No abstract

A benign nonchromaffin paraganglioma of the duodenum is described and compared with other reported cases. Duodenal location is extremely rare but the morphology, based on the optical microscopic pattern (Zellballen) and the ultrastructural appearance is, comparable with paragangliomas of other sites. The lack of nerve fibres and ganglion cells in this tumour, together with the absence of a positive chromaffin reaction permits us to classify it as a pure nonchromaffin paraganglioma. This finding constitutes indirect evidence of the probable existence of a paraganglion in the duodenal wall, a structure not yet demonstrated in the adult.

We describe a case of a large myelolipoma (15 by 12 cm. maximum diameter) that was removed surgically and resembled clinically and semeiologically a malignant retroperitoneal tumor. The patient also had chronic pancreatitis and cholelithiasis. Experimental findings, as well as the frequent association of myelolipomas (usually small) with several chronic diseases, suggests that the adrenal myelolipoma is not a true neoplasm but, rather, a choristoma or, perhaps even more likely, a hyperplastic and/or metaplastic lesion.

A clinicopathologic study of three ovarian carcinosarcomas and three mixed mesodermal tumors of the ovary is presented. None of the patients survived for more than 1 year, irrespective of chemotherapeutic treatment or the extent of surgery. No prognostic differences were noted between the histologic patterns of varying tumor sizes of carcinosarcomas and mixed mesodermal tumors. The association of these two entities with other neoplasms of Müllerian nature suggests a multicentric tumor response of Müllerian tract derivatives. The necessity of adequate sampling, both for correct diagnosis and to exclude the possibility of teratoma (which behaves in a more benign fashion), is emphasized.

The small oat cell type of carcinoma is only rarely seen in extrapulmonary sites. To date, nineteen cases have been described in the oesophagus, almost all by Japanese authors. In this report we review the relevant literature and add one more case of pure type to the total. The histopathological, histochemical and ultrastructural findings and the similarity of this tumour to the oat cell bronchial carcinoma, lead one to propose that it originates in the cells of the APUD series, which have been demonstrated in the normal oesophageal epithelium. Thus is represents on endocrine carcinoma of the oesophagus.