Acta Pathologica Microbiologica Scandinavica Section A Pathology 

About: Acta Pathologica Microbiologica Scandinavica Section A Pathology is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Transplantation & Kidney. Over the lifetime, 1072 publications have been published receiving 15821 citations.

Carcinoid tumours. Frequency in a defined population during a 12-year period.

Abstract: The frequency of carcinoids was studied in a 12-year-period (1958-1969) in Malmo, a town with a population of 220,000 at the beginning of the period and 250,000 at the end of it. Of all persons who had died in Malmo, 46 per cent were necropsied in the first year of the study and 70 per cent in the last (altogether 62.6 per cent). The series was examined in a uniform way at one department of pathology. Carcinoid tumours were found in 1.22 per cent (199 patients) of patients comprised in the entire necropsy series (16,294 autopsies). Bronchial carcinoid accounted for 0.1 percent, the remaining lesions were found in the digestive tract. About 90 per cent of the carcinoids were found incidentally at necropsy. During the same period, 44 carcinoids were diagnosed in surgical specimens examined in Malmo. The average annual frequency of carcinoid in the entire series was about 8.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is about 7 times as high as that recorded in the National Cancer Register applying to the whole of Sweden. The value of such country-wide reports is discussed. The carcinoid syndrome is extremely rare and was observed only once during the entire 12-year-period. The localization, frequency of metastases and sex-distribution of carcinoids are described and discussed in detail.

Myxofibrosarcoma. A study of 30 cases.

Abstract: A series of 30 myxofibrosarcomas is described. These malignant soft tissue tumours are characterized by a mucoid and nodular appearance, a coarse plexiform capillary pattern, and they are mostly seen subcutaneously (26 out of 30) in the extremities (24 out of 30) and trunk (4 out of 30) elderly people. Histochemical studies, comprising staining with Alcian blue and toluidine blue at different pH's with and without preceding digestion with testicular hyaluronidase and with the Scott technique, indicated the presence of hyaluronic acid but not sulphated glycosaminoglycans as chondroitinsulphates. Myxofibrosarcoma is believed to belong to the general category of fibroblastic and histiocytic malignant soft tissue tumours. The median diameter of the tumours was 7 cm. They were divided into 4 grades according to cellularity, cell atypia and mitotic activity. The grade III and IV tumours showed pronounced atypia, often with the bi- and multinucleated giant tumour cells and occasionally with giant cells of Touton's type, suggesting a relationship to malignant fibroxanthoma. All of the patients were treated surgically and one received also pre- and post-operative irradiation. None of the 2 grade I myxofibrosarcomas recurred, while 2 out of 7 grade II tumours, 6 out of 10 grade III tumours, and 7 out of 11 grade IV tumours recurred once and up to 9 times. Metastasis appeared in 7 out of 30 patients; grade I tumours were not seen in any of these cases. By the time of follow-up after intervals ranging from 1 month up to 27 years, 14 patients had died; 6 of these had died post-operatively or of intercurrent disease. The differential diagnosis between myxofibrosarcoma and other myxoid soft tissue tumours is discussed.

Ameloblastoma of the jaws. An analysis of a consecutive series of all cases reported to the Swedish Cancer Registry during 1958--1971.

Abstract: All the 49 jaw ameloblastomas reported to the Swedish Cancer Registry during the period 1958--1971 were re-examined, using the histopathologic criteria of odontogenic tumors adopted by WHO. Thirty-one cases (63.6%) fulfilled the criteria of simple ameloblastoma, whereas 12 cases were found to be other benign lesions and 6 to be malignant tumors other than ameloblastoma. The relationship between simple ameloblastoma, malignant ameloblastoma and other epithelial jaw tumors is discussed.

Histomorphometric analysis of normal bone from the iliac crest.

Abstract: Bone specimens from a standardized area of the iliac crest were obtained at autopsy in 105 individuals after sudden unexpected death and at biopsy in 30 living volunteers. Seven micron thick sections of the plastic embedded undecalcified material were produced and stained. The amount of cancellous and cortical bone and the parameters attached to description of bone remodelling were determined by point counting and simple measurements, in order to establish normal mean values and range in a Danish population. A decrease in the amount of bone, trabecular as well as cortical, was found with increasing age in both males and females. The extent, volume and width of osteoid seams and the osteoclastic resorption were found to be age-independent. The osteoclastic resorption in cortical bone in males decreased, however, with increasing age. The reported values are of the greatest importance for the use of histomorphometric analysis of bone biopsies as a diagnostic tool in metabolic bone diseases. It is stressed, however, that supplementary information of the dynamic aspects of the bone remodelling would be necessary for the understanding of the pathogenesis of bone changes. Such information might be obtained by using tetracyline double labelling.

Determinants for the establishment of permanent tissue culture lines from human gliomas

Abstract: Malignant gliomas, in contrast to other human neoplasms, rather frequently establish themselves as permanent tissue culture lines. Still, the major part of malignant gliomas fail to do so. The object of the present investigation was to search for determinants of the primary explant for the future successful establishment. The material consisted of one medulloblastoma, one ependymoma, 4 oligodendrogliomas, 14 astrocytomas grade I and II and 68 astrocytomas grade III and IV. Established lines were obtained only from grade III and IV gliomas but with no difference between these two groups. A surprising finding was that male tumours more frequently became permanent lines (13/45) than female ones (1/23) and that a higher success rate was found among temporo-parietal tumours (12/28 of the male tumours) than among those located in the frontal lobe (1/17 of the male tumours). No connection between the histologically predominant cell type of the grade III and IV gliomas and the rate of establishment was found. Studies of the primary cultures of the gliomas implied that failure to form an established line only in a minor fraction could be ascribed to failure of the tumour cells of the explant to adhere to the solid support. This was valid for all astrocytomas grade I and II, the ependymoma and some of the grade III and IV gliomas. In the majority of malignant gliomas a rapidly occurring failure to multiply was found, leading to continuous death of the tumour cells while normal glia-like cells proliferated luxuriously and outnumbered the neoplastic component. This might depend on a deficient interaction between the tumour cell and the solid support even if lack of essential metabolites cannot be excluded.