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A combination of cystosarcoma phylloides and ductal carcinoma in the breast of a 47-year old woman is reported. Only few cases of this simultaneous tumour formation is described in the literature. Therapy, prognosis and follow-up are discussed. Current standard therapy is ablatio mammae, modified according to Patey, with axillary lymphnode dissection. Decision in respect of chemotherapy depends on the results of staging. Follow-up control of the patients for early detection and therapy of metastasis is recommended. The reported case underlines, that histological examination of every breast node is indicated, even if there is no sign of malignancy.

A 56-year-old woman was hospitalized because of jaundice, vomiting, and weight loss. Diagnostic measures were almost all negative except for computer tomography of the abdomen, which revealed a cyst in the pancreas. During performance of a diagnostic laparotomy the patient suddenly died, presenting with cyanosis and untreatable circulatory failure with a markedly elevated central venous pressure. Autopsy revealed pulmonary tumor-cell embolization. This rare cause of sudden death is characterized by the discrepancy between the clinical picture and the virtually negative preoperative diagnostic results. We present this case report as a reminder of this clinical entity and recommend an autopsy in every case of unexpected death under anesthesia.

In three cases prostate biopsies revealed structures which showed the histological characteristics of so called glomera (chemodectomas), one within the prostatic tissue, the others in the area of the capsule. Clinicians and pathologists to avoid misinterpretation have to be aware of the fact that this wellknown structure can occur in biopsy material.

In a 69-year-old male patient a leftsided renal tumor was found. The patient who initially refused an operation, was treated surgically 3 1/2 years later, when loss of strength and weight as well as pain in the upper abdomen were noted. The tumorweight was 920 g and represented histologically, besides a oncocytic adenoma, a fibrous sarcoma. Both tumors were intermingled. We assume that the malignant growth originated in degenerated areas of the benign adenoma.

In 100 postmortem examination on adults whose age at the time of death had been between 21 and 85 years, an only partially obliterated processus vaginalis or Nuck's diverticulum was seen in 29 cases. Whereas in women the peritoneal bulges often represented only pointers to a patent diverticulum, never being longer than 1 cm, in every fourth man there was a unilateral or bilateral processus longer than 2 cm and wider than 0.5 cm. However, none of the p.m. examined adults had been suffering from inguinal hernia during lifetime. The results point to the possible conclusion that persistence of a processus vaginalis without development of hernia is by no means unusual--in fact, it is even normal. Since the alleged pathogenicity of the patent processus supplies the basis for applying herniography and contralateral exploration, we must doubt whether this procedure is justified. In addition, it must be borne in mind that both x-ray diagnosis and surgery of processus vaginalis can be associated with risks, such as excessive radioexposure of the gonads and atrophy of the testes as a result of lesions of the spermatic cord system. Even if these risks are kept at a minimum, the following reasons can be advanced against the x-ray method and hence also routine bilateral herniotomy: 1. the processus vaginalis is already obliterated; herniography and surgery would be unnecessary; 2. a patent processus vaginalis can be obliterated on its own even after x-ray demonstration; 3. a patent processus is not a hernial sac and will not necessarily result in subsequent inguinal hernia.