Solitary fibrous tumor of the prostate

The aim of this retrospective study was to record patients' satisfaction with fixed metal ceramic bridges and crowns made by dental students and to evaluate the functioning and condition of the bridges and crowns clinically and radiologically. Out of the 60 patients treated at the Institute of Dentistry during 1984-85, 30 patients attended the follow-up examination (16 women, mean age 39, range 23-62 years and 14 men, mean age 44, range 26-65 years). The anamnestic data and data regarding treatment procedures were collected from the patient files. The patients had been supplied with 41 crowns and 24 bridges (mean 3.9 units, range 3-6 units), which included 61 abutments and 33 pontics or cantilever extensions (abutment/pontic ratio 1.85: 1). Marginal fidelity was unsatisfactory in 13% of the crowns and bridges and gingival bleeding and pockets of 4-6 mm were noted in 27% and 12% of cases, respectively. None of the subjects had caries in the abutments.     

Solitary fibrous tumor of the nasal cavity and orbit

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) are rare spindle cell neoplasms generally associated with the serosal surface, especially the pleura. Two SFT are reported arising in the nasal cavity and orbit, occurring in a 33 year old female and a 21 year old male, respectively. The lesions lacked the characteristic features of other recognized neoplasms that occur in these regions. Immunohistochemically, the tumors cells were diffusely and strongly positive for vimentin and CD34 and some or many tumor cells expressed neuron-specific enolase and Leu-7. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells showed no distinct features although they were suggested to be primitive mesenchymal or fibroblast-like cells. Both tumors were diploid by flow cytometry. The two patients have had benign clinical courses with limited follow-up. Our findings suggest that SFT is of mesenchymal cell origin and support another location for SFT, indicating additional evidence against mesothelial origin. SFT should be included in the differential diagnosis of spindle cell tumors arising in the nasal cavity and orbit.     

Solitary fibrous tumor arising from hyperplastic thymus

In a population based study, the prescribed insulin dose of 348 prepubertal children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was analysed 2 years after the diagnosis of diabetes. Girls had an insulin dose 13.6% higher than that in boys. When children younger than 5 years of age at diagnosis were analysed separately, the difference in insulin dose between boys and girls remained. The increased insulin dose in girls was not explained by possible differences in endogenous insulin secretion, body mass index, metabolic control or the number of daily insulin injections. Our observations indicate that prepubertal girls with IDDM have a poorer insulin sensitivity than boys.     

Solitary fibrous tumor of the nasopharynx. Apropos of a case

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare neoplasm, arising in the adult and more commonly in the pleura. For many years it has been referred to the serous surfaces of the body, namely pleura, peritoneum and pericardium; recently cases arising in mesenchymal organs such as lung, mediastinum, liver and paranasal sinuses were reported. We present a SFT of the nasopharynx, observed in a 41 year-old patient complaining a 6 months history of aural fullness at the right ear. Clinical examination revealed the presence of secretory otitis media and swelling of the lateral wall of the nasopharynx. CT scan and MR showed the presence of a solid mass, with scarce vascularization, extending from the right side of the nasopharynx to the infratemporal and pterigoid fossae. The surgical approach consisted in a facial translocation by the rotation of a maxillary-check flap through different osteotomies; a firm whitish mass not invading the surrounding tissues was identified and enucleated. A definitive diagnosis cannot be made at frozen sections, requiring more accurate processing and immunohistochemical staining. Literature reports fourteen cases of SFT of the upper aero-digestive tracts (nasopharynx, paranasal sinuses, larynx) and some 8 more cases in the head and neck area (thyroid, salivary glands and parapharyngeal spaces). This case report adds a further contribution to support the mesenchymal origin of the SFT.     

Solitary fibrous tumor (fibrous mesothelioma). Report of 2 cases in an extraserous location

Myocarditis and progression to cardiomyopathy is associated with focal spasm and reperfusion of the coronary microcirculation. Experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM), induced with cardiomyosin peptide-specific T cells in Lewis rats, was hypothesized to cause acute hemodynamic and coronary vasculature changes. Fifteen experimental animals (5 each at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after T-cell injection) and eight controls were studied using the constant pressure variant of the isolated heart. Coronary resistant decreased while coronary flow increased (P < 0.05) in EAM hearts after the first week. Rate-pressure product, +dP/dt and -dP/dt, decreased while the heart/body weight ratio increased (P < 0.05) compared with controls at 1 week but not at 2 or 3 weeks. Mean local myocardial PO2, which reflects local oxygen delivery and consumption, and MVO2 were not different for EAM hearts. However, compared with controls EAM myocardial PO2 varied more widely and was often beyond the usual range, suggesting the occurrence of localized hypoxic and hyperoxic areas. In summary, after the first week there was a significant decrease in coronary resistance in the EAM animals, which required higher flow to maintain a similar perfusion pressure. These changes in coronary resistance and flow along with the heterogeneity and extremes of local myocardial PO2 levels without a significant change in MVO2 may be explained by postulating development of low-resistance, high-flow hyperoxic areas which steal flow, thus causing hypoxia in other areas.     

