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.
-----Original Message----- From: thehud@ldd.net
[mailto:thehud@ldd.net] Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2003 3:31
PM To: Kathy.Johnston@CLS.ab.ca Subject: Re: [Histonet]
Black pigment on Bronch Lavages
dear kathy, how have you ruled out carbon, as this is so common. peter h.
dohan, md
-----Original Message----- From:
Kathy.Johnston@CLS.ab.ca Sent: Oct 29, 2003 1:30 PM To:
histonet@pathology.swmed.edu Subject: [Histonet] Black pigment on Bronch
Lavages
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.
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.