Congenital systemic melanosis in a black mongrel pig / 대한수의학회지

Four 3-day-old piglets with retarded growth were submitted to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency for diagnosis. Necropsy showed that one piglet had black spots ranging from 2 mm to 1 cm in diameter in the cerebellum, lungs, regional lymph nodes, and cecum. Histological findings were consistent with the gross appearance in which melanin pigmentation was observed in the organs mentioned above. Based on Fontana-Masson staining, we diagnosed this animal with systemic melanosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of systemic melanosis in black breeds of swine in Korea.

Histopathology, serology and cultures in the diagnosis of cryptococcosis / Histopatologia, sorologia e cultivo no diagnóstico da criptococose

Cryptococcosis is one of the most common opportunistic fungal infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We report 13 cases of cryptococcal infection based on histopathology, serology and cultures. Epidemiological analysis, histochemical techniques of hematoxilin and eosin (HE) and Grocot's silver (GMS), as well special histochemical techniques such as Mayer's mucicarmine (MM) and Fontana-Masson (FM), cryptococcal antigen test (CrAg) and isolation on fungal media: Sabouraud's (SAB), brain-heart infusion agar (BHI) and canavanine-glycine-bromothymol blue (CGB) agar were analyzed. Unsatisfactory staining results by MM stain associated to negative titers by CrAg test, which FM stain confirmed that capsule-deficient Cryptococcus infections were observed in four cases. Eight isolated cases were identified as follows: six cases were infection with Cryptococcus neoformans and two cases were Cryptococcus gattii.

A criptococose é a mais comum infecção fúngica oportunística observada em pacientes com síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida (AIDS). Relatamos 13 casos da infecção baseados no diagnóstico histopatológico, sorológico e cultivo. Foram analisadas: a epidemiologia, as técnicas histoquímicas básicas de hematoxilina-eosina (HE) e coloração pela prata (GMS), bem como as técnicas histoquímicas especiais de mucicarmim de Mayer (MM) e Fontana-Masson (FM), o teste do antígeno criptocóccico (CrAg) e o isolamento em cultivos em ágar-Sabouraud (SAB), ágar infusão de cérebro-coração (BHI) e meio com canavanina azul de bromotimol (CGB). Em quatro casos, resultados tintoriais insatisfatórios pela coloração de MM associados a títulos negativos pelo teste do CrAg, a coloração de FM confirmou a infecção pelo Cryptococcus deficiente de cápsula. Oito isolados foram identificados: seis casos apresentaram a infecção por Cryptococcus neoformans e dois casos apresentaram a infecção por Cryptococcus gattii.

The Correlation of the Expression of Foxn1 and the Pigmentation in Various Pigmentary Disorders / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to the neighboring keratinocytes is a critical step in normal pigmentation. However, the mechanism of melanosome transfer and the regulation of pigmentation by the keratinocyte-melanocyte interactions are not well understood. It has recently been identified that keratinocytes use Foxn1 (transcription factor) to recruit melanocytes and induce their own pigmentation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the expression of Foxn1 in hypopigmentary disorders (vitiligo, pityriasis alba (P. alba) and postinflammatory hypopigmentation (PIHo)) and hyperpigmentary disorders (melasma, caf?-au-lait macule (CALM) and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIHer)). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of hypopigmentary and hyperpigmentary disorders using anti-Foxn1 antibody with an avidin-biotin peroxidase complex procedure. The intraepidermal melanin pigments were examined in all the lesions by Fontana-Masson staining. RESULTS: We found a significantly lower Foxn1 expression (p<0.05) and less intraepidermal melanin pigments (p< 0.01) in the hypopigmentary disorders as compared to that of the hyperpigmentary disorders. In the hypopigmentary disorders such as vitiligo, P. alba and PIHo, the expression of Foxn1 was decreased in the order named. In thehyperpigmentary disorders such as CALM, PIHer and melasma, the expression of Foxn1 was increased in the order named. CONCLUSION: The intraepidermal Foxn1 expression and melanin pigments in PIHer, PIHo and melasma showed a positive correlation, but there was no statistically significant. Our findings suggest that the expression of Foxn1 might be associated with the pathogenesis of three pigment disorders (PIHo, PIHer, melasma). We consider that inflammatory mediators might interact with the intraepidermal Foxn1 expression in PIHo, PIHer and melasma, resulting in an abnormality of the mechanism of melanosome transfer. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the role of the Foxn1 expression in the pathogenesis of pigment disorders.

Técnicas histopatológicas no diagnóstico de criptococose por Cryptococcus deficiente de cápsula: relato de caso / Histopathological techniques for diagnosing cryptococcosis due to capsule-deficient Cryptococcus: case report

Caso de criptococose por Cryptococcus deficiente de cápsula, no qual cultivo do espécime clínico e pesquisa do antígeno capsular no líquor e soro foram negativos. As técnicas histopatológicas foram: Hematoxilina-eosina, Grocott, Mucicarmim de Mayer e Fontana-Masson. Confirmou-se o diagnóstico do Cryptococcus deficiente de cápsula pela técnica de Fontana-Masson e pela imunofluorescência direta. É discutida a potencialidade das técnicas histoquímicas.

