Characterization of cystic tumors of the pancreas: CT accuracy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the capabilities of CT to accurately characterize cystic tumors of the pancreas. METHOD: Two observers retrospectively evaluated the CT exams of 100 cystic masses of the pancreas, with pathological confirmation. The two observers, blinded about clinical information and the final diagnosis, tried to categorize the lesions according to well established morphologic features. Statistical analysis was performed to measure the agreement between each radiologist and the consensus diagnosis and to evaluate the usefulness of certain CT findings in differentiating one type of cystic pancreatic neoplasm from another. RESULTS: Serous cystadenoma was better diagnosed by CT [Youden misclassification index (Ymi) = 0.72] than mucinous cystic tumor (Ymi = 0.44) and solid pseudopapillary tumor (cystic variant) (Ymi = 0.47). CONCLUSION: As patients with previous history of pancreatitis were excluded from the study, CT findings allowed correct characterization of only 60% of cystic pancreatic masses. Among the remaining 40%, 15-20% of the wrong diagnoses could not be corrected by means of CT, given the patterns shown by the tumors. In 20-25% of the cases, a nonspecific diagnosis of cystic mass was made.     

Adoptive Immunotherapy With Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Subcutaneous Recombinant Interleukin-2 Plus Interferon Alfa-2a for Melanoma Patients With Nonresectable Distant Disease: A Phase I/II Pilot Trial

Background: On the basis of our previous experience, we designed this study to determine the activity and toxicity of outpatient treatment with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) together with intermediate-dose recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and low-dose recombinant interferon alfa-2a (rIFN-2a), for patients with metastatic melanoma.Methods: Between April 1992 and October 1994, we processed 38 melanoma samples derived from 36 patients with metastases. Proliferative cultures of expanded lymphocytes (TIL) were infused only once into patients with metastatic melanoma. rIL-2 was administered subcutaneously for 1 month, starting on the day of TIL infusion, at an escalating dose of 6–18 × 10⁶ IU/m²/day for the first week and at the maximum-tolerated dose for the subsequent 3 weeks and then, after a 15-day interval, for 1 week/month for 3 months. rIFN-2a was administered subcutaneously at 3 × 10⁶ IU three times each week until progression.Results: Of 38 melanoma samples, 19 (50%) resulted in proliferative cultures and were infused. The median number of expanded lymphocytes was 18 × 10⁹ (range, 1–43 × 10⁹), and the median period of culture was 52 days (range, 45–60). rIL-2 was administered at doses ranging between 6 and 18 × 10⁶ IU/m²/day. Toxicity was mild or moderate, and no life-threatening side effects were encountered. Two of 19 treated patients experienced complete responses of their metastatic sites (soft tissue), 10 had stable disease, and 7 showed progressive disease. The response rate was 11% (95% confidence interval, 2–35%).Conclusions: Outpatient treatment with TIL plus rIL-2 and rIFN-2a is feasible, although, within the context of the small sample size, the activity of the combination was no different from the reported activity of any of the components used alone.     

Prevention by rolipram of concanavalin A-induced T-cell-dependent hepatitis in mice

Rolipram is a type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor endowed with powerful immunomodulatory properties. In this study, we evaluated the effects of this drug on the development of the T-cell-mediated hepatitis inducible in mice by concanavalin A. The results indicated that prophylactic treatment with either 5 or 10 mg/kg rolipram injected intraperitoneally 24 h and 1 h prior to intravenous (i.v.) challenge with 20 mg/kg concanavalin A successfully ameliorated serological and histological signs of liver damage, so that the treated mice showed lower transaminase levels in the plasma and milder mononuclear cell infiltration of the liver as compared to vehicle-treated controls. Moreover, this effect was associated with profound modifications of circulating levels of cytokines released after concanavalin A injection, with the blood levels of interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha being significantly lower and those of interleukin-10 higher than those of the control mice. In particular, the increased blood levels of interleukin-10 might play an important role in the anti-hepatitic effects of rolipram as coadministering this compound with anti-interleukin-10 monoclonal antibody significantly reduced its anti-inflammatory action. These results suggest that rolipram may be useful in the clinical setting for the treatment of cell-mediated immunoinflammatory diseases such as immunoinflammatory hepatitis.     

Early MRI findings in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

We describe the MRI changes preceding the onset of myoclonus in two patients whose post-mortem examination confirmed the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). MRI showed changes in the striatum early in the course of CJD (2–6 months after the onset of apathy, interpreted as depression, and 1–2 months before the onset of further clinical symptoms). Only in one patient did electroencephalography record the typical triphasic sharp-waves, 1 month after MRI.     

