Atypical carcinoid presenting as mesothelioma.

Two patients presented with pleuritic pain and dyspnoe together with pleural thickening on the X-ray of the chest. In both a history of exposure to asbestos existed suggesting mesothelioma. A definite diagnosis could not be made and therefore therapy was symptomatic. Autopsy revealed the unexpected diagnosis of atypical carcinoid of the lung. In one case, pleural spread of tumor was seen while in the other an extensive fibrotic pleural reaction existed. To our knowledge these cases represent the first examples of atypical carcinoid causing pseudomesothelioma.

Salmonella enteritidis in an endometriotic ovarian cyst.

Isolated Salmonella infections are rare. In view of the rarity, we present a case of a 16-year-old patient with an endometriotic ovarian cyst where Salmonella enteritidis was isolated from aspirated material from the cyst. We include a review of the world literature on ovarian Salmonella infection from 1966 to June 1996.

Hormone-dependent spinal leiomyoma.

A 43-year-old woman underwent subtotal removal of a cervical spinal leiomyoma in 1980 and 1981. When her (cyclic) symptoms recurred and tumor growth was demonstrated, she was treated with a synthetic anti-gonadotropic hormone (Danazol; Danatrol) until menopause, when medication could be discontinued without further recurrence of her symptoms or increase in size of the residual tumor.

Bleeding varices due to portal hypertension in sarcoidosis. Favorable effect of propranolol and prednisone.

A 58-year-old white man had bleeding varices in the gastric fundus due to portal hypertension attributable to histologically proven hepatic sarcoid involvement with a giant splenomegaly and with an angiographically demonstrated significant flow toward the liver. Treatment with corticosteroids and beta-blockade (30 mg propranolol daily) resulted in no rebleeding for over one year follow-up.

Dialysis associated mucormycosis and desferrioxamine treatment: a case report with review of the role of oxygen radicals.

A hemodialysis patient with pulmonary and cerebral mucormycosis is reported. Recently the occurrence of this infection in dialysis patients has been associated with desferrioxamine (DFO) treatment. A causal relation seems likely, but has not been proved. Several pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed, in particular the influence of DFO on host neutrophil defenses through a decreased oxygen radical production.

Intradural granulocytic sarcoma: a rare cause of sciatic pain.

Granulocytic sarcoma is a solid tumor associated with acute leukemia and myeloproliferative disorders. In this report we present a patient with a progressive sciatic pain due to an intradural granulocytic sarcoma fixed on the right spinal nerve root S1. The incidence and significance of central nervous involvement by granulocytic sarcoma are discussed.

Segmental rigidity and spinal myoclonus as a paraneoplastic syndrome.

A 68 year old woman is described with persisting muscular rigidity of the left lower leg together with transient myoclonic jerking in the left quadriceps muscle. Six weeks after onset a small cell carcinoma of the lung became manifest. With radiotherapy and chemotherapy complete remission was achieved. Segmental muscular spasm improved at the same time. Necropsy revealed loss and degeneration of alpha-motor neuron cells at one side of the anterior horn of the lumbar enlargement. This case may represent another manifestation of paraneoplastic subacute motor neuronopathy.

Are biopsies from the prostatic urethra useful in patients with superficial bladder carcinoma?

Fifty male patients entered a Mitomycin C trial for superficial bladder cancer and biopsies in the prostatic urethra were taken with a cold cup biopsy forceps. In one patient this procedure failed. In 21 of 49 patients no abnormalities were detected but in the remaining 28 patients (57.1%) histological changes were found in the prostatic urethra. In 13 of these patients (26.5%) the changes were either carcinoma in situ (CIS) or superficial bladder carcinoma. Carcinoma in situ in the prostatic urethra was found in nine patients (18%) and in all but one it was combined with CIS in the bladder. These results indicate that biopsies from the prostatic urethra must be taken routinely in order to plan adequate therapy.

Epididymitis due to Schistosoma haematobium infection.

Four cases of Schistosoma haematobium-infection of the epididymis are reported. Histological examination showed an intense granulomatous infiltration of the epididymis with calcified eggs of Schistosoma haematobium.