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Biomedical subjects

J H Graham

Publications and source records attributed to J H Graham.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Balloon cell malignant melanoma of the skin. A clinicopathologic study of 34 cases with histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural observations.

Balloon cell malignant melanoma (BCMM) is a rare histologic variant of malignant melanoma (MM). Thirty-four patients with BCMM from the files of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) were studied by means of clinicopathologic correlation and histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural methods to better define this entity. The cytoplasmic features of the balloon cells observed in BCMM resemble those noticed in balloon cell nevus (BCN), but the presence of nuclear pleomorphism, atypia, and mitoses and the absence of intervening stroma help distinguish BCMM. The cells also show many histochemical, immunochemical, and ultrastructural features of conventional melanoma cells. Although it is generally believed that balloon melanoma cells represent a degenerative change, the immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings suggest that the balloon tumor cells are most likely metabolically active melanocytic cells. Microscopically, BCMM also must be differentiated from other clear cell tumors such as clear cell sarcoma (MM of soft parts), hibernoma, xanthoma, sebaceous neoplasms, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, (malignant) clear cell acrospiroma, (malignant) granular cell tumor, granular (clear) cell basal cell carcinoma, clear cell syringoma, and atypical fibroxanthoma. The prognosis of BCMM usually correlates with the tumor thickness similar to that in other histologic types of cutaneous MM. Nineteen (57.5%) of 33 patients with adequate follow-up information died of disseminated tumors from 2 months to 12 years after the initial treatment. Six (18.2%) patients developed local recurrences: four of these patients died of metastasis and two were alive with metastatic tumor at last contact. Five (15.2%) patients were alive with metastatic tumors, and seven (21.2%) were alive without evidence of disease at last contact. Recognition of BCMM is important because of its malignant biologic behavior.

Adult

Trichogerminoma. Report of 14 cases.

We report 14 cases of trichogerminoma, a rare form of cutaneous adnexal neoplasm, derived from hair germ epithelium. The neoplasms occurred in 9 men and 5 women. Their ages ranged from 16 to 73 years (median 53 years). The tumors were slow growing, asymptomatic dermal or subcutaneous nodules, located on the head and neck (6), trunk (4), extremities (2) and hip (1), with no distinguishing clinical features. Histologically, trichogerminomas were characterized by sharply circumscribed, pseudoencapsulated dermal and subcutaneous nodules, ranging in size from 0.4 to 4.0 cm in diameter (mean 1.9 cm). The nodules were subdivided into lobules separated by variable amounts of stroma that demonstrated varying cellularity and mucin content. The lobules were composed of basaloid cells that formed densely packed, round nests or "cell balls" resembling hair bulbs. The basaloid cells demonstrated peripheral palisading, keratinization and differentiation towards various pilosebaceous structures. Retraction spaces, well developed hair follicles and hair shafts were not observed. These distinctive histologic features separated these neoplasms from other tumors of pilar origin and from basal cell carcinoma. The trichogerminomas behaved in a benign fashion with one exception. Complete excision of the lesions is the treatment of choice.

Adolescent

Potent substituted-3 beta-phenyltropane analogs of cocaine have cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects.

Two novel phenyltropane analogs of cocaine, 3 beta-(4-chlorophenyl) tropane-2 beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester (RTI-COC-31) and 3 beta-(4-methylphenyl) tropane-2 beta-carboxylic acid methyl ester (RTI-COC-32), were evaluated for cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects in rats. Two groups of rats were trained to discriminate 10 mg/kg cocaine from saline using a standard 2-lever discrimination procedure with correct-lever responding reinforced under a fixed-ratio 20 schedule of food reinforcement. One group of rats was used to evaluate RTI-COC-31 and the unsubstituted-3 beta-phenyltropane reference compound WIN 35,065-2 in substitution tests. Another group of rats was used to evaluate RTI-COC-32. For purposes of comparison, a cocaine dose-effect curve was also determined in each group. Both RTI-COC-31 and RTI-COC-32, as well as WIN 35,065-2, substituted completely for cocaine. RTI-COC-31 was 26.8-fold and RTI-COC-32 was 6-fold more potent than cocaine for producing cocaine-lever responding. The potent cocaine-like effects of the RTI analogs in vivo correspond with their high affinities for a cocaine recognition site on the dopamine transporter, providing further evidence that this site may mediate behavioral effects of cocaine relevant to its abuse.

