Further observations on carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder: silent but extensive intraprostatic involvement

Of seven patients with carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder in the absence of an associated papillary carcinoma, five were found to have silent but extensive intraductal prostatic involvement. In three of these the carcinoma in situ was associated with microinvasion. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 68 years. All had symptoms characteristic of carcinoma in situ, including hematuria, dysuria, and urgency. In three patients the prostatic involvement was diagnosed on transurethral resection. In two it was discovered only after radical cystectomy. The prostatic involvement was neither suspected clinically nor has it been previously emphasized. Although three patients are alive, apparently free of disease up to 15 months postcystectomy, two have died, one of disease. The importance of prostatic assessment in the evaluation of the patient with carcinoma in situ of the urinary bladder is emphasized.

New fine structural observations in testicular malakoplakia: role of the Sertoli cell

A case of testicular malakoplakia is described in which cells other than histiocytes were involved in the tissue response. The abundant cell junctions, some closely related to mitochondria, and the peripheral displacement of rough endoplasmic reticulum by abundant phagolysosomes, suggest involvement of Sertoli cells, in addition to histiocytes. It is suggested that, perhaps, some forms of granulomatous orchitis and malakoplakia represent a single disease process observed at a different stage in its evolution.

Peripheral nerve tumors involving paranasal sinuses: a case report and review of the literature

A 45-year-old man, afflicted with von Recklinghausen's disease, with symptomatic schwannomas and plexiform neurofibromas involving the right maxillary antrum, a rare site for peripheral nerve tumors, is presented. After a literature review, 15 cases were considered adequate for a clinicopathologic study. Twelve schwannomas, 2 plexiform neurofibromas, 2 neurofibromas, and 1 probable malignant schwannoma were included. Epistaxis was common in tumors of the ethmoid sinus and nasal fossae, while pain was related to lesions of the maxillary sinus. Two benign schwannomas recurred and were cured by surgery alone. The importance of early diagnosis and thorough surgical excisions is emphasized, especially for those tumors associated with von Recklinghausen's disease. The difficulties involved in the diagnosis of primary malignant peripheral nerve tumors are discussed.

Fatal bowel infarction and sepsis: an unusual complication of systemic strongyloidiasis

A 58 year old Chinese male, one week after arriving in Canada from Hong Kong, presented with acute abdominal pain and diarrhoea which was rapidly followed by Escherichia coli infection causing septicaemia and meningitis. His past history revealed bronchial asthma for 15 years treated with steroids. At laparotomy, 7 days after the onset of symptoms, he was found to have extensive haemorrhagic infarction of the small bowel and right colon. Examination of the fibrosed mesenteric vessels revealed numerous filariform larvae of Strongyloides stercoralis, within the walls, and in all layers of bowel wall. The role of the parasite in the production of obliterative arteritis in this fatal case of haemorrhagic enteropathy is discussed. Clinical strongyloidiasis, in uncomplicated cases, varies from mild to severe with gastroenteritis, nausea, colicky abdominal pain, electrolyte imbalance and symptoms of malabsorption syndrome (MARCIAL-ROJAS, 1971). In malnourished individuals and patients with debilitating infections, either newly acquired or asymptomatic latent infection with S. stercoralis can assume severe dimensions (BROWN and PERNA, 1958; HUGHTON and HORN, 1959). Similarly, in patients on steroid (CRUZ et al., 1966; WILLIS and MWOKOLO, 1966; NEEFE et al., 1973) and immunosuppressive therapy for lymphomatous diseases or deficient in immune response (ROGERS and NELSON, 1966; RIVERA et al., 1970), systemic strongyloidiasis is often fatal. The increased frequency of auto-infection in such patients with a breached immune barrier is, however, unclear. Further complications of this infection due to severe enterocolitis result in sepsis, bacteraemia and meningitis (BROWN and PERNA, 1958; HUGHTON and HORN, 1959). This paper presents a fatal case of S. stercoralis infection which illustrates an uncommon if not unique, mechanism in its production of haemorrhagic enteropathy leading to sepsis and death.