Herein reported is a second case of human Saksenaea vasiformis infection. This unusual zygomycete was isolated postmortem from the tissues of an immunocompromised woman. The patient died of a disseminated infection that caused cutaneous, pulmonary, and renal infarcts. Clinical and pathologic features of the case and manifestations of zygomycete infection are discussed.

Sixty-three breast carcinomas were examined by electron microscopy to determine the frequency of calcium hydroxyapatite (apatite) within tumor lumina. Twenty-one adenocarcinomas contained apatite in intracytoplasmic and/or intercellular lumina. Well-differentiated tumors exhibited a higher incidence of apatite (44%), while only 20% of the poorly differentiated tumors contained apatite (gamma = +.22). There was no apparent correlation between the presence of apatite and a positive estrogen receptor assay. Ninety-eight adenocarcinomas of other than breast origin (previously processed for electron microscopy) were examined, revealing 2 cases containing apatite in the appropriate locations. The tissue of origin in one case was determined to be ovarian, while the origin of the second case remains undetermined. The ultrastructural finding of apatite in lumina of adenocarcinoma appears to be unusual in that it has only been observed in breast carcinomas and certain ovarian tumors. The presence of apatite within the lumen in addition to other characteristics of an adenocarcinoma may suggest the breast as the primary site.

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