[Spontaneous kidney rupture]. / Spontane Nierenrupturen.

Two cases of spontaneous rupture of the kidney are reported and the literature is reviewed. The clinical and pathological features of this uncommon disease and its treatment are discussed. In the first case the cause of retroperitoneal bleeding was a renal carcinoma, while in the second it was the result of renal metastases from gestational trophoblastic disease. The most common symptoms are an acute onset of flank or abdominal pain, macroscopic hematuria and a drop in the hemoglobin level. Resistance or a mass can be palpated. Ultrasound and radiological examinations allow visualization of a tumor or hematoma and mostly reveal the etiology of hemorrhage. An exploratory operation is necessary for diagnosis, and primary nephrectomy should be seriously considered.

[Spongiocytic adenoma of the adrenal cortex--risk of misinterpretation as a cyst in computerized tomography]. / Spongiozytäre Nebennierenrindenadenome--Gefahr einer Fehldeutung als Zyste im CT.

A report on two cases where solid benign tumours of the adrenals (spongiocytic adrenocortical adenomas) were misinterpreted as adrenal cysts due to water-equivalent density values. The CT scans are compared with the microscopic cuts.

Where does cat allergen 1 come from?

Cat allergen 1, the major allergen from cats, has been demonstrated to be present in surface washing and in saliva. With the use of an immunohistologic technique with monospecific anti-CA 1, we demonstrated two different sources of the protein, mucous salivary glands and hair roots, where it originates from sebaceous glands.

Electron microscopic investigations on dust penetration into the pulmonary interstitium in experimental pneumoconioses.

Pneumoconioses produced by intratracheal applications of various dusts (quartz, coal, cadmium and lead sulfide) in rats were investigated by electron microscopy in order to follow the pathway of the dust particles from the alveoli into the pulmonary interstitium. As postulated by Spencer in 1977 on the basis of light microscopic investigations, the dust particles produce necroses of the alveolar septae ('alveolar ulcers'). TWo forms of necroses appear to occur: with a less severe dust exposure, individual pneumocytes and their basement membrane are destroyed by dust particles. Dust-laden, macrophages are deposited here which are displaced into the stroma after re-epithelization of the alveolar defect. On the other hand, with massive dust exposure, almost all pneumocytes of the affected alveoli become necrotic. The affected alveoli collapse and are replaced by connective tissue, so that the dust is situated in the connective tissue stroma. A transcellular penetration of the dust particles into the pulmonary interstitium or an immigration of dust-laden macrophages into the pulmonary stroma through the intercellular junctions of intact pneumocytes was not observed in any of the pneumoconiosis models.

[A comparative morphological and enzyme-histochemical study of experimental pneumoconiosis and experimental allergic-hyperergic pulmonary granuloma (author's transl)]. / Vergleichende morphologische und enzymhistochemische Untersuchungen experimenteller Pneumokoniosen und des experimentellen allergisch-hyperergischen Granuloms in der Lungs.

Six endotracheal applications of 15 milligrams of cadmium sulfide (CdS) given to rats at weekly intervals induce pneumoconiosis with massive adhesions. The same quantities of lead sulfide (PbS) given under the same conditions have much less effect, causing only the formation of fairly small fibrous nodules. The tissue reactions to CdS and PbS were studied morphologically (light and electron microscope) and enzyme-histochemically. The results were compared with those observed in experimental anthracosilicosis in rats and with those seen in allergic-hyperergic reactions of the lung in guinea pigs (induced by several applications of the complete Freund adjuvans). A considerable increase in macrophages in the alveoli and interstices of the lungs with increased activity of acid phosphatase and oxydoreductases had occurred in every animal. None showed primary damage to type 2 pneumocytes. The results indicate that the two toxic agents differ in their capacity to induce fibrosis not because they interfere to a different degree with the clearing function of the lung or surfactant production, but because they differ in their capacity to stimulate fibroblast formation.

Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland and atresia of the common bile ducts of a five year old boy.

We present a case of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland with pulmonary metastases in a 5 year old boy. The child also suffered from atresia of the gallbladder and the common bile ducts with biliary cirrhosis of the liver and died from hepatic insufficiency. Possible correlations between childhood thyroid carcinoma and congenital malformations are discussed.

[Desquamative interstitial pneumonia. Peripheral eosinophilia in DIP: a new clinical aspect (author's transl)]. / Desquamative interstitielle Pneumonie Periphere Eosinophilie bei DIP: ein neuer klinischer Aspekt.

It were Liebow et al. (1965) who, for the first time, described the desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP) as one clinical and morphological unit. The etiopathology of this disease is still unknown and there exist many controversial opinions as to its role within the interstitial pneumonias. For the clinical-physician the DIP represents a difficult problem because there seems to be no uniform appearance to this disease. So a lung-biopsy is the unique way to make a definitive diagnosis. The following description represents a case of DIP observed at our hospital. At the same time we tried to give a review of our present knowledge concerning the morphology, course and therapy of this disease. We think it should be note that the DIP was accompanied by an extreme peripheral eosinophilia. To our knowledge this is the first time such a phenomenon is described. In the course of the treatment with steroids the eosinophilia disappeared parallel to the normalization of the radiographic findings.

[Primary fibrosarcoma of the right atrium (author's transl)]. / Primäres Fibrosarkom des rechten Herzvorhofes.

A case of a primary fibrosarcoma of the heart from a 32 year old man is reported. The site of origin of the tumor was the right atrium, and death was caused by cardiac tamponade. Metastatic foci were not present.