Alveolar soft part sarcoma is a slow growing but, highly malignant tumour.
This rare, distinctive sarcoma, typically occurring in young patients was first described by Christopherson et al in 1952.
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Category: medicine
8 medical stories that touched my heart – A Pathologist
Do doctors make New Year’s resolution? We have already taken an oath to serve the patients and our community to the best of our ability. I will continue to be a lifelong learner, apart from that I have not made any new resolution for 2016. In this post I want to share 8 medical stories that touched my heart.
- Dr A was a compassionate paediatrician who lost her husband and her only child in a plane crash. She was devastated and had a mental breakdown. Soon she picked herself up and vowed to turn her life around after the tragedy. Now she is a renowned paediatrician and has dedicated her life to treating children. Whenever she feels sad, she looks at dozens of little sick children depending on her. Her profession healed her own pain.
- Dr B was a famous, charming physician and a skiing champion. He was engaged to get married to a gorgeous woman who was impressed by his outstanding skiing skills. He had a car accident and his legs were amputated. He was able to walk only with his prosthetic legs but needed a cane to support him . He didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. He left his city and handed over his established medical practice to a friend. He started working in a remote hospital in a small town. He saved lives of many poor patients. His fiancée traced him to the little town and confessed that she loved him, not his skiing skills. They got married and lived happily ever after in the little town. Sometimes they look at the skiing photographs and laugh together.
- Dr C was a dedicated surgeon who was often on call in the night to perform emergency operations. She was successful in every operation at a young age. Her lifelong mentor and teacher instructed her to operate on a very complicated case. It was a lost case, but she made a desperate attempt to save the patient. Her mentor wanted to teach her an important lesson. He explained to her that however hard a doctor can try, some patients cannot be saved. The man she loved had terminal cancer and her husband committed suicide because he did not trust her. Once again her chosen profession saved her from mental breakdown. Her mentor trained her to be an expert surgeon. She got a national award for lifelong dedication to her work. She dedicated the rest of her life to her profession.
- Dr D was a renowned gynaecologist and delivered hundreds of healthy babies. He was particularly well-known for competently handling complicated gynaecological cases. His wife was pregnant. He was doing the follow up. There were signs of complications and he was concerned. He was attending a complicating, emergency case. His wife suddenly started having severe premature labour pain. Her husband could not be reached in the operation theatre. By the time he successfully saved the life of a mother and child, his own wife and child had died.
- Dr E was a bubbly, cheerful haematologist. She often felt tired at work, sometimes had mild fever and headache. Doctors are bad patients. She ignored the ominous symptoms. Later she casually examined her blood sample and was shocked at the findings of her own blood smear. She had acute lymphocytic leukemia. It is also known as acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, which commonly occurs in children. She was particularly surprised because it is very rare in adults. Later bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. There was complete remission within 5 weeks of starting treatment. Now she is writing a book and spending more time with her family.
- Dr F was a pathologist who was rushing to his lab and his car collided with another car. Both his arms were bruised and blood was oozing from multiple ulcerated areas. He did not take sick leave. After preliminary treatment he went back to his lab and reported all the pending urgent cases. Other doctors were on vacation.
- Dr G was a honest and sacrificing doctor. He was an orphan and was brought up by a wealthy family who treated him like their own son Dr H. A time comes when Dr G is in a situation where he had to give up his love and profession for the family who gave him so much in life.
Dr G and Dr H loved each other like real brothers.
Dr H married the girl Dr G secretly loved. Dr H started medical practice and charged exorbitant amount of money from patients, especially to do illegal abortions. Dr G tried to stop him but Dr H did not listen to him. One day a patient died during illegal abortion and Dr H was arrested. Dr G tells the police that he was the real culprit and changed all the hospital records to prove his point. In jail Dr G requested Dr H and his beloved wife to use medical profession to serve people, not to earn money. They kept the promise and started working in a small primary health centre in a remote village. Dr G was released from jail after 9 years. His foster brother Dr H and his wife were waiting for him, with their little child.
- Dr I was a honest and committed oncologist. He met a patient suffering from malignant tumour of the bowel. Doctor was charmed by the charismatic patient at the first meeting. The patient knew about the seriousness of the condition. He wanted to live life to the fullest before the inevitable occurred. He touched the lives of everyone he met. He brought happiness, laughter and joy in the personal life of the serious doctor. Finally he dies laughing. The doctor broke down and cried for the patient who became his dearest friend. Dr I wrote a book from his own diary about his amazing friend and made him immortal.
