The thyroid: review of imaging features and biopsy techniques with radiologic-pathologic correlation.

Knowledge of the normal and abnormal imaging appearances of the thyroid gland is essential for appropriate identification and diagnosis of thyroid lesions. Thyroid nodules are often detected incidentally at computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography; however, ultrasonography (US) is the most commonly used imaging modality for characterization of these nodules. US characteristics that increase the likelihood of malignancy in a thyroid nodule include microcalcifications, solid composition, and central vascularity.

Cytology of nonneoplastic occupational and environmental diseases of the lung and pleura.

Context: Cytologic examination of the respiratory tract has been a useful diagnostic tool when evaluating neoplastic lesions of the respiratory tract. However, we have limited experience in the application of this technique in the management of nonneoplastic occupational and environmental diseases of the lung and pleura. This review focuses on the cytologic characteristics of a variety of occupational lung diseases, grouping them into 2 broad diagnostic categories: reactive cellular changes and noncellular elements.

Intraosseous innervation of the human patella: a histologic study.

Background: The soft tissue structures surrounding the human knee joint have been the subject of extensive anatomic study. The detailed histologic findings within the bone of the human patella, however, have not been systematically studied. While the nerves supplied to the periarticular soft tissues have been very well documented, the nerves supplied to the interior of the bony patella have never been described.

Growth of a left atrial sarcoma followed by resection and autotransplantation.

Left atrial sarcomas are among the rarest primary cardiac tumors. This type of tumor has an aggressive behavior and is often resistant to standard approaches to treatment. In this case report we show its rapid growth in vivo and document successful local control with an aggressive surgical approach of ex-vivo resection, reconstruction of the left atrium by a pericardial patch, and subsequent autotransplantation.

MRI in myopathy.

MRI is a promising tool that can be used as an adjunctive test during the evaluation of patients who have myopathy and can help raise the diagnostic yield of a planned biopsy. It also has promise as a clinical endpoint. This article discusses abnormalities visible on MRI of muscle and the use of MRI in patients who have myopathy.

Cartilaginous lesions of the skeleton.

Cartilaginous lesions of the skeleton include those due to genetic diseases (skeletal dysplasias), reparative and hamartomatous processes, and benign and malignant tumors. We review the lesions most commonly encountered by the surgical pathologist, their differential diagnoses, and recently discovered features of these lesions.

Giant cell reparative granuloma of the orbit associated with cherubism.

Purpose: To report a case of cherubism with extensive, bilateral orbital involvement occurring in a 27-year-old woman who had the diagnosis established at the age of 4 years.

Design: Single interventional case report.

Intervention: Ophthalmologic examination and computed tomography were performed.

Composite thymoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma involving the anterior mediastinum.

Simultaneous involvement of the anterior mediastinum by thymoma and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), to our knowledge, has not been previously reported. We describe a composite tumor composed of thymoma and CLL/SLL incidentally discovered in a 62-year-old man who had no history of malignant diseases or immunologic disorders. The preoperative peripheral blood specimen showed a normal complete blood cell count and differential count.