Fatal hemorrhage caused by varicose veins.

Varicose veins are a common, worldwide medical problem, but are generally considered non-life-threatening. We report three cases of fatal hemorrhage resulting from varicose veins and review the literature. The pathology of acute perforations onto the skin surface in varicose venous disease is described.

Cardiac synovial sarcoma with translocation (X;18) associated with asbestos exposure.

A primary cardiac spindle cell tumor with immunoreactivity for keratin proteins is reported. Cytogenetic analysis of the tumor demonstrated a translocation (X;18), an aberration almost exclusively reported in synovial sarcomas. Postmortem examination revealed amphibole asbestos within the lungs and diaphragmatic pleural plaques indicative of asbestos exposure. These findings raise questions about the possible causation of this tumor.