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Biomedical subjects

J F Silverman

Publications and source records attributed to J F Silverman.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Immunocytochemical panel for the identification of malignant cells in serous effusions.

The cytologic diagnosis of malignancy in serous effusions can be challenging. An immunocytochemical (ICC) panel using commercially available antibodies (to carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], epithelial membrane antigen [EMA], B72.3, Leu-M1, cytokeratin [CK], leukocyte common antigen [LCA], S-100 protein, and vimentin) was applied to cell blocks fixed in methyl Carnoy's solution that were from 55 consecutive pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial fluid specimens. The results were correlated with data from clinical records and routine cytologic studies. Final cytologic diagnoses included 26 of adenocarcinoma and 1 of mesothelioma. The remaining 28 cases were considered to be benign (reactive) proliferations. EMA, CEA, B72.3, and Leu-M1 were present in 96%, 77%, 58%, and 42% of adenocarcinomas, respectively. These determinants were absent in the mesothelioma and the reactive effusions, although anti-CEA yielded strong background staining of inflammatory cells. The CK markers identified malignant cells in 93% of cases, but consistently stained mesothelial cells as well. Antivimentin strongly labeled mesothelial cells in all cases, with weak to absent staining of malignant cells. In 3 of 26 carcinoma cases (12%), the ICC panel identified malignant cells that were not recognized initially on routine cytologic examination. In 1 of 26 cases (4%), the panel was falsely negative. Use of this approach can improve the diagnostic accuracy of cytologic examination of serous fluids. The ICC panel is especially helpful when atypical mesothelial proliferation is present, or in cases that are clinically suspect for malignancy, but cytologically negative because there are only a few malignant cells, or those that are cytologically bland.

Exudates and Transudates↗

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of granulocytic sarcoma and myeloid metaplasia.

The fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology of two cases of granulocytic sarcoma involving the breast is reported along with the FNA cytology of one case of myeloid metaplasia (extramedullary hematopoiesis) involving an axillary lymph node. Two patients had known myeloproliferative disorders, while granulocytic sarcoma of the breast was the initial presentation of an unsuspected acute granulocytic leukemia in the other patient. Diff-Quik-stained preparations aided in the diagnosis of all three cases. Immunoperoxidase stains for factor VIII-related antigen helped confirm the megakaryocytic differentiation of the cells in the FNA cytology of myeloid metaplasia. Electron microscopic (EM) examination performed on the aspirated material also showed megakaryocytic differentiation of the bizarre cells. FNA cytology can make a specific diagnosis of granulocytic sarcoma and myeloid metaplasia. The workup of these unusual extramedullary myeloproliferative masses was aided when immunocytochemistry and EM were performed on the aspirated material.

Adult↗

Small-intestinal brushing cytology in the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis in AIDS.

We report the cytologic findings of small intestinal brushing material showing cryptosporidiosis in two patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Cryptosporidia measuring approximately 2-4 mu were aligned along the surface of the glandular cells, although many freely dispersed organisms were also present. The differential diagnoses of other structures that could be confused with cryptosporidia are also presented in this article. Small-intestinal brushing cytology may complement endoscopic biopsy in the workup of diarrheal diseases in AIDS, especially in patients with thrombocytopenia, since the bleeding disorder may be a contraindication for endoscopic biopsy.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of hematopoietic lesions from multiple sites.

