Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

J Palou

Publications and source records attributed to J Palou.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Membrane attack complex deposits in cutaneous lesions of dermatomyositis.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: The presence of membrane attack complex of complement (MAC) deposits in the intramuscular vasculature of biopsy specimens taken from patients with dermatomyositis (DM) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of this myopathy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of MAC deposition in the skin lesions of patients with DM. Using immunohistochemical methods, we examined 22 biopsy specimens from lesional skin, six biopsy specimens from uninvolved skin, and 12 muscle biopsy specimens from patients with DM for the presence of MAC and vitronectin and CD59, two regulatory proteins of complement. RESULTS: The deposition of MAC was demonstrated in a large percentage of biopsy specimens obtained from the lesional skin of patients with DM. Deposits were found along the dermoepidermal junction in 19 (86%) of 22 biopsy specimens. Deposits on the vessel walls of the dermis were found in 17 (77%) of 22 biopsy specimens; but only in six of these biopsy specimens (27%) were deposits present in more than 10% of blood vessels. In contrast, deposits along the dermoepidermal junction and the vessel walls of the dermis were absent in specimens from uninvolved skin. In 12 muscle biopsy specimens obtained simultaneously from these patients, MAC deposits were found on the vessel walls in nine (75%), but only in six (50%) were deposits found in more than 10% of the intramuscular vessels. The pattern of vitronectin immunoreactivity in skin and muscle biopsy specimens obtained from patients with DM was similar to MAC deposits. The expression of CD59 was normal in all skin and muscle biopsy specimens. CONCLUSIONS: The deposition of MAC was found in a high percentage of biopsy specimens from the lesional skin of patients with DM; it was absent in uninvolved skin. These findings suggest that the complement system may be involved in the pathogenesis of the skin lesions of DM.

Adolescent

Phenotype of glutathione S-transferase Mu (GSTM1) and susceptibility to malignant melanoma. MMM group. Multidisciplinary Malignant Melanoma Group.

The isoenzyme Mu of glutathione S-transferase (GSTM1) is dominantly inherited, and the prevalence of this isoenzyme in the population is about 60%. The lack of GSTM1 has been linked with cancer risk. The frequency of the phenotypes of this isoenzyme in melanoma (MM) patients (n = 197) is reported here. A significantly higher proportion of individuals in the control group (n = 147) had measurable GSTM1 than MM patients (59.1% vs 42%, P = 0.002); there was a higher proportion of positive phenotypes in general among women than among men. Odds ratio analysis indicated that individuals with this polymorphic variant have an approximately 2-fold risk of developing these cancers. GSTM1 phenotype distribution depends on age, smoking habit and tumour pathology. A group of MM patients with dysplastic naevi was also studied.

Adult

[Angiomyolipoma: the role of puncture-aspiration cytodiagnosis].

Angiomyolipomas (AML) of the kidney are benign tumors easily identified on image studies due to their fat content, but differential diagnosis with renal cell carcinoma may be sometimes difficult. A case of AML with atypical CT feature that were cleared by the characteristic findings on aspiration biopsy cytology is described, and the recent literature concerning controversies of image diagnosis and usefulness of aspiration biopsy cytology of renal AML is discussed.

Adenocarcinoma

Chromosome 9p deletions in cutaneous malignant melanoma tumors: the minimal deleted region involves markers outside the p16 (CDKN2) gene.

We have analyzed 12 microsatellite markers on chromosome 9p in 54 paired cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) tumors and normal tissues. Forty-six percent of the tumors, including two in situ CMMs, showed loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at 9p. Only one tumor was homozygously deleted for 9p markers. The smallest deleted region was defined by five tumors and included markers D9S126 to D9S259. Loss of eight or more markers correlated significantly with worse prognosis (P < .002). Among the primary tumors, 87.5% of those with large deletions have a high risk of metastasis, as compared with only 18% of those without deletions or with loss of fewer than 8 markers (P < .001). It was not possible to demonstrate homozygous deletions of p16 in any of the CMM tumors. In four tumors, the LOH for 9p markers did not involve p16. The reported data suggest the existence of several tumor suppressor genes at 9p that are involved in the predisposition to and/or progression of CMM and exclude p16 from involvement in the early development of some melanoma tumors.

