We recently identified metastatic prostate carcinoma (PCA) within perirectal lymph nodes (PLNs) from 2 patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal adenocarcinoma (RA). As this phenomenon has not been addressed by any studies in the literature and because these positive PLNs had the potential to be mistakenly diagnosed as metastatic RA, we were prompted to undertake a retrospective study of rectal resections for RA to determine the frequency of PCA metastasizing to the PLNs in this patient population. The laboratory information system of the Department of Pathology, Capital Health, Halifax, Nova Scotia was searched for lymph node (LN)-positive RAs resected by low anterior resection or APR in male patients between January 1, 1992 and December 31, 2002. The hematoxylin and eosin slides were retrieved and reviewed, comparing the histology of the primary rectal tumor with that of the LN metastases in each case. Metastases having a different histologic appearance than the primary rectal tumor or having a pattern suggestive of metastatic PCA were analyzed by immunohistochemistry to detect prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), cytokeratin 7 (CK7), cytokeratin 20 (CK20), and carcinoembryonic antigen in LN metastases and in each RA. The presence or absence of mucin in the tumors was assessed by staining with Alcian blue, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) +/- diastase, and modified PANFOPAS (2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid hydrazide/fast black B/saponification/periodic acid-Schiff). The study identified 112 cases of RA with positive LNs. Of those, 5 of 112 (4.5%) were identified as having metastatic PCA within the PLNs. All five were positive for PSA and PAP and only one case had rare CK20-positive tumor cells. The primary RAs were all diffusely positive for CK20 and carcinoembryonic antigen. Two cases of metastatic PCA expressed colonic type/acetylsialomucin, which was also seen in well-differentiated primary RAs. These 5 patients had a mean age of 76.8 years (range, 68-82 years). Four (80%) underwent APR while one (20%) underwent a low anterior resection. The mean number of LNs identified per case was 14 (range, 5-26). The mean number of LNs per case with metastatic PCA was 7.6 (range, 1-18). The majority of the LNs were under 1.0 cm in diameter. Two cases (40%) were associated with significant extranodal extension of PCA. The PLNs were mistakenly diagnosed as being involved by RA 40% of the time. On follow-up, 2 patients (40%) had died with progressive pelvic tumor, while 3 patients (60%) were alive, including 2 who, as a result of the study, were referred to the urology service for management. Both of these patients were subsequently started on medical (anti-androgen) therapy and 1 additionally had bilateral orchiectomy. In 4 of the patients, the serum PSA after the rectal resection ranged from 2.5 to 13.5 ng/mL. In 1 patient, the serum PSA was markedly elevated (5961 ng/mL), and this patient was subsequently identified on bone scan as having extensive skeletal metastases. This study...

These data are consistent with a hypothesis that murine HD eosinophils elicit tumoricidal activity via a granzyme B-dependent mechanism.

Mammary Paget's disease is a rare phenomenon among men.

INTRODUCTION According to the National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths (NCEPOD), out-of-hours operating in trauma and orthopaedics should be reserved for life or limb threatening cases only. The aim of our study was to determine the nature of non-emergency work carried out in our trust at night in 2015. The overall efficacy and clinical safety of the services provided was evaluated. METHODS Surgical activity undertaken after 9pm was reviewed along with patient ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) grade, grade of operating surgeon and any complications that occurred following the procedure. Furthermore, the clinical urgency and safety of cases was assessed based on whether there was any record of life or limb threatening indications at the time of admission. RESULTS Overall, 131 procedures were performed after 9pm, with 102 performed between 9pm and midnight, and 29 after midnight. Consultants performed 16 cases and the remaining 115 cases were operated on by middle grades or specialty trainees. A fifth (20%) of the cases were genuinely life or limb threatening. A total of 123 procedures were classed as having good outcomes. The complication rate was 8%. CONCLUSIONS In our study, 80% of the procedures performed after 9pm could not be categorised as life or limb threatening. Appropriate NCEPOD classification would ensure that only life or limb threatening cases were listed for theatre after 9pm. Alternative methods of operating within working hours should be considered.

The downward trend in the rate of clinical autopsies has been extensively documented in the literature. This decline is of concern when the benefits of the clinical autopsy are considered. In contrast, the rate of medicolegal autopsies has not been studied in such detail. What little reference there is to medicolegal autopsy rates suggests an absence of the same downward trend. A retrospective review of autopsy data over a 13-year period from the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Nova Scotia was conducted. This review showed a difference between the rates of clinical and medicolegal autopsies for the metro Halifax area. The clinical autopsy rate was consistently less than 30% and declined to 15% in 1999, while the medicolegal autopsy rate was consistently greater than 40% and rose to 62% in 1999. The literature proposes many reasons for the decline in the clinical autopsy rate, but none for this difference between rates. The explanation proposed here is the changing and currently uncertain purpose of the clinical autopsy versus the clear, and consistent over time, purpose of the medicolegal autopsy.