[Multiple coronary aneurysms of an atherosclerotic nature in a patient with an abdominal aortic aneurysm: presentation of an anatomo-clinical case]. / Aneurismi coronarici multipli di natura aterosclerotica in soggetto con aneurisma dell'aorta addominale: presentazione di un caso anatomo-clinico.

We describe the case of a 71-year-old man with history of inferior wall myocardial infarction and abdominal aortic aneurysm surgically treated. The patient, admitted to hospital for chest pain, after 24 hours suddenly dead for ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. Chest X Ray, echocardiogram and Computed Tomography had shown a very large paracardiac mass. At the autopsy, three large saccular aneurysms were found, one for each coronary artery and lumen completely filled with thrombi.

Malakoplakia of the appendix.

A case of a malakoplakia of the appendix in a sixty-year-old woman is reported. No involvement of the organs or important general diseases were present and the patient, after the appendicectomy, promptly recovered. Only three cases of malakoplakia of the appendix have previously been described in the literature and they are briefly summarized.

[Adrenal angioma]. / L'angioma del surrene.

Two autoptic cases of cavernous hemoangioma of the adrenal gland are reported. The nosology of these lesions is briefly reviewed.

Intraoperative cytology in otorhinolaryngologic and cervical pathology.

Intraoperative Cytology (I.C.) is widely acknowledged to be not only a valuable adjunct to frozen sections (F.S.) but also, in a high percentage of cases, a valid technique in itself when it is in agreement with macroscopic evaluation. In a study of 211 otorhinolaryngologic and cervical cases, we registered a 96.20% correspondence between I.C. diagnosis and definitive diagnosis, as against a 95.26% correspondence for F.S. diagnosis was deferred in 3.31% of cases examined by I.C. and only one false negative occurred. I.C. is simple, rapid, reliable and inexpensive. On the basis of our experience, we maintain that this technique is not only of great value as a supplement to F.S. but that in a high percentage of cases it can actually substitute frozen sections.

[Angioma of the adrenal glands]. / L'angioma del surrene.

Two autoptic cases of cavernous hemangioma of the adrenal gland are reported. The nosology of these lesions is briefly reviewed.

[Disseminated ossification of the lung]. / Le ossificazioni polmonari disseminate.

Disseminated pulmonary ossification is a rather rare finding. Two classical cases of the dendriform and seven of the nodular one, even if with minimal aspects, were reported. They were found through a revision of 720 postmortem registers and a reexamination of their histological specimens. A typical morphologic picture was observed. About formal genesis of the bone we emphasized the possibility that the ossification occurred in the dendriform also through a cartilaginous phase in addition to a connective one. Various pathological forms of the lung or other organs, that on the basis of the literature are considered responsible or associated with pulmonary ossification, were listed. Eventually, we pointed out that dendriform could be a pathological picture by itself and not a secondary one, that is to say a real idiopathic ossification.

[Anatomo-pathologic findings in 25 autopsy cases of AIDS]. / Rilievi anatomo-patologici in 25 casi autopsici di AIDS.

Pathologic findings in 25 autopsies of AIDS. The common and severe changes of the central nervous system, lungs, adrenals, heart, kidneys and gonads are reviewed in a series of autopsies of AIDS. In the brain, HIV infection induces directly inflammatory infiltrates including the typical multinucleated giant cells described by Sharer. In addition, primary lymphomas are seen as well as reactive and inflammatory lesions that are caused by opportunistic infections, such as those of poliomavirus, Cytomegalovirus and Toxoplasma gondii. In the lung, interstitial inflammation prevails, which may be related to direct HIV infection and include rare multinucleated giant cells like the ones described by Sharer. Opportunistic infections are often associated, and are commonly sustained by Cytomegalovirus and Pneumocystis carinii. A peculiar findings is the evolution from septal inflammation to fine fibrosis and hyaline degeneration, either focal or diffuse. We believe that the severe respiratory insufficiency that is commonly seen in the advanced stages of AIDS could be related to the interstitial damage. In the adrenal gland, the most common change is Cytomegalovirus infection affecting both the cortex and the medulla, and inducing massive necrosis in the cortex with little or no reaction. Again, adrenal involvement should be related to adrenal functional insufficiency, which may be over-looked clinically because of the preponderant lesions of other sites. In the heart, myocarditis is often discrete, and may be complicated by perivascular fibrosis and rare foci of myocytolysis; in some cases primary lymphomas may also develop. In the kidney, several histological lesions are found, including glomerular damage with segmental necrosis, cortical areas of hyporeactive necrosis, and mild interstitial inflammation. In the gonads, the changes are partly induced by drug abuse, and consist of atrophy with secondary hypoplasia of the germ cells and interstitial fibrosis. In conclusion, the most important abnormalities consist of opportunistic infections, hyporeactive necrosis, fibrotic evolution of the inflammatory infiltrates and neoplasias (Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphomas). In this work, the changes of the lymphoid organs are only mentioned, for they have been widely reviewed elsewhere.