Pancreas and gallbladder agenesis in a newborn with semilobar holoprosencephaly, a case report.

Background: Pancreatic agenesis is an extremely rare cause of neonatal diabetes mellitus and has enabled the discovery of several key transcription factors essential for normal pancreas and beta cell development.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a Caucasian female with complete pancreatic agenesis occurring together with semilobar holoprosencephaly (HPE), a more common brain developmental disorder. Clinical findings were later confirmed by autopsy, which also identified agenesis of the gallbladder.

In search of an efficient injection technique for future clinical application of spermatogonial stem cell transplantation: infusion of contrast dyes in isolated cadaveric human testes.

Objective: To develop an efficient infusion technique for human spermatogonial stem cell transplantation.

Design: A mixture with ultrasonic contrast, computerized tomography (CT) contrast, and Chinese ink was injected into isolated human testes through different sites (the rete testis, the head of the epididymis, the deferent duct, and blind testicular infusion). Ultrasound transducer was used to visualize the injection site and to observe the flow of the mixture injected in the testes.

Spontaneous bilateral carotid artery dissection following cervical manipulation.

We report an autopsy case of a bilateral carotid artery dissection, following cervical manipulation by a chiropractor. To establish the etiology of a cervical artery dissection is important in view of possible legal implications and to exclude hereditary disorders, since cervical artery dissection has been linked to several arteriopathies. The underlying arteriopathy in the presented case was an idiopathic cystic medial degeneration.

Evaluation of a microbiological screening and acceptance procedure for cryopreserved skin allografts based on 14 day cultures.

Viable donor skin is still considered the gold standard for the temporary covering of burns. Since 1985, the Brussels military skin bank supplies cryopreserved viable cadaveric skin for therapeutic use. Unfortunately, viable skin can not be sterilised, which increases the risk of disease transmission.

Microscopic anatomy of the human islet of Langerhans.

Human islets of Langerhans are complex micro-organs responsible for maintaining glucose homeostasis. Islets contain five different endocrine cell types, which react to changes in plasma nutrient levels with the release of a carefully balanced mixture of islet hormones into the portal vein. Each endocrine cell type is characterized by its own typical secretory granule morphology, different peptide hormone content, and specific endocrine, paracrine, and neuronal interactions.

Computer-aided ultrasonography (HistoScanning): a novel technology for locating and characterizing prostate cancer.

Objective: To assess the extent to which prostate HistoScanning (PHS), a new ultrasound-based technology that uses computer-aided analysis to quantify tissue disorganization induced by malignant processes, can identify and characterize foci of prostate cancer compared with step-sectioned radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens.

Patients And Methods: Between September 2004 and February 2006, 29 men had PHS before their scheduled RP. A three-dimensional ultrasound raw-data file was acquired, and PHS analysed regions of interest (ROI) corresponding to tissue volumes of approximately 0.

Correlation between beta cell mass and glycemic control in type 1 diabetic recipients of islet cell graft.

Islet grafts can induce insulin independence in type 1 diabetic patients, but their function is variable with only 10% insulin independence after 5 years. We investigated whether cultured grafts with defined beta cell number help standardize metabolic outcome. Nonuremic C-peptide-negative patients received an intraportal graft with 0.

Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors - immunophenotypic classification and survival analysis.

The current definition of gastrointestinal tumors (GIST) as CD117-positive mesenchymal tumors of uncertain malignant potential fails to include a number of cases with similar histology. In an attempt to improve the classification of these neoplasms, we conducted an immunohistochemical analysis of 244 mesenchymal tumors with histological features of GIST. According to their immunophenotype, the tumors were classified as GISTs, which are characterized by CD117 (c-kit) expression; gastrointestinal CD117-negative CD34 positive stromal tumors (GINST); alpha-smooth muscle actin and/or desmin positive gastrointestinal leiomyogenic tumors (GILT); S-100 and glial fibrillary acidic protein positive gastrointestinal glial/schwannian tumors (GIGT); gastrointestinal neuronal/glial tumors (GINT), which are positive for S-100/glial fibrillary acidic protein plus neuronal/glial markers; and gastrointestinal fibrous tumors (GIFT), which are only vimentin positive.