Hemophagocytic syndrome: a cause for fatal outcome in tuberculosis.

Hemophagocytic syndrome is rare syndrome characterized by unregulated proliferation and activation of macrophages and phagocytosis of the platelet, erythrocytes, lymphocytes and their hematopoietic precursors in the bone marrow, resulting in cytopenias. It is associated with stimuli-like infections, malignancies and immunocompromised states. We present here a case of generalized lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly and progressive cytopenias in a 17-year-old male.

Giant cystosarcoma phyllodes tumor of prostate: case report of a rare entity.

Although glandular and stromal proliferations of prostate are very common in adult men, neoplastic proliferations of prostatic stroma are distinctly uncommon. These tumors are now grouped as Prostatic Stromal Proliferations of Uncertain Malignant Potential (PSPUMP). Phyllodes tumor of the prostate is a rare neoplasm in this group with cellular, sarcomatoid stroma and benign hyperplastic glands. It is a locally expansile tumor with clinical course varying from benign to aggressive. We report a case of a 45-year-old man presented with retention of urine and abdominal lump. On laparotomy it was a huge tumor of 4 kg and was histologicaly characterized by cellular pleomorphic stroma and hyperplastic epithelium. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated prostate specific antigen in the glands. It was diagnosed as cystosarcoma phyllodes tumor of prostate. This is extremely uncommon tumor similar in histology to that of breast and it's clinical course varies with the grade. The patient was without recurrence one year after surgery.

Glassy cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix a rare histology. Report of three cases with a review of the literature.

Glassy cell carcinoma is a poorly differentiated variant of adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix associated with an aggressive course and a poor prognosis. We present three cases of glassy cell carcinoma of the cervix. Patients presented with a cervical growth which was biopsied. Histology the tumours showed nests of cells with a granular or clear cytoplasm, displaying marked pleomorphism and mitoses. Stroma showed an eosinophilic infiltrate. Two tumours showed a pure glassy cell pattern and one showed glandular differentiation with intracellular and extracellular mucin. Patients were treated with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy but showed a poor response. Two patients died of the disease of pelvic or distant metastases within two years of diagnosis and one was lost to follow up. Although glassy cell carcinoma runs an aggressive clinical course, an early diagnosis may help in a more effective management and offer a better prognosis.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of extrapancreatic solid-cystic tumour of pancreas: a case report.

Fine needle aspiration cytological features of solid-cystic tumor (SCT) of pancreas occurring adjacent to pancreas is reported for its rare occurrence. On cytology, diagnosis of paraganglioma was suggested. After histologic diagnosis of SCT, cytology was reviewed that showed typical features of SCT. On cytology, diagnostic problem in SCT occurring outside pancreas is illustrated.

NESTROFF as a screening test for detection of Beta-thalassemia trait.

Naked Eye Single Tube Redcell Osmotic Fragility Test (NESTROFT) was applied to 110 patients of suspected cases of beta-Thalassemia and other haemoglobinopathies. Out of 110 patients, 10 cases were of beta-Thalassemia major, 35 of Thalassemia minor and 65 of sickle cell disease. The study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of NESTROFT as a screening test for beta-Thalassemia trait. The test was successful in detecting 34/35 subjects with beta-Thalassemia trait. Sensitivity of the test was 97.1% and specificity was 100%. The test was positive in detecting other haemoglobinopathies like sickle cell disease also. The test proved to be simple, cheap easy to perform and adaptable for mass screening coming close to an ideal screening test for beta-Thalassemia trait.

Efficacy of a modified Ultra Fast Papanicolaou (UFP) stain for breast aspirates.

The chief limitation of Ultra Fast Papanicolaou (UFP) stain, suggested by Yang and Alvarez (1995), is that, Richard Allan Haematoxylin (RA-H) and Richard Allan Cytostain (RA-C), used in the staining procedure are not universally available. It has not been established so far, whether, changes in the reagents and their proportions depending on the local availability, influence the performance of the stain. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and applicability of a modified UFP stain to suit our local laboratory supplies of chemical dyes, as applied to the permanent smears prepared from Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) of breast lumps. In the present study, smears from FNA from 100 breast lumps were stained by the modified UFP stain. The modification consisted of following two changes: use of Gill's Haematoxylin instead of RAH and omission of Orange G from cytostain. Eighty Six breast aspirates were adequate for interpretation. Smears showed transparent cells with crisp nuclear features, equal to and even better than the conventional Papanicolaou stain, in a blood free background. There was an increase in total staining time by 40 seconds. We recommend the use of this modified UFP stain, only if similar reagents are being used in other laboratories. Otherwise situation specific modifications may be needed. If the UFP stain is to be used for tissues where the chances of cytoplasmic keratinization are negligible, then the use of Orange G component of the stain may become redundant.

Cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma with skeletal muscle differentiation: a case report.

Cystic partially differentiated nephroblastoma (CPDN) with skeletal muscle differentiation is reported for its rarity and its unique place in the spectrum from multilocular cyst to Wilms tumor. Unlike Wilms tumor CPDN does not metastasize and is cured by nephron sparing surgery.

Malignant transformation of plantar ulcers in leprosy.

Malignant transformation of plantar ulcers in leprosy is not uncommon. The apparent rarity of these neoplasms could be because many observed cases are not reported. To determine the extent of the problem, 133 consecutive cases of plantar ulcers seen over two years were studied clinically as well as histologically. Plantar ulcers were more common in the distal third of foot (64.67%) but malignant transformation was seen more often in plantar ulcers of proximal third of foot (64.29%). Malignant transformation was more common in plantar ulcers of long duration. Histologically, most of the lesions were benign, being instances of pseudo-epitheliomatous hyperplasia (57.89%) or atypical pseudo-epitheliomatous hyperplasia (13.53%). However, squamous cell carcinoma was observed in 10.53% cases. Thus it may be that more cases with this complication will be detected if it is borne in mind that malignant change may be encountered in such ulcers.

Alpha-fetoprotein in germ cell tumors. An immunohistochemical study.

Total 40 cases of testicular and ovarian germ cell tumors and one case of extragonadal germ cell tumor were studied for the presence of alphafetoprotein (AFP) by indirect immunoperoxidase technique. All seminomas (7 cases) and teratomas (13 cases) were negative for AFP; while 85% of the pure embryonal carcinomas, (E.C.) all pure yolk sac tumors (Y.S.T.) (7 cases) and all embryonal carcinoma and yolk sac components in mixed tumors were AFP positive. Immunostaining of tumor marker appeared to help only in differentiating seminomatous and nonseminomatous tumors and hence does not provide any additional information for classification of these tumors.

Extraosseous giant cell tumour of lung.

A rare case of Extraosseous Osteoclastoma like giant cell tumour of the lung is presented.