Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C M Pesce.
An increased prevalence of nocardiosis has been reported in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, or affected by immunodeficiency disorders and autoimmune diseases. A case of severe Nocardia lung infection with pleurisy and hematogenous spread to the
Pseudomembranous colitis, an uncommon affection following surgery or antibiotic therapy, is characterized by whitish plaques ( pseudomembranes ) attached to the mucosa. Serial sectioning of these pseudomembranes disclosed that each of them was related to a lymphoid aggregate in the submucosa and the lamina propria. A group of glandular crypts overlying the aggregate were dilated by mucus, fibrin, leukocytes, and cellular debris. These contents jutted out of the mucosal surface into the lumen, constituting the stem of the pseudomembrane, and could spread over the surrounding mucosa. Accordingly, a morphologic unit was recognized in pseudomembranous colitis, including the lymphoid aggregate, the dilated glandular crypts, and the pseudomembrane stem.
Histopathology may serve a wide spectrum of diagnostic purposes in tropical medicine other than for infectious and parasitic diseases. In addition, it is essential in defining new pathological entities and collecting statistical data on morbidity and mortality. It should also constitute a basic support for advancement and research in tropical diseases. For practical purposes, both histopathology and cytopathology are often more effective than clinical chemistry and microbiology in providing the clinician with a final diagnosis. They do not rely on complicated and delicate equipment, and the few reagents they require can be stored indefinitely. Formalin fixation permits most histological methods to be used, including special stains and immunohistochemistry. Formalin-fixed material can be examined several days after excision. Implementing pathology laboratories in tropical countries may constitute a practical, cost-effective approach to the planning of diagnostic services at the regional or district level. A fraction of the medical graduates in developing countries should be devoted to the staffing of these laboratories.
A significant (p less than 0.01) difference in the mitotic index between 31 benign and 4 malignant schwannomas is reported. An increased mitotic activity has been related to malignancy in previous works, although no statistical studies have been carried out on its diagnostic value. Our results suggest that the mitotic index should be considered an effective, convenient feature of distinction in doubtful instances, especially as no other trait of malignancy can be similarly measured.
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