American journal of clinical pathology
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Jun 2009
ReviewThe global fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria: current status and future perspectives.
HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria are 3 major global public health threats and cause substantial morbidity, mortality, negative socioeconomic impact, and human suffering. Despite the significant increase in financial support and recent progress in addressing these 3 diseases, important obstacles and unmet priorities remain. ⋯ Health system strengthening should be addressed in an integrated approach that includes HIV-, tuberculosis-, and malaria-specific interventions. Investment in strategic information and public health laboratory network capacity strengthening are key actions to expand services to successfully address those diseases in heavily impacted countries.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Feb 2008
ReviewTransfusion-related acute lung injury: past, present, and future.
Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema caused by transfusion has been observed for almost 60 years. Today, we know this entity as transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). TRALI is an uncommon but potentially fatal adverse reaction to transfusion of plasma-containing blood components. ⋯ Without a "gold standard," the diagnosis of TRALI relies on a high index of suspicion and on excluding other types of transfusion reactions. Although current definitions of TRALI depend on symptoms, laboratory parameters can aid in the diagnosis and frequently identify the causative donor unit. As our understanding of TRALI deepens, risk reduction or prevention may become possible.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Jun 2006
Review Comparative StudyManagement issues in breast lesions diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration and percutaneous core breast biopsy.
The use offine-needle aspiration biopsy or percutaneous core needle biopsy to diagnose breast lesions has increased during the past few decades. Although the benefits of these procedures are well known, controversies remain about the management of certain categories of breast lesions detected by these methods. This article discusses the management issues in categories of breast lesions, including papillary lesions, atypical lobular hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ, and mucinous lesions diagnosed by the preoperative techniques of aspiration or core biopsy.
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Am. J. Clin. Pathol. · Jun 2005
ReviewCurrent concepts in the classification of interstitial lung disease.
The diagnosis and classification of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias continue to be problematic areas for pathologists. The recently proposed American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society International Multidisciplinary Consensus Classification of the Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias defines specific clinical, radiologic, and pathologic criteria for each of the pulmonary disorders that encompass the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. In this review, the highlights of this classification are presented, along with recommended guidelines for handling lung biopsy specimens and diagnosing interstitial lung diseases.
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Child abuse is a problem that is frequently underdiagnosed. Recognition that underdiagnosis of abuse exists has produced a high zeal for identifying cases of child abuse, which has inevitably produced cases of overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis of child abuse is as catastrophic as underdiagnosis. ⋯ Many children and adults have coagulation or vascular disorders that predispose them to bruise or bleed excessively with minor trauma. It is very easy for a health care worker to presume that bruising and bleeding is associated with trauma, because the coagulopathies that may explain the findings are often poorly understood. The clinical cases reviewed in this article show the need for an extremely thorough analysis for an underlying bleeding disorder in the bruised or bleeding child being evaluated as a possible victim of child abuse.