Animals

HMB-45 staining in benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. A reflection of cellular activation.

The antibody HMB-45 used as an immunohistochemical reagent has often been labeled as a marker for melanoma, even though some benign lesions have been noted to show positive staining reactions with this reagent. Biopsy specimens from 225 benign and malignant melanocytic lesions were examined after immunoperoxidase staining for S-100 protein and HMB-45. The lesions studied included common acquired nevi, spindle cell and epithelioid cell nevi (Spitz nevi), cellular blue nevi, deep penetrating nevi, congenital nevi, nevi from hormonally reactive areas (genital), malignant melanoma, and desmoplastic malignant melanoma. A positive reaction for HMB-45 was seen in the dermal component in a high percentage of each of these types of lesions except for the common acquired nevi and the desmoplastic malignant melanomas that were uniformly negative for HMB-45 in the dermal component. HMB-45 correlates with melanosome production and thus a melanocytic origin of HMB-45-positive cells. HMB-45 may correlate best with factors that stimulate melanocytic proliferation and production of melanosomes.

Adolescent

Majocchi's granuloma.

Majocchi's granuloma (nodular granulomatous perifolliculitis) is a well recognized but uncommon infection of dermal and subcutaneous tissue by fungal organisms (dermatophytes) usually limited to the superficial epidermis. The organism usually associated with Majocchi's granuloma is Trichophyton rubrum; however, other dermatophytes including T. mentagrophytes (variety granulosum), T. epilans, T. violaceum, M. audouinii, M. gypseum, M. ferrugineum, and M. canis may be the causative agent. A review of 17 cases revealed not only the variety of possible organisms but also a marked variation from the usual hyphal forms. The morphologic variations including yeast forms, bizarre hyphae, mucinous coatings, and the Splendore-Hoeppeli phenomenon may be factors which allow the dermatophytes to persist and grow in an abnormal location. Also, there is evidence that Majocchi's granuloma may occur in two distinct groups of patients.

Adult

Cytomegalovirus infection of the colon associated with ulcerative colitis.

We report a 12th case in which infection of the colon with cytomegalovirus was demonstrated in association with ulcerative collitis. Rectal biopsy has proven to be reliable in identifying cells with cytomegaloviral inclusion bodies if careful histologic evaluation is performed. Thus far, prognosis has been serious when cytomegalovirus of the colon has been documented in ulcerative colitis. Nine of 12 patients have required a colectomy, and only seven of 12 have survived.

Agammaglobulinemia

Granular cell basal cell carcinoma. A distinct histopathologic entity.

In two cases of basal cell carcinoma with prominent granular cell features, light microscopic examination showed a tumor with the general configuration of a nodular basal cell carcinoma. Focally, there were masses of cells with eosinophilic, granular cytoplasm and large cytoplasmic inclusions, strongly suggestive of granular cell myoblastoma. Ultrastructural observations in one case showed numerous lysosome-like organelles that were similar to those described for granular cell myoblastoma, but were identical to those described for the granular cell variant of ameloblastoma, a tumor that frequently resembles basal cell carcinoma. Additional features included tonofilaments and desmosomes, both of which support an epithelial origin for the granular cells in this rare variant of basal cell carcinoma.

Aged

Reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatographic determination of some iodoamino acid contaminants in sodium liothyronine or sodium levothyroxine.

Some iodoamino acids have been separated and determined by high pressure liquid chromatography on octadecylsilane reverse phase packing with a mobile phase consisting of methanol, potassium phosphate monobasic, and orthophosphoric acid at 44 degrees C. The method separates and quantitates mixtures of 3,5-diiodothyronine, liothyronine, isoliothyronine, and levothyroxine. The procedure provides an accurate, sensitive, and rapid estimation of decomposition and/or impurities in standards in approximately 30 min, at the less than 75 pmole level, using an ultraviolet detector at 254 nm.

