Autopsy findings of miliary tuberculosis in a renal transplant recipient

Miliary tuberculosis is a lethal form of disseminated tuberculosis (TB), deriving its name from the millet-seed-sized granulomas in multiple organs. As TB still remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in India, its disseminated forms need to be diagnosed early to ensure more aggressive treatment at the earliest possible time. However, a considerable number of cases are missed ante-mortem. We discuss the case of a 32-year-old immunocompromised, non-HIV patient with an ante-mortem diagnosis of pulmonary TB. However, multiple organ involvement by Mycobacterium tuberculosis was demonstrated on autopsy. This case highlights the role of autopsy as a research and learning tool, and prudential clinico-pathologic correlation, which will improve clinical outcomes in the futur

Isolated saccular aneurysm of the external jugular vein

Venous aneurysm of the head and neck is a rare clinical entity due to its asymptomatic nature and tendency of clinicians to report only surgical results. Whereas the primary aneurysm of internal jugular vein (IJV) in children is being increasingly recognized, secondary aneurysms of veins of the head and neck in adults, notably the external jugular vein (EJV) aneurysm remains only in anecdotal case reports. We present the case of a 63-year-old previously healthy woman who presented with a gradually progressive right lateral neck swelling over the last 18 months. Following the evaluation, she was diagnosed as a case of isolated spontaneous right-sided EJV aneurysm and was managed by surgical excision of the aneurysm

Autopsy findings of miliary tuberculosis in a renal transplant recipient

Miliary tuberculosis is a lethal form of disseminated tuberculosis (TB), deriving its name from the millet-seed-sized granulomas in multiple organs. As TB still remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in India, its disseminated forms need to be diagnosed early to ensure more aggressive treatment at the earliest possible time. However, a considerable number of cases are missed ante-mortem. We discuss the case of a 32-year-old immunocompromised, non-HIV patient with an ante-mortem diagnosis of pulmonary TB. However, multiple organ involvement by Mycobacterium tuberculosis was demonstrated on autopsy. This case highlights the role of autopsy as a research and learning tool, and prudential clinico-pathologic correlation, which will improve clinical outcomes in the futur

LIN-44/Wnt Directs Dendrite Outgrowth through LIN-17/Frizzled in C. elegans Neurons

Nervous system function requires proper development of two functional and morphological domains of neurons, axons and dendrites. Although both these domains are equally important for signal transmission, our understanding of dendrite development remains relatively poor. Here, we show that in C. elegans the Wnt ligand, LIN-44, and its Frizzled receptor, LIN-17, regulate dendrite development of the PQR oxygen sensory neuron. In lin-44 and lin-17 mutants, PQR dendrites fail to form, display stunted growth, or are misrouted. Manipulation of temporal and spatial expression of LIN-44, combined with cell-ablation experiments, indicates that this molecule is patterned during embryogenesis and acts as an attractive cue to define the site from which the dendrite emerges. Genetic interaction between lin-44 and lin-17 suggests that the LIN-44 signal is transmitted through the LIN-17 receptor, which acts cell autonomously in PQR. Furthermore, we provide evidence that LIN-17 interacts with another Wnt molecule, EGL-20, and functions in parallel to MIG-1/Frizzled in this process. Taken together, our results reveal a crucial role for Wnt and Frizzled molecules in regulating dendrite development in vivo

Invasive cutaneous mucormycosis in a preterm neonate presenting as a vesicobullous lesion

Mucormycosis is a relatively rare fungal infection seen in immunocompromised patients. Very few cases of invasive cutaneous mucormycosis occurring in neonates have been reported in literature. It is an aggressive disease with a mortality rate of around 64% in neonates, so a high index of suspicion is essential for rapid diagnosis and definitive treatment with broad-spectrum antifungals such as Amphotericin B. We present a case of a premature infant born at 25 weeks of gestation who developed vesicobullous lesions all over the body on day 5 of life. Biopsy from the vesicles confirmed the presence of angioinvasive fungal hyphae of mucormycosis which were highlighted on Periodic acid-Schiff and Grocott stain

Traits of tubular adenoma cytology

Tubular adenoma of breast is a rare benign pure epithelial tumor, which presents as a palpable mass. Clinical examination and imaging modalities are similar to that seen in a case of fibroadenoma. In such a situation, fine-needle aspiration can be a useful diagnostic tool. However, the cytopathologist has to be aware of the subtle cytology traits of tubular adenoma to make an informed assessment. We discuss a case diagnosed preoperatively as a case of tubular adenoma with histopathological confirmation

A compendium of late-onset darier with an unusual report

Darier disease is an autosomal dominant inherited skin disorder with complete penetrance and variable expressivity due to mutation in the ATP 2A2 gene. It usually develops from childhood and persists through adolescence. Late onset of this genodermatosis has been infrequently reported and found to have minimal findings compared to the classical cases. Classical disease presents with greasy keratotic yellowish-brown papules over the seborrheic areas with palmar pits and nail changes. We hereby report a case of late onset comedonal darier disease with extensive hypopigmented lesions, involvement of palms and nails which is rarely reported in this setting. A thorough review of literature was done and a compendium prepared of late onset darier and no other case report was found to have such extensive involvement as the case reported. It will be interesting to compare more such late onset cases to see if they have a common pattern which can suggest them to be a separate entity from the classical darier

Acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp in an elderly patient treated with radical radiotherapy

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common non-melanoma skin cancer originating from epidermal keratinocytes or adnexal structures (such as eccrine glands and pilosebaceous units). It has a prediliction for affecting sun exposed areas such as the face, neck and arms. Cutaneous adenoid squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is a distinctive neoplasm characterized by tumour cell acantholysis and is known for afflicting the head and neck in the elderly. We present such a case treated at our center which was a therapeutic challenge due to the lack of electron or superficial radiotherapy but responded well to curative local skin radiotherapy using a telecobalt machine. Keywords: Acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma, Elderly, Radical radiotherapy, Scal

Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas: Case report of two cases

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a unique, heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative disorders which have a primary cutaneous manifestation in the absence of systemic involvement of lymph nodes, bone marrow, or visceral organs at the time of diagnosis. Among the primary cutaneous lymphomas, B-cell lymphoma is much less common and accounts for 20%–25% of cases. Primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (PCDLBCLs) are aggressive neoplasms with poor prognosis. Early and accurate diagnosis is required as these patients respond well to systemic anthracycline-based chemotherapy (R-CHOP). In this article, we report two cases of PCDLBCL, other which presented with rapidly enlarging skin nodules and were diagnosed based on clinical features, histomorphology, and characteristic immunohistochemical expression. Both the patients were treated with systemic chemotherapy and responded well. During the 6 months' follow-up period, the lesions regressed. The patients are symptom free with no evidence of disease relapse or dissemination to extracutaneous sites

Two atypical presentations of lepra reactions

Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic infectious granulomatous disease with varied presentation, especially in the setting of lepra reactions. We report two such atypical presentations each of Type I and Type II Lepra reactions; the first being an elderly male presenting with fever, while the second case being of a young boy being evaluated for cervical lymphadenitis