Olfactory functioning and callosotomy: a report of two cases

Two callosotomy patients with presumably intact anterior commissures were evaluated on a battery of olfactory tasks including sensitivity, discrimination, memory, identification, cross-modality matching, bilateral summation (dirhinic vs. monorhinic thresholds), and localization of odorants. One case was evaluated both pre- and post-surgery. He showed marked decrements after surgery in odor memory and in matching across modalities. After surgery, both patients were better able to name odorants presented to the left nostril than the right nostril. The patient who was asked to remember odorants that could be readily labeled was better able to remember those odorants presented to the left nostril. The findings that both cases performed equally well whether olfactory and tactile information was projected to the same hemisphere or a different one, that some bilateral summation was evident, and that the cases were unable to localize odorants suggests that the remaining neuronal pathways allow for some communication between hemispheres.     

Mandibuloacral dysplasia: a report of two Egyptian cases

Mandibuloacral dysplasia (MAD) is a rare disorder. Only 35 patients, coming from 22 families, have been reported worldwide. We report on two Egyptian unrelated girls with MAD. The first patient presented at the age of 5 years with acral defect and partial alopecia. The second patient presented at the age of 17 years with progressive micrognathia and loss of subcutaneous fat from the limbs. Physical examination detected the craniofacial, skeletal and cutaneous changes characteristic of MAD. Both patients were short with progeroid facies and loss of subcutaneous fat from the extremities, which fits lipodystrophy type A pattern. Radiological examination revealed delayed closure of cranial sutures, hypoplastic mandible, hypoplastic clavicles, and acroosteolysis. Both patients had normal glucose tolerance, but had fasting and post-prandial hyperinsulinemia, suggestive of insulin resistance. One patient had elevated serum triglycerides and low normal cholesterol levels, while the other patient had normal levels. Serum leptin was normal in both patients. We review the literature on mandibuloacral dysplasia and discuss the differential diagnosis.     

The lymphoblastic lymphoma: a clinical and morphological entity, two new cases

There are reported two new cases of lymphoblastic lymphoma in an 8 and a 12 year-old child respectively. The diagnosis is based on cytological features, similar or identical to those of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the presence of a mediastinal growth and a rapid evolution, and with an early involvement of the bone marrow. The cytohistological pattern was dominated in one case by the proliferation of immature lymphocytes with convoluted nuclei, and in the second one by immature lymphocytes with round nuclei. The T cell origin of these lymphomas and the practical value of their recognition for an early treatment are discussed.     

Cerebral aspergillosis: report of two cases

Two cases of cerebral aspergillosis in Tamilians presenting as intracranial space-occupying lesions are reported. The first patient had a left frontal lobe abscess and a specific diagnosis was made by histopathology and isolation of Aspergillus versicolor. He responded well to excision followed by anticonvulsant therapy. In the other, the diagnosis was based on histopathology alone and she died after surgery. These are the first cases reported from Tamil Nadu and probably only one similar case has been reported from India so far.     

Ocular prosthesis for a geriatric patient with customised iris: a report of two cases

doi:10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2009.00327.x
Ocular prosthesis for a geriatric patient with customised iris: a report of two cases Objective: An ocular prosthesis is given when trauma or disease may lead to enucleation or evisceration of the eye and the combined efforts of the ophthalmologists and the maxillofacial prosthetist can provide a cosmetically acceptable ocular prosthesis. Methods: An ocular prosthesis is either pre‐fabricated or custom‐made. One of the important factors for achieving a cosmetic result is accurate colour matching of the iris with the contralateral iris. Results: A knowledge of the anatomy of the eye facilitates hand painting of iris and sclera to produce a satisfactory result. Conclusion: The custom‐made ocular prosthesis allows infinite variations during the fabrication.     

Epididymal sarcoidosis: a report of two cases and a review of the literature

Two cases of epididymal sarcoidosis, presenting as scrotal masses, are described. Biopsies of the epididymis and scalene nodes established the diagnosis. The literature of epididymal sarcoid and its differential diagnosis is discussed.     

Post-partum transient thyrotoxicosis: report of two cases

Two patients with post-partum transient thyrotoxicosis associated with painless thyroiditis and low radioactive iodine uptake were described. The surreptitious use of thyroid hormones or iodine was excluded. Although the clinical course was compatible with that of subacute thyroiditis, passing through the hyperthyroid, euthyroid, hypothyroid and recovery phase, the patients showed a sustained elevation of serum anti-thyroglobulin antibody titer during the entire phase of the disease. Moreover, the histological findings obtained by the thyroid biopsy performed in a case were characteristic of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Furthermore, it was of interest that the disease recurred following every delivery in 2 cases, suggesting the possible role of immunological changes induced by pregnancy and delivery in the etiology of this disease.     

Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma: report of two cases

ABSTRACT: Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (PSH) is a rare benign tumor of the lungs. These tumors are composed of cuboidal surface cells and polygonal stromal cells and show four histological manifestations: hemorrhagic, papillary, solid, and sclerotic. PSH predominantly affects asymptomatic middle-aged women. The tumor often occurs at the intralobar site, and less commonly in the bronchus and mediastinum. PSH is easy to be misdiagnosed preoperatively. In this study, we present in detail the treatment procedures followed for two atypical cases of PSH. Case 1 was a 62-year-old woman bearing a tumor for 15 years. The tumor lesion was found to be located in the oblique fissure of the left lung. PSH was confirmed by surgical resection and postoperative pathological diagnosis. There was no sign of recurrence and metastasis 1.5 years after surgery. Case 2 was a 54-year-old woman diagnosed with bilateral multiple nodules by physical examination. This patient was diagnosed with definite PSH through computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. Surgical resection was not performed. The patient also showed no sign of enlarged tumor and metastasis after 2 years of follow-up. Although PSH can be cured by surgical resection, the findings in our cases indicate that surgical resection need not be considered the preferred course of treatment. If PSH is diagnosed before surgery, the patients may survive while bearing the tumor.