Journal of Cytology & Histology

An inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen is a rare benign disease with unknown etiology which requires a differentiation from the lymphoproliferative lesion of the spleen. A clinical presentation, preoperative imaging does not help to establish the diagnosis or rule out malignant potential, so the only diagnostic and therapeutic option is splenectomy along with histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis. We report a case with review of the literature.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the vagina is a rare entity in gynecological oncology. The tumor should be considered as primary vaginal carcinoma when the cervix is not involved. We report a case of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina in a 62-year-old lady by histopathology. Cervix, endometrium and ovaries were meticulously examined to rule out a primary in these organs. She was then treated by radiotherapy. The rarity of the tumor and extremely strict criteria for diagnosis of primary squamous cell carcinoma in vagina tempted us to report the case.

Cytological techniques have been instrumental for the investigation of meiosis and gametogenesis. Especially high resolution chromatin spreads of male and female germline cells provide for detailed insights into the molecular mechanisms acting during germ cell differentiation. Most spreading techniques for germ cells are done with a hypotonic detergent solution followed by an extended drying period. Using video microscopy and we monitored the course of mouse spermatocyte spreading after exposure to graded concentrations of the ionic detergent mixture Lipsol that is known to efficiently spread meiocytes. Our analysis disclosed that spreading of meiotic cells is optimal at a final detergent concentration of about 0.7% and occurs in two phases. First, cells undergo slow swelling in the dilute detergent solution (lasting up to >1 h) followed by rapid dispersion of the nuclear chromatin over the glass surface just prior to the final evaporation of the water in the solution. These results provide a better understanding of an important technique in meiosis research and identify factors determining the spreading process.

Background and objectives: Acute renal injury (ARI) is a serious clinical problem without established regimen for treatment. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are undifferentiated cells that can differentiate and give rise to other cell types. The aim of the present work is to study the possible therapeutic role of MSCs in the treatment of the deleterious changes occurred in renal cortex and medulla of adult male albino rat model of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) ARI. Material and methods: Forty adult male albino rats were used in this study. Animals were divided into four groups, 10 animals for each group. Group I is control sham-operated group. Three experimental groups were all subjected to I/R injury by clamping both renal pedicles for 40 min. These animals were further divided into three subgroups. Group II is non-MSC treated group. Group III (MSC treated group (local injection)): I/R animals received bromodeoxyuridine labeled BM-MSCs locally in renal cortex immediately after removal of the clamps and confirmation of reflow. Group IV (MSC treated group (systemic injection)): I/R animals that received single intravenous injection of bromdeoxyouridine labeled BM-MSCs in tail vein immediately after removal of the clamps and confirmation of reflow. Animals were sacrificed after 3 days of intervention. Serological measurements included serum urea and creatinine. Kidney specimens were processed for H&E, PCNA and Caspase-3. Real time RT-PCR study was done for TNF α and IL-6 gene expression. Results: Cortical and medullary renal tissue exhibited marked improvement histologically and serologically after MSCs treatment. The improvement was more obvious in case of systemic treatment. Conclusion: The present study shows the ability of MSCs to repair the structural and functional renal damage after I/R, Systemic route is more beneficial than local route. This may pave the future for therapeutic use of MSCs in the treatment of acute renal injury.

Osteoarthritis is a common disease that affects the elderly peoples, with a detrimental effect on quality of life as a result of pain, and total joint replacement is usually the last option for end-stage osteoarthritis. However, for those whom have complex diseases, total joint replacement was limited. Thus, looking for an alternative way to relieve pain is necessary. Recently, bone marrow edema is has been demonstrated to associate with knee pain and osteoarthritis. Thus, targeting bone marrow edema may provide a promising approach for relieving knee pain and delayed osteoarthritis development and progression. The present study highlights the importance of bone marrow edema to recurrent knee pain, and demonstrates an alternative way for treating patients who have osteoarthritic knee pain caused by bone marrow edema, and are not suitable for total knee replacement as a result of contraindications such as multiple internal diseases and high risk of operation.

Sampling every pancreatic mass is debated but most observers believe that it should be mandatory for several reasons. Even if the vast majority of pancreatic masses consist of adenocarcinoma, 15% of them are of other origin and require their own specific therapy. Moreover, the progressive implementation of personalized medicine will allow offering the best therapeutic approach to any patient. Indeed, sampling any pancreatic mass can help determine the whole nature of the tumor (genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and thus permit to give the appropriate therapy only to patients that will certainly benefit from it.

Objectives: Cytoreductive surgery is the principal management for ovarian cancer. Recently there has been progressive change to more extensive cytoreductive surgery (ECS) as evidence shows this improves patient prognosis. The aim of this study is to investigate the change in histopathology work load with change in surgical practice for the treatment of ovarian cancer patients at Hammersmith Hospital, UK. Materials and methods: Specimens for patients with ovarian cancer (n=116) were selected and classified into three groups: (i) standard debulking surgery; (ii) a mix of standard debulking and ECS and (iii) ECS only. The types of specimens and numbers of blocks in each group were studied. Results: Post-hoc analysis demonstrates a statistically significant increase in the number of specimens per case from standard debulking to the mixed group (p<0.0001) and to the ECS group (p<0.0001). There is also a statistically significant increase in the number of blocks from standard debulking to the mixed (p<0.0001) and to the ECS groups (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The study shows there is a significant increase in the histopathology workload with the shift from standard to extensive cytoreductive surgery, as well as increase in the complexity and range of specimens sent for histopathological examination. It is essential that centres opting for a shift to ECS ensure that adequate provisions and resources are in place to accommodate these changes.