Reproducibility of histological diagnosis of breast lesions: results of a panel in Italy.

Sixteen pathologists independently examined and classified a series of 81 breast lesions selected from the files of several Italian Pathology Departments in the context of a national task force on breast cancer (FONCAM). A four category classification system was used for analysis; according to the majority diagnosis (MD), simply defined as the most frequently reported in the panel, the series included 37 benign lesions without atypia (45.7%), nine atypical hyperplasias (11.

[Acute abdomen due to mesenteric vasculitis as a presentation form of systemic lupus erythematosus].

We report a previously healthy 24 years old woman, that presented with an acute abdomen due to a mesenteric vasculitis. The diagnostic study demonstrated the presence of a systemic lupus erythematosus with a type IV nephropathy. Posterior to intestinal resection and immunosuppressive therapy, the patient had a satisfactory evolution.

Primary mucosal malignant melanoma of the larynx: case report and review of the literature.

We report a case of primary melanoma of the larynx in a patient who died of disseminated disease 13 months later. It is a rare malignant tumor in the head and neck, accounting for 0.4-10% of all melanomas of this site.

The effect of vigorous exercise during pregnancy on birth-weight.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect on birth-weight of continuing a programme of vigorous exercise into late pregnancy. 'Potential exercisers' were women who had been doing vigorous exercise prior to pregnancy and intended to continue exercising during pregnancy. Controls were healthy pregnant women who did not do regular vigorous exercise.

Natural fluorescence of normal and neoplastic human colon: a comprehensive "ex vivo" study.

Background And Objective: A microspectrofluorometric analysis on "ex vivo" samples from normal tissue and adenocarcinoma of the human colon has been performed to characterize the histological, biochemical, and biophysical bases of the autofluorescence.

Study Design/materials And Methods: Differences between normal and tumor tissues are found that concern both the intensity distribution and spectral shape of the autofluorescence emission. The different pattern of the fluorescence intensity can be related to the histological organization of the tissue, and involves mainly the arrangement of the submucosa, the most fluorescent layer.

Submandibular gland metastasis of breast carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a female patient who developed a solitary metastasis in the submandibular salivary gland 2 years after primary surgery for a grade II T1 N0 M0 breast cancer. A review of the literature shows that metastases in the submandibular gland are uncommon but when they arise the site of the primary tumour is more likely to be distant than in the head and neck region. In female patients, breast tumours predominate.

Anxiety induced by simulated public speaking and stroop color word test in healthy subjects: effects of different trait-anxiety levels.

1. The objective of the present study was to compare the effects of two anxiety-inducing tests, simulated public speaking (SPS) and the stroop color word test (SCWT), in healthy subjects with different trait-anxiety levels. 2.

Long-term follow-up of in situ carcinoma of the breast.

Eighty cases of duct carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast have been investigated by a cohort-retrospective study. These consisted of 8.5 per 1,000 of 9,446 breast biopsies originally diagnosed as benign, between 1964 and 1976, with a mean follow-up of 17.

Soft tissue sarcoma of the breast after conservative surgery and irradiation for early mammary cancer.

At Istituto Tumori of Milano in a series of 3295 patients treated with conservative surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer from 1973 to 1989 three cases of soft tissue sarcoma were observed in irradiated breasts. One patient developed a fibrosarcoma of the breast stroma, 16 months after irradiation. A grade II bulky angiosarcoma was diagnosed in the breast of a patient treated 59 months previously.

Ex vivo optical properties of human colon tissue.

Using a spectrophotometer equipped with an internal integrating sphere, the absorption (mu a) and the reduced scattering (microseconds') coefficients of ex vivo human colon tissues were evaluated from reflectance and transmittance measurements. Mu a and microseconds' varied from 47.7 to 1.

Diagnostic assessment of enlarged superficial lymph nodes by fine needle aspiration.

Two hundred eighty-five consecutive outpatients with enlarged superficial lymph node either clinically suspicious (152) or with a previous diagnosis of a malignant tumor (133) underwent fine needle aspiration (FNA) followed by excisional biopsy. Cytologic and/or cytologic-immunophenotypic diagnoses made on direct smears were compared with subsequent histologic findings. The comparison demonstrated (1) a high rate of conclusive cytologic diagnoses in the assessment of metastatic malignancies, with an overall accuracy rate of 99.

