Biomedical subjects

E K Dankwa

Publications and source records attributed to E K Dankwa.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1990

'Diamond-shaped' crypts and mucosal elastin: helpful diagnostic features in biopsies of rectal prolapse.

The biopsy diagnosis of prolapsing rectal mucosa syndrome can be difficult. We present two newly described features--'diamond-shaped' crypts and mucosal elastin--which appear to be helpful in histological diagnosis. Of 32 biopsies of prolapsing rectal mucosa syndrome, all showed diamond-shaped crypts or mucosal elastin, and 28 contained both. Control biopsies comprised cases of normal or irritable bowel syndrome (46), irradiation colitis and ischaemic colitis (16), inflammatory bowel disease (26), and adenomas (30). Mucosal elastin and 'diamond-shaped' crypts with distinctive scalloped edges, which were never seen in prolapse, were observed in half the cases of irradiation and ischaemic colitis. Diamond-shaped crypts were seen in one case of inflammatory bowel disease. Diamond-shaped crypts and elastin were seen in the base of adenomas large enough to cause localized prolapse, and in four biopsies from patients with irritable bowel syndrome, all of whom had given a history of straining at stool.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1988

Smooth muscle pseudotumours: a potentially confusing artefact of rectal biopsy.

An artefactual smooth muscle lesion was found in seven of 500 consecutive rectal biopsy specimens. The lesions had the deceptive appearance of a genuine tumour although none of the patients with the lesion had presented with a rectal mucosal swelling. The morphology of the lesion and its poor reproducibility under experimental conditions suggested that it was an artefact of the biopsy procedure: it was easily reproduced in resected specimens of large bowel using punch or basket forceps but not when using flat forceps. The presence of the lesion seems to depend on the type of forceps used rather than on differences in deployment and seems to be caused by avulsion of the superficial part of the muscularis propria and its incorporation into the tissues included in rectal biopsy specimens.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

Frozen section diagnosis: an audit.

A consecutive series of 1000 operative frozen section diagnoses was reviewed. Correct diagnosis was made at the time in 96.5% of the cases. Clinically relevant errors were found in 1.3% of the cases and unimportant errors in 0.9%. Diagnosis was deferred, to await subsequent paraffin sections, in a further 1.3%. All the errors and provisional diagnoses in the deferred cases were conservative false negative results; no false positive diagnosis of malignancy was made. The cases of incorrect or deferred diagnosis were analysed to ascertain the origin of the difficulties, which comprised: technical imperfection (three cases); the focal nature of the lesion (14); and pathological misinterpretation (28). More than one of these factors played a part in eight cases. Further retrospective assessment indicated that the factors leading to error or deferred diagnosis were avoidable in 57% and potentially avoidable in 43% of cases. Misinterpretation was the single factor responsible for all avoidable misdiagnoses or deferred diagnosis. None the less, unavoidable factors led to erroneous or deferred diagnosis in about 2% of operative frozen section requests. Using present methods this seems to be the irreducible minimum of failures to make the correct diagnosis when frozen sections are assessed.

Adult↗