A case of cryptococcosis due to capsule-deficient Cryptococcus is presented, in which culturing of the clinical specimen and tests for capsular antigen in cerebrospinal fluid and serum were negative. The histopathological techniques evaluated were hematoxylin-eosin, Grocott methenamine silver, Mayer’s mucicarmine and Fontana-Masson. The diagnosis of cryptococcosis due to capsule-deficient Cryptococcus was confirmed by means of the Fontana-Masson technique and by direct immunofluorescence. The potential of the histochemical techniques is discussed.

Value of Histological Staining in Differential Diagnosis of Vitiligo / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a depigmented disorder, causing serious cosmetic problems for patients. In diagnostic and therapeutic aspects, vitiligo should be differentiated from other hypopigmented disorders as the therapeutic approach and prognosis are different for each disease. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the usefulness of several markers for melanocytes or melanin in differential diagnosis of vitiligo. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were studied, who were diagnosed clinically as suffering from one of the following diseases: vitiligo, nevus depigmentosus, pityriasis alba, postinflammatory hypopigmentation, and idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis. Skin samples (frozen or paraffin-fixed) were obtained from depigmented patches and normal neighboring skin (control). Histological staining was performed by using Fontana-Masson, S-100, MART-1, and DOPA. The staining level of lesional skin was compared with that of normal skin. RESULTS: When the staining level of vitiligo was compared with that of others, vitiligo was significantly lower in Fontana-Masson (13.3+/-17.2% vs 44.4+/-23.7%), S-100 (49.5+/-14.9% vs 74.7+/-24.2%), MART-1 (7.4+/-8.7% vs 68+/-33.9%), and DOPA (9.5+/-11.3% vs 58.2+/-29.5%) (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: MART-1 and DOPA are valuable markers in differential diagnosis of vitiligo. However, Fontana-Masson, a marker of melanin, had some limits in detecting melanocytes, and S-100 showed non-specific staining other than melanocytes.

A Case of Pulmonary Cryptococcosis by Capsule-deficient Cryptococcus neoformans

Pulmonary infection by capsule-deficient Cryptococcus neoformans (CDCN) is a very rare form of pneumonia and it is seldom seen in the immunocompetent host. The authors experienced a case of pulmonary cryptococcosis by CDCN in 25-year-old woman who was without any significant underlying disease. The diagnosis was made from the percutaneous lung biopsy and special tissue staining, including Fontana-Masson silver (FMS) staining. Fungal culture confirmed the diagnosis afterward. Her clinical and radiologic features improved under treatment with fluconazol. It's known that CDCN is not so readily confirmed because fungal culture does not always result in growth of the organism and the empirical fungal stain is not helpful for the differentiation between CDCN and the other infections that are caused by the nonencapsulated yeast-like organisms. In this report, we emphasize the diagnostic value of performing FMS staining for differentiating a CDCN infection from the other confusing nonencapsulated yeast-like organisms.

A Case of Dermal Melanocyte Hamartoma / 대한피부과학회지

Dermal melanocytosis is characterized by the presence of ectopic melanocytes in the dermis. Dermal melanocytosis assumes several morphologic forms, including the Mongolian spot, the blue nevus, the nevus of Ota, the nevus of Ito and dermal melanocytic hamartoma. Differential diagnostic features of these dermal melanocytic lesions depend on onset, course, distribution, histologic features, uniformity of pigmentation, etc. In our case, an 18-year-old girl had asymptomatic 5x3cm sized ill-defined bluish patch on left forearm since birth. Histologic examinations revealed marked increased infiltrate of pigment cells mainly in the upper dermis in Hematoxylin & eosin stain . Fontana-Masson stain and Gp 100 stain revealed marked infiltrate of melanin-containing cells in upper dermis. We report a rare case of dermal melanocyte hamartoma.

A Conjunctival Malignant Melanoma Involving the Cornea

In a case of conjunctival malignant melanoma involving the cornea, we evaluated the findings of H,E, Fontana-Masson, S-100 protein, HMB 45 stain after the localized excision in 39 years old male patient. B-scan ultrasonography, orbit, MRI, Ga citrate scanning and bone scan showed no metastasis to the intraocular tissue, orbital adnexae and other organs. In H-E stain, spindle cells containing melanin pigment which was growing diffusely underneath the conjunctival epithelium could be seen. Fontana-Masson and S-100 protein staining resulted in diffusely positive findings, Therefore we could diagnose as 8 spindle B type malignant m.elanom.a. By histopathological examination, in a case of confirmed spindle B type COunctival malignant melanoma involving the cornea, good result, could be obtained by localized excision followed by 11 months.

Two Cases of Dyschromatosis Symmetrica Hereditaria / 대한피부과학회지

We report two cases of dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria. One is a 12-year- old female and her family had five individuals with similar pigmentary disorder through three generation. The other is a 22-yesr-old female who had no family history of similar disease. Fontana-Masson stain revealed increased and decreased melanin granules in the basal cell layers in the pigmented and depigmented lesions respectively.