Bulbectomy Enhances Neurogenesis and Cell Turnover of Primary Olfactory Neurons But Does Not Abolish Carnosine Expression

Primary olfactory neurons located in the olfactory neuroepithelium project to the ipsilateral olfactory bulb and undergo a continuous process of neurogenesis and differentiation. We describe, in the adult rat, the kinetics of proliferation, differentiation and survival of primary olfactory neurons either in the presence or absence of their target, the olfactory bulb. The experimental design included unilateral bulbectomy, coupled with a single bromodeoxyuridine pulse 35 days after surgery. The rate of proliferation and survival of olfactory neurons was then examined by immunohistochemistry for bromodeoxyuridine, and the differentiation status by in situ hybridization for calmodulin messenger RNA in immature and mature olfactory neurons and immunohistochemistry for the dipeptide carnosine in mature olfactory neurons. We show that primary olfactory neurons can synthesize carnosine in the absence of the olfactory bulb. However, the number of carnosine-immunopositive neurons in the absence of their target is dramatically reduced to less than one-fourth, whereas the number of olfactory neurons expressing calmodulin messenger RNA is only slightly reduced. The numeric reduction of camosine-positive neurons in the target-deprived neuroepithelium is correlated with a dramatic reduction in the survival rate of olfactory neurons, since newly generated olfactory neurons are completely lost 35 days after the bromodeoxyuridine pulse. In contrast, in the normal olfactory neuroepithelium almost one-third of newly generated olfactory neurons survive 35 days after the bromodeoxyuridine pulse. On the whole, these data indicate that most of the primary olfactory neurons have a short lifespan but that once they have connected with the olfactory bulb they may persist longer, and suggest that throughout adulthood olfactory neurons are overproduced, differentiate independently from their target, and then undergo a process of target-induced neuronal selection.     

DSM-III mental disorders in general medical sector: a follow-up and incidence study over a two-year period

Summary In three general medical settings (general practice, hospital medical wards and emergency rooms) about 20% of the adult attenders had a DSM-III mental disorder, mainly in the area of affective and anxious disorders. Some of these disorders were quite severe. Of those cases reassessed 1 year and 2 years after the first interview, less than a quarter reached a no-diagnosis status. The chronicity of most cases dependent on the interplay not only of either relapse or duration of the main disorder but also of comorbidity and incidence of new disorders. A high incidence of more transient disorders in subjects who were well at first assessment was also found.     

Prognostic value of galactose elimination capacity,aminopyrine breath test,and ICG clearance in patients with cirrhosis

Seventy-eight patients with cirrhosis were prospectively followed for up to 20 months, on the average. At entry into the study, galactose elimination capacity, aminopyrine breath test, and ICG clearance were measured. At the end of the study, 27 patients had died. Univariate analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method showed that both quantitative liver function tests (galactose elimination capacity:P<0.025; aminopyrine breath test:P<0.001; ICG clearance:P<0.005) and common clinical and biochemical data (encephalopathy:P<0.001; ascites:P<0.001; serum bilirubin:P<0.005; serum albumin:P<0.001; prothrombin index:P<0.05) were significant predictors of survival. To investigate whether quantitative liver function tests could contribute to a better definition of the prognosis, once Pugh score had already been taken into account, a multiple regression analysis according to the Cox model was performed. Pugh score and galactose elimination capacity resulted in the only independent prognostic covariates. From them a prognostic index was calculated, and the model was validated in an additional sample of 70 patients investigated according to the same protocol. The contribution GEC gave to the assessment of overall prognosis over that obtained using the Pugh score was slight, as estimated by the statistical parameters of the Cox's model, but was significant as assessed by a ROC curve analysis (P=0.05). These data show that all quantitative liver function tests were predictors of survival in cirrhosis, and that the galactose elimination capacity added some new prognostic information to those already available using the Child-Turcotte-Pugh classification.This study was supported in part by a grant from the Italian Ministry of Education (National Project Liver Cirrhosis). Part of this study was presented at the 22nd Meeting of the European Society for Clinical Investigation, Graz, Austria, April 20–23, 1988.     

THE CONFUSED IDENTITY OF CANTRELL'S PENTAD: ECTOPIA CORDIS IS RELATED EITHER TO THORACOSCHISIS OR TO A DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA WITH AN OMPHALOCELE

To find out if Cantrell's pentad is a single entity, four cases of ectopia cordis were studied and compared with cases in the literature. Our cases had the heart outside the thorax and had two to four other features of the association. In one case the thoracic organs had apparently escaped through a diaphragmatic hernia into an omphalocele, and in the others via a thoracoschisis with an abdominal defect, either a supraumbilical hernia or a gastroschisis. According to these cases and those from the literature, it is proposed that there are two major mechanisms leading to ectopia cordis: (1) a reversed diaphragmatic hernia in the case of a large diaphragmatic defect and an omphalocele, and (2) through a sterno-costal defect, with gastroschisis or a supraumbililical abdominal defect. As omphaloceles and major diaphragmatic defects are probably pathogenetically distinct from thoraco- and thoracogastroschisis, it is important to distinguish these groups of anomalies, rather than be concerned as to their relationship with Cantrell's pentad.