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<DIV><SPAN class=218520912-31102003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Carbon
is neither refractile nor birefringent.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=218520912-31102003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Nothing becomes refractile simply by looking at it through crossed
polarizers. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=218520912-31102003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>To
appreciate refractility (better) you need to either close the sub-stage
diaphragm or lower the condenser.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=218520912-31102003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=218520912-31102003><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>BTW,
asbestos fibres may be birefringent, but they are so small when dispersed in
lung, that this is no way of detection, because they are simply too small to see
with a light microscope, by any means. The asbestos bodies are of course,
haemosiderin encrustations.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<P><FONT size=2>Dr Terry L Marshall, B.A.(Law),
M.B.,Ch.B.,F.R.C.Path<BR> Consultant Pathologist<BR> Rotherham General
Hospital<BR> South
Yorkshire<BR> England<BR>
terry.marshall@rothgen.nhs.uk</FONT> </P>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Kathy.Johnston@CLS.ab.ca
[mailto:Kathy.Johnston@CLS.ab.ca]<BR><B>Sent:</B> 30 October 2003
21:03<BR><B>To:</B> histonet@pathology.swmed.edu<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE:
[Histonet] Black pigment on Bronch Lavages<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV id=0></DIV><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS"><SPAN class=977224720-30102003>As our pathologist
was explaining his problem to me while we looked at the slide in particular
under his microscope, he said that Carbon was not the item in question as it
does not become refractile when he polarizes/darkfield his microscope (to be
honest he was whizzing objectives and filters so fast I could barely
follow him!). I know carbon is very common in lung, but to my eye as
well, it is too fine and regular to resemble the stuff I usually
see. </SPAN><BR><BR></FONT></FONT></FONT><SPAN id=hbblock>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> thehud@ldd.net
[mailto:thehud@ldd.net]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, October 29, 2003 3:31
PM<BR><B>To:</B> Kathy.Johnston@CLS.ab.ca<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Histonet]
Black pigment on Bronch Lavages<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>dear kathy, how have you ruled out carbon, as this is so common. peter h.
dohan, md<BR><BR><BR>-----Original Message----- <BR>From:
Kathy.Johnston@CLS.ab.ca <BR>Sent: Oct 29, 2003 1:30 PM <BR>To:
histonet@pathology.swmed.edu <BR>Subject: [Histonet] Black pigment on Bronch
Lavages <BR><BR><XHTML><XHEAD><XMETA CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"
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<DIV id=0></DIV><BR><BR><SPAN id=hbblock><LABEL id=HbSession
SessionId="2361617339"></LABEL>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=273502121-29102003>One of our pathologists and
myself have been trying to identify some black intracellular pigmentation
in a bronch lavage. We have ruled out carbon, and bleaching the section
did not work, therefore is not melanin. It is a very fine dark black
pigment and appears quite uniform in shape and size. Our pathologist is
thinking that it is lead (the patient is a long time professional painter),
but lead stains are negative. My other thought is aluminum deposits but
have not yet stained for this.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=273502121-29102003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=273502121-29102003>I am hoping someone on the
"Net" may have some idea of what this may be, and if there is a method
for demonstrating it.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=273502121-29102003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=273502121-29102003>Thanks very much in
advance!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=273502121-29102003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><SPAN class=273502121-29102003>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>Kathy
Johnston</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>Tech II - Special
Stains</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>Anatomic Pathology -
FMC</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>Calgary Laboratory
Services</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>1403-29 Street
NW</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>Calgary AB,
Canada</FONT><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1> T2N
2T9</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>403-944-4760</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1>403-290-4093
fax</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#0000ff size=1><A
href="mailto:kathy.johnston@cls.ab.ca">kathy.johnston@cls.ab.ca</A></FONT></DIV></SPAN></FONT></DIV></SPAN>
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