Interstitial and vascular pancreas rejection in relation to graft survival

To examine the incidence of interstitial and vascular rejection in pancreas allografts and its impact on graft survival, we studied 36 percutaneous pancreas biopsies and 10 pancreas transplantectomy specimens from 32 patients who had undergone simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation. Interstitial rejection (IR) was predominantly found in the biopsies, while vascular rejection (VR) was most prominent in the transplantectomies. Pancreas graft survival was significantly decreased for pancreas grafts that had suffered from vascular rejection when compared to those with only interstitial rejection. Potential rejection markers, i. e., serum amylase, glucose, creatinine, and urinary amylase, did not correlate with histological signs of rejection, although increased levels of serum amylase were, in all but one case, associated with rejection.We conclude that a percutaneous pancreas biopsy remains the most reliable method to determine pancreas rejection, and that by distinguishing between IR andVR, a pancreas biopsy may provide important diagnostic as well as prognostic information. Received: 6 March 1997 Received after revision: 5 June 1997 Accepted: 30 June 1997     

Post-biopsy arteriovenous fistulas of the native kidneys diagnosed by Doppler US

Two patients with arteriovenous fistulas of the native kidney occurring after needle biopsy were evaluated using duplex and color Doppler ultrasonography. The first patient had a fistula with associated pseudoaneurysm: color Doppler showed the lesion as a small rounded area with whirling flow; spectral analysis allowed recognition of both the afferent artery with low impedance flow and the draining vein with pulsatile, arterialized flow. The second patient had a normal color Doppler study; however, spectral analysis demonstrated signals with low vascular impedance from an intra-parenchymal artery at the lower pole, and a jet of turbulent flow. Following disappearance of clinical findings, such Doppler abnormalities were no longer detectable. When a iatrogenic arteriovenous fistula is considered on clinical grounds, both color and Doppler spectral analysis of waveforms from intra-parenchymal vessels should be performed. Possibly, further advances in color Doppler technology will permit the use of this examination as the first imaging procedure in these clinical situations.Correspondence to: L. E. Derchi     

Infectious scleritis: Report of four cases

While systemic autoimmune diseases are the main possibilities in the differential diagnosis of scleritis, other less common etiologies such as infections must also be considered. The authors report four cases of infectious scleritis to review predisposing factors, clinical characteristics, methods of diagnostic approach, and response to therapy. Two patients had primary scleritis and two patients had secondary scleritis following extension of primary corneal infection (corneoscleritis). Diagnoses included three local infections (one each withStaphylococcus. Acanthamoeba, and herpes simplex) and one systemic infection (Lyme disease). Stains, cultures, or immunologic studies from scleral, conjunctival, and/or corneal tissues, and serologic tests were used to make the diagnosis. Medical therapy, including antimicrobial agents, was instituted in all patients, and surgical procedures were additionally required in two patients (scleral grafting in one and two penetrating keratoplasties in another); the patient who required two penetrating keratoplasties had corneoscleritis and underwent eventual enucleation. Infectious agents should be considered in the differential diagnosis of scleritis.     

System for prostate brachytherapy and biopsy in a standard 1.5 T MRI scanner.

A technique for transperineal high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy and needle biopsy in a standard 1.5 T MRI scanner is demonstrated. In each of eight procedures (in four patients with intermediate to high risk localized prostate cancer), four MRI-guided transperineal prostate biopsies were obtained followed by placement of 14-15 hollow transperineal catheters for HDR brachytherapy. Mean needle-placement accuracy was 2.1 mm, 95% of needle-placement errors were less than 4.0 mm, and the maximum needle-placement error was 4.4 mm. In addition to guiding the placement of biopsy needles and brachytherapy catheters, MR images were also used for brachytherapy treatment planning and optimization. Because 1.5 T MR images are directly acquired during the interventional procedure, dependence on deformable registration is reduced and online image quality is maximized.     

Do forceps biopsies truthfully reflect the nature of endoscopically uncovered polypoid lesions of the colon?

BACKGROUND: Total excision of colonic polyps is not always attainable and in some patients it is clinically contraindicated. Also, a resected polyp may be lost at any step between its endoscopic removal and its embedding in paraffin. The aim of this study was to compare the histological features of colonic polyps as analysed by the study of biopsy-forceps obtained samples with those assessed on scrutinizing the totally resected growths. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study included a cohort of 59 patients in whom, in the course of an elective colonoscopy, a total excision of a 6 mm-sized or larger polyp was called for. Sizeable biopsies were obtained by means of an Olympus Multibyte forceps prior to the total polypectomy. Subsequent to the study of the polypectomy specimens, the forceps biopsy samples were submitted for histological examination. The pathologists were blinded as to the source of the tissue they were studying. The diagnoses rendered by evaluating the biopsy samples and polypectomy specimens of each patient were contrasted with each other. RESULTS: Major discrepancies between the histological features of the fragments captured by the biopsy-forceps and the factual nature of the totally removed polyps were uncovered in 11 (18.6%) of 59 cases. Intriguingly, the grade of the tumours was underrated in all the 11 cases, as judged by contrasting the tentative diagnoses of the forceps-biopsies with the decisive diagnoses of the polypectomies. Importantly, 2 adenocarcinomas would have been missed by just looking at the forceps-retrieved sample. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, a discordance of 18.6% is to be expected between the diagnoses rendered after examining forceps-biopsies of and totally excised colonic polyps. Nevertheless, it is advisable to procure biopsies prior to the excision of the growths, because on those occasions in which patients' growths cannot be removed or have not been retrieved for one reason or another, a small forceps-captured tissue sample correctly reflects the characteristics of the polyp in 81.4% of the cases. Finally, the biopsies may be discarded in the event that total removal was successful.     

