Nonepithelial malignant tumors of the pancreas are extremely rare neoplasms with a frequency of approximately 0.6%. They are always explored because of a suspected diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma. Amongst the more than 600 primary pancreatic neoplasms in our pancreatic tumor archive only 5 neoplasms were of nonepithelial origin (one was a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor [MPNST], one a leiomyosarcoma, one a malignant mesothelioma, and two were peripheral neuroectodermal tumors [PNET]. The differential diagnosis includes secondary infiltration of the pancreas by mesenchymal tumors of the retroperitoneum, undifferentiated pancreatic carcinoma and, especially in the case of PNET, malignant lymphoma. Preoperative chemotherapy and down-staging can improve the operability and prognosis, especially in PNET.

The clinico-pathological features of five cases with a distinctive pancreatic tumour are presented. The tumours, which occurred only in young women and an adolescent girl, were of large size (2.5-10 cm), had an uncharacteristic symptomatology and showed fibrous encapsulation with no evidence of metastases. The histological features include (1) solid areas with a monomorphic cell pattern and intracellular PAS positive globules, and (2) large foci of degeneration with cystic necroses, haemorrhages and cholesterol granulomas. Some tumour cells were positive for alpha1-antitrypsin. The ultrastructural demonstration of zymogen-like granules suggests an acinar origin for the tumours. We therefore propose the term solid and cystic acinar cell tumour. This tumour resembles the so called pancreatoblastomas in small children in some respects. It must be clearly distinguished, on the other hand, from acinar cell carcinoma with its acinic structures and poor prognosis. This lesion is not included in the WHO classification of pancreatic neoplasms.

A systematic study on the relationship between the substitution pattern, the pKa values, and spectral properties of flavylium cations and the respective–(CH2)2–bridged analoga (5,6‐dihydrobenzo[c]xanthylium cations) is given in order to find rules concerning their spectral behaviour and their chemical reactivity. Our results show that the concept of chemical hardness can explain the different reactivity of 4′‐ and 7‐substituted flavylium ions against HO−. The pKa values of these species, which can act as a measure of reactivity with respect to a nucleophile, correlate linearly with the absolute hardness calculated from half the energy gap between the frontier orbitals. Since the longest‐wavelength UV/VIS absorption maximum is mainly determined by the HOMO‐LUMO transition, an analogous linear correlation is obtained between the spectral 0–0 transition and the pKa value. Deviations from these correlations are assumed to be due to steric effects.

We report on a female preterm infant of 29 weeks' gestation with severe hydrops fetalis who died 3 days post natum as a result of disseminated intravascular coagulation. Autopsy findings included anasarca, bilateral pleural effusions, ascites and hepatosplenomegaly as well as multiple, up to pinhead sized, white granulomas on the surface of liver, spleen and lungs. Microscopy revealed storage macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system, especially in liver, spleen and bone marrow, the lymphatic organs, the salivary glands, the thyroid gland and the suprarenal medulla. Cerebrum, heart, kidneys, intestines and placenta were not afflicted. Atrophy of the lymphatic compartments in the spleen, lymph nodes and thymus, as well as disorder of the liver texture, are presumably a secondary result. The diagnosis of Farber's disease was established biochemically by the demonstration of ceramide depositions in the spleen, and in fibroblast cultures in situ by the accumulation of ceramide released from loaded radioactive glucosylceramide. Ultrastructurally, corresponding storage lysosomes were found in macrophages. To our knowledge this is the first account of Farber's disease in a preterm infant with hydrops fetalis.

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