[Endodermal sinus tumor of sacrococcygeal region in the infant--clinico-pathologic analysis of 6 cases]

Endodermal sinus tumor can be found in the ovaries, testes and extragonadal sites, such as sacrococcygeal, retroperitoneal, mediastinal regions or other mid line structures. Sacrococcygeal endodermal sinus tumor and its characteristics are presented. The age of patients with lesions in this region is youngest among all. Their ages ranged 10 months to 3 years in our series. Five of them were females. Most cases had difficulty in passing stools. When first seen in the clinic, all were in the advanced stage with the tumor infiltrating into the sacrococcygeal bones, presacral soft tissues and rectum already. The residual lesions recurred rapidly after operation. All cases were not treated systematically by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and died within 1-15 months. Pathologically, the composition of the tumor is the same in every site, assuming patterns of reticular or solid, glandular or pseudopapillary appearance, Schillar-Duval bodies, hyaline bodies and so on. Positive serum AFP test may be helpful in the differential diagnosis and prognostic evaluation.

Developmental morphometry of the vagus nerve in the opossum

Developmental morphology of the vagus nerve has been described for placental but not marsupial mammals such as the opossum which undergo even greater postnatal maturation. In the present study, the cervical vagus nerve of opossums from the seventh postnatal day to the adult were compared after 3% glutaraldehyde immersion, postfixation in osmium tetroxide and staining with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. At 7 days of age, axons were unmyelinated. Only 4 myelinated axons were present at the 25th postnatal day and by 50 days of age only 11% of adult values were reached. The number of Schwann cells increased from 105 at age 7 days up to 640 in the adult. The number of myelin lamellae surrounding the largest axons increased from 9 at 25 days up to 102 +/- 9 at adulthood. In the newborn kitten and rabbit, the number of myelinated vagal fibers comprised 10% (n = 326) and 18% (n = 653), respectively, of that reached in the adult animal. Comparable values are not obtained in the opossum until the 50th postnatal day.

Primary Sjogren's syndrome and autoimmune hemolytic anemia in sisters. A family study

Familial primary Sjogren's syndrome is infrequently reported despite a strong association with a genetically determined factor, HLA-DR3. Although autoimmune hemolytic anemia occurring with secondary Sjogren's syndrome has been well-documented, its association with primary Sjogren's syndrome has not previously been well-recognized. Thus, the unique occurrence of primary Sjogren's syndrome and autoimmune hemolytic anemia in two sisters prompted investigation of other family members for autoimmune diseases and serologic phenomena and their relationships to HLA genotypes. Serologic analysis (antinuclear antibodies, anti-single-stranded DNA, biologic false-positive result for syphilis, and rheumatoid factor) and HLA-A, B, C, and DR typing were performed in 19 relatives in the kindred. Although HLA-DR3 occurred in those affected with Sjogren's syndrome and thyroid disease, there was no consistent segregation of HLA haplotype with serologic abnormalities in other relatives. These data suggest that there are other, non-HLA-linked, factors contributing to the autoimmune diseases in this family.