Perforation of the sigmoid colon following ingestion of a dental plate.

The authors report on the perforation of the sigmoid colon in a 48-year-old male following the accidental ingestion of a partial dental plate. Sharp, pointed objects may perforate the bowel and surgery should be considered. A review of the literature revealed no previously reported cases.

The CFC challenge: chillers to replace, retrofit or ?

Health care facilities are planning for changes in regulations regarding chlorofluorocarbon-based refrigerants. These changes are imminent, leaving little time to figure out what to do with equipment using these refrigerants. This article looks at the background of the CFC phaseout program and reviews options available to engineers in assessing their equipment.

Case report: benign chondrolipoma of the female breast.

The authors describe a benign cartilage-containing mesenchymal tumor of the female breast. The tumor arose behind the nipple, deep within the breast, and was detected by routine mammography. The authors discuss previously reported benign cartilage-containing tumors.

Phagocytosis of Candida parapsilosis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

The authors present a brief case report on an unusual entity. This rare phenomenon observed in a peripheral smear is worth noting. Neutrophils and rare eosinophils show intracellular fungal cells; the size, shape, and budding are consistent with Candida parapsilosis.

Pure squamous cell carcinoma of the breast.

The authors report a case of a pure squamous cell carcinoma of the breast with osteoclast-like stromal giant cells. These rare tumors should be diagnosed only after complete sampling has excluded an adenocarcinoma with squamous metaplasia or origin in the overlying skin.

Etiologies of tic douloureux: trigeminal neuralgia.

Tic doloreaux, commonly known as trigeminal neuralgia, has bewildered researchers for hundreds of years as to the exact etiology of its pain mechanisms. Due in large part to the intense nature of the tic-like pain, this disease has drawn a lot of attention. Two divergent viewpoints, central verses peripheral, provide insight into possible mechanisms.

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome with polymyositis.

We have reported a case of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) with polymyositis, in which there was marked eosinophilic leukocytic infiltration of the myocardium and striated skeletal muscles, particularly of the diaphragm, with foci of necrosis and areas of fibrosis. We believe this to be the first detailed report of the involvement of the diaphragm in HES.

Paget's disease of the nipple simulating malignant melanoma in a black woman.

A lesion of Paget's disease arising in the skin of the nipple in a black woman is reported. The lesion simulated histologically a malignant melanoma because of the abundance of melanin within neoplastic cells in the epidermis as well as within the underlying ductal carcinoma of the breast. It was only after differential staining that the diagnosis of Paget's disease could be substantiated unequivocally.