The role of immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma of the minor salivary gland: a case report.

A case of hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma (HCCC) of the minor salivary glands of the oral cavity is reported. A 52- year-old woman presented with a growing mass at the base of the tongue. The patient underwent complete resection of the tumour. The histological picture was characterized by trabeculae or solid nests of proliferating cells with a clear cytoplasm, surrounded by a hyalinizing stroma. Tumour cells were immunoreactive for Cytokeratins 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 17 and 18. No reactivity was observed for cytokeratin 20, vimentin, S- 100 protein, smooth-muscle actin, muscle-specific actin, and calponin. These findings confirmed the diagnosis of HCCC of minor salivary glands of the oral cavity. The clinical presentation, the immunohistochemical pattern and the role of cytokeratins in the differential diagnosis of HCCC are discussed with a review of the literature.

Chromosome changes in nonneoplastic tissue. Numerical and structural abnormalities in nasal polyps with atypical stromal cells.

Cytogenetic investigation on short-term cultures of 13 nasal polyps disclosed the presence of chromosome aberrations in three cases: one (a recurrence) showed numerical changes; the other two had structural abnormalities, an inv(12)(q15q22) in one case, a der(6)t(6;12)(q22;q15) in the other. The three cases were characterized histologically by the presence of frequent atypical stromal cells, and were positive for vimentin and smooth muscle actin. Of the remaining 10 cases, three were not analyzable, and seven had normal karyotypes, although random structural changes were seen in two of them.

Numerical chromosome changes in a nasal polyp.

The etiology of nasal polyposis is not fully understood. We found numerical chromosome changes in one out of five cytogenetically investigated nasal polyps. The histological picture of this case was characterized by the presence of histiocyte-like cells, which were absent in the remaining cytogenetically normal polyps.

[Propofol and fentanyl in Sanfilippo disease. Surgical intervention with adenotonsillectomy]. / Propofol e fentanyl nella malattia di Sanfilippo. Intervento chirurgico di adenotonsillectomia.

An intravenous anesthesia with propofol and fentanyl was used for adenotonsillectomy in a child affected by mucopolysaccharidosis. This technique proved to be safe and convenient without peri- and postoperative complications.

[Tonsillectomy in childhood: personal considerations]. / La tonsillectomia in età infantile: considerazioni personali.

This paper discusses the personal criteria followed in indicating tonsillectomy and/or adenotonsillectomy in treating a group of 150 children between the ages of 2 and 12 in the ENT Department of the Crobu Hospital of Iglesias where a follow-up was carried out from May 1989 to March 1991. The study analyzes when and under what conditions these surgical procedures are indicated in young patients without recurrent tonsillitis but with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The utility of traditional laboratory investigations (such as surface pharyngeal swabbing) in indicating surgical therapy is also evaluated. In concluding, the Authors affirm that recurrent tonsillitis no longer controllable with medical therapy is still the most frequent indication for surgery. In fact, 64% of the children studied belonged to either class TR or ITR in which recurring infection was the primary indication factor. However, respiratory obstruction has recently emerged as a increasingly important factor in indicating tonsillectomy and/or adenotonsillectomy. In fact, 54 children (35.9%) of the 150 studied belonged to class IT or OSA in which tonsillar and/or adeno-tonsillar hypertrophy with obstruction of various degrees was the determining factor in indicating surgical treatment. It appears that in the near future with fewer tonsillectomies being indicated in the case of recurrent tonsillitis, a progressive increase in the number of indications of surgical treatment in cases of obstruction may be expected. The Authors stress, however, the importance of identifying OSA patients because of the cardiorespiratory risks they may encounter during surgery (intubation difficulty found by the anaesthesiologist, tendency towards laryngeal spasms and pharyngeal obstruction in the post-operatory period).

Immature dense granules in platelets from mice with platelet storage pool disease.

Mepacrine uptake into platelets and bone marrow megakaryocytes was analyzed to further characterize the dense granule defects in a group of seven mouse pigment mutants that have characteristics of platelet storage pool disease (SPD). In contrast to our previous studies using electron microscopy, this method revealed that all mutants had normal numbers of dense granules. However, total mepacrine uptake in all mutant platelets was significantly diminished to less than 50% of normal uptake. Also, the flashing phenomenon observed when normal dense granules are irradiated with ultraviolet light was either greatly diminished or absent when platelets of individual mutants were similarly irradiated. Therefore the principal defect in the mutant platelets is an inability to accumulate dense granule contents rather than an absence of the granules. Mepacrine uptake into megakaryocytes was indistinguishable in normal and mutant mice. This indicates the mutant dense granule defects appear either very late in megakaryocyte development or early in platelet formation in correlation with development of the mature dense granule. By standard transmission electron microscopy we have not been able to detect gross structural or subcellular abnormalities in either platelets or megakaryocytes of mutant mice. It appears all seven mutants produce immature or functionally abnormal dense granules.