Metastatic epithelioid angiosarcoma to the mandible: report of a case and review of the literature.

Angiosarcoma and its epithelioid variant are vascular malignancies that rarely affect the facial skeleton. Epithelioid angiosarcoma resembles carcinoma and can be difficult to diagnose. A case is presented of metastatic epithelioid angiosarcoma to the mandible from an angiosarcomatoid portion of renal carcinoma. The diagnostic challenge is outlined and the literature is reviewed.

MALT lymphoma in labial salivary gland biopsy from Sjögren syndrome: importance of follow-up in early detection.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas are known to occur in Sjögren syndrome (SS) patients, but reported cases in labial salivary glands (LSG) are rare. We report a case of 60-year-old female patient with SS who developed MALT lymphoma in the labial salivary glands during a 2-year time interval when she was participating in the Sjögren's International Clinical Collaborative Alliance, an ongoing longitudinal multisite observational study funded by the National Institutes of Health of the United States. At follow-up exam, LSG biopsy showed atypical diffuse infiltration by mononuclear cells of variable size and atypical nuclei affecting the whole specimen with destruction of glandular architecture, leading to a diagnosis of B-cell MALT lymphoma. Computerized tomography and bone marrow biopsy failed to show additional evidence of disease. Clinical, serologic, ocular, histologic and immunohistochemical findings are presented. A "watch and wait" policy was adopted with regular examinations.

Pseudotumor of the mandible as first presentation of hemophilia in a 2-year-old male: a case report and review of jaw pseudotumors of hemophilia.

Pseudotumor of hemophilia (PTH) is a rare complication seen in approximately 1-2% of cases of hemophilia. Although much more common in long bones, the pelvis, and small bones of the hands and feet than in the jaws, occasionally hemorrhage in the jaws occurs with this result. We present a case in a two-year-old male with a one-month swelling of the right mandible without significant medical history or diagnosis of hemophilia who was subsequently diagnosed as having Factor IX deficiency, or hemophilia B. A review of the literature revealed only 15 reported cases of PTH of the jaws and salient features of PTH in the jaws are discussed. The differential diagnosis of masses occurring in the jaws of children is limited and PTH should be considered when a mass presents with rapid growth and the histopathologic features are not diagnostic for a neoplastic process, even in the absence of a prior diagnosis of hemophilia as PTH may be the initial manifestation of this disease.

Analysis of immune cells within the healthy oral mucosa of specific pathogen-free cats.

The oral mucosa is an important interface for host-environment interactions. Based on previous studies, it is generally accepted that the cellular compartments of the oral immune system comprise organized mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues as well as diffusely and focally distributed T- and to lesser extent B-lymphocytes, oral mucosal Langerhans cells (OMLC), macrophages and mast cells. However, a comprehensive quantification of the cellular elements in the oral mucous membranes of the cat has not been reported. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive analysis of the immune cell compartments in the oral mucous membranes and anatomically related tissues of healthy cats. Multiple biopsies of the oral mucous membranes and related tissues were obtained from four specific pathogen-free cats for histological and immunohistochemical assessment of lymphocyte subsets, OMLC, macrophages and mast cells. T-lymphocyte subsets, OMLC, mast cells and macrophages were present in varying frequencies among the tissue compartments of the feline oral cavity. B-lymphocytes were not identified in any of the examined tissues except the tonsils and mandibular lymph nodes. Lymphocytic aggregates (follicles) were found in the palatoglossal folds and the gingiva. We describe the topographical distribution of various leucocyte subsets in the normal healthy feline oral mucosa, and demonstrate regional differences in the distribution of these cells.

Ameloblastic carcinoma ex ameloblastoma of the mandible with malignancy-associated hypercalcemia.

Ameloblastoma is a rare, locally destructive, benign neoplasm of the jawbones, which arises from epithelium derived from the epithelial components of the developing tooth. Ameloblastic carcinoma is the term used to designate any ameloblastoma in which there is histologic evidence of malignancy in the primary tumor, regardless of whether it has metastasized. Most ameloblastic carcinomas are presumed to have arisen de novo, with few cases of malignant transformation of ameloblastoma being apparent. Hypercalcemia is the most common metabolic complication of malignancy. Although malignancy-associated hypercalcemia is often reported in association with other malignancies, it is exceedingly unusual in association with ameloblastoma, malignant ameloblastoma, or ameloblastic carcinoma. We describe a patient with multiple recurrences of ameloblastoma, with subsequent malignant transformation presenting with malignancy-associated hypercalcemia.

The dexamethasone suppression test in agoraphobia.

