plicated in pneumoconiosis, the incidence and severity are less than with inhalation of uncombined silica, with the exception perhaps of asbestos minerals.4,7 It ...
CASE REPORTS
Vol. 72 . No. 5
inhalational fibrogenic diseases as they arise in pulmonary, industrial, and forensic medicine.6 We presume the silica identified by light microscopy in our patient's lungs to be present as silicates, as suggested in the patient's history: i.e., he had worked with clay products for more than 30 years. The energydispersive x-ray analysis findings are strongly supportive of this. The silicon and aluminum identified are constituents of clay, which is a hydrous silicate of aluminum, AlaCVSiCVZH^O.7 The presence of potassium in the crystals may indicate that some might be feldspar, a potassium aluminum silicate, K 2 0A1 2 0 3 6Si02, which is closely related to clay.7 Although silicates of various types have been implicated in pneumoconiosis, the incidence and severity are less than with inhalation of uncombined silica, with the exception perhaps of asbestos minerals.4,7 It is assumed, moreover, that the pulmonary fibrosis in cases of silicatosis is predominantly due to free silica that contaminates the silicates,1,716 e.g., feldspar contains nearly 20% quartz.7 Pneumoconiosis due to clay has been most extensively seen in the various branches of the pottery industry,1 and fatal cases have been reported.15 References 1. Ahlmark A, Bruce T, Nystrom A: Silicosis and Other Pneumoconioses in Sweden. Stockholm, Svenska Bokforlaget, 1960, pp 246-283 2. Ballard GL, Boyd WR: A specially designed cutting
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8
10 11 12 13
875
aspiration needle for lung biopsy. Am J Roentgenol 130: 899-903, 1978 Dahlgren S, Nordenstrom B: Transthoracic Needle Biopsy. Chicago, Year Book Medical Publishers, 1966 Dreesen WC: Effects of certain silicate dusts on the lungs. J Industr Hyg 15:66-78, 1933 Fontana RS, Miller WE, Beabout JW, et al: Transthoracic needle aspiration of discrete pulmonary lesions: Experience in 100 cases. Med Clin North Am 54:961-971, 1970 Funahashi A, Siegesmund KA, Dragen RF, et al: Energy dispersive X-ray analysis in the study of pneumoconiosis. Br J Ind Med 34:95-101, 1977 Hamilton A, Hardy HL: Industrial Toxicology. Third edition. Acton, Mass., Publishing Sciences Group, Inc., 1974, pp421455 House AJS, Thomson KR: Evaluation of a new transthoracic needle for biopsy of benign and malignant lung lesions. Am J. Roentgenol 129:215-220, 1977 Kleinerman J: Industrial pulmonary disease: Silicosis, asbestosis, and talc pneumoconiosis, Textbook of Pulmonary Diseases. Second edition. Edited by GL Baum. Boston, Little, Brown, 1974, pp 489-507 Lalli AF, McCormack LJ, Zelch M, et al: Aspiration biopsies of chest lesions. Radiology 127:35-40, 1978 Lauby VW, Burnett WE, Rosemond GP, et al: Value and risk of biopsy of pulmonary lesions by needle aspiration. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 49:159-172, 1965 Nordenstrom B: New instruments for biopsy. Radiology 117: 474-475, 1975 Sargent EN, Turner AT7, Gordonson J, et al: Percutaneous pulmonary needle biopsy. Am J Roentgenol 122;758-768, 1974 Smith WG: Needle biopsy of the lung. Thorax 19:68-78, 1964 Spencer H: Pathology of the Lung. New York, Macmillan, 1962, pp 345-346 Ziskind M, Jones RN, Weill H: Silicosis. Am Rev Resp Dis 113:643-665, 1976
Ultrastructure of Myofibroblasts and Decidualized Cells in Leiomyomatosis Peritonealis Disseminata PETER C. PIESLOR, M.D., JAN MARC ORENSTEIN, M.D., DANIEL L HOGAN, B.S., AND ALEXANDER BRESLOW, M.D.
Pieslor, Peter, Orenstein, Jan Marc, Hogan, Daniel L., and Breslow, Alexander: Ultrastructure of myofibroblasts and decidualized cells in leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata. Am J Clin Pathol 72: 875-882, 1979. A case of leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata studied by light and transmission electron microscopy is reported. The lesion, from a pregnant woman, was found to contain predominantly myofibroblasts and decidualized cells in a rich collagen stroma, while relaReceived August 28, 1978; received revised manuscript and accepted for publication November 24, 1978. Address reprint requests to Dr. Orenstein: Department of Pathology, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D. C. 20037.
Department of Pathology, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D. C.
tively few leiomyocytes and fibroblasts were observed. The development and fate of this entity are discussed in view of the present findings and those previously reported. (Key words: Leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata; Disseminated fibrosing deciduosis; Decidual cells; Myofibroblasts.) IN 1965, Taubert described a rare entity that he called leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata. 9 Since
0002-9173/79/1100/0875 $00.90 © American Society of Clinical Pathologists
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