Unusual muscle abnormalities associated with thalidomide treatment in a rhesus monkey: a case report.

Unusual musculotendinous abnormalities were observed in the forelimbs of a rhesus monkey treated prenatally with thalidomide (10 mg/kg maternal body weight, gestation days 33, 34, and 35). Although the hindlimbs exhibited malformations typical of thalidomide dysmelia, the forelimbs appeared relatively normal externally. However, dissection revealed totally anomalous insertions of preaxial muscles of both forearms. Extensor muscles inserted on flexor surfaces even though normal sites of insertion were present and unoccupied. Radiographs revealed only minor ossification deficiencies in the carpus and distal radius. These observations suggest that thalidomide, given at the appropriate time, can disrupt condensation and splitting of pre-muscle masses without greatly disturbing condensation of corresponding preskeletal elements. These types of musculoskeletal relationships are unusual findings in congenital malformations of the limbs and have not been widely associated with thalidomide teratogenesis.     

Mycobacterium kansasii in a rhesus monkey

The incidence of pulmonary disease caused by "atypical" mycobacteria has been increasing gradually in the human population since the 1950s. Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium intracellulare are the two organisms most responsible for this trend. A rhesus monkey was euthanatized and necropsied after reacting positive to mammalian Old Tuberculin on semi-annual testing. Histopathology demonstrated the presence of small numbers of acid fast organisms in pulmonary lesions. Further microbiological testing identified the causative organism as M. kansasii.     

Cerebrospinal fluid infiltration in Hodgkin lymphoma: a case report

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system (CNS) involvement by Hodgkin lympboma is a rare event. Involvement of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in such cases is even more uncommon. We report a case of Hodgkin lymphoma in which the patient developed infiltration of the CSF while on chemotherapy. CASE: A 45-year-old woman was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma by fine needle aspiration and subsequent biopsy of the cervical lymph node. She complained of headache during the course of chemotherapy, for which CSF examination was undertaken. Cytocentrifuge sediment of the CSF revealed marked eosinophilic pleocytosis, accompanied by scattered monocytes, polymorpbs, lymphocytes, plasma cells and histiocytes. An occasional large mononudlear cell with a large, round nucleus and prominent irregular nucleolus with a moderate amount of basophilic cytoplasm conformning to the morphology of Hodgkin's cells was noted. Binucleated Reed-Sternberg cells were not seen. Following intratbecal methotrexate, a reduction in the cellular infiltrate was observed. CONCLUSION: CSF cytology is important for the diagnosis of CNS involvement by Hodgkin lymphoma and may be positive before lesions can be visualized by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomograpby scans.     

Urinary cystic calculi in a cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis): a case report.

An adult female Macaca fascicularis monkey became acutely anorexic and depressed and was found dead approximately 24 hours later. Necropsy revealed three hard brownish-yellow stones within the urinary bladder and urethra, a moderately shrunken left kidney, hemorrhage of the medulla of the left adrenal gland and a yellow liver. The stones, one of which was lodged in the urethra, were 1-2.5 cm in diameter, and their surfaces were rough and covered with spines. Chemical analysis of the stones revealed oxalates, phosphates, carbonates, ammonium salts, magnesium and calcium. Microscopic examination revealed chronic interstitial and glomerular nephritis and papillary hyperplasia of the transitional epithelium of the bladder.     

Primary lesion of a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma occurring in a skin tatoo: case report.

A case of histiocytic lymphoma in a tattoo is presented. The incidence, clinical problems, diagnostic difficulties, treatment, and possible etiology are discussed.     

Direct demonstration of retroviral recombination in a rhesus monkey.

Recombination may be an important mechanism for increasing variation in retroviral populations. Retroviral recombination has been demonstrated in tissue culture systems by artificially creating doubly infected cells. Evidence for retroviral recombination in vivo is indirect and is based principally on the identification of apparently mosaic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genomes from phylogenetic analyses of viral sequences. We infected a rhesus monkey with two different molecularly cloned strains of simian immunodeficiency virus. One strain of virus had a deletion in vpx and vpr, and the other strain had a deletion in nef. Each strain on its own induced low virus loads and was nonpathogenic in rhesus monkeys. When injected simultaneously into separate legs of the same monkey, persistent high virus loads and declines in CD4+ lymphocyte concentrations were observed. Analysis of proviral DNA isolated directly from peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed that full-length, nondeleted SIVmac239 predominated by 2 weeks after infection. These results provide direct experimental evidence for genetic recombination between two different retroviral strains in an infected host. The results illustrate the ease and rapidity with which recombination can occur in an infected animal and the selection that can occur for variants generated by genetic recombination.     