Base Sequence

Transurethral resection of the intramural ureter as the first step of nephroureterectomy.

Nephroureterectomy is the standard surgical approach for upper urinary tract carcinoma. In 1952 a modified technique was described based on a prior endoscopic disconnection of the intramural ureter as an initial step for subsequent nephroureterectomy via a single lumbar incision. Since October 1989 we performed 31 nephroureterectomies with this technique in 26 men and 5 women (average age 64.5 years). Of the patients 9 had prior bladder carcinoma. The predominant pathological diagnosis of the nephroureterectomy specimens was high grade infiltrating tumor. There were no intraoperative complications except for 1 case of intra-abdominal extravasation detected in the immediate postoperative period and treated conservatively. With an average followup of 20 months, tumor has not recurred at either the resected trigonal area or the retroperitoneum. We believe that our experience assesses the feasibility of this technique to improve and simplify nephroureterectomy, thus, decreasing the morbidity rate and operating time while maintaining the same oncological radicality.

Adult

Significance of ureteral carcinoma in situ in specimens of cystectomy.

In a retrospective review of 242 cystectomy specimens performed for bladder carcinoma, ureteral carcinoma in situ was found in 14 patients (5.7%), unilateral in 12 and bilateral in 2. Pathology of the bladder specimen was pT4 (6 cases), pT3 (3 cases), pT2 (1 case), pT1 (3 cases), and pT0 (1 case). In the cystectomy specimen and in previous biopsies, they all had grade 3 tumor, and 85% had bladder CIS. Two patients were lost during follow-up. Seven patients (58.4%) died of metastatic disease without evidence of upper tract recurrence (UTR). Their average survival was 15.8 months (range 4-60). Five patients (41.6%) are alive after an average follow-up of 33.6 months (range 18-72 months). In one case an UTR appeared 53 months after cystectomy. In patients with ureteral CIS and long-term survival, a careful follow-up is advisable. The incidence of UTR is increased in this subgroup (8% global and 20% of survivors) but mortality is due to progressive bladder disease.

Carcinoma in Situ

[Renal angiomyolipoma: diagnostic difficulties and surgical indications in 20 surgically treated patients].

Between 1982 and 1993, 6 male and 14 female patients underwent partial or total nephrectomy due to renal angiomyolipoma (AML). Presentation forms were: in 6 cases (30%) acute pain with severe haematuria or signs of visceral bleeding, 3 (15%) acute pain without other symptoms, 7 (35%) chronic pain associated to haematuria or fever, or isolated haematuria, and in 4 (20%) it was a chance finding. No significant differences were found among tumor sizes considering the severity of the presentation form, but all AMLs with serious signs and symptoms had more than 5 cm diameter. A pre-operative diagnosis of AML was made in 15 (75%) patients, while 5 (25%) underwent surgery for other presumed diagnosis. Nine were conservative procedures of renal parenchyma and 11 were total or radical nephrectomies. There were no significant differences between tumour sizes by treatment performed. The authors review the imaging diagnostic difficulties and the various criteria supporting surgery in AML, and conclude by recommending individualized diagnosis and treatment in patients with AML suspicion of including puncture biopsy or cytology when in doubt, trying to avoid surgery in well characterized tumours, under 4 or 5 cm, provided that they could be followed-up regularly.