Granulocytic sarcoma with myxoid stroma. Report of a case.

A granulocytic sarcoma with myxoid features simulating a chondrosarcoma was detected in the left arm of a 59 years old man. It is suggested that extramedullary hematopoietic neoplasms such as granulocytic sarcoma may display, similarly to malignant lymphomas, non-specific sarcoma-like features that obscure the usual diagnostic characteristics.

Malignant myoepithelioma of salivary glands: clinicopathological features of ten cases.

Malignant myoepithelioma of the salivary gland is discussed in terms of its clinical behaviour, morphological features and the frequent pre-existence of a pleomorphic adenoma. The study comprised six female and four male patients aged 14-63 years (mean age 38.9 years).

[Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the maxillary sinus].

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a frequent neoplasm of the soft tissue occurring in patient aged between 5th and 7th decade. Maxillary sinus is an unusual site of origin and few cases have been described in literature. Because of the rarity and its aspecific clinical symptoms, diagnosis is troubled.

Light-induced fluorescence spectroscopy of adenomas, adenocarcinomas and non-neoplastic mucosa in human colon. I. In vitro measurements.

In an attempt to evaluate whether induced fluorescence could be exploited to discriminate neoplastic from non-neoplastic tissue, fluorescence spectroscopy was performed at 450-800 nm on 83 biopsy specimens of colonic mucosa. Measurements showed that fluorescence spectra of adenoma, adenocarcinoma and non-neoplastic mucosa manifest dissimilar patterns. Nine variables, whose photophysical and/or biological bases need further investigation, were derived from the spectra.

A synovial sarcoma with t(X;18)(p11;q11) in a patient with Turner's syndrome.

The first case of synovial sarcoma in a patient with Turner's syndrome (45,X) is reported. Cytogenetic analysis of the tumor cells showed that the only X chromosome was involved in the t(X;18)(p11;q11) characteristic of synovial sarcoma.

[Anticardiolipin antibodies in connective tissue diseases].

The incidence of anticardiolipin (ACL) antibodies in connective tissue disorders other than systemic lupus was investigated in 113 subjects: 68 had rheumatoid arthritis, 23 primary Sjogren syndrome and 22 had systemic sclerosis. VDRL, thromboplastin time and determination of IgG and IgM ACL antibodies (ELISA) were performed in all subjects. Overall, 45% of patients were positive for ACL antibodies, mostly of the IgG variety (90%).

Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the liver. A case report.

The authors report a case of primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the liver in a 66-year-old woman. Electron microscopy findings suggest an origin from the biliary epithelium as well as cholangiocarcinoma, which clinical and prognostic features are similar to those of mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Prevalence of myopia in open angle glaucoma.

In this study concerning the prevalence of myopia in patients with open angle glaucoma, its distribution was analyzed within the sample tested in relation to the refraction defect size, compared with a control group of non-glaucomatous myopic subjects. The overall myopic rate was 17.2% of the glaucomatous patients; high myopia was more frequent in the subjects with open angle glaucoma (p less than 0.

[Recurrent loss of pregnancy in patients with anticardiolipin antibodies (ACAb)].

The high level of antibody anticardiolipins in pregnancy was related with fetal mortality abortion and low birth weight. The authors used prednisone and aspirin, with success in this patients.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the maxillary sinus. A case report.

We report a case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the left maxillary sinus in a 30 year-old man. The major problem encountered was the histological diagnosis of the first biopsy, which showed a non specific fasciculated, myxoid, alveolar pattern suggestive of a mesenchymal malignancy, thus preventing the correct diagnosis that became possible only when the surgical specimen was available.

[Anticardiolipin antibodies and primary antiphospholipid syndrome of the central nervous system: report of 10 clinical cases].

An association between anti-phospholipid antibodies and different disorders of the central nervous system has been described recently. We used an ELISA technique and detected anti-cardiolipin antibodies of the IgG or IgM variety in a series of 10 patients: 4 had occlusive stroke, 2 brain hemorrhage, 2 chorea, 1 a Sneddon syndrome and 1 vascular cephalea. The diagnosis of primary anti-phospholipid syndrome was suggested after ruling out systemic lupus in all patients.