[Ganglioneuroma of parapharyngeal space: case report and review of the literature]. / Ganglioneuroma dello spazio parafaringeo: descrizione di un caso e revisione della letteratura.

A case of ganglioneuroma of parapharyngeal space is described and the literature on this field is briefly reviewed. The patient, a 7-year-old female, presented with a left parapharyngeal space mass causing medial displacement of the left lateral pharyngeal wall. The lesion sized 4.4 cm in the largest diameter. Histologically, the tumour showed the coexistence of two distinct cells types--ganglion cells and Schwann cells--within a loose stroma. Immunohistochemically, both cell types were immunoreactive for S-100 protein and negative for cytokeratins.

[Hemangiopericytoma-like tumor (HPCLT) of the nasal cavity: morphological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features]. / Tumore simil emangioperitocitoma (HPCLT) della cavità nasale: aspetti morfologici, immunoistochimici ed ultrastrutturali.

A case of hemangiopericytoma-like tumour (HPCLT) of the nasal cavity is described in a 81-year-old woman. The tumour, accompanied by symptoms of nasal obstruction and epistaxis, presented as a polypoid lesion filling the left middle meatus region. Histological, immunohistochemical and electron microscope studies revealed a uniform sheet-like proliferation of spindle to oval vimentin-positive cells growing around a rich vascular network. The favourable outcome sixteen months after endoscopic sphenoethmoidectomy would seem to confirm the diagnosis of HPCLT. The differential diagnosis of this rare lesion is discussed.

Nucleolar organizer regions and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among women with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the proliferative activity of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions in human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive women. STUDY DESIGN: The proliferative activity of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions was measured by nucleolar organizer regions-associated proteins count. Twenty-two biopsy specimens of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions from patients positive for human immunodeficiency virus were compared with 22 matched biopsy specimens obtained from controls negative for the virus. RESULTS: The mean count of nucleolar organizer regions-associated proteins per cell was 9.5 +/- 3.7 (SD) in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients and 7.6 +/- 2.8 in human immunodeficiency virus-negative controls (p < 0.0001 by Poisson test of heterogeneity of counts). The difference in counts between the two groups, which was confirmed by log-linear analysis, persisted within each severity stratum of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and was independent of associated human papillomavirus infection. In human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients log-linear analysis showed that high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, the presence of human papillomavirus infection, and the severity of human immunodeficiency virus disease were independently correlated with increased nucleolar organizer regions-associated protein counts per cell. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the proliferative activity of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions of human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients was increased compared with matched lesions from human immunodeficiency virus-negative women. This finding suggests the possibility of an increased oncogenic progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia lesions in human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients.

Epidemiologic characteristics of women with idiopathic recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors related to anamnestic variables, sexual behavior, feminine hygiene habits, and microbiologic findings in women with idiopathic recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. METHODS: We conducted a multivariate observational study comparing sociodemographic, anamnestic, clinical, and microbiologic variables between 86 patients with recurrent vaginal candidiasis and 180 controls with nonrecurrent infection. RESULTS: In logistic regression analysis, women with recurrent candidal vaginitis were more likely than controls to use contraceptive pills (adjusted odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-3.91; P = .04) and commercially available solutions for either vulvoperineal cleansing (adjusted odds ratio 2.2, 95% CI 1.25-3.88; P = .007) or vaginal douching (adjusted odds ratio 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.26; P = .05). The rate of isolation of non-albicans candida species was significantly higher among cases than controls (adjusted odds ratio 3.0, 95% CI 1.50-6.04; P = .005). Finally, increasing frequency of monthly sexual intercourse was significantly correlated (chi 2 for trend = 4.87; P = .027) with recurrent infection. CONCLUSION: Several behavioral factors seem to influence the occurrence of relapses in recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis. Appropriate counseling about contraception, sexual activity, and personal hygiene habits could be an important preventive measure in these cases.

Recurrent vaginal candidiasis. Results of a cohort study of sexual transmission and intestinal reservoir.

Yeast cultures from the oral cavity, vagina and rectum were obtained from 125 women experiencing an acute episode of recurrent candidal vaginitis. To investigate the role of sexual transmission, oral, penile and ejaculate cultures were also prepared from all the male sexual partners. The rates of oral and rectal Candida species colonization in the women were 36% (45/125) and 44.8% (56/125), respectively. The male partners' oral cavities were positive in 23.2% (29/125) and the penile coronal sulcus and seminal fluid in 16% (20/125) and 14.4% (18/125), respectively. The susceptibility of the isolated species to the main antimycotic drugs was ascertained with the agar diffusion method. Therapy in the women and the colonized sexual partners was carried out, eliminating the microorganism from every positive site. Control cultures were obtained two weeks after the completion of therapy, and follow-up was continued for one year. The overall clinical and microbiologic cure rate in the study group was 72% (95/125). The rate of relapse was not influenced by the treatment of Candida colonization of the female intestinal tract. The recurrence rate after treatment in the couples in which the man harbored yeast (oral cavity, penile coronal sulcus, seminal fluid) was lower (15.8% vs. 44.8%, P = .0019) than that recorded in the couples without sexual partner involvement. The identification and treatment of the male sexual partner's Candida colonization seems important in the prevention of recurrent vulvovaginitis.

[Ultrastructural observations on astrocytoma]. / Osservazioni ultrastrutturali sugli astrocitomi.

The E.M. findings of 5 brain astrocytomas are described in this paper. Ultrastructural features can point out the glial origin of these tumours, in opposition to Zülch's mesenchymal assumption.

[Regional ileitis. A case of ileo-rectal internal fistula]. / L'ileite regionale. Su di un caso di fistola interna ileo-rettale.

A case if ileorectal internal fistula during the course of regional ileitis is described. The clinical course and main forms of surgical managent are illustrated. The clinical, morphological and experimental pathological data indicated that this case should be classed as example of delayed hypersensitivity.