Structural features of forming and developing blood capillaries of the enamel organ of rat molar tooth germs observed by light and electron microscopy.

The process of vascularization of the enamel organ, a unique epithelial structure, occurs when the tooth germ is fully developed, i.e., at the onset of dentinogenesis. Although the three-dimensional organization of the capillaries has been previously investigated, the structural features underlying the formation of the new capillaries remains poorly understood. Thus, in the hope of better understanding the mechanism of formation of the stellate reticulum capillaries, upper first molar tooth germs of newborn and 3-day-old rats were fixed in glutaraldehyde-formaldehyde and processed for light and electron microscopy. Our results showed that blood capillaries are initially in close proximity to the outer enamel epithelium. Between and intercalated with the capillaries are round/ovoid clusters of cells, some of which are vacuolated, closely apposed to the outer enamel epithelium. The outer enamel epithelium is not a continuous layer, but exhibits gaps between the cells. This suggests that the capillaries penetrate the enamel organ through these gaps, since no invagination of the epithelium was observed. The presence of a cluster of cells containing vacuoles suggests that vasculogenesis is taking place. Images showing loss of the basal lamina, proliferation of endothelial cells, presence of filopodia and lateral sprouting suggests that angiogenesis is also occurring. Thus, neoformation of capillaries of the molar enamel organ of rat seems to occur simultaneously by mechanisms of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.

[Different radiological, histomorphometrical and biochemical findings in two cases of adult osteopetrosis (author's transl)]. / Unterschiedliche röntgenologische, histomorphometrische und biochemische Befunde bei zwei Erwachsenen mit Osteopetrose.

Morphokinetic measurements after tetracycline labeling were performed on bone specimens of the iliac crest in a 30-year-old man and a 38-year-old women. On radiographs, the osteopetrosis (=marble bone disease Albers-Schönberg) was characterized by an almost homogenous osteosclerosis in the man and by variable zones of high and normal density in the woman. Histologically, the man revealed increased rates of bone formation and mineralisation as signs of hyperactivity of the osteoblasts accompanied, biochemically, by an elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase and a high urinary output of hydroxyproline. In the woman increased resorbing bone seams, and elevation of serum acid phosphatase and a slightly lowered urinary output of hydroxyproline were apparent as signs of an osteoclastic deficiency. The cause of osteopetrosis has been generally ascribed to decreased bone resorption. This study shows that the accumulation of bone mass in osteopetrosis may be due also to increased bone formation and that by pathomechanism, probably, two forms of osteopetrosis in the adult may be differentiated.

Skeletal remodelling and bone related hormones in two adults with increased bone mass.

This study of two cases documents increased bone mass in a 30-yr old man and osteopetrosis in a 38-yr-old woman and examines the patients in terms of radiologic features, bone photon absorptiometry and bone biopsy analyses which include tetracycline kinetics. Both patients had elevated bone mass based on quantitative bone histology of iliac crest biopsies normal, or low PTH, and normal calcitonin values. However, they differed markedly from each other in other respects: One patient possessed significantly increased rates of bone formation and mineralization, had elevated serum alkaline phosphatase, increased total hydroxyproline over a 24 hour urine collection but displayed a normal amount of bone surface involved in resorption. The other subject had normal bone formation parameters, but had elevated serum acid phosphatase and a significantly elevated resorbing (crenated) surface. Although most theories ascribe and cause of osteopetrosis to decreased resorption, our study shows that increased bone formation, even when accompanied by normal resorption, can lead to the abnormal accumulation of bone mass. In this respect, the resorptive response of this patient was abnormal; the normal coupled relationship between bone formation and bone resorption, which ensures proper control of endosteal bone volume, had been lost.

Heptacarpo-octatarso-dactyly combined with multiple malformation.

A case of heptacarpo-octatarso-dactyly combined with cheilo-gnatho-palato-schisis, hypertelorism, macroglossia, complex malformations of heart and great vessels, horse-shoe-kidney, micro-penis, and penis palmatus is described. To our knowledge, this syndrome has not yet been described in the literature. Some of the features of the case reported overlap with syndromes such as Grauhan syndrome and Meckel syndrome.

Generalized lipomatosis of lymph nodes: a lymphographic problem in differentiating from malignancy. A case presentation.

Lymphography in a 50-year-old male patient showed suspicious lymph nodes in the para-aortal regions. Exploratory laparotomy and histological examination of biopsied material gave no evidence of tumor or lymphoma. The lymph nodes had distinct lipomatous changes. The differential diagnosis of positive lymphography is discussed.

Relationship between local and total bone mass in osteoporosis.

The relationship between total body calcium (TBC) and local bone calcium mass (BCM) was studied in a group of osteoporotic patients (12 females and two males) with a wide range of body size. Two methods were used to estimate BCM: photon absorptiometry and radiographic morphometry. TBC was estimated by total-body neutron-activation analysis. Since 99 percent of TBC is located in the skeleton, it was assumed that TBC was essentially a measure of total skeletal (calcium) mass. TBC ranged from 482 to 1076 g. High correlations with r values from 0.84 to 0.94, p less than 0.001, were found between TBC and BCM measured by absorptiometry at six different sites of radius, ulna, and humerus. Additionally, high correlations with r values from 0.89 to 0.95, p less than 0.001, were found between BCM at the distal tenth of the radius and BCM at the five other sites. A high correlation was also found between body height and TBC, but partial correlations indicated that this accounted for very little of the correlation between TBC and BCM. In contrast to the above, correlations between BCM determined by radiographic morphometry and TBC were weak or nonsignificant. When TBC and BCM were expressed as percent of their mean value, the slopes of the estimating equations, describing the relationships between TBC and BCM, were essentially the same, but significantly less than one, which is the value of the slope expected if TBC and BCM had changed at the same relative rate. From these relationships, we conclude (1) that the rate of change in BCM was similar in the six sites examined, and (2) that the rate of change in these six sites was relatively more rapid than the change in total body calcium. Whether the change in rate of BCM was related to rate of increase during attainment of maximum BCM or subsequent rate of loss of BCM or both remains to be determined.