We reviewed 130 fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies from 118 patients with a variety of benign and malignant hematopoietic lesions. There were 74 (57%) malignant, 45 (35%) benign, and 11 (8%) atypical diagnoses. Immunocytochemistry of the aspirated material was performed in 47 (36%) and electron microscopy in 4 (3%) of the cases. FNA cytology was utilized to make a primary hematopoietic malignant diagnosis in approximately half of the cases and to confirm recurrence in the remainder. The malignant cases included non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Hodgkin's disease, medullary and extramedullary plasmacytoma, and granulocytic sarcoma. Forty-two malignant cases had either previous or follow-up surgical biopsy with no false-positive diagnoses. Of the 11 atypical cases, seven had surgical confirmation with five malignant and two benign diagnoses. The benign hematopoietic lesions correctly identified included acute and chronic lymphadenitis, granulomatous processes, and eosinophilic granuloma. Only 5 of the 45 benign FNA biopsies had surgical pathology follow-up, with no false-negative diagnoses. The most commonly aspirated sites were lymph nodes (71%), although hematopoietic lesions were correctly identified in a number of extranodal locations, including soft tissue (8%), abdominal viscera (6%), lungs (5%), mediastinum (2.5%), bone (3%), and thyroid, salivary gland, and breast (1.5% each). This study demonstrates the clinical utility and diagnostic accuracy of FNA cytology in the evaluation of benign and malignant hematopoietic disorders from multiple sites. Ancillary studies performed on the aspirated material aided in making a specific and accurate diagnosis.

Adolescent↗

Immunocytochemical evaluation of central nervous system tumors obtained by the Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator.

The Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) is a dissecting system that allows quick and effective removal of CNS tumors without traction or excessive manipulation of normal tissue. In this article, the immunoperoxidase staining patterns of cytology specimens obtained with the CUSA are compared with those from their corresponding resected surgical specimens employing a battery of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Eleven cases of meningioma, three cases of glioblastoma multiforme, one astrocytoma, and two schwannomas were evaluated. In both CUSA cytologic biopsies and surgical biopsies, all the meningiomas showed strong staining for vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen, while two showed focal staining for cytokeratins. The glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytoma cases showed positivity for vimentin, S-100 protein, and glial fibrillary acidic protein, while the schwannomas stained positively for vimentin and S-100 protein. With only rare exceptions, the immunocytochemistry of the CUSA and surgical specimens correlated well in all of these cases in terms of strength of reaction and localization. There were no false-positive staining reactions in the CUSA material. This study suggests that reliable morphologic and immunoperoxidase studies can be performed on cytologic material obtained by the CUSA, which could aid in making an accurate and specific diagnosis of a variety of CNS tumors.

Astrocytoma↗

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of osteoclastic giant-cell tumor of the pancreas.

Osteoclastic giant-cell tumor (OGCT) of the pancreas is a rare tumor. We present the fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and bile cytology findings of an OGCT arising in the head of the pancreas in a 72-yr-old male, along with immunocytochemical studies that were done on the cytologic material. The smears showed numerous giant cells with clustered, overlapping, uniform, bland-appearing nuclei with prominent nucleoli consistent with osteoclastic-type multinucleated giant cells. A second population of mononucleated cells appearing singly or in groups having similar nuclear features was also present. Immunocytochemical studies performed on the FNA and bile duct fluid material demonstrated positive staining of the malignant cells for vimentin, alpha-1 antichymotrypsin, and alpha-1 antitrypsin and negative staining for high- and low-molecular-weight cytokeratin, pooled monoclonal cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, and carcinoembryonic antigen. Although not definitive, these studies are supportive of a mesenchymal-stromal histogenesis of this unusual pancreatic malignancy.

Aged↗

Implications of nuclear diameter in small cell lung carcinoma.

The nuclear diameter of 5,117 malignant cells from 42 small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) patients was assessed either on pretreatment tissue sections (35 cases) or cytologic smears (7 cases) by ocular micrometry. The SCLCs were subtyped as 30 oat cell carcinomas and 12 intermediate cell carcinomas according to the World Health Organization classification, based on the predominant histology of the tumor. The median number of nuclei measured from each patient was 110. All patients were treated identically by sequential hemibody and local irradiation combined with chemotherapy and had a median follow-up time of 310 days. The mean nuclear diameter (+/- standard error) obtained from tissue sections was 8.2 +/- 0.03 microns (median = 8.0), including 7.3 +/- 0.03 microns (median = 7.0) for oat cell cases and 9.5 +/- 0.06 microns (median = 9.0) for intermediate cell cases (P less than .001). In 28.6% of these patients, the nuclear diameter overlapped in the range of 8 microns to 9 microns between both subtypes. Comparisons between the nuclear diameter of primary and metastatic SCLC cells revealed no statistically significant differences. The nuclear diameter of malignant cells correlated with the mitotic index and stage of disease, but did not correlate with the other nuclear morphologic variables or with survival. The only identified prognostic factor was the stage of disease; these results indicate that the nuclear diameter of malignant cells should not be considered a prognosticator or a guide for therapy in SCLC patients.

