[Catecholamine-producing tumors of the chromaffin tissue. Morphological and ultrastructural characteristics]. / Katekholaminprodutsiruiushchie opukholi khromaffinnoi tkani. Morfologicheskaia i ul'trastrukturnaia kharakteristika.

Histological and ultrastructural studies were carried out in 41 hypertensive patients showing increased urine excretion of catecholamines and vanilmandelic acid due to chromaffinoma of the adrenal and other sites: malignant chromaffinoma of the adrenal, including multiple--55%, border-line chromaffinoma--34% and malignant--11% (total--53 tumors). Ultrastructurally, malignant chromaffinoma showed pronounced aniso- and poikilocytosis, lack of desmosomes, presence of dark and clear cells, irregular and bizarre-shaped nuclei and enlarged nucleoli. An inverse correlation between the level of secretory granules and that of organelles was established for all sites and patterns of growth. The data obtained suggest certain ultrastructural peculiarities which alongside with macro- and microscopic features serve identification of malignity of tumor, functional status of tumor cells and type of secretion.

[Lymphoid infiltration of the thyroid gland and antithyroid antibodies in patients with diffuse toxic goiter]. / Limfoidnaia infil'tratsiia shchitovidnoi zhelezy i antitireoidnye antitela u bol'nykh diffuznym toksicheskim zobom.

The titer of antibodies to thyroglobulin (TgAb) was determined in 59 patients with diffuse toxic goiter before and in 21 patients 1.3 and 6 mos. after subtotal resection of the thyroid using the hemagglutination test (HAT), radioimmunoassay (RIA) and indirect immunofluorescence (IF). Microsomal antibodies were determined by the latter method only. Using the HAT TgAb were detected in 85% of the patients, using RIA and IF in 40 and 44%, respectively. A high titer of thyroid antibodies was detected on an average in 11-15% of the patients. Positive correlation was found in comparing the titer of thyroid antibodies with a degree of the expression of the thyroid lymphoid infiltration (TLI). It was most significant when it was between the titer of microsomal antibodies and TLI expression. The presence and severity of endocrine ophthalmopathy did not correlate with the TgAb titer. A tendency to the disappearance of TgAb or the reduction of their titer was noted in the first 6 mos. following operation.

[Testicular tumors in male pseudohermaphroditism]. / Opukholi gonad pri lozhnom muzhskom germafroditizme.

The data are summarized on the incidence and morphofunctional characteristics of gonadal tumors in different varieties of false male hermaphroditism, namely the testicular feminization syndrome (marked and unmarked forms), demonstrable masculinization and dysgenesis and compared with the disease clinical manifestations. The two syndromes--testicular feminization (marked form) and dysgenesis were found to be associated with a high risk of cancer development. In the first case there develop sertolioma-like tumors and in the second one, tumors similar to gonocytoma and dysgerminoma. These tumors became malignant in rare cases, they did not recur or metastasize. The treatment schedule for such patients has been developed. It includes the removal of the tumor-affected gonads and transfer of the tumor-free gonads into subcutaneous abdominal or scrotal areas and administration (during castration) of continuous substitution hormonotherapy according to the sex chosen.

[Functional activity of gonadal glandular cells in patients with testicular dysgenesis]. / O funktsional'nom aktivnosti zhelezistykh kletok gonad bol'nykh s sindromom disgenezii testikulov.

Results of histochemical study of testicular tissue in 31 patients, aged 2.5 to 31 years, suffering from dysgenesia syndrome of the testis are presented. Enzymes and lipids furnishing synthesis of steroid hormones (3-beta-oxysteroid dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. NAD- and NADP-diaphorase, cholesterol and its esters) were revealed in Leydig's cells of pubertal-juvenile and adult patients, in Leydig's cells precursors in children, and also in Sertoli's cells of all these patients. All these cellular elements possessed high activity of the enzymes under study. It is suggested that Sertoli cells and Leydig's cells precursors, along with mature Leydig's cells, provide a sufficiently high functional activity of the gonads in patients with dysgenesia of the testis.

[Gonadal tumors in the testicular dysgenesis syndrome]. / Opukholi gonad pri sindrome disgenezii testikulov.

Morphological study of the gonads in 84 patients with the testis dysgenesis syndrome demonstrated the presence of the tumours in 26 (31%) of cases. They were mostly microscopic, benign, could affect both gonads simultaneously, and, in asymmetrical differentiation of the gonads, the connective tissue band as well. Two types of the tumours were revealed: gonadoblastomas (different variants) and dysgerminomas. No specific clinical signs of the tumour changes of the gonads accompanied the syndrome under study.