Tumoral calcinosis--clinicopathological study of five cases.

Five cases of tumoral calcinosis were studied during the period of January-february 1999 in MIMER medical college, Talegaon, a rural place 35kms. from Pune. All the Five patients were females residing in nonendemic area for Dracunculosis. They were from 5th-6th decade. They were otherwise healthy and had normal serum calcium and phosphorus levels and no eosinophilia. All had large, hard subcutaneous lump around hip joint. The skin overlying the swelling was normal. Histologically all cases showed similar morphology, the lesions were composed of large and small deposits of calcium. The foreign-body giant cell reaction was seen in two cases. There were no eosinophils and lymphocytes. On multiple sectioning none of the cases revealed any evidence of dead or living parasite. Old and recent necrosis was absent. These cases are presented since the condition is comparatively rare and it appeared in crops in our Institute.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in children and adults--an 8 year study.

20 cases of Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis (XPN) were encountered over an 8 year period, constituting 0.4 percent of the total of 47,370 surgical biopsies, 10 percent of the total of 188 nephrectomy specimens removed for various reasons and 35 percent of the nephrectomy specimens associated with chronic pyelonephritis. This is the largest single series, reported in Indian literature. 16 patients were adults and 4 were children, thus 25 percent of our cases were children, a significantly high proportion. Our youngest patient a 5 1/2 month old male, is to the best of our knowledge, the youngest case reported from India. Males predominated in our series, the M:F ratio being 3:1, this contrasts with western literature in which there is a definite female preponderance. The common presenting symptoms were lumbar pain, fever and palpable non-functioning kidney. 4 cases were complicated by cutaneous sinuses. There was a slight predominance of affectation of the left side over the right side. On gross examination, diffuse lesions were commoner than focal lesions and were seen in children as well. An accurate pre-operative diagnosis was made in only 2 cases, in the rest, the diagnosis was either tuberculosis or pyonephrosis. Thus XPN is quite frequently seen in the adult Indian population and is not as rare in children, as it was once thought to be.

Angiomatoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Angiomatoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH), is a rare but distinct fibrohistiocytic tumour of children and young adults, simulating a vascular neoplasm. A case of angiomatoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma in a 12 year old male is reported.