Investigations of liver function and histology were undertaken in thirty four patients with Fibrocalculous Pancreatic Diabetes (FCPD). The data obtained were compared with those of similarly aged members of a diabetic control group comprising twelve patients with Protein Deficient Diabetes Mellitus (PDDM), twelve with Type 1 diabetes or Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM) and four young patients with Type 2 Diabetes of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM). None of them had apparent past or present liver disease. Elevations of serum ALT (SGPT) and alkaline phosphatase levels were fairly common and was often associated with mild fatty changes and occasionally with focal necrosis and inflammatory changes. Cirrhosis and inflammatory changes per se were infrequent and fatty changes per se did not occur. In contrast patients belonging to the other diabetic subsets were very occasionally afflicted with hepatic abnormalities or not afflicted at all. We propose that loss of hepatotrophic actions mediated by insulin and glucagon could initiate and/or enhance hepatic abnormalities in FCPD where deficiencies of insulin and glucagon coexist.

Acute encephalitis caused by Toxoplasma gondi was diagnosed at autopsy in 10 (20.4%) of the 49 patients. All patients had under lying immunodeficiency due to AIDS and showed selective involvement of central nervous system at autopsy. Sexual promiscuity was the risk factor in nine cases while one case had a history of blood transfusion. Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was hampered by a lack of suspicion that Toxoplasma could be the agent causing necrotising encephalitis. The large number of cases of CNS toxoplasmosis appearing in AIDs patients emphasize the necessity of including toxoplasmosis in the differential diagnosis of encephalitis of unknown aetiology.

Mast cells were counted in 50 axillary lymphnodes draining breast carcinoma and 50 other lymphnodes from various sites with different histological lesions. All the lymphnodes, except those with tuberculous lymphadenitis were associated with increase in the number of mast cells. Highest number of mast cells (mean 172.80/mm2) were found in filarial lymphadenitis and lowest in tuberculous lymphadenitis (mean 8.87/mm2). In the axillary lymphnodes draining breast carcinoma, higher mast cell count was observed in reactive nodes. As these lymphnodes showed micro-metastasis the mast cells gradually decreased in number, and with extensive metastasis only few mast cells were seen. On comparison, the reactive lymphnodes draining breast carcinoma and other reactive nodes, the latter were associated with more mast cells.

Wet mounting is the simplest and easiest technique for the examination of faeces. Routinely employed wet mounts in most of the laboratories include saline, iodine and buffered methylene blue. Lactophenol cotton blue [LCB] staining--mounting medium is commonly used for microscopic identification of fungi. LCB and its modifications were tested as staining mounting medium on parasite positive faecal samples [both fresh as well as formalin fixed] to stain and demonstrate morphology and to preserve parasitic elements [trophozoites, cysts, ova and larvae] in wet mounts. Protozoal cysts [Entamoeba histolytica and Giardia lamblia], helminthic OVA [Ancylostoma duodenale, Ascaris lumbricoides, Enterobius vermicularis, Taenia solium and Hymenolepis nana] and larvae [Strongyloides stercoralis] were well-stained and preserved their morphology in nailpolish enamel sealed LCB-faecal mounts. Morphology was better appreciated in LCB-formalin fixed faecal mounts as compared to LCB fresh faecal mounts and was well preserved by the end of twelve weeks.

A retrospective immunohistochemical study of 33 cases of primary thyroid carcinomas and 5 cases of metastases to thyroid was carried out. The immunostaining for thyroglobulin and calcitonin was done by peroxidase-anti-peroxidase (PAP) technique. The optimum staining results were obtained by proper standardisation of the staining procedure and reagents. The sections were systematically evaluated for immunostaining intensity and distribution. The observations revealed that thyroglobulin and calcitonin could be useful as sensitive and specific histogenetic markers for follicular and parafollicular cell derived thyroid carcinomas respectively. However, there was no absolute correlation between thyroglobulin positivity and grade of differentiation. The immunostaining could not differentiate follicular adenoma from follicular carcinoma. More extensive study using other markers may be useful for better patient management.

Secondary amyloidosis as a complication of Hodgkin's disease has been described as being unusual to rare in occurrence. We report a case in which the clinical picture was that of a renal failure, etiology of which could not be determined but which proved to be amyloidosis secondary to clinically unrecognised Hodgkin's disease.