Triple-negative breast carcinomas of low malignant potential: review on diagnostic criteria and differential diagnoses.

Triple-negative breast carcinomas constitute a wide spectrum of lesions, mostly being highly aggressive. Nevertheless, some special histologic subtypes can have low malignant potential. The purpose of the present paper is to review diagnostic criteria and prognostic parameters of breast neoplasms of special histotypes. Specifically, adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenomyoepithelioma, acinic cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, tall cell carcinoma with reverse polarity, and secretory carcinoma will be discussed. For each tumour, definition and morphological and molecular features, together with prognostic parameters, will be presented. Paradigmatic cases will be illustrated.

Peripheral nerve mucoid degeneration involving the sciatic nerve.

Peripheral nerve mucoid degeneration (PNMD) is a rare non-neoplastic degenerative condition characterized by endoneural deposit of mucoid matrix. Herein, we report a case of PNMD involving the sciatic nerve with preoperative features, surgical treatment and pathological findings.

Multicentre evaluation of the Bayer DAX system.

The analytical performance of the DAX, a high-throughput random access analyser, was studied according to ECCLS guidelines (ECCLS Document Vol. 3, No. 2, Beuth Verlag, Berlin, 1986) in a multicentre evaluation involving four laboratories. The trial took about 4 months. Determinations of 12 analytes produced more than 60,000 data. The imprecision study on 3 control sera for all analytes gave a within-run CV (median of 4 laboratories) which never exceeded 3% and was below 2% in 94% of the results. The median between-day CV was less than 3% in 92% of the results, with a highest value of 5.0%. No significant drift was detected during the 5-hour work period. No relevant sample- and cuvette-related carry-over was found. The manufacturer's claims concerning linearity were fulfilled or exceeded. The recovery of the assigned values for the control sera (median of 4 laboratories) ranged from 94 to 106%. In the method comparison on patients' samples, deviations were statistically significant in some cases, due to differences either in the methods used or in the calibration of the systems used for comparison; the regression lines, as inspected visually, and the coefficients of correlation were, however, generally acceptable. Imprecision and inaccuracy were within the acceptability limits as recommended by the Société Française de Biologie Clinique (SFBC) (Biochim. Clin. 12 (1988) 284-327) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Klinische Chemie (DGKC) (Dt. Arztebl. 85 (11) (1988) A697-A712). The limits of acceptance, proposed more recently by Fraser et al. (Eur. J. Clin. Chem. Clin. Biochem. 30 (1992) 311-317), were met in thirty-three of thirty-six cases. The alpha-amylase assay was significantly affected by bilirubin and haemolysis; interferences for the remaining analytes were predictable and well-known from the literature. The rate of sample throughput was found to be in agreement with that claimed by the manufacturer. The software did not present problems and was readily accepted by the operators. The practicability of the instrument was rated very good. Since the DAX is the primary chemistry analyzer in all four participating laboratories, the present experiments were necessarily intermixed with a large routine workload. Therefore, the system performance was assessed under definitely "usual" conditions. Because of its high productivity and reliability, the DAX is highly suitable for routine use in medium to large sized hospitals.

[Effects of nifedipine on lactate metabolism in ischemic cardiopathy. Evaluation by atrial pacing]. / Effetti della nifedipina sul metabolismo del lattato nella cardiopatia ischemica. Valutazione mediante atrial pacing.

10 patients with documented ischaemic heart disease were undergone to atrial pacing (AP) before and after administration of nifedipine. The lactate utilization (%L), ischaemic ST, angor were tested in the same conditions before and after the drug. Six patients presented negative lactate utilization (-%L) during AP before the drug and four had decreased %L during recovery. -%L was removed by the drug, in those without -%L nifedipine is able to provocate the same paradoxically. Nevertheless angor disappears n all cases while the ischaemic ST is irregulary eliminated. Paradoxical -%L after nifedipine was not assumed as result of damage of the coronary flow, as ischaemic ST and angor disappear. Probably this is the sign of byochemical block of piruvate-deydrogenasy due to the Ca++ antagonist action of nifedipine. Nifedipine favorable action was explained by the increased %L in patients with low %L during recovery time, that is expression of a increased aerobic metabolism.