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18 cases of metastases to the jaws in the last 10 years obtained from the Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery and the Department of Pathology, University Hospital Zürich, are described. They were seen in patients with carcinoma of the breast, lung, prostate gland, uterus and seminoma of the testis. In 16 cases the metastases were situated in the mandible, in 2 cases in the maxilla. The average age of these patients was 61.6 years with no sex predilection. The initial symptoms were pain swelling. In 4 cases a pathologic fracture was diagnosed. The majority of the metastatic lesions are osteolytic in nature. The metastases were diagnosed, in average 3.3 years after diagnoses of the preliminary tumor. In 2 cases the metastases were diagnosed before the occult primary tumor. Death usually ensues 1 year after diagnoses.

Biologic behavior of glomus temporale tumors in relation to cranial nerve infiltration remains unclear. An analysis of cranial nerve involvement in relation to tumor staging was undertaken in a series of 102 glomus temporale tumors. Frequent neural infiltration was noted to occur in large glomus tumors, and a grading system of infiltration with both pathologic and surgical relevance introduced.

Tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA) has been increasingly used as an immunological marker for tumors derived from the lining epithelia of body cavities, including those of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary and bronchopulmonary systems. Here, we present evidence that this antigen is consistently and strongly expressed by a nonepithelial lesion — the chordoma. Irrespective of their sites, all seven chordomas, including one chondroid lesion, were heavily stained. In contrast, five chondro-sarcomas were unstained or showed only focal slight positivity. TPA staining was also found to be strongly expressed by notochordal rests within the intervertebral disks of one newborn and five fetuses (15th to 32nd week of gestation), adding further evidence that these rests are the histogenetic origin of the chordoma.

In 39 denture-wearing patients in whom anterior maxillary flabby ridge tissue (prosthesis fibroma) was excised, 15.4% contained cartilaginous nodules within this tissue. The chondrometaplasia may arise due to mechanical irritation activating pluripotential mesenchymal cells; but the possibility that the cartilaginous nodules represent remnant embryologic tissue cannot be excluded.

We report two new cases of rare idiopathic nodular calcinosis of the scrotum, which is characterized by intracutaneous chalky deposits restricted to the scrotum in otherwise healthy young men. Diagnosis has to be made histologically. Therapy consists of local excision.

Five cases of intramural venous leiomyosarcomas are described. Only one was localized in the inferior vena cava, the classic site; the other four cases were situated in smaller veins, namely, the short and long saphenous veins, the external jugular vein, and a superficial vein at the back of the hand. Light and, in two cases, electron microscopy, as well as immunohistochemical examinations for factor VIII, helped to establish the diagnosis. The fate of these cases indicates that size and localization are the main determining factors of outcome, whereas the level of mitotic activity is informative only if it is high. Small tumors in superficial veins that are detected early may have an excellent prognosis, even after limited removal of the tumor.

The clinical features, macroscopic and radiologic findings and typical histologic alterations in three cases of fibrous dysplasia of ribs are described. In one case the lesion presented as a tumor-like growth of a size unprecedented in previously reported cases. In differentiating this condition from ossifying fibroma, the pattern of distribution of newly formed bone to fibrous connective tissue is shown to be a valuable criterion. In fibrous dysplasia this ratio is constant for any given area, but varies considerably in ossifying fibroma.

A case of eosinophilic granuloma of the mandibular condyle in a 38-year-old woman is reported. Clinically, the lesion presented as a malignant process with pathological fracture. The problems related to radiographic and histological diagnosis are discussed.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare disease characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms, peripheral eosinophilia and massive infiltration of segments of the gastrointestinal tract by eosinophils. A case of this disease in a 25-year-old patient with symptoms of slight dysphagia and isolated esophageal involvement is described. Improvement of the symptoms, but not of the histological abnormalities, was obtained by steroids combined with withdrawal of the food components probably responsible for the symptoms.

In Great Britain and other countries there have been reports of an increased frequency of adenocarcinoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses, mimicking histologically mucinous colonic carcinoma, among workers exposed to wood dust and workers in the leather industry. No such cases have been reported so far in Switzerland. 31 patients with this type of adenocarcinoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses observed between 1953 and 1984 have been reviewed. In 13 of these patients there was occupational exposure to wood dust, and 4 were shoemakers. The study suggests an association of this type of nasal carcinoma with occupational exposure to wood dust and leatherwork. The nature of the postulated carcinogen is unknown. The authors propose further investigations to define the magnitude of the cancer risk associated with exposure to wood dust and leather.