Solitary fibrous tumour of the tongue

In a review of pulmonary tumors diagnosed at our institute from 1976 to 1995, we found 20 malignant and 12 benign rare tumors, which accounted for 0.57 and 0.34% of all pulmonary tumors, respectively. The histological types of these rare malignant tumors were malignant lymphoma (6/20), carcinosarcoma (3/20), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (2/20), bronchial gland mixed tumor (2/20), adenocystic carcinoma (1/20), myoepithelioma (1/20), leiomyosarcoma (1/20), epitheloid hemangioendothelioma (1/20), hemangiopericytoma (1/20), malignant melanoma (1/20) and choriocarcinoma (1/20). Benign rare tumors involved papilloma (3/12), lipoma (3/12), leiomyoma (3/12), adenoma (1/12), fibroma (1/12), and meningioma (1/12). The clinical and pathological features of malignant tumors were roughly the same as those of common pulmonary carcinomas. In contrast, benign tumors were never larger than 3 cm and were more commonly located in the central parts of the lung, which explained the relatively frequent symptoms of wheezing and fever associated with obstructive pneumonia.     

Primary leiomyosarcoma. A rare tumor of the adrenal gland

OBJECTIVE: To report on a rare case of primary leiomyosarcoma of the adrenal. To our knowledge, this is the fourth case reported in the literature. METHODS: A patient with primary leiomyosarcoma of the adrenal gland is presented. The clinical features are described, and the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of this rare primary mesenchymal tumor are discussed. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: The aggressive nature and the poor prognosis of this rare tumor type are emphasized.     

Myelolipoma of the adrenal gland

We report the 14th case of myelolipoma of the adrenal gland. Recommendations for appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic methods are made. Myelolipoma of the adrenal gland is a rare non-functioning tumor composed of lipoid and hematopoietic elements. The most consistent complaint is abdominal pain caused by hemorrhage within the tumor. We identified an association with obesity and hypertension. Ultrasound combined with computed tomography is useful in diagnosis. With expanded use of these studies, myelolipoma will be recognized more frequently. Definitive diagnosis and treatment are accomplished by simple excision; radical surgery is unnecessary.     

Solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura: a report of five cases diagnosed by transthoracic cutting needle biopsy

Five patients had a solitary fibrous tumor of the pleura; a well-known but rare entity. In all cases, biopsy by a transthoracic cutting needle (Tru-Cut; Travenol; Deerfield, IL) yielded specimens adequate for histologic analysis and gave the clue to the diagnosis. In four patients, surgical resection confirmed the diagnosis. The opportunity for and interest in diagnosing these tumors by transthoracic cutting needle biopsy before surgery are discussed. An accurate diagnosis of solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura can be made by a minimally invasive procedure; this allows for a more informed allocation of surgical resources.     

MAP Kinase in the rat adrenal gland

Commercial citrus pectin containing galacturonic acid and rhamnose in a ratio of approximately 40:1 was saponified and then exhaustively digested with endopolygalacturonase (EPG). The products were separated by ultrafiltration into low-molecular-weight (LMW) and high-molecular-weight (HMW) fractions. The LMW fraction accounted for 80% of the starting material, but for only 10% of the total rhamnose. The molar ratio of galacturonic acid to rhamnose of the LMW fraction was 236, suggesting that very few small Rha-containing oligomers were generated by the EPG digestion. No distinct Rha-containing oligomers were found by various chromatographic analyses of the LMW fraction. The HMW fraction, which only accounted for 10% by weight of the starting pectin, contained more than 85% of the rhamnose. The ratio of GalA to Rha in the HMW fraction was 1.7:1 and partial acid hydrolysis of this fraction produced a series of oligomers consisting of GalA-Rha repeating units, suggesting that it contained rhamnogalacturonan, which has a backbone composed of GalA-Rha disaccharide repeating units. The HMW fraction also contained large amounts of arabinose and galactose, which probably originated from side chains linked to some of the rhamnose residues. We propose that commercial citrus pectin is composed of two regions: the predominant region consists of chains of uninterrupted 1,4-linked alpha-D-GalA residues with between 60-70% of the residues methyl esterified; and the other region consists of rhamnogalacturonan with a backbone composed of GalA-Rha disaccharide repeating units and neutral sugar side chains.     

Angiography of nonfunctioning pheochromocytomas of the adrenal gland

Two patients with clinically nonfunctioning pheochromocytomas of the adrenal gland were studied angiographically. The radiological characteristics were indistinguishable from those of functioning pheochromocytomas. In patients with hypervascular adrenal masses, the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma should be considered even in the absence of customary signs and symptoms.