American journal of clinical pathology
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Jan 1984
Dibasic staining of large epoxy tissue sections and applications to surgical pathology.
A variety of normal and pathologic aldehyde-fixed osmium postfixed human tissues were prepared as large sections embedded in Spurr epoxy. They were stained with a sequential basic fuchsin--methylene blue stain which gives "hematoxylin- and eosin-like" staining and additionally functions as several special stains. ⋯ The histologic and cytologic preservation and overall staining was superior to tissue embedded in glycol methacrylate. The methods and technics presented in this article have important applications in diagnostic surgical pathology and histology in general.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Sep 1983
Comparative StudyThe assessment of laboratory tests in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
A comparison of laboratory tests was undertaken in 106 patients admitted to the emergency room with the tentative diagnosis of acute appendicitis and who subsequently underwent appendectomy. The tests examined included the total white blood cell count, manual differential count, cytochemical differential count, and C-reactive protein. The sensitivity, specificity, efficiency, and predictive value of these tests in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis were calculated. ⋯ When either of the following test combinations were utilized--(1) total white count greater than 10.5 X 10(9)/L or cytochemical neutrophils greater than either 75% or 7.88 X 10(9)/L or CRP greater than 1.2 mg/dL; (2) total white count greater than 10.5 X 10(9)/L or manual bands greater than either 11% or 1.15 X 10(9)/L or CRP greater than 1.2 mg/dL--the sensitivity of the combination in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis approached 100% with a specificity in the range of 50%. We suggest that these test combinations may be useful in deciding which patients need further observation and reexamination prior to surgery. We also suggest the need for further studies to assess the usefulness of these tests in other types of acute inflammation and infection.
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Presented herein is a case report of a 20-year-old woman with a past history of oral contraceptive use who developed Budd-Chiari syndrome. Onset of her illness was abrupt and stormy, simulating fulminant viral hepatitis or toxic hepatic injury. ⋯ Of interest was the finding of persistently depressed antithrombin III levels. While a relationship between oral contraceptive usage, antithrombin III deficiency and the Budd-Chiari syndrome is strongly suggested in this case, prospective studies are needed to substantiate this view.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Apr 1982
Kinetic latex agglutinometry I. A rapid, quantitative immunologic assay for fibrinogen.
A rapid, convenient immunologic assay technic for fibrinogen is reported. Basically a latex agglutination, the assay technic, called kinetic latex agglutinometry, quantitates the increase in light transmission that occurs in a stirred suspension of anti-fibrinogen-coated latex beads after the addition of a plasma or whole blood sample containing fibrinogen. In this system the time "delta t" required for a given transmission change to occur is inversely proportional in a log-log relationship to the quantity of fibrinogen in the plasma sample. ⋯ The assay can be used with either plasma or whole blood. When compared to the thrombin clotting time method of Clauss, the correlation coefficient is 0.99 for the plasma assay and 0.95 for the whole blood assay. As a one-step assay employing stable reagents and requiring approximately two minutes per assay for normal plasma, the method is ideally suited for use in the clinical laboratory.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Feb 1982
The World Health Organization histological typing of lung tumours. Second edition.
The WHO Histological Classification of Lung Tumours, published in 1967, has been revised. The main features are as follows: Squamous cell carcinoma (epidermoid carcinoma) has the same definition as in the original version, i.e., the identification of keratin and/or intercellular bridges by light microscopy. Three degrees of histological differentiation are described. ⋯ Adenocarcinoma includes the acinar, papillary and bronchiolo-alveolar forms and the solid carcinomas with mucus formation (previously, part of the large cell carcinoma group). Mesothelial tumours are divided into fibrous, epithelial and biphasic subtypes. A number of less common tumours and tumour-like lesions are defined.