[Diseases of the penis--the morphological diagnosis of biopsy material]. / Zaboliavaniia na penisa--morfologichna diagnoza na biopsichen material.

Diseases of the penis account for a minor part of the general biopsy materials sent for examination, and usually represent varying in nature inflammatory processes and tumors. In the laboratory of andrology and mammary pathology of the department of pathoanatomy and cytopathology with the Alexander Hospital-Sofia, a total of 65 biopsies from the penis are investigated over an eight-year period. The greatest share of the latter is assigned to tumors and tumor-like processes (47.7 per cent), next ranking chronic nonspecific and granulomatous inflammatory processes (29.9 per cent), induratio penis plastica (18.5 per cent) and other diseases. Among the tumors carcinoma of the penis is the commonest (77.4 per cent); in 87.5 per cent it is a matter of flat-cellular, prevailingly highly differentiated neoplasm, and in 12.5 per cent-verrucous, posing considerable difficulties in histological differentiation from papillary benign neoplasms. Diagnosis may be rendered difficult in some of the seldom encountered granulomatous inflammations-sarcoidosis, sclerosing lipogranuloma.

[Polypous endocarditis of the tricuspid valve. The morphological changes in the heart and lung in one case]. / Polipozen endokardit na trikuspidalnata klapa. Morfologichni promeni v surtseto i beliia drob pri edin sluchai.

A case of polypous endocarditis which affects the tricuspid valve and whose genesis remains unclear (a septic state, an idiopathic disease?) is described. Clinically the disease has taken its course as a chronically recurring form of pulmonary thromboembolism. Morphologically it concerns to a massive fibroplastic verrucous endocarditis of the tricuspid valve and a more slightly expressed similar process in the wall of the right atrium and ventricle, combined with a significant fibrosis of the myocardium. The death has come from a massive thrombotic embolism in the two branches of the pulmonary artery on the background of a great number of small thromboembolic and hemorrhagenic infarctions with a different duration in the two lobes of the lung, which lead to an adaptable reconstruction of many lung vessels. The presence of a discrete affection of the aortic valve according to a rheumatic type and the combination of the disease, in the described case, with essential hypertension and thrombophlebitis undergone in the past, give a reason to discuss the possibility of taking into account these diseases in etiopathogenesis of the described myocardiopathy.

[Immunohistochemical and electron microscopical study of the myoepithelium in mastopathy and carcinoma of the mammary gland]. / Immunhistochemische und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchung der Myoepithelien bei Mastopathien und Karzinomen der Milchdrüse.

Biopsies obtained from 45 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma and 41 cases of cystic mastopathy were immunohistochemically investigated, with electron microscopy being used on some of them, for the purpose of clearing up presence, distribution, and ultrastructural peculiarities of the myoepithelial cells. Focal or diffuse myoepithelial proliferations were observed in all cases of cystic mastopathy, with peripheral layers of myoepithelium at the basal membrane being widely preserved. Myoepithelial cells had lost their normal position and cellular orientation in the regions with intraductal carcinoma. Actin-positive, high-microfilament myoepithelial cells were frequent findings recorded from parenchyma in cases of invasive ductal carcinoma without specific differentiation, though cells of that kind were rarely detectable from parenchyma in cases of medullary carcinoma. Particular attention should be given to the presence of tumor cells differing from each other for their morphological and functional differentiation in cases of carcinoma of the mammary gland.

[Clinico-morphological studies of epididymal cysts]. / Kliniko-morfologichni prouchvaniia na kisti na epididima.

A clinico-morphologic study of epididymis cysts was made in 52 patients at mean age 39.4 years, observed over a period of 2 ys. 4 mos. In approximately half of the cases (49.2 per cent) the cysts were localized in the left epididymis. Four types of histologic structure were distinguished: 1. smooth outlines of the lumen, filled with spermatozoa, and wall built up of fibrous tissue and different proportion of smooth- muscle, elastic and reticular fibers, and lined with one-row ciliary columnar or cubic epithelium; 2. similar to the former structure, but without spermatozoa in the lumen; 3. stellate-outlined lumen without spermatozoa in it, with a wall built up of connective tissue and lined with one-row ciliary columnar epithelium; 4. the wall is stellate-folded, built up of loose connective tissue and lined with one-row cubic epithelium, forming micropapillary structures, without presence of spermatozoa. Considerable difficulties are pointed out in determining the types of cysts according to the nature of their epithelial lining and the structure of their wall. Precise classification is possible when thorough clinico-morphologic parallel is used.

[Inflammatory processes of the breast]. / Vuzpalitelni protsesi na mlechnata zhleza.

Results are reported of a statistical study of the inflammatory processes in the mammary gland, based on data of the biopsy files at the Department of Pathology of the Research Medico-Biological Institute in Sofia for the period 1981-1985. Among 1498 biopsy specimens examined during this period, there were 27 cases of mastitis (1.8 per cent: 5 acute mastitis, 12 chronic diffuse, 10 granulomatous (one of them tuberculous), 2 lipogranulomas and 7 foreign type granulomas. Mean patient age was 45 years. Recognition of nonspecific inflammatory processes in the mammary gland is no problem for the experienced pathologist. Of major important is the evaluation of granulomas with the presence of necrosis, epithelioid and Langhans type giant cells for early diagnosis of such grave disease, as tuberculosis.

Prevalence of respiratory diseases and their association with growth rate and space in randomly selected swine herds.

The prevalence and extent of respiratory tract lesions were measured in 1425 pigs from 27 randomly selected herds in the summer of 1982 and winter of 1983. About 75% of pigs had lesions of enzootic pneumonia, approximately 60% had atrophic rhinitis and approximately 11% had pleuropneumonia and/or pleuritis. Individual pig growth rate was recorded on two of the farms, and it was found that the correlations between growth rate and severity of enzootic pneumonia lesions were positive on one farm and negative on the other. Negative correlations between severity of turbinate atrophy and growth rate existed in one of the two herds. Extent of pneumonia and severity of turbinate atrophy were poorly related in individual pigs but herd averages were moderately and positively correlated. Prevalence of diffuse pleuritis and of pleuropneumonia were positively related, as were the extent of pneumonia and prevalence of localized pleuritis. Prevalence of pleuropneumonia was strongly correlated with increased days-to-market. A method of estimating the average days-to-market using weekly herd data (inventory) was developed.

The alveolar lining film in experimental pulmonary collapse.

Obstructive pulmonary collapse was produced by ligation of lobar bronchus in 41 healthy dogs. The atelectatic lung was examined electronmicroscopically by means of vapour fixation, ruthenium red procedure and tricomplex flocculation. The equilibration stability index of Pattle was determined and compared to the electromicroscopic findings. The experimentally produced obstructive pulmonary collapse was a mechanical phenomenon which secondarily caused qualitative changes in the production of the alveolar lining layer.