Results Of Lymph Node Biopsy Research Articles

Results of initial lymph node biopsy in homosexual men with generalized lymphadenopathy.

Persistent, generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL) is considered part of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related complex. The clinical course is usually benign, although some patients may evolve to AIDS. Characteristic features on lymph node biopsy have been described. Recently, large series of PGL have been reported in which many study patients have not undergone initial diagnostic biopsy. The value of such biopsy has been questioned. We report the clinical, pathologic, and laboratory findings in six homosexual men initially considered as potential candidates for study of the natural history of PGL. They were excluded by initial lymph node biopsy, which revealed small-cleaved lymphoma in two, focal Kaposi's sarcoma in two, disseminated mycobacterium tuberculosis in one, and histoplasma encapsulatum in one. The clinical and laboratory data from these six patients were compared with those from 34 patients with biopsy-proven PGL; no statistically significant difference in any prebiopsy clinical parameter was found. We conclude that initial lymph node biopsy may reveal changes other than reactive hyperplasia in homosexual men with generalized lymphadenopathy.

The role of megavoltage radiation therapy in the treatment of prostatic carcinoma.

INCE Pasteau’ described the first radiotheraS peutic approach to the management of carcinoma of the prostate using an intraurethral radium source, others have used intracavitary, interstitial, and external irradiation either alone or in combinations to treat this common neoplasm. 2-9 In a recent review article,” Ray and Bagshaw present a comprehensive survey of the current literature on the radiation therapy of prostate cancer and update the results of the irradiation of prostate cancer at Stanford, Calif. In this article we briefly review the results of the irradiation of prostate cancer at this institution and present preliminary observations on the influence of the results of lymph node biopsies, as part of an on-going prospective randomized trial of extended-field irradiation, on the current philosophy of treatment of this neoplasm. External beam therapy with kilovoltage (200300 kV) radiation was compromised by its poor quality. The maximum deposition of energy of the kilovoltage x-rays was within the epidermis, which prohibited delivery of a tumoricidal dose to the prostate tumor without unacceptable damage to the skin. In addition, excessive scattering of the low energy radiation led to injury of the normal tissues surrounding the prostate gland. These shortcomings of kilovoltage x-rays have been circumvented with the introduction of megavoltage (> 1 MeV) radiation therapy units which have allowed the delivery of a tumoricidal dose to the prostate without excessive damage to the skin or other normal tissues. Thus the use of external beam ionizing radiation in the definitive treatment of adenocarcinoma of the prostate has greatly increased during the past decade.

A comparison of the results of mediastinal lymph node biopsy and of simultaneous Kveim tests in patients with sarcoidosis

A comparison of the results of mediastinal lymph node biopsy and of simultaneous Kveim tests in patients with sarcoidosis