A 55-year-old Japanese woman presented with proptosis of the left eye that showed rapid progression with profound lid oedema and chemosis with pain. Magnetic resonance imaging and helical computed tomography demonstrated a large mass of the upper temporal orbit and extended bony destruction of the frontal and zygomatic bones. She was successfully treated with orbital exenteration. A diagnosis of primary squamous cell carcinoma of the lacrimal gland was made, which was confirmed by characteristic findings seen on histopathological examination.

An automated cell-electrophoresis apparatus is described which appears suitable for clinical laboratory applications. A solid state laser is employed; however, the instrument departs from the usual Doppler systems in that coherence is not required and stationary transmission grating optics are used. A dedicated microprocessor performs fast Fourier transforms (FFT), curve fitting for pedestal and low frequency (LF) noise removal, and digital filtering to suppress FFT artifacts. Unique features include fully automated sample handling, and measurements are made at the center of the migration tube in lieu of the "stationary layer" for enhanced signal quality. Experiments show high resolution of spectra from individual and mixed populations of sheep and rabbit erythrocytes. The sample-to-report cycle of 5 or 7.5 min (switchable), high cost/performance ratio and elimination of potential operator errors make the instrument a candidate for clinical use.

No abstract