Epidural mass due to aspergillus flavus causing spinal cord compression--a case report and brief update.

Aspergillus infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is an uncommon disease. Most of the reported cases are of sinocranial spread and cases with contiguous spread to spinal cord from lung and other organs are uncommon. A case of pulmonary aspergillosis with extension to thoracic vertebrae forming a paraspinal mass resulting in neurological deficit due to Aspergillus flavus, is reported. The 43 year old patient did not have any obvious predisposing condition. He presented with loss of motor function and succumbed to the infection despite operative intervention and antifungal therapy. A brief update on CNS aspergillosis is presented along with detailed clinical, radiological and laboratory work up of the patient.

Papillary carcinoma of thyroid presenting as posterior mediastinal mass with superior vena cava syndrome.

Enlarged thyroid with retrosternal extension presenting as anterior mediastinal mass is known. Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome due to direct invasion from a primary thyroid malignancy is a rare phenomenon. We present a unique case of papillary carcinoma of thyroid extending into the posterior mediastinum with superior vena cava syndrome along with internal jugular and azygous vein thrombosis.

Breast hamartoma associated with pregnancy--a case report.

Hamartoma of the breast is an uncommon tumor like condition constituting only 3.9 to 4.8 % of benign breast tumors. We wish to report clinical, cytological, cytological histological findings of breast hamartoma with pregnancy

Hepatocellular failure in glycogen storage disorder type 3.

A case of a 21 years male patient with type 3 glycogen storage disorder diagnosed at necropsy, who died suddenly with hypovolemic shock following a massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to hepatocellular failure is reported. Salient features of GSD type 3 are briefly discussed.

Recurrent inflammatory pseudotumor of small bowel mesentery presenting as perforative peritonitis.

A 62-year-old man with recurrent inflammatory pseudotumor of the small bowel mesentery presented with perforative peritonitis; such a presentation has not been reported. The mass was excised successfully.

Clinical, morphological, immunological correlation of kidney biopsies and prognostication.

Twenty seven ANA and dsDNA positive cases were selected from surgical files from years 1986 to 1997. Clinical, biochemical, morphological and immunofluorescence findings were correlated. Routine Haematoxylin and Eosin, Per iodic-Acid-Schiff and Methaneamine-Silver stains were used for all cases. Direct immunofluorescence was done whenever possible. Morphologically cases were grouped as per WHO criteria. Morphologically cases were quantified into Austin's chronicity and activity indices. Twenty one to thirty years was common age group. M:F:: 1:4.4. Anemia, skin rash and arthralgia were common extra-renal manifestations. There were 1,5,7,10 and three cases as per WHO class I to V respectively. All cases of class IV had active urine sediments and proteinuria. Four cases had high BUN and Serum creatinine levels. All (12) cases of immunofluorescence revealed group specific patterns. Five cases died. Infection was common cause of death. Twenty to thirty years, males, High BUN and Creatinine levels and high activity and chronicity indices were associated with poor prognosis.

Autopsy study of patients dying of bleeding diathesis.

Ten thousand & thirty seven autopsies performed from the year 1982 to 1992 were studied retrospectively, to find out the number of deaths due to bleeding diathesis. Eighty-seven (0.87%) patients died due to bleeding diathesis, out of which haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) was seen in 9 cases (10.34%), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in 67 cases (77.01%) & 11 cases were grouped as miscellaneous. Martius scarlet blue stain was carried out to demonstrate fibrin & depending on the number of thrombi in the glomerulus & blood vessels, the lesions were graded as mild, moderate or severe. Kidney was the most common organ involved in all groups of bleeding diathesis. In DIC kidney & lung involvement was almost equal.

Autopsy study of infant kidneys in cases of urinary tract anomalies.

The infant autopsies were scrutinised to find the incidence, etiology & significance in terms of fatality of urinary tract anomalies. On analysing 1329 infant autopsies, 24 cases (1.8%) of significant urinary tract anomalies were found. There was marked male predominance. Intrauterine obstruction of urinary tract was the main etiological factor leading to dysplastic changes in the renal tissue. Dysplasia is severe in extent and may be associated with persistent blastemal zones when the obstruction is complete & bilateral in nature.

Paratesticular myxoliposarcoma--(a case report).

A rare case of paratesticular myxoliposarcoma spreading to the inguinal region forming satellite nodules, hence clinically mimicking a metastatising testicular malignancy is reported. Its prognostic factors are discussed.