Adult↗

Overlap of nuclear diameters in lung cancer cells.

The nuclear diameters (NDs) of randomly selected malignant cells from 35 cases of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC; 4,370 nuclei) and 31 cases of non-SCLC (NSCLC; 1,280 nuclei) were measured on the pretreatment tissue sections by ocular micrometry. The mean ND (+/- standard deviation) of malignant cells for SCLC patients was 8.1 +/- 1.5 microns; these cases included 23 oat-cell carcinomas and 12 intermediate-cell carcinomas. The ND of malignant cells for NSCLC patients was 12.8 +/- 2.2 microns; these cases included 17 squamous-cell carcinomas, 12 adenocarcinomas and 2 large-cell carcinomas. The differences of ND between SCLC and NSCLC and between intermediate-cell cancer and NSCLC were highly significant (P = 0.001). However, the malignant cells of 36 (54.5%) of the 66 lung cancer patients had NDs that overlapped in the range of 8 microns to 13 microns. For the 12 intermediate-cell patients, the NDs of the malignant cells overlapped with those of 8 (66.7%) of the 12 adenocarcinomas and 10 (58.8%) of the 17 squamous carcinomas. In contrast, the NDs of only 5 (21.7%) of the oat-cell patients overlapped with those of 5 (41.7%) of the 12 intermediate-cell cases and showed no overlap with NSCLC cases. Since there is overlapping of the nuclear diameters of malignant cells between SCLC and NSCLC patients, nuclear parameters other than the diameter are necessary to differentiate these two major histologic types of lung cancers.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung↗

Fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology of hepatoblastoma.

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) from four patients with histologically proven hepatoblastoma (HB) is reviewed. Patient ages ranged from 5 mo to 19 mo; two were male and two were female. Initial cytologic diagnoses were hepatoblastoma in two cases, malignant neoplasm consistent with liver cell tumor in one case, and probable Wilm's tumor in a fourth case. Cytologic features were similar in all cases and included highly cellular smears composed of a uniform population of small to intermediate sized round to oval cells. Extramedullary hematopoietic cells were obvious in smears of one patient. Neither bile nor extracellular stroma was seen. Immunohistochemical stains performed in two cases demonstrated positive staining for low-molecular-weight cytokeratins expressing polypeptides 8 and 18 of the Moll classification. Staining for vimentin, carcinoembryonic antigen, and epithelial membrane antigen was negative. alpha-Fetoprotein and alpha 1-antitrypsin stains were equivocal because of high background staining. Electron microscopy from three cases showed cells with features of immature hepatocytes. Three tumors were subsequently examined histologically by surgical biopsy, and one at autopsy. All were epithelial-type HB containing a mixture of "fetal" and "embryonal" hepatocytes. These results demonstrate the successful mimicry of FNAB cytology of hepatoblastoma to its histologic counterpart and its clinical utility in the diagnosis of intrahepatic masses of children.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Implication of nuclear morphological characteristics in small cell lung cancer.

We report the pretreatment quantitative nuclear morphological findings of malignant cells from 42 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) to evaluate their impact on the stage of disease, therapeutic response and survival as well as their interrelationships. The variables analysed were nuclear configuration, distinction of nuclear membrane, chromatin and its distribution, mitotic index and nucleolar index. All patients were treated uniformly with chemotherapy and hemibody irradiation. The series consisted of 30 OAT cell cancers and 12 intermediate cell cancers, according to the World Health Organization histological subclassification of SCLC. The morphological analysis used histological (n = 35) and cytological (n = 7) slides from either primary (n = 30) or metastatic (n = 12) tumors. A total of 5117 cancer nuclei (median = 110 per patient) were assessed. The SCLC subtype was significantly associated with a specific nuclear chromatin pattern, mitotic index and stage of disease. However, none of the evaluated nuclear morphological variables or the SCLC subtypes had therapeutic or survival impact. The stage of disease was the only factor which significantly correlated with the survival of SCLC patients.

