No abstract

Thrombo-embolic events, which can be increased after splenectomy in hemoglobin disorders, can cause potentially lethal complications. Although venous thrombosis has been reported, arterial strokes are rarely reported. A case of stroke in a 52-year-old patient with a previously performed splenectomy for known hemoglobin Madrid, an extremely unstable hemoglobinopathy, led us to investigate the possible causal role of splenectomy. The patient had no history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, or other vascular risk factors--but upon autopsy, thrombotic angiopathy was observed in multiple organs, including the lung, liver, kidney, coronary artery and brain. Bone marrow hyperplasia was also observed. A thrombotic middle cerebral artery territory infarction appears to have been caused by chronic recurrent thrombosis, which may have been a result of the splenectomy for unstable hemoglobinopathy. This case supports that splenectomy be strongly considered as an uncommon risk factor for stroke.

We present a case of lung metastasis manifesting as lung infarction by mucin and tumor embolization. The radiograph and high-resolution CT showed multiple focal consolidations with ground glass attenuation in subpleural areas of both lungs. Diagnosis was made by open lung biopsy, which revealed pulmonary infarction caused by intravascular adenocarcinoma with numerous mucus emboli in pulmonary arteries. Subpleurally located consolidations on high-resolution CT correlated well with the histologic findings of lung infarction by mucin and tumor emboli.

Background and aim: Laser capture microdissection is used to obtain pure cell populations, thus allowing the study of molecular pathological mechanisms from specific cell populations, yet RNA from tissues fixed in formalin (the most common fixative for analysis of gene expression) is usually degraded during microdissection and RNA extraction. In this study we investigate the best fixative for use in the preparation of human tissues for laser capture microdissection, and for the preservation of RNA molecules and histomorphologic structure. Methods: Here we examine Methacarn, Carnoy's solution, 4% paraformaldehyde and 10% neutral‐buffered formalin. Forty‐three sides of various human organs were compared to determine the tissue‐fixing ability and RNA quality according to the fixatives. Results: Methacarn was the best suitable fixative for histomorphologic preservation as well as protection against RNA degradation after microdissection. However, Methacarn was not good for preservation of proteins. Conclusions: Methacarn is an excellent fixative for human tissue samples obtained by microdissection. It is an optimal fixative that is not only excellent for preservation of morphology, but also RNA extraction.