Amino Acids

Epithelioma cuniculatum pedis, a variant of squamous cell carcinoma.

The rare lesion of epithelioma cuniculatum pedis may be recognized by the gross appearance of a slow-growing, bulky, "squashy," non-healing, exophytic mass of long duration on the sole, exuding foul-smelling purulent keratin debris from numerous sinuses, and biopsies showing extensive infiltrating plaques of keratinizing, well-formed, squamous epithelium forming walls for numerous sinuses filled with purulent material. The rarity of the lesion, the slow growth, and biopsies showing relatively benign-appearing well-differentiated squamous epithelium caused considerable diagnostic difficulty to clinicians and pathologists. The tumor failed to heal, extensively penetrated the soft tissues, ultimately destroyed the metatarsal bones, and invaded the skin of the dorsum of the fott. The lesion should be treated as a slow-growing, well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma by wide local excision or by amputation when extensive growth causes deformity of the foot or penetration of the metatarsal bones.

Adult

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia. A benign lesion mimicking angiosarcoma.

Observations were made of three cases of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH). Lesions of IPEH usually occur on the head and neck area as a subcutaneous red or blue nodule. This papillary proliferation of endothelial and stromal tissue occurs de novo in organizing venous thrombi or in preexisting hemangiomas or phlebectasias. An adequate understanding of this benign vascular disorder is important, since the lesion may be clinically and histologically mistaken for low grade angiosarcoma.

Adult

Rapid method for Tzanck preparations.

Use of the Paragon Multiple Stain for Frozen Sections (PMS) for Tzanck preparations of herpetic lesions has several distinct advantages over procedures previously described; the method is rapid, simple, inexpensive, and results in hematoxylin-eosin-like staining. This enables a diagnosis to be made from a single, affected cell.

Cytodiagnosis

Ultrastructure of atypical fibroxanthoma.

Electron microscopic examination of an atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) confirmed the fibrohistiocytic nature of this lesion. Ultrastructural evidence suggested a transition from fibroblasts to large giant cells with intermediate forms exhibiting features of both. A comparison of AFX ultrastructural features to those of other similar neoplasms suggested a possible relationship to malignant fibrous histiocytoma. As diagnosed by light microscopy, AFX probably represents a spectrum of neoplasms; this concept is discussed. It is urged, when possible, that electron microscopy be performed on lesions diagnosed as atypical fibroxanthoma since ultrastructure studies represent the most valid basis on which a correct diagnosis can be made.

Aged

Multicentric dermal-type cylindromas of the parotid glands in a patient with florid turban tumor.

Dermal-type cylindromas of parotid glands in a patient with turban tumor, and various adnexal tumors, represent a rare diathesis, apparently not reported previously. A Caucasian man, born in 1916, had a scalpectomy for turban tumor in 1957. In 1957, 1960, and 1974, dermal type cylindromas were excised from portions of both parotid glands, developing from intercalated and striated ducts; they were considered benign, based on long term followup. Adrexal tumors included multiple dermal cylindromas, trichoepitheliomas, eccrine spiradenomas, and Bowen's disease, and occurred on almost all skin surfaces. In November, 1976, a portion of a right parotidectomy included a 3.5 X 3-cm malignant tumor having the characteristics of an invasive poorly differentiated spindle cell epidermoid carcinoma, which showed no evidence of originating from a malignant basal cell tumor. Several encapsulated and developing benign basal cell tumors were included in the specimen. Dermal-type cyclindromas of the parotid gland are considered to be a variant of basal cell ademona, or monomorphic adenoma, basal cell type, since they consist of similar cell components, although of somewhat different arrangement and with prominent focal deposition of hyaline. Dermal-type cylindromas should be excised conservatively as they appear. They must be differentiated from adenoid cystic carcinoma, which is an infiltrating neoplasm and requires a radical surgical approach.

Adolescent