Cold synchronization for the study of peripheral blood and bone marrow chromosomes in leukemias and other hematologic disease states.

A method of cold-shock synchronization of immature granulocytic cells from peripheral blood or bone marrow is described. It is shown that this method provides an increased yield of early metaphases and offers advantages over others currently employed. The peaks of mitotic activity following the cold-shock treatment differ for patients with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) and patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by an interval of 2 h.

Intramedullary tuberculoma of the spinal cord.

In the differential diagnosis of intramedullary masses or tumors of the spinal cord, tuberculoma is an often overlooked possibility. Although rare, this entity should be considered in the differential gamut of spinal cord lesions even in the presence of a normal chest x-ray.

Spontaneously disappearing gallstones.

A case of spontaneously disappearing gallstones, in a patient who had no evidence of a biliary fistula or gallbladder surgery, is presented.

Renal hamartoma (angiomyolipoma) and the tuberous sclerosis complex.

Renal hamartoma is found in 40 to 80 percent of patients with tuberous sclerosis. Microscopic demonstration of fat in the tissues of the mass is felt to be the most reliable diagnostic criterion of hamartoma.Characteristically, the angiographic appearance demonstrates a large, dilated feeding vessel passing through the mass with multiple, multisacculated aneurysmal dilatations appearing like bunches of grapes.

Acromegaly due to production of a growth hormone releasing factor by a bronchial carcinoid tumor.

We have studied growth hormone production in a patient with a bronchial carcinoid and acromegaly. The absence of growth hormone from the carcinoid tumour was demonstrated by extraction, cell culture and immunoperosidase techniques. Using a linked perfusion culture system, effluent from the bronchial carcinoid tumour culture stimulated a rapid release of growth hormone from a rat pituitary monolayer.