Adult↗

Liver pathology in morbidly obese patients with and without diabetes.

The contribution of obesity and/or diabetes to liver pathology in the morbidly obese patient is controversial. We studied the liver biopsies of 100 consecutive patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity. Multiple morphologic parameters were analyzed and graded independently, without knowledge of the clinical history, liver function tests, and oral glucose tolerance results of the patients. Six percent of the entire group demonstrated no fat, 42% mild fat, 20% moderate fat, and 24% severe fatty metamorphosis of the liver. Twenty-three percent of the patients had central vein fibrosis, 23% sinusoidal fibrosis, 19% bridging fibrosis, and 4% cirrhosis. Thirty-six percent of the patients had some degree of steatohepatitis, 66% possessed so-called glycogen nuclei of hepatocytes, 6% had PAS-positive thickening of blood vessels in the portal tracts, and 1% had lipogranulomas. The degree of fatty metamorphosis and fibrosis was analyzed in three separate groups, categorized by the glycemic status of the patient: 46 patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 23 patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and 31 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Increasing severity of fatty metamorphosis from the normoglycemic obese to the diabetic obese patients was found, which was statistically significant by chi 2 analysis. Four of the six patients showing no fatty metamorphosis were normoglycemic. Glycogen nuclei and PAS-positive blood vessels were significantly more prevalent in the diabetic obese than in the normal obese. In conclusion, the distribution of significant liver histopathology in the morbidly obese patient correlates in severity with the degree of impaired glycemic status.

Adult↗

Fine needle aspiration biopsy of extramedullary plasma cell tumors.

Fourteen fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsies of extramedullary plasma cell tumors (PCT) from 11 patients were reviewed and correlated with histology in eight patients. This series comprised seven men and four women ranging in age from 46 to 83 yr (median 69 yr). Discrete masses were located in lymph nodes (three patients), pleura (one patient), soft tissues of the neck (two patients), thorax (six patients), axilla (one patient), and inguinal region (one patient). A spectrum of cytologic findings was demonstrated which led to the clinical confirmation of myeloma in four of 11 patients and of solitary plasmacytoma in two of 11 patients. In addition, FNA biopsies confirmed the presence of extramedullary disease in four of 11 patients with previously diagnosed myeloma. In another patient with a poorly differentiated plasma cell neoplasm, excisional biopsy was recommended to confirm the presence of a plasma cell tumor. Clinical follow-up was available on ten patients; of these, nine were treated with aggressive chemotherapy and, in five instances, additional radiotherapy. The 10th patient succumbed to infection prior to treatment. Nine of the ten patients were dead of disease 3 days to 4 yr following clinical diagnosis of a plasma cell dyscrasia. One patient (Case 1) was lost to follow-up after biopsy confirmation of plasmacytoma. The cytomorphologic appearance of neoplastic plasma cells in FNA of solitary masses necessitates clinical evaluation for bone marrow disease, i.e., myeloma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

Fine-needle aspiration cytology of malignant hemangiopericytomas with ultrastructural and flow cytometric analyses.

A hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is an uncommon soft-tissue neoplasm that may arise in many body sites. The cytologic features of fine-needle aspirates (FNAs) of HPCs have only rarely been described in the literature. We examined FNAs of malignant HPCs from the head and neck region (three) and the retroperitoneum (one) in four adults (aged 38 to 83 years). All four FNAs yielded cellular specimens that consisted of uninuclear tumor cells with high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios. The cytomorphological spectrum included nuclei that were oval to elongate and had very finely granular, evenly distributed chromatin with one or two small but distinct nucleoli. Hemangiopericytomas yield aspirates that may be considered malignant and may suggest sarcoma. Histologically, all four neoplasms manifested high mitotic activity. The ultrastructural features of all four tumors were supportive of the diagnosis of HPC. Although a specific primary diagnosis of HPC on FNA of a soft-tissue mass is unlikely, cytologic analysis may allow diagnosis of recurrent or metastatic HPC. We were able to perform flow cytometric determinations of tumor DNA content on three of the resected neoplasms. In two, an aneuploid pattern was found, including the neoplasm with the most marked pleomorphism in the FNA. The third was diploid.

