Nucleolar organizer regions in smooth muscle and breast tumours.

Paraffin sections of formalin fixed tissues, obtained from patients with smooth muscle and breast tumours, were studied by the silver staining technique to quantitate the Nucleolar Organizer Regions (AgNORs) per nucleus and to assess its significance as an independent variable in predicting the behaviour of these neoplasms. Five benign and five malignant tumours of smooth muscle along with ten benign and ten malignant epithelial tumours of breast were studied. Normal myometrium and breast tissue served as controls. Control, benign and malignant tumours of smooth muscle showed mean AgNOR scores of 2.68, 3.89 and 12.50 per nucleus respectively. Control, benign and malignant tumours of breast showed mean AgNOR scores of 1.75, 7.45 and 12.72 per nucleus respectively. These results suggest that quantitative analysis of AgNORs per nucleus is capable of differentiating benign from malignant lesions of smooth muscle and breast.

Chronic granulomatous mastitis: review of 26 cases with special reference to chronic lobular mastitis.

Twenty six cases of chronic granulomatous mastitis are reported in a 5 year period and the slides are reviewed. They are sub-classified into Chronic lobular mastitis (CLM), Plasma cell mastitis and subareolar granuloma. There are 10 cases each of CLM and plasma cell mastitis and one of subareolar granuloma. All the three conditions are associated with duct ectasia. Fat necrosis and infective granulomas were 2 each and one of foreign body granuloma. These lesions can be easily differentiated by histology. While most of the CLM occurred in younger age group, plasma cell mastitis is seen in older women. Histologically, there is a florid inflammatory cell reaction of the stroma with dilatation and destruction of some ducts, with microabscess formation. In plasma cell mastitis, the lesion is more chronic with predominance of plasma cells and involutionary changes of the ducts are seen.

Epidermoid cyst of the spleen--with unusual findings. A case report.

Epidermoid cyst in a six and half year old male child is reported. The cyst was quite huge thereby reducing the splenic tissue. Histologically the epithelial lining showed dysplastic changes and unusual calcification of the collagenous connective tissue.

Hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis in south India--an autopsy study.

This study is aimed at finding the association of hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis with hepatitis B surface antigen in a particular geographical area, Andhra Pradesh State in South India. In total, 206 cases of autopsy livers were studied for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen by orcein staining. Of the 114 cases of cirrhosis 67.54% were positive for the antigen. There were 13 cases of macronodular, 55 cases of mixed and 46 cases of micronodular cirrhosis. The antigen positivity was 100%, 98.7% and 21.74% respectively. The difference in positivity between micronodular and the other two types of cirrhosis was statistically significant (P less than 0.01). Of the 58 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 50 were associated with cirrhosis. In 80% of these cases, hepatitis B surface antigen was demonstrated, whereas 75% of cases of hepatocellular carcinoma not associated with cirrhosis, were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. The geographical importance of these findings was discussed.

Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of breast lumps and its histopathological correlation.

Lumps in breast may be due to benign or malignant lesions. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology is a quick, simple and inexpensive procedure in diagnosis of these lesions. This helps the clinician in planning the correct surgical or medical treatment. Two hundred and twenty two fine needle aspirations were done on breast lesions. There were 205 satisfactory smears out of which 144 were benign lesions, 61 malignant lesions. Seventeen were unsatisfactory smears. Histopathology correlation was done in 126 benign lesions, 44 malignant lesions and 12 unsatisfactory smears. The cytological correlation for benign and malignant lesions was 91.09% and 91.6%, respectively. There were false negatives which were due to extensive necrosis or due to scanty aspirate. There were no false positives in this study.

Haptoglobulin phenotypes in leprosy.

Haptoglobulin phenotyping was carried out in fifty controls and in thirty five leprosy patients. In controls the incidence Hp phenotypes 2-2, 2-1 and 2-1 (Mod) is 76%, 16% and 8% respectively. In leprosy patients, the incidence of phenotypes 2-2, 2-1, 1-1 and 0-0 is 77%, 11%, 3% and 9% respectively. The incidence of phenotype 2-2, 1-1 and 0-0 is more in leprosy patients than in controls and is significant (p less than 0.05). In none of the leprosy patients phenotype 2-1 (Mod) was recorded.

Bacteriological Study of Pyoderma.

Two hundred and twenty cases of pyoderma were investigated to study the bacterial aetiology. Folliculitis formed the largest-clinical group followed by infectious eczematoid dermatitis, secondary infection, impetigo, miscellaneous, furuncles and acne in descending order of frequency. A total of 172 micro-organisms were isolated from the infected specimens examined. A single infecting organism was isolated from 65.5% and more than one type of organism from 6.3% of cases. No organism was isolated from 62 (29.2%) cases, Coagulase positive staphylococcus was isolated from 107 (48.6%) beta haemolytic streptococcus from 18 (8.2%) and both these organisms from 11 (5%) cases. Coagulase positive staphylococcus (69.8%) was the predominant species followed by beta haemolytic streptococcus (17.4%), coaplm negative staphylococcus (8.1%) and alpha haemolytic streptococcus (4.7%). The antibiotic resistance pattern showed maximum resistance to ampicillin, penicillin and polymyxin. None of the strains was found to be resistant to cephaloridine, neomycin and kanamycin. Low percentage of strains were found to be resistant to streptomycin, tetracycline, nitrofurazone, erythromycin, chloramphenicol and gentamycin. Of the strains of Staph. aureusphage typed, 35 (43.7%) were not typable, 15 (18.7%) belonged tophage group 111, followed by phage group II, group I and mixed group. The most prevalent phage type in group III was 42E,in group II type 3 C and in the group I type 52A. Multiple antibiotic resistant strains of staph aureus were found mostly in phage groups III and I and not in group 11.