Androgen metabolism in the rhesus monkey.

A mixture of 3H-testosteron (T) and 14C-4-androstene-3, 17-dione (A) was injected intravenously into 2 (I and II) rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). A third monkey (III) was injected with 3H-T only. Urine and bile samples were collected at intervals for 6 hours following the injection. The excretion, conjugation and aglycone metabolites of the steroids injected were studied using these samples. Of the injected dose, animal I (male) excreted 32% 3H and 23% 14C in the bile and 30% 3H and 21% 14C in the urine in 6 hours. Animal II (female), however, had a comparatively higher biliary excretion (66% 3H, 40% 14 C), but a urinary excretion (18% 3H, 13% 14C) comparable to that of animals I and III. The averages in the bile of the 3 animals were: unconjugated compounds 3%, glucosiduronates 78%, sulfates 9%, sulfoglucosiduronates 5% and disulfates 3%; and in urine, 5% unconjugated, 92% glucosiduronates and 3% sulfates. The aglycones obtained following hydrolysis were separated gy chromatography on Lipidex 5000, further purified by thin layer and paper chromatography and identified by co-crystallization. The major matabolites from 3H-T were androsterone and 5beta-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol, whereas that from 14C-A was androsterone. Other metabolites identified were: etiocholanolone (3beta-hydroxy-5-beta-androstan-17-one); T, epitestosterone (epi-T), (17alpha-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one); epiandrosterone (3-beta-hydroxy-5alpha-androstan-17-one) and 5alpha-androstane-3alpha, 17beta-diol. The results indicate that while androgen metabolism in the rhesus monkey is similar to that of the baboon and human in conjugate and metabolite formation, the rate of excretion was significantly different, resembline more closely that of the baboon than the human.     

Primary effusion lymphoma. A case report

BACKGROUND: Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare type of lymphoma that presents as an effusion, seldom with evidence of a solid neoplasm elsewhere; thus, cytology is the basic diagnostic method. It usually occurs in HIV-positive males with a history of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), and DNA sequences of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) are detected by molecular analysis. The distinct morphologic, immunophenotypic, molecular and clinical characteristics render this neoplasm a new pathologic entity. CASE: A 57-year-old, HIV-positive man presented to the hospital with ascites and absence of neoplasm on radiologic investigation. Cytologic evaluation of the ascitic fluid revealed the presence of highly atypical, pleomorphic lymphoid cells. Immunocytochemistry of the lymphoma cells was positive for CD45 (leukocyte common antigen), CD30 and epithelial membrane antigen antigens and negative for panB, panT and cytokeratin antigens. DNA sequences of HHV-8 were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and DNA ploidy analysis showed aneuploidy. The patient died 5 months after the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Conventional and ThinPrep (Cytyc Corp., Boxborough, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) cytology, in combination with immunocytochemistry and PCR for HHV-8 DNA sequences, can lead to an accurate diagnosis of PEL. DNA ploidy analysis confirms the aggressive nature of this neoplasm.     

Cytomorphologic diagnosis of malignant lymphoma arising in the heart: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary malignant lymphoma of the heart is extremely rare. Because its clinical signs and symptoms are typically nonspecific, it is often very difficult to detect cardiac involvement while the patient is alive. We describe a case of malignant lymphoma involving predominantly the heart and pericardium and diagnosed by pericardiac effusion cytology antemortem. CASE: An 83-year-old woman presented with dyspnea on exertion. Echocardiography revealed a low-echoic tumor mass close to the right ventricular wall and massive pericardiac effusion. Diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was made by cytomorphologic examination and flow cytometry of the tumor cells obtained from the effusion. Although chemotherapy was instituted immediately, the patient died of progressive heart failure. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma predominantly involving the intracardiovascular region was confirmed at autopsy. CONCLUSION: From the experience in this case, we conclude that cytopathologic examination of sonographically guided aspiration of the cardiovascular region is very useful for antemortem diagnosis of primary malignant lymphoma of the heart.