Adult↗

Clinician-directed hospital cost management for total hip arthroplasty patients.

Can patients treated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) receive high-quality inpatient care at less cost? In 1984, a group of orthopedic surgeons and nurses examined the use of resources for THA patients and changed certain clinical practices to promote more cost-effective hospital care. At the end of the two-year project, orders for complete blood counts fell 72% and mean operating room time dropped 47 minutes for the participating orthopedists. For all orthopedists in the division, average length of stay (ALOS) decreased from 13 to 11 days. By the end of the following year, when clinicians received quarterly length-of-stay (LOS) data, ALOS dropped further to 9.8 days. This significant ALOS reduction was not accompanied by an increase in hospital readmissions or nursing home placements. The ALOS reduction was also not seen in elective coronary artery bypass graft patients whose ALOS did not substantially change over the same period. Two years after the project, ALOS for THA patients remained at ten days or below. This reduction in LOS and in the use of other hospital services translated into a mean total hospital charge decrease of $2045 per THA patient.

Cost Control↗

Morphometric and morphologic evaluations in stage III non-small cell lung cancers. Prognostic significance of quantitative assessment of infiltrating lymphoid cells.

This study evaluated data from 30 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients to determine whether demographic, clinical, and morphologic and morphometric data that were obtained prior to treatment, could be used to predict survival. All patients had Stage III disease, and all subsequently were treated identically with concurrent radiotherapy, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil. The series consisted of 18 squamous carcinomas, eight adenocarcinomas, and four large cell carcinomas. Morphometric measurements of randomized selected cancer cells per case included diameter of cytoplasm, nuclei, and nucleoli. Morphologic parameters evaluated were mitotic index, histologic differentiation, and pattern of nuclear chromatin of cancer cells, and the degree of necrosis and fibrosis of tumor tissue. The lymphoid and neutrophil index defined as the ratio of lymphoid cells and neutrophils to cancer cells from randomized microscopic fields (median = 25) at 400 x magnification were also determined. Our study indicated that the peritumor lymphoid index was the only factor significantly associated with the length of survival. The correlation coefficient (Pearson r) of these two factors was 0.5 (P less than 0.005). The median survival time of patients with peritumor lymphoid index less than 3 and greater than or equal to 3 was 95 days and 376 days, respectively (Kaplan-Meier estimation). The peritumor lymphoid index was an independent prognosticator of clinical outcome of Stage III NSCLC patients, and did not correlate with any of the other parameters analyzed.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Bronchoalveolar lavage in the diagnosis of lipoid pneumonia.

Lipoid pneumonia (LP) is an uncommon entity with the characteristic radiographic features and histologic findings of alveoli filled with vacuolated, lipid-laden histiocytes. We questioned whether bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) could be useful in the confirmation of LP. We examined lipid stains (oil-red O) in BAL specimens from 18 cases, representing a variety of pulmonary disease states, and compared them with an index case of confirmed LP. The index case of LP had a history of chronic intranasal use of mentholated petrolatum with subsequent x-ray findings of progressive air bronchograms. Positive histochemical confirmation (oil-red O) performed on frozen sections of transbronchial lung biopsy was obtained. Eleven of the non-LP cases had no intracellular staining of BAL macrophages with oil-red O stain, whereas the index case of LP exhibited markedly positive intracytoplasmic staining of macrophages for lipid. The remaining seven cases showed minimal to mild lipid staining with only one other case having moderate staining. This study demonstrates that BAL macrophages from patients with a variety of pulmonary states and without suspected LP do not demonstrate significant staining for intracellular lipids, in contrast with the expected strong positivity of LP. Lipid staining of BAL specimens, although not entirely specific, may be a preferred method for confirming the diagnosis of LP, thereby avoiding more invasive procedures.

Adult↗