Influence of inflammatory reaction in primary fallopian-tube carcinoma (stage-I and stage-ii)

A retrospective evaluation of 68 Fallopian tube carcinomas (FTC) of a period of ten years (1980-1990) in stage I and II was performed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of various factors. 68 cases were investigated for the prognostic influence of mitotic activity, degree of nuclear anaplasia and inflammatory reaction. Histological grading (p=0.08), and inflammatory reaction (p=0.003) showed to have a prognostic impact for survival in univariate analysis. Whereas, mitotic activity did not show any statistically significant influence. 47 (69%) tissue samples showed a positive inflammatory reaction which correlated with a significantly better outcome compared with tumors without this feature. However, this influence was proved in multivariate analysis for inflammatory reaction only (p=0.01). Although no data on the influence of the inflammatory reaction on prognosis in FTC has been published up to now, we can state that the determination of this factor can be useful for prognosis in this rare but highly aggressive tumor.     

Residual ethanol content of donor sclera after storage in 95% ethanol and saline rinse of various durations

PURPOSE: Some surgeons are wary of using alcohol-preserved sclera for allografts because they fear a toxic effect on surrounding tissue after placement. We set out to determine the amount of ethanol remaining in scleral allograft material after storage in 95% ethanol. METHODS: Sixty half scleras from 30 donors were preserved in 95% ethanol for an average of 31+/-14 days (range, 11 to 50 days). Rehydration was performed by soaking each half sclera in 4 ounces of balanced salt solution. Half scleras were randomly assigned to six groups of 10 each. Assays for ethanol were performed on the following groups: no balanced salt solution soak and balanced salt solution soak for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, and 50 minutes. Ethanol assay was performed by Headspace Gas Space Chromatography at ChemaTox Laboratory, Inc, Boulder, Colorado. RESULTS: The 10 half scleras without balanced salt solution soak had a mean ( SD) ethanol level of 175+/-14.1 mg per g of sclera. After 10 minutes of balanced salt solution s oak, the level decreased to 7.57+/-1.56 mg per g, then 3.77+/-3.02 mg per g at 20 minutes, 1.59+/-0.61 mg per g at 30 minutes, 1.07+/-0.30 mg per g at 40 minutes, and 0.96+/-0.26 mg per g at 50 minutes. Approximately 96% of the ethanol is leeched out of the half sclera by 10 minutes and 98% by 20 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: For sclera preserved in 95% ethanol, soaking in balanced salt solution for 20 minutes or longer leeches approximately 98% of the ethanol from the preserved donor sclera.