Heterotopic Liver Nodule Compressing a Two-Vessel Umbilical Cord: An Unusual Cause of Intrauterine Fetal Demise

Heterotopic liver tissue in the umbilical cord is rare, and the outcome is quite unpredictable based on the few reported cases. We present a case of heterotopic liver nodule in the umbilical cord of a midtrimester fetus who died in utero. Although such association has only been reported once, heterotopic nodular tissue in the umbilical cord must be regarded as a potential cause of fetal demise by a mechanism analogous to the more common umbilical cord abnormalities resulting in umbilical vessel compromise.

Mediastinal Epidermoid Cyst in a 5-Year-Old Girl

A 5-year-old girl was referred to our unit with an incidental finding of a lesion on the right hemithorax situated within the right atrial shadow. Computed tomography thorax showed a well-defined soft tissue lesion felt to be consistent with a bronchogenic cyst. The lesion was located in the posterior mediastinum, adherent to the diaphragm and inferior vena cava, but did not extend within the wall of the esophagus. It was entirely excised via video-assisted thoracoscopy converted to open thoracotomy. Histopathology confirmed an encapsulated nodular tissue measuring 2.5 × 2.5 × 2 cm lined by squamous type epithelium. Chronic inflammatory cells and foreign body giant cell reaction were found in the cyst wall. The appearances were that of a benign epidermoid cyst.

Accuracy of pelvic multiparametric MRI in diagnosing local recurrence following radical prostatectomy. Case report and revision of the literature

A Caucasian man (73 years old) six years from radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer (PCa) showed biochemical recurrence (BCR); the follow up based on PSA evaluated every 6 months was negative (0.1 ng/ml) for 5 years, but in the last year PSA increased to 0.3 vs 0.5 ng/ml. The patient was asymptomatic and underwent 3.0 Tesla mpMRI equipped with surface 16 channels phased-array coil placed around the pelvic area; multiplanar turbo spin-echo T2-weighted (T2W), axial diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), axial dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) and spectroscopy were performed. Pelvic mpMRI demonstrated the presence of a nodular tissue with a diameter of 10 mm. located on the left of the prostatic fossa near the rectum that was higly sospicious for local PCa recurrence. The patient underwent salvage RT (64 Gy); one year from RT PSA was 0.1 ng/ml suggesting that the patient was free from recurrence. In conclusion, mpMRI could be combined with PSA kinetics in the evaluation of men with BRC also in the presence of PSA values < 1 ng/ml.

Morphology of the tongue of the emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae). II. Histological features

Although a number of brief, fragmented descriptions have been provided on the gross morphology of the ratite tongue, very few studies have documented the histological structure of this organ. This paper presents the first definitive histological description of the emu tongue and reviews, consolidates and compares the scattered information on the histology of the ratite tongue available in the literature. Five tongues were removed from heads obtained from birds at slaughter and fixed in 10 % neutral buffered formalin. Appropriate longitudinal and transverse segments were removed, routinely processed for light microscopy, and sections examined after staining with H & E and PAS. The entire tongue (body and root) is invested by a non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. The supporting connective tissue of the tongue dorsum displays only large, simple branched tubular mucussecreting glands, whereas the caudal tongue body ventrum and tongue root, in addition to these glands, also exhibits small, simple tubular mucus-secreting glands. Herbst corpuscles are associated with the large, simple branched glands. Lymphoid tissue is restricted to the tongue ventrum and is particularly obvious at the junction of the ventral tongue body and frenulum where a large aggregation of diffuse lymphoid tissue, with nodular tissue proximally, was consistently observed. A structure resembling a taste bud was located in the epithelium on the caudal extremity of the tongue root of one bird. This is the first reported observation of taste buds in ratites. Forming the core of the tongue body is the cartilaginous paraglossum lying dorsal to the partially ossified rostral projection of the basihyale. The histological features of the emu tongue are generally similar to those described for the greater rhea and ostrich, except that taste buds were not identified in these species. The results would suggest that the emu tongue functions as a sensory organ, both for taste and touch (by virtue of taste receptors and Herbst corpuscles, respectively), as well as fulfilling an immunological function.