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Abraham Lincoln
Happy 2016 to all my readers.
Do you know why Rudolph the Reindeer has a red nose? Ask your Pathologist!
“Rudolph the red–nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.”
Everyone has seen pictures of reindeer, for they are the animals that are said to draw the sledge of Father Christmas. Reindeers are protected from the cold by a thick skin and two coats of hair, a long coarse outer one and a fine, woolly inner one. The colour of the outer coat changes from dark brown in summer to a lighter brown in winter.
Reindeer in Norwegian arctic region has a distinct pink coloration at tip of nose.
Can Ince et al studied the functional morphology of the nasal microcirculation in humans in comparison with reindeers. (Why Rudolph’s nose is red: observational study –BMJ 2012;345:e8311).
The nasal microcirculation has important roles such as heating, filtering, and humidifying inhaled air, controlling inflammation, transporting fluid for mucous formation, and delivering oxygen to the nasal parenchymal cells.
The pathophysiology of many nasal conditions, such as congestion and epistaxis, is based on the regulatory mechanisms of the microcirculation.
Nasal mucosa has an important part in the uptake of drugs and responses to allergens.
The introduction of hand-held intravital video microscopes has helped in direct visualisation of the nasal microcirculation in humans.
These imaging instruments have had a special impact on intensive care medicine as they have shown the nasal microcirculation to be the most sensitive haemodynamic indicator of outcome and response to treatment. These instruments have also identified the microcirculation as a key factor in a wide range of other diseases, including diagnostic support and treatment responses in oncology.
Using the technique of hand-held vital video microscopy the authors characterised the microvasculature of the human nose and applied the same technique to reindeer for comparative purposes.
Intravital video microscope showed complex architecture of the nasal microcirculation, including the kinetics of flowing red blood cells, and provided new insights into the adaptive behaviour of vascular structures under varying clinical conditions.
An interesting finding was the presence of gland-like structures in the nasal mucosa. The explanation for the function of these circular vascular structures is mucous secretion. These structures are scattered throughout the nose and maintain an optimal nasal climate during humid weather and extremes of temperature as well as being responsible for fluid transport and acting as a barrier.
The nasal microcirculation in humans consists of hairpin-like vessels, microcirculatory networks, and crypt-like structures surrounded by capillaries.
“The microcirculation of the nasal mucosa in reindeer is richly vascularised and 25% denser than that in humans. These factors explain why the nose of Rudolph, the lead flying reindeer employed by Santa Claus to pull his sleigh, is red and well adapted to carrying out his duties in extreme temperatures. ”
Why Rudolph’s nose is red: observational study –BMJ 2012;345:e8311
clipart courtesy: www.clipartlord.com ; cartoon: www.toondoo.com
Standing under the Mistletoe? It is an anticancer agent
What does Christmas remind you of ? Mistletoe, holly, Christmas tree, Christmas pudding, and so many wonderful things. When the heart is happy, Christmas can never be dull. It’s not just about feasting and fun. It’s also a time for happy reunions with family and friends.
Mistletoe is known to bring happiness, safety, and good fortune as long as it does not touch the ground. This is probably why it is hung up in homes in Christmas time and is supposed to bring luck to those who kiss under it.
Extracts and preparations from the parasitic plant mistletoe (Viscum album ) have been used in the treatment of cancer for decades.
First recorded use in oncology was by the Dutch physician Ita Wegman who used a mistletoe extraction for the treatment of a breast cancer patient following a recommendation by Rudolf Steiner in 1917.
Extracts from the plant are used in adjuvant cancer therapy mainly as injections.
The most important active agents are lectins, which have cytotoxic and immunostimulating effects.
Mistletoe extracts have low toxicity. No fatal side effects have been reported.
Breast cancer is among the most frequent types of cancer in women worldwide. Current conventional treatment options are accompanied by side effects. Mistletoe is amongst the important herbal medicines traditionally used as complementary remedies.
The benefit of mistletoe in laryngeal cancer treatment requires further investigation, and might be considered in selected patients, as an adjunct or when other conventional therapies have failed.
Mistletoes of the Loranthaceae and Viscaceae are hemiparasitic plants and their preparations in the form of injectable extracts, infusions, tinctures, fluid extracts or tea bags are widely used in various cultures in almost every continent to treat or manage various health problems including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, inflammatory conditions, irregular menstruations, menopause, epilepsy, arthritis, cancer, etc.
In Germany mistletoe extract is one of the most commonly used complementary therapeutic strategies in the treatment of urological tumours.
Clinical effects of mistletoe products include improvement of quality of life, reduction of side effects from chemotherapy and radiation, and possibly increased survival.
In central Europe, white-berried mistletoe (Viscum album) preparations not only are among the most common types of treatments used in integrative medicine but also have been among of the most commonly prescribed cancer treatments in Germany per se in 2010.
By 2017, mistletoe preparations will have been used in the treatment of cancer patients for 100 years.
Further reading
- [Mistletoe in the treatment of cancer].
- Preclinical and clinical effects of mistletoe against breast cancer
- [Mistletoe (Viscum album) preparations: an optional drug for cancer patients?].
- Mistletoe: from basic research to clinical outcomes in cancer and other indications
- clipart courtesy : clipartlord.com
20 signs you are a charismatic pathologist
It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious. ~Oscar Wilde
- Your friends and peers love and respect you.
- You have an excellent sense of humour.
- You are an innovative teacher and help your students to reach their full potential.
- You love the company of genuine, trustworthy friends.
- You keep away from chronic complainers and negative people.
- You don’t waste time on social media like facebook.
- You enjoy blogging and putting your thoughts into writing.
- You are tolerant and celebrate all religious festivals with equal enthusiasm and respect.
- You are a true global citizen who has travelled to more than 50 countries across five continents.
- You love your own country and serve your nation in the best possible way.
- You are a giver. You give compliments, positive feed back and helpful tips to everyone.
- You enjoy reading and have a big library.
- You collaborate with like-minded friends for all your projects and never hesitate to take advice from your well wishers.
- You know the art of saying “No” gracefully.
- You don’t waste your precious time on people who don’t mean anything to you.
- You are not interested in petty politics.
- You are confident, which is the most attractive quality.
- You are a good listener.
- You don’t enjoy unnecessary small talk.
- You don’t blame others when something goes wrong and try your best to handle the situation peacefully.
Charisma is not so much getting people to like you as getting people to like themselves when you’re around. ~Robert Brault
The Ring that Kills – Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma [Poster]
Diamond rings are deadly and so are the rings that pathologists see under the microscope.
Human body has 7 Tails. Did you know ?
1) Tail of the Pancreas :
Tail of the Pancreas is narrow and usually lies in contact with the inferior part of the gastric surface of the spleen. It is present within the two layers of the splenorenal ligament together with the splenic vessels, to which it is closely related.
2) Tail of the Epididymis:
Epididymis consist of a tortuous canal which forms the first part of the efferent route from the testis. It consists of central region, or body, a superior enlarged head, and an inferior pointed end, the tail. The lateral surfaces of the head and tail of epididymis are covered by the tunica vaginalis and hence free.
3) Axillary Tail of the Breast (Tail of Spence) :
The Superolateral part of Breast is prolonged upwards and laterally towards the axilla, forming the axillary tail, which pass through the deep fascia to lie in close relationship to the pectoral group of axillary lymph nodes.
4) Tail of the Helix :
The cartilage of auricle of the external ear consists of a single piece of elastic fibrocartilage. This cartilage is absent from the lobule and between tragus and beginning of helix. Anteriorly, where the helix bends upwards, there is a small cartilaginous projection – spine of the helix. At its other extremity the cartilage is extended inferiorly as the tail of the helix. The tail of the helix is separated from the antihelix by the fissure antitragohelicina.
5) Tail of the Caudate Nucleus :
The caudate nucleus is an arcuate mass of gray matter which has a head, body and tail. The anterosuperior end is massive and termed head. At the interventricular foramen this narrows into body of the nucleus which tapers imperceptibly into the tail.
6) Tail of the Dentate Gyrus :
Dentate gyrus is a crenated strip of cortex. Anteriorly, the dentate gyrus is continued into the notch of the uncus, where it makes a sharp bend medially across the central part of its inferior surface. This transverse part is smooth and featureless, being termed the tail of the dentate gyrus (band of Giacomini), and it becomes indistinguishable on the medial aspect of the uncus.
7) Tailbone (Coccyx) –
Tailbone ( coccyx) is the terminal segment of the spine. It is a triangular bone that consists usually 3 to 5 rudimentary vertebrae fused together . The lower part of the filum terminale, also known as coccygeal ligament, inserts to the first segment. The coccyx is bordered anteriorly by the levator ani muscle and the sacrococcygeal ligament.
“A dog can express more with his tail in minutes than his owner can express with his tongue in hours.”—Anonymous
