feature of the Microm HM-560 cryomicrotome is the independent control of specimen and knife temperatures. We used such equipment with a variety of tissues, and fixation and freezing procedures. High-quality sectioning was reproducibly obtained using 1) a low temperature setting for the sectioning blade ("cold knife," about -33 degrees C); 2) a comparatively high temperature for the specimen; and 3) a suitable mounting medium, which would remain solid up to about 0 degrees C.