Patients diagnosed as having agoraphobia with panic attacks by DSM-III criteria were evaluated with the dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, the Depression Scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Of 97 patients tested, 12.4% had a positive DST. These findings are consistent with earlier reports that found an incidence of abnormal DSTs between 11% and 15% in agoraphobic patients. Abnormal DSTs did not correlate with levels of depression on any of the depression measures.

Biological Process for Converting Naphthalene to cis-1,2-Dihydroxy-1,2-Dihydronaphthalene.

A biological process for converting naphthalene to cis-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene (DHD) catalyzed by Pseudomonas putida strain 119 was optimized in flask experiments. These studies revealed the following: (i) P. putida 119 can propagate efficiently and produce DHD when supplied one of several carbon sources and naphthalene; (ii) maximum DHD production by P. putida 119 occurs in logarithmic-growth-phase cells and decreases at various rates in the stationary growth phase, depending upon the carbon source used; (iii) several analogs of salicylic acid can be used as effective inducers of naphthalene metabolism in P. putida cells growing on glucose; and (iv) the addition of chemical surfactants to naphthalene-cell (P. putida 119) mixtures stimulates DHD production.

Microbial conversion of ethylbenzene to 1-phenethanol and acetophenone by Nocardia tartaricans ATCC 31190.

A culture of Nocardia tartaricans ATCC 31190 was capable of catalyzing the conversion of ethylbenzene to 1-phenethanol and acetophenone while growing in a shake flask culture with hexadecane as the source of carbon and energy. This subterminal oxidative reaction with ethylbenzene appears not to have been previously reported for Nocardia species. When N. tartaricans was grown on glucose as its source of carbon and energy and ethylbenzene was added, no subsequent production of 1-phenethanol or acetophenone was observed. The mechanisms of 1-phenethanol and acetophenone production from ethylbenzene are thought to involve a subterminal oxidation of the alpha-carbon of the alkyl group to 1-phenethanol followed by biological oxidation of the latter to acetophenone.

Factors affecting trimethylarsine and dimethylselenide formation byCandida humicola.

Selenite, selenate, and tellurate inhibited the conversion of arsenate to trimethylarsine byCandida humicola. Trimethylarsine disappeared from the gas phase when incubated withC. humicola in the presence of selenium or tellurium salts. The fungus generated dimethyl-selenide from selenite and selenate and an unidentified gas from tellurate. Sulfate but not arsenate, tellurate, or phosphate inhibited the conversion of selenate to dimethylselenide. Arsenate-grown cells generated trimethylarsine from arsenate, and selenate-grown cells formed dimethylselenide from selenate with almost no lag phase. Cells grown in media with selenate or with no additions only formed the alkylarsine from arsenate after a lag phase, and those grown in solutions with arsenate or no additions produced dimethylselenide slowly from selenate.

Effect of phosphate and other anions on trimethylarsine formation by Candida humicola.

Phosphate inhibited the formation of trimethylarsine from arsenite, arsenate, and monomethylarsonate, but not from dimethylarsinate, by growing cultures of Candida humicola. Phosphite suppressed trimethylarsine production by growing cultures from monomethylarsonate but not from arsenate and dimethylarsinate, and hypophosphite caused a temporary inhibition of both proliferation and the conversion of these three arsenic sources to trimethylarsine. Resting cells of C. humicola derived from cultures grown in arsenic-free media generated the volatile arsenical only after a lag phase. High antimonate concentrations reduced the rate of conversion of arsenate to trimethylarsine by resting cells, but nitrate was without effect.

Effect of different nutritional conditions on the synthesis of tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes.

The effect of various nutritional conditions on the levels of Krebs cycle enzymes in Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis, and Escherichia coli was determined. The addition of glutamate, alpha-ketoglutarate, or compounds capable of being catabolized to glutamate, to a minimal glucose medium resulted in complete repression of aconitase in B. subtilis and B. licheniformis. The synthesis of fumarase, succinic dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase, and isocitric dehydrogenase was not repressed by these compounds. It is postulated that glutamate or alpha-ketoglutarate is the true corepressor for the repression of aconitase. A rapidly catabolizable carbon source and alpha-ketoglutarate or glutamate must be simultaneously present for complete repression of the formation of aconitase. Conditions which repress the synthesis of aconitase in B. subtilis restrict the flow of carbon in the sequence of reactions leading to alpha-ketoglutarate but do not prevent glutamate oxidation in vivo. The data indicate that separate and independent mechanisms regulate the activity of the anabolic and catabolic reactions of the Krebs cycle in B. subtilis and B. licheniformis. The addition of glutamate to the minimal glucose medium results in the repression of aconitase, isocitric dehydrogenase, and fumarase, but not malic dehydrogenase in E. coli K-38.