RESUMEN
The most common sites of metastasis from urothelial carcinoma of the bladder include the lymph nodes, bones, lungs, liver, and peritoneum. Bladder carcinoma metastases of the head are uncommon. In the English literature, only a few cases of bladder carcinoma metastasis to the skull base have been reported, and no cases of metastasis to the calvaria have been reported previously. We present the first case of calvarial metastasis from bladder carcinoma that preceded the diagnosis of the primary tumor. Bladder calvarial metastasis as the first evidence of a primary tumor is a rare event and a sign of an advanced stage of the disease. Therefore, adequate staging is essential to ensure appropriate treatment. Surgical treatment of calvarial injuries is usually secure.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of HIV-related central nervous system (CNS) lesions (HIV-encephalitis and/or HIV-leukoencephalopathy: HIV-E/L) with and without concomitant opportunistic diseases in a large autopsy series, and to correlate it with the changes in antiretroviral treatment that have occurred since the beginning of the epidemic. METHODS: We reviewed 1597 consecutive autopsies of HIV-positive patients performed between 1984 and 2000, and divided into four time periods on the basis of the therapeutic regimens available: 1984-1987, no therapy; 1988-1994, monotherapy (zidovudine); 1995-1996, dual combination therapy with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI); and 1997-2000, triple combination therapy including two NRTI and at least one protease inhibitor or non-NRTI. The data concerning the treatment actually received were collected only for the patients who died during the last period. The chi -test was used to assess the significance of the differences in prevalence. RESULTS: The CNS of 1210 patients (76%) was affected by opportunistic diseases, HIV-related lesions or both. The prevalence of HIV-related lesions in the four periods was respectively 54%, 32%, 18% and 15%; this reduction was statistically significant (P < 0.000001). During the last period, however, differences in HIV-E/L between treated and untreated patients were not statistically significant, although there were fewer than expected cases among the treated patients (six instead of eight) and more than expected among the untreated patients (10 instead of eight). CONCLUSIONS: These neuropathological data from a large autopsy series confirm clinical observations concerning the efficacy of antiretroviral treatment in reducing the frequency of HIV-related CNS lesions in AIDS patients.
Asunto(s)
Complejo SIDA Demencia/patología , Infecciones Oportunistas Relacionadas con el SIDA/patología , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/patología , Complejo SIDA Demencia/virología , Infecciones Oportunistas Relacionadas con el SIDA/complicaciones , Infecciones Oportunistas Relacionadas con el SIDA/virología , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/tratamiento farmacológico , Fármacos Anti-VIH/uso terapéutico , Terapia Antirretroviral Altamente Activa , Autopsia , Causas de Muerte , Sistema Nervioso Central/virología , Humanos , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
We report a case of disseminated microsporidiosis in an Italian woman with AIDS. This study was done retrospectively using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens obtained at autopsy. Microsporidia spores were found in the necrotic lesions of the liver, kidney, and adrenal gland and in ovary, brain, heart, spleen, lung, and lymph nodes. The infecting agent was identified as belonging to the genus Encephalitozoon based on transmission electron microscopy and indirect immunofluorescence. Additional molecular studies, including sequence of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, identified the agent as E. cuniculi, Genotype III. We believe that this is the first report of a human case of disseminated microsporidial infection involving the ovary.