神经内镜治疗脑室内病变

目的探讨脑室内病变的神经内镜治疗。方法应用神经内镜对68例脑室内病变进行治疗,其中松果体区肿瘤16例,囊性颅咽管瘤15例,丘脑肿瘤14例,脑室内囊肿16例,侵及室管膜下的胼胝体肿瘤3例,侧脑室脉络丛乳头状瘤2例,侧脑室猪囊尾蚴病1例,侧脑室内分流管脱落1例。结果随访17～69个月,56例有效,12例死于肿瘤扩散。无严重并发症。结论对脑室内病变选择性应用神经内镜治疗安全、有效。     

18F-FDG PET/CT对非小细胞肺癌区域淋巴结诊断的假阴性与假阳性研究

目的探讨18^F-FDG PET／CT在检测非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）区域淋巴结中出现假阴性和假阳性的因素。方法随机选择手术治疗的NSCLC患者48例，术前1周内行18^F—FDG PET／CT检查，同期行CT增强扫描，术后根据病理检查结果分析PET／CT诊断NSCLC区域淋巴结转移的假阴性与假阳性因素。结果48例患者共切除区域淋巴结313枚，转移淋巴结51枚，PET／CT结果7枚假阴性。8枚假阳性，阳性预测值和阴性预测值分别为85％，97％，高于CT（57％，94％；P=0．002，0．045）。3枚假阴性淋巴结内的癌灶较小；2枚淋巴结短径约为0．4mm，小于PET／CT的空间分辨率；2枚紧邻原发灶的淋巴结，图像无法区分而视为原发灶。8枚假阳性淋巴结为患者在原发病灶基础上并发不同程度的肺部疾病和淋巴结炎症，使其糖代谢率增高。结论假阳性出于（1）淋巴结的短径小于PET／CT的空间分辨率；（2）淋巴结内的小癌灶糖代谢率较低；（3）紧邻原发灶的淋巴结与原发灶无法区分。原发肿瘤合并肺部疾病是导致PET／CT出现假阳性的重要原因。     

逆转录-聚合酶链反应检测胃癌淋巴结微转移

目的 检测胃癌常规病理检查阴性的淋巴结微转移的发生及与其它临床参考指标的关系。方法 利用逆转录－聚合酶链反应（RT－PCR）方法检测68枚胃癌胃周淋巴结癌胚抗原（CEA）mRNA基因表达，同时比较RT－PCR与免疫组化（IHC）方法的检测敏感性。结果 CEAmRNA RT－PCR是一种很敏感的方法，可以检测1／10^6个转移的癌细胞；检测19例胃癌患者取材的68枚胃周淋巴结，IHC阳性率28％（19／68），RT－PCR阳性率57％（39－68），两组之间差异有非常显著性意义（P＜0.01）；RT－PCR阳性率与胃部临床参考指标密切相关，且随着病期进展而增大。结论 CEA mRNA RT-PCR是比免疫组化更敏感的方法，可以预测胃癌淋巴结微转移，能够有效地避免已有微小转移的患者被漏诊。     

关木通引起慢性间质性肾炎7例报告

目的　观察关木通所致慢性肾损伤的临床和病理改变特点。方法　本组 7例中 ,男 5例 ,女 2例。 3例服关木通汤药 ,4例服含关木通成药。分析服用时间、累积总量与肾损害首发症状及症状出现时间、肾功能和肾病理改变的关系。结果　汤药组 :服药时间平均 3 3 3个月 ,累积总量平均 82 9 3 g ,首发症状为乏力 3例 ,夜尿增多 2例 ,平均时间为 8 3个月 ,Cr平均 40 2 μmol/L。肾病理 :3例均为重度寡细胞性肾间质纤维化 ,肾小管广泛萎缩。成药组 :服药时间平均 7 5个月 ,累积总量平均 13 6g ,乏力 3例 ,夜尿增多 1例 ,恶心呕吐、头痛头晕 1例 ,平均18 8个月 ,Cr 3 62 8μmol/L。肾病理为重度寡细胞性间质纤维化和灶状纤维化各 2例 ,肾小管灶状萎缩 3例 ,广泛萎缩 1例。结论　汤药组关木通积累大 ,发病时间早 ,肾病理改变重。提示关木通所致肾损其临床表现、病理改变与服用关木通时间、剂量相关。