Adult

Histopathologic findings in cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: The possible distinction between different types of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) based on histologic features has been largely debated. This study describes the histopathologic features of three distinct subsets of CLE: chronic, annular-subacute, and papulosquamous-subacute. Biopsy specimens from 92 patients with CLE were examined without the clinical diagnosis being known by the examiners. Of them, 36 clinically demonstrated chronic CLE; 32, annular-subacute CLE; and 24, papulosquamous-subacute CLE. RESULTS: In chronic CLE, the dermal changes (basement membrane thickening, dermal colloid bodies, pilosebaceous atrophy, and periappendageal infiltrate) were more frequent, while in annular-subacute CLE, a more severe vacuolation of the basal layer and a greater number of epidermal colloid bodies were seen. In addition, pilosebaceous atrophy and more severe epidermal damage were almost exclusive to chronic CLE and annular-subacute CLE, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although some histologic differences between chronic and annular-subacute CLE exist, histopathologic diagnosis of the CLE subsets can only be accurately established when pilosebaceous atrophy or necrosis of all epidermal layers is observed.

Diagnosis, Differential

Renogastric fistula.

During the study of chronic anemia in a 38-year-old woman, a nonfunctioning left kidney due to multiple asymptomatic ureteral calculi was found on excretory urography. She had self-limited episodes of left flank pain 10 years previously. Antegrade pyelography through the nephrostomy tube and computerized tomography showed a pyonephrotic renogastric fistula on that side.

Adult

Specific cutaneous lesions in a CD8+ peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

Histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural studies were carried out on cutaneous lesions of a 43-year-old man with an aggressive peripheral T-cell lymphoma involving the lung, central nervous system, bone marrow, and skin. Some results are distinctive and not previously reported, such as extremely strong epidermotropism, aberrant CD8+ immunophenotype with lack of one pan T antigen (CD5), and giant cytoplasmic granules. We discuss these features comparing them with other hematologic malignancies usually involving the skin, such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, angiocentric lymphomas, and malignant histiocytosis.

Adult

Upper tract urothelial tumor after transurethral resection for bladder tumor.

We present a retrospective review of 30 patients who developed upper urinary tract tumors (UUTT) after having been diagnosed and treated for a bladder neoplasm. The mean patient age was 63 years (range 54-72). An average of 4.8 (range 1-10) transurethral resections (TUR) had been performed for bladder cancer prior to the appearance of UUTT. The length of time elapsed between the initial bladder TUR and the subsequent diagnosis of UUTT was variable, with increased incidence in the first 24-72 months (63.3% of the cases). In 21 cases (70%) the bladder tumor was multiple and in 28 (93.3%) the tumor was recurrent. In those patients with unilateral vesicoureteral reflux, an increased incidence of UUTT was found in the refluxing renal unit. In patients with poorly differentiated (grade 3 and grade 2-3) bladder tumors, UUTT was of the similar grade of anaplasia in 75% of cases. These observations, together with those previously published in the literature, allow us to recommend the use of excretory urography (IVP) every 2 years during the first 6 years of follow-up in patients treated for recurrent and/or multiple bladder tumor. Thereafter, follow-up would depend upon the individual clinical situation.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell

[Bilateral renal carcinoma].

Presentation of 9 patients with bilateral renal carcinoma, 8 synchronic and 1 asynchronic, diagnosed with intravenous urography, echography and/or CT and all of them treated, in the absence of metastasis, with either radical surgery of one kidney and conservative surgery of the other one, or with conservative surgery of both kidneys. Patients were followed-up until death. Four patients died of cancer, 3 for other reasons and 2 are still alive, mean survival 27.1 months.

Female

Pathology of bone marrow transplantation.

For evaluating the therapeutic approaches in the follow-up and complications of patients treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT), the histopathology is important on many occasions. The authors describe the different morphological changes that have an important role for treatment of these patients, classified according to their target organs of localization: skin, digestive tract, liver, and bone marrow. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) mainly affects the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and liver, and is sometimes difficult to differentiate from radiochemotherapy or infectious diseases. In the liver, the most frequent complications are GVHD, veno-occlusive disease, and infections. In the bone marrow, it is most important to evaluate the elimination of hemopathy and the reconstitution of normal hematopoiesis.

Bone Marrow Transplantation