Seasonal changes in protein, amino acid and elemental composition of perennial nodules of beach pea

Changes in proteins, amino acids and elements were studied in the perennial nodules of beach pea during winter, summer and fall. Accumulation of total protein content in the nodules increased from mid-summer to early winter and then decreased. Among the total amino acids studied, arginine, cystathionine, ethanolamine, histidine, hydroxyproline, ornithine and proline were found to increase in winter nodules. γ-aminobutyric acid was found to be significantly higher in fall and summer, whereas sarcosine was higher in summer and winter. Large amounts of K followed by Ca were found in almost all nodule tissues. Phosphorus, A l, Si and Cu showed significant variation among different nodule tissues within winter and summer. In the nodular tissue, significantly larger amounts of Na, K and Mg were found in the winter and S in the summer. In both winter and summer, no significant difference could be observed in the distribution of Cl, Mo, Ca, Mn, Fe and Zn among nodule tissues. Irrespective of nodule tissues, the complete nodule showed the following seasonal changes: high K, Ca and Zn in winter; high Cl and Al in summer; high S and Si in fall; high Mn in both winter and summer; high Cu in both winter and fall; high Na, Mg and Fe in both summer and fall; no significant changes in the amounts of P and Mo. Key words: Beach pea, Lathyrus maritimus L., protein, amino acid, element, cold stress

Ontogeny of shoot regenerants on excised immature peach embryos

Excised immature peach embryos when cultured on an auxin-containing medium produced both a friable callus and a nodular callus. Upon further subculturing on an auxin-reduced medium only the nodular callus differentiated into highly regenerative nodular callus. This callus comprised dense meristematic cells which arose near or at the surface of the nodular tissue. Cells containing starch granules often surrounded these meristemoid areas. Shoots could be induced to form on shoot-inducing medium from the meristemoid areas. Vascular connections developed between the parental material and the shoot. The friable callus never appeared to differentiate into a nodular callus on either friable callus or nodular callus medium, nor were plantlets derived from this tissue on shoot-inducing medium. No stages of somatic embryogenesis were ever apparent. The evidence supports the view that the regenerative shoots were derived from indirect organogenesis on nodular callus derived from the embryonic tissue.Key words: Organogenesis, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, shoot formation

Thyroid epithelial cell proliferation in xenotransplanted human toxic nodular goitre is increased by Graves' IgG

Human toxic nodular goitre tissue was xenotransplanted to athymic mice. Transplant function was analysed as 18-h thyroid transplant uptake of iodide-125 at day 21 and again at 10 weeks after transplantation. Graves' IgG or IgG from healthy donors was given intraperitoneally daily day 22-35. Epithelial cell proliferation in thyroid tissue transplants from human toxic nodular goitre and from normal thyroid glands was analysed by continuous [3H]thymidine administration for 4 days between day 21 and 24 and for 12 days between day 21 and 33 in separate series given daily injections of Graves' IgG or normal IgG during the same period. After administration of Graves' IgG, the 18-h iodide-125 uptake by the toxic nodular tissue transplants was 7 times higher at 10 weeks than at 3 weeks. Control IgG gave a corresponding 1.6-fold increase. The fraction of labelled cells after [3H]thymidine incorporation was 18 and 56% in toxic nodular goitre transplants and 4 and 48% in normal thyroid tissue transplants after daily Graves' IgG administration for 4 and 12 days, respectively, but only 1.3% in both types of tissue transplants after administration of normal IgG. Graves' IgG therefore seems to be able to stimulate cell proliferation in toxic nodular goitre tissue.

Evolution of Autonomy in Idiopathic Non-Toxic Goiter, Evaluated by Regional Suppressibility of 99mTc-Uptake and TSH Response to TRH

SummarySeventeen euthyroid patients with non-toxic goiter were studied, 7 had diffuse goiters and 10 had nodular goiters. The TSH response to TRH and the 99mTc-uptake were measured before and after T3 suppression. The uptake, measured with a gamma camera, was calculated for the whole gland and for a maximum of 6 regions within the thyroid gland.The suppressibility of 99mTc-uptake (percent change of uptake) ranged from 0 to 95%, it was significantly greater in patients with diffuse than in those with nodular goiters, and was alike in nodular and inter-nodular tissue. The patients with diffuse goiter were significantly younger than those with nodular goiter. Abolished TSH response to TRH was seen in 2 patients with negative T3 suppression tests. In another 2 patients impaired TSH response was associated with impaired suppressibility. In 13 patients with normal TRH tests, the suppression of uptake was normal in 8 and subnormal in 5.The results suggest that nodularity and functional autonomy may develop in non-toxic goiters. In some of these goiters the mass of autonomous tissue may be large enough to cause negative TRH tests, probably indicating hypersecretion of thyroid hormones, although not necessarily above the normal range.