Molecular analysis in endometrial cancer.

The molecular events that occur during the development of endometrial carcinoma are largely uncharacterized. Carcinomas of the endometrium are associated as extracolonic malignant tumors in patients with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome. Endometrium and ovary may develop histologically homologue cancers especially endometrioid and papillary serous carcinomas. Colon and ovarian carcinoma might serve as model systems for the molecular analysis in endometrial carcinoma. We sought to analyze in endometrial carcinoma frequent molecular mechanisms of colon and ovarian carcinoma, including Ki-ras codon 12 mutations, microsatellite instability, p53 and c-erb B-2 immunohistochemical expression and allelic loss on chromosome 17q. Our results indicate that molecular mechanisms in endometrial carcinoma are different than those responsible for colorectal carcinomas and that uterine papillary serous carcinomas shares with its ovarian counterpart several molecular alterations in contrast to the histologically homologue uterine and ovarian endometrioid carcinoma. Furthermore there is a molecular basis to distinguish uterine endometrioid and papillary serous carcinoma.

[Comparison of ventilation-/perfusion scintigraphy with spiral CT in acute lung embolism]. / Vergleich der Ventilations-/Perfusions-Szintigraphie mit der Spiral-CT bei akuter Lungenembolie.

AIM: Evaluation of the validity of spiral-CT compared with ventilation/perfusion (v/p) scintigraphy, the standard diagnostic tool in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective study of 70 patients with symptoms of acute pulmonary embolism: examination with both methods within 4 hours. RESULTS: In 46 patients pulmonary embolism could be unequivocally excluded by both methods. Patients with high-probability-Tc-scans predominantly had central emboli on CT. In cases with medium or low probability-Tc-scans thrombi were usually visible in segmental arteries. In one patient with a non-suspicious scintigram spiral-CT was able to detect emboli in multiple segmental arteries. CONCLUSION: Spiral-CT is a fast, safe and almost always available method for detection of pulmonary embolism. In our hands it is superior to v/p-scintigraphy. It allows direct detection of a thrombus and has additional advantages in differential diagnosis (e. g. lung carcinoma, infectious infiltration). In patients with clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism spiral-CT should be the primary diagnostic modality.

Corneal dermoid in a beef calf.

A 10-mm circumscribed nodule, containing hair, was noted on the ventral cornea, limbus and conjunctiva of the right eye of a 6-month-old male Hereford calf. With the animal restrained in a chute and proparacaine used as a topical anesthetic, superficial keratectomy was performed to remove the mass. The edge of the bulbar conjunctival wound was sutured to the limbus with 6-0 Vicryl. Chloramphenicol ophthalmic ointment was applied TID for 5 days. Recovery was uneventful.

Retinal degeneration relating to taurine deficiency in a cat.

A 13-year-old spayed Siamese had normal pupillary light reflexes and visual acuity, a dull haircoat , and a history of eating dog food. Binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy of the left fundus revealed an ellipsoid, hyperreflective lesion in the area centralis and a second lesion medial and adjacent to the optic disk. The right fundus had a hyperreflective band from the temporal to nasal quadrants. The plasma taurine level was 10 nmol/g (normal greater than 100 nmol/g). Central retinal degeneration secondary to taurine deficiency was diagnosed. Inclusion of fresh meat and fish in the cat's diet halted progression of the lesions.

Reaction of normal equine eyes to radio-frequency current-induced hyperthermia.

In the main study, hyperthermia was induced by radio-frequency current to obtain a single, central, corneal lesion in the right eye and 2 separate limbal lesions in the left eye of 13 light horses and 8 ponies. Intracorneal and intralimbal temperature profiles for the procedure were obtained in a separate study from the eyes of a horse and a pony treated in the same manner. After treatment of the principal eyes and 6 sham-treated eyes, clinical observations were conducted for up to 6 months, using indirect ophthalmoscopy, biomicroscopy, and fluorescein staining. Immediately after hyperthermic treatment of the eyes, dense opaque imprints of the electrodes of the localized current field device were present. Ulcerative keratitis persisted variably from day 2 through day 6 after treatment; anterior uveitis was present from day 3 through day 7. A mucopurulent discharge occurred infrequently, and conjunctival hyperemia was variable. Depigmentation resulted from hyperthermic treatment at pigmented limbal sites. Small scars persisted at 1 central site and 6 limbal sites where the electrodes were positioned vertically. Vision was not compromised in any of the horses permitted to live beyond a week. Microscopically, denudation and subsequent repair of the corneal epithelium correlated with the presence and then the absence of fluorescein staining. Stromal inflammation, edema, disorganization of collagenous fibers, and temporary disruption of corneal endothelium contributed to transitory corneal opacity. Time required for repair of corneal tissues varied, but all layers were integral 8 days after exposure to hyperthermia. Later changes included choroidal hydrops, vascular damage in conjunctival vessels, stromal neovascularization, and corneal fibroplasia.