Virchows Archiv

doi: 10.1007/BF00445780pmid: N/A

Vykoupil, K.; Thiele, J.; Georgii, A.

doi: 10.1007/BF00445773pmid: 826011

In 24 patients with hairy cell leukemia, histological and fine structural findings from biopsies of the bone marrow are reported and their validity is compared with other diagnostic procedures available. Diagnosis by light microscopy of anterior iliac crest biopsies obtained by the method of myelotomy is possible with a high degree of accuracy. The differentiation of hairy cell leukemia from other myelo- or lymphoproliferative disorders based on cytomorphology as well as patterns of growth is emphasized. Morphological differences between fibrosis in this entity and other lesions such as malignant lymphomas, Hodgkin's disease, osteomyelofibrosis and -sclerosis are emphasized.

Partanen, Seppo; Penttilä, Olli; Kyösola, Kimmo; Merikallio, Erkki; Siltanen, Pentti

doi: 10.1007/BF00445774pmid: 826012

The present work was undertaken in order to study the role of monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme in the genesis of altered cardiac noradrenalin level in the human heart in various underlying pathologic conditions. The histochemical localization and the activity of MAO were studied in the right atrial appendage of man in ischemic heart disease, in valvular heart disease without or with congestive myocardial failure, and in hearts with an uncomplicated atrial septal defect.

Grand, K.-E.; Hara, M.; Bohle, A.

doi: 10.1007/BF00445775pmid: 826013

Morphometrical and clinical investigations were performed in 34 patients with the so-called hypercellular form of focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS), i.e., a form showing clear diffuse mesangial hypercellularity beside focal sclerosis with the light microscope. This form was compared with focal glomerulosclerosis without remarkable mesangial hypercellularity, with mild mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (gn), as well as with normal kidneys.

Lassmann, G.; Lassmann, H.; Stockinger, L.

doi: 10.1007/BF00445776pmid: 826014

The dissected plantar nerves of 105 patients with clinical symptoms of Morton's disease were examined under light and electron microscopy. Of the 105 cases, 75 showed characteristic neuronal lesions; in the others different pathologic substrates responsible for the clinical symptoms could be demonstrated. The nervous lesions are characterized by: 1. Thickening of the walls of the endoneurial vessels produced by multiple layers of basement membranes. 2. Edema and sclerosis of the endoneurium. In the electron microscope the endoneurium was filled by deposits of fibrils with a tubular substructure and a diameter of 100–110 Å. 3. Thickening of the perineurium. 4. Degeneration of the nerve fibers without signs of wallerian degeneration or obvious reactive Schwann's cell hyperplasia.

Feigl, W.; Denk, H.; Davidovits, A.; Holzner, J.

doi: 10.1007/BF00445777pmid: 826015

Paraffin material of 31 benign and malignant vascular tumors was investigated with respect to their blood group isoantigen (BG) content by the mixed cell agglutination reaction (MCAR). In capillary hemangioma, BG was found in endothelial cells as well as in solid buds. Benign hemangioendothelioma found in children differed from that found in adults in that in juvenile cases only endothelial cells expressed BG whereas in adult cases BG isoantigenity was present in endothelial cells as well as in intercapillary cellular elements. In pericytomas only endothelial cells were BG positive, whereas the tumor cells lacked BG. Similar results were obtained with glomus tumors. All but one hemangiosarcoma were BG negative. In one case, however, which probably resembled a “true” malignant hemangioendothelioma (Stout and Lattes, 1967) the tumor cells contained BG in conspicuous amounts.

Lesna, M.; Watson, A.; Douglas, A.; Hamlyn, A.; James, O.

doi: 10.1007/BF00445778pmid: 826016

In 100 patients who had taken an acute overdose of paracetamol the liver was biopsied percutaneously on the 4th day or as soon thereafter as recovery of the clotting mechanism allowed. A system for grading the histological changes in the liver is described. The hallmark of severe (grade III) damage is centrizonal necrosis, for which there is probably a dosage threshold. Consequent changes include phagocytosis of cell debris, reticulin collapse, and an inflammatory infiltration; acidophil degeneration of hepatocytes is sometimes prominent; regenerative growth is already evident after 4 days. Mild (grade I) damage is characterized by excess of lipofuscin pigment in centrizonal hepatocytes, sparse focal necrosis of liver cells, and some phagocytosis of lipofuscin. The findings in moderate (grade II) damage are similar but more pronounced. Five patients died in acute hepatic failure, and 22/100 showed severe (grade III) changes but survived. Forty-nine patients representing all three grades of liver damage were rebiopsied after 3 months. Central necrotic zones were found to have been completely reconstituted leaving only minor abnormalities except for one patient who showed mild centrilobular fibrosis and scarring of a nonprogressive nature.

Jellinger, K.; Radaszkiewicz, Th.

doi: 10.1007/BF00445779pmid: 826017

A retrospective histologic study of 145 consecutive autopsy cases of systemic malignant lymphomas (including lymphatic leukemias) was performed. The classification followed the Kiel Classification (Gérard-Marchant et al., 1974). There was an overall secondary CNS involvement in 26.2% of the total or in 30.4% of the non-Hodgkin's lymphomas including ALL, with intracranial lesions in 21.4 and 26.1%, respectively, and spinal epidural spread in 5.5 (5.1)%. Peripheral nerve involvement was seen in almost 40% of the examined cases. Ten further cases were isolated (“primary”) intracranial lymphomas without evidence of extraneural deposits or systemic lymphatic disease. The CNS complications in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were diffuse meningeal and/or perivascular infiltration with or without invasion of the nervous parenchyma, and did not differ from those in CNS leukemia. Isolated solid mass lesions in the brain were only present in 7% of the secondary CNS lymphomas, but were seen in all instances of “primary” cerebral lymphomas. The incidence of CNS complications was highest in lymphoblastic lymphomas including ALL (39%), CLL (31%), immunocytic lymphoma (29%), less frequent in immunoblastic (18.7%), and centrocytic lymphomas (16.6%). No intracranial lesion was observed in centroblastic-centrocytic and centroblastic lymphomas which only produced epidural spread. Bone marrow involvement was present in 92.8% of the cases with secondary CNS lesions, and in 83.2% of the epidural lymphomas. Leukemic conversion, present in 44% of the total (52% with ALL), was demonstrated in 83.3% of the cases with secondary brain lesions, but was hardly combined with epidural spread. The histologic pattern of CNS lesions in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and their frequent association with leukemic conversion suggest the importance of hematogenous dissemination rather than of direct spread from bone marrow or local manifestation in multisystem disease. Isolated (“primary”) lymphomas of the CNS which are morphologically identical with the extraneural lymphomas may represent a primary, often lethal manifestation of a multisystem disease with or without secondary generalization.