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Biomedical subjects

B F Atkinson

Publications and source records attributed to B F Atkinson.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Gastrointestinal cancer-associated antigen in immunoperoxidase assay.

A monosialoganglioside antigen of gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas defined by murine monoclonal antibody was demonstrated by immunoperoxidase (IP) assay in fixed paraffin-embedded tumors in 59% of colonic adenocarcinomas, 86% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and 89% of all gastric adenocarcinomas. In all patients with detectable levels of antigen in circulation, the resected tumors also expressed the antigen in IP assay. Six of eight individuals with no detectable levels of antigen in their serum samples expressed the antigen in the tumor tissue. Removal of the sialic acid residue of the antigen abolished the IP reaction. The successful use of the IP assay on fixed tissue to demonstrate the specific sites of gastrointestinal cancer antigen localization in human tumors and normal tissues provides an important tool for the study of developing neoplasia.

Adenocarcinoma

Invasive cervical thymoma masquerading as a solitary thyroid nodule. Report of a case studied by fine needle aspiration.

A 49-year-old woman underwent fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of a presumed thyroid nodule. The initial cytopathologic interpretation suggested a chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis or a malignant lymphoma. The examination of frozen sections during surgery also suggested the presence of a lymphoma. However, histopathologic examination of permanent sections showed the lesion to be an invasive ectopic lymphocyte-predominant thymoma adjacent to the thyroid. Immunoperoxidase staining of FNA cell block sections and permanent sections showed positivity for keratin, proving the epithelial nature of the elongated and spindle-shaped tumor cells. This case high-lights the need to be aware of unusual lesions that may occur in the area of the thyroid; recognizing the potential diversity of "thyroid" masses that ultimately prove to be of nonthyroid origin should aid in making the correct cytologic differential diagnosis and interpretation of FNA samples obtained from such masses.

Biopsy, Needle

Melanuria.

The urinary cytologic findings in a patient with metastatic malignant melanoma, diffuse melanosis and melanuria are presented. The melanosis was diagnosed from the clinical appearance of a generalized slate-blue skin discoloration, which is probably caused by dermal deposition of excess melanin pigment. The melanuria was characterized microscopically by the presence of amorphous, dark-brown casts, which stained positively for melanin pigment, and numerous pigment-laden macrophages.

Back Pain

Psammoma bodies in fine needle aspirate of the thyroid in lymphocytic thyroiditis.

Psammoma bodies are concentric, laminated microcalcifications that are regarded as nearly specific markers in the thyroid gland for the presence of papillary carcinoma. While psammoma bodies have been seen rarely in some benign thyroid diseases, there appear to be no reports of psammoma body formation in lymphocytic or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. We report a case of Hashimoto's thyroiditis in which psammoma bodies were identified in a fine needle aspiration specimen of the thyroid and in histologic sections of the right thyroid lobectomy; papillary carcinoma was not found in either specimen. We conclude that psammoma bodies may be seen in any benign process, such as nodular goiter or lymphocytic thyroiditis, that produces reactive papillary hyperplasia of thyroid epithelium, as well as in papillary carcinoma. However, the finding of psammoma bodies in a fine needle aspirate without corroborating cytologic evidence of papillary cancer is still an indication for surgical removal of the thyroid nodule since these structures are reliable markers for occult papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, despite the rarity of their formation in benign diseases.

Adult

Pemphigus vulgaris with subclinical involvement of the uterine cervix. Report of a case with persistence of abnormal Papanicolaou smears posthysterectomy.

A case of pemphigus vulgaris is reported in which abnormal Papanicolaou smears continued prior to and after hysterectomy despite a normal pelvic examination. Microscopic foci of cervical pemphigus were found only in a retrospective study of the surgical material. Subclinical involvement of the cervicovaginal area with pemphigus, especially in a patient whose disease is apparently under control with steroids, can be a source of atypical Papanicolaou smears. The importance of careful colposcopic examination and clinical history is stressed for the gynecologist and cytopathologist, respectively.

Adult

Unusual immunocytochemical and ultrastructural features of synovial fluid cells in multicentric reticulohistiocytosis. A case report.

We present the first report in which cells in synovial fluid from a patient with multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) were studied by immunocytochemistry for correlation with routine light and electron microscopy. MRH cells stained predominantly for lymphocyte-related surface antigens and not for the monocyte marker LEU M3 (CD14). These findings suggest a lymphocytic origin of MRH cells and not a histiocytic origin, as previously suggested. In addition, large numbers of membrane-bound, electron-dense, secretory-type granules were found ultrastructurally in the cytoplasm of these cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal