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Ecthyma contagiosum (orf) is a dermatosis commonly seen in those in contact with sheep. It is caused by Parapoxvirus ovis (orf virus), an oval epitheliotropic DNA parapox virus. The skin disease develops in stages starting as a macule or papule, becoming nodular, and then regressing. Diagnosis is based on history and histology, as well as identifying the virus through cell culture or specified polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The treatment of this self-limited disease is usually symptomatic.

Molecular analysis of T-cell receptor (TCR) chain rearrangement has recently become an attractive tool for demonstrating the clonal origin of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and for identifying the malignant clone at the molecular level. Over the past decade a number of attempts have been made to culture malignant CTCL cells using standard procedures and these attempts have resulted in several cell lines from the peripheral blood of Sézary syndrome, mycosis fungoides and CD30+ lymphoma patients. However, so far it has not been proven by sequence analysis that the cultured T cells truly represent the malignant cells. Aiming to functionally analyze the malignant T cells at a clonal level, we generated a total of 150 T-cell clones (TCC) from lesional skin and peripheral blood of three patients with mycosis fungoides and one patient with a CD30+ lymphoma. Cells were grown either in the presence of autologous irradiated peripheral blood feeder cells using various conditions for T-cell stimulation by direct outgrowth or from skin specimens with various cytokine combinations. In order to identify the malignant TCC we used N-region-specific PCR and compared TCR gamma-chain sequences from clones of lesional skin with in vitro-generated TCC. With the methods employed, none of the 150 established cell lines was found to be identical to the malignant TCC which was readily detected in lesional skin. Our results indicate that standard cell culture methods are not suitable for growing low-grade CTCL cells from the skin but give rise only to benign infiltrating T cells.

An infant girl presented at birth with multiple, large nodular xanthogranulomas. Her monozygotic twin sister was not affected. The congenital tumors were up to 1.5 cm in diameter, done-shaped and mainly located on the head and the upper half of the body. Histologically the cells were characterized as CD68+ non-Langerhans histiocytes. Follow-up for 18 months showed no new tumors and regression of the existing ones. No extra-cutaneous manifestations were observed. Knowledge of the differential diagnosis, especially the group of Langerhans cell histiocytosis, is essential for prognosis estimation.

Glomus tumors (glomangiomata) are benign tumors arising from glomus cells. Multiple glomangiomata are less frequent and less painful than the solitary variant, which is usually located subungually. Nonetheless multiple glomangiomata--sometimes being sensitive to pressure and changes in temperature--may cause considerable discomfort. Treatment of multiple glomangiomata is problematic because of the often large number of tumors. Sclerotherapy represents an alternative to surgical and cryosurgical therapy. We report on sclerotherapy in a 35 year old female patient with multiple hereditary glomus tumors.

Six patients suffering from Merkel cell carcinoma of the face are described. A reliable confirmation and differential diagnosis of Merkel cell carcinoma have become possible with the aid of immunohistochemistry. There is a poor prognosis for patients affected by this tumour. Three out of the six cases described died within two years, two of them with distant metastases, one with a widespread local recurrence. Optimal treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma consists in early radical resection, perhaps combined with radiotherapy.

Sialo-odontogenic (glandular-odontogenic) cyst is a new entity in the classification of developmental epithelial odontogenic cysts. Differentiation of this type of odontogenic cysts from dentigerous cysts and keratocysts and also from cystic mucoepidermoid carcinoma is essential. A sialo-odontogenic (glandular-odontogenic) cyst is likely to show aggressive growth, so that complete resection is essential. We demonstrate sialo-odontogenic (glandular-odontogenic) cyst by presenting four new cases and differentiate it from a special type of odontogenic keratocyst and a typical cystic mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

In a retrospective pilot study we compared morphologically the first biopsies of 20 patients suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) where preoperatively performed radiation therapy [gamma rays (cobalt-60)] was successful with 20 patients who underwent the same therapy without the expected success. All specimens were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded. We performed haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry (ABC-method) applying broad spectrum cytokeratin, cytokeratin (CK) 1 + 2, 3 + 6, 13 and anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA, PC10). The specimens of the patients with success of the radiotherapy showed statistically higher levels of PCNA positive tumour cells, measured by a computerised morphometric analysis system (VIDAS). These specimens showed significantly less CK 3-6 positive tumour cells than the specimens of the patients with failure of this therapy. The difference in the content of proliferating cell nuclear antigen might explain the different results of the performed radiation therapy. The difference in cytokeratin 3 + 6 expression might be linked with the different amount of benign hyperproliferation. Prospective studies are planned to prove the results.

Foreign bodies may be endogenous or exogenous and provoke chronic inflammation of the foreign-body type. The reaction provides a mechanism for elimination of the foreign body and the reaction pattern depends on the kind of tissue involved. In soft tissues there is cellular inflammation and fibrous encapsulation with macrophages. In bone, during the healing period, biomechanical factors determine whether a fibrous encapsulation or a bony covering develops demarcating the foreign material. The particular characteristics of the foreign-body reaction in bone explain the success of dental and orthopaedic implants.

By means of a questionnaire, we carried out a catamnestic study of 1419 patients with a complaint of infertility. 27 per cent of the replying patients reported about the birth of children. 343 patients (38%) reported about one or more conceptions. Compared with previous studies, this investigation shows better results of therapies. We interprete this to be caused in better possibilities of therapy, esp. the Kallikrein therapy.

Immunohistochemical analyses using antibodies against the major pituitary hormones, the alpha-subunit of glycoprotein hormones, chromogranin and synaptophysin were performed on 10 adenomas with oncocytic parts (26%-50% oncocytes, Group I), on 9 oncocytic adenomas with 51%-75% oncocytes (Group II), and on 12 oncocytic adenomas with 76%-100% oncocytes (Group III). Only 11 of the 31 investigated adenomas (35%) showed negative immunostaining for all major anterior pituitary hormones. FSH-content could be shown in 16 of 31 adenomas (52%), LH-content in 12 of 31 adenomas (39%), TSH-content in 3 of 31 adenomas (10%). Comparing all three groups of adenomas, there are no differences in the immunoreactivity to alpha-subunit (24 of 31 adenomas, 77%), chromogranin (26 of 31 adenomas, 84%), and of synaptophysin (13 of 31 adenomas, 42%). Considering the high percentage of cells of oncocytes showing alpha-subunit immunoreactivity we regard oncocytomas as originating very often from TSH-gonadotropin cell complexes of the anterior hypophysis. Alpha-subunit might become a reliable marker for oncocytomas. The finding of immunoreactivity to chromogranin in most cases confirms morphological studies that oncocytes contain some secretory granules. In most cases, the studied oncocytomas did not react to synaptophysin showing different results from other adenomas of the anterior hypophysis.

A marker for T-lymphocytes (UCHL 1) was immunohistologically found in many folliculo-stellate cells of the normal human anterior pituitary. Another antibody for T-lymphocytes (MT 1) and a marker for B-cells were negative. The results must be critically discussed.