- Email: [email protected]
A Simple Device for Transporting Small Pathologic Specimens
692
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
than one occasion, increasing their expo sure. In one study, the incidence of acute leukemia in patients with polycythemia vera treated with 3 2 P was 11%, whereas the incidence of acute leukemia in the nonradiation treated group was less than 1%. The increased incidence of acute leukemia after 3 2 P appeared to be dose dependent. 2 Information can be obtained concerning acute changes of hématologie factors and later development of acute leukemia in eye patients with and without 32 P uptake testing. I should be happy to learn the results of a search for these systemic changes. D O U G L A S E. G A A S T E R L A N D ,
Bethesda,
M.D.
Maryland
REFERENCES 1. Radiation Protection, ICRP publication 17, Protection of the Patient in Radionuclide Investiga tions. A report prepared for the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Oxford, Pergamon Press, adopted, September, 1969, ppr. 6465. 2. Modan, B., and Lilienfeld, A. M.: Polycythe mia vera and leukemia—the role of radiation treat ment. Medicine 44:305, 1965.
A Simple Device for Transporting Small Pathologic Specimens Editor: Recently we devised a leak-proof con tainer for transporting small tissue speci mens from the office to the pathology laboratory. A bottle that previously con tained a soft contact lens is cleansed of its original saline solution, a small amount of formalin is placed in the glass container, and the specimen is placed in the solu tion. The reapplied rubber cap and metal sealer secure the specimen and liquid in a leak-proof container. Using a Styrofoam mailing case further protects the contain er. Since many ophthalmologists fit soft contact lenses or have them available there is a constant supply of used contain ers available for transport. We have had
MAY, 1976
no untoward experience by using this technique. A R T H U R A. G O L D ,
M.D.
W I L L I A M H. BOOCKVAR, Ms.
M.D.
BUNNY SCHNEIDER
Hewlett, New York Spelling of Ophthalmology by Nonophthalmic Physicians Editor: Our fellow physicians and the lay pub lic are indefatigable in creating new spellings of ophthalmology. Ophthalmol ogy with 13 letters is the third longest single word describing a major specialty within medicine and surgery, following anesthesiology and otolaryngology. The misspelling of ophthalmology is a com mon annoyance to the eye physician. I undertook a study to determine the fre quency of misspelling of ophthalmology by nonophthalmic physicians. A tabulation form was sent to 40 uni versity and public hospitals having oph thalmology residencies. Residents seeing patients in consultation recorded 20 con secutive spellings of ophthalmology on consultation requests filled out by physi cians. Veterans administration hospitals were not included because in many of these consult requests are filled out by clerks. Spellings that were illegible, abTABLE SPELLINGS OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
No.
%
Opthalmology Opthamology Ophthamology Opthomology Ophthomology Optholmology Other spellings Total
43 22 12 5 3 3 9 97
26.4 13.5 7.4 3.1 1.8 1.8 5.5 59.5
Ophthalmology
66
40.5
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
than one occasion, increasing their expo sure. In one study, the incidence of acute leukemia in patients with polycythemia vera treated with 3 2 P was 11%, whereas the incidence of acute leukemia in the nonradiation treated group was less than 1%. The increased incidence of acute leukemia after 3 2 P appeared to be dose dependent. 2 Information can be obtained concerning acute changes of hématologie factors and later development of acute leukemia in eye patients with and without 32 P uptake testing. I should be happy to learn the results of a search for these systemic changes. D O U G L A S E. G A A S T E R L A N D ,
Bethesda,
M.D.
Maryland
REFERENCES 1. Radiation Protection, ICRP publication 17, Protection of the Patient in Radionuclide Investiga tions. A report prepared for the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Oxford, Pergamon Press, adopted, September, 1969, ppr. 6465. 2. Modan, B., and Lilienfeld, A. M.: Polycythe mia vera and leukemia—the role of radiation treat ment. Medicine 44:305, 1965.
A Simple Device for Transporting Small Pathologic Specimens Editor: Recently we devised a leak-proof con tainer for transporting small tissue speci mens from the office to the pathology laboratory. A bottle that previously con tained a soft contact lens is cleansed of its original saline solution, a small amount of formalin is placed in the glass container, and the specimen is placed in the solu tion. The reapplied rubber cap and metal sealer secure the specimen and liquid in a leak-proof container. Using a Styrofoam mailing case further protects the contain er. Since many ophthalmologists fit soft contact lenses or have them available there is a constant supply of used contain ers available for transport. We have had
MAY, 1976
no untoward experience by using this technique. A R T H U R A. G O L D ,
M.D.
W I L L I A M H. BOOCKVAR, Ms.
M.D.
BUNNY SCHNEIDER
Hewlett, New York Spelling of Ophthalmology by Nonophthalmic Physicians Editor: Our fellow physicians and the lay pub lic are indefatigable in creating new spellings of ophthalmology. Ophthalmol ogy with 13 letters is the third longest single word describing a major specialty within medicine and surgery, following anesthesiology and otolaryngology. The misspelling of ophthalmology is a com mon annoyance to the eye physician. I undertook a study to determine the fre quency of misspelling of ophthalmology by nonophthalmic physicians. A tabulation form was sent to 40 uni versity and public hospitals having oph thalmology residencies. Residents seeing patients in consultation recorded 20 con secutive spellings of ophthalmology on consultation requests filled out by physi cians. Veterans administration hospitals were not included because in many of these consult requests are filled out by clerks. Spellings that were illegible, abTABLE SPELLINGS OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
No.
%
Opthalmology Opthamology Ophthamology Opthomology Ophthomology Optholmology Other spellings Total
43 22 12 5 3 3 9 97
26.4 13.5 7.4 3.1 1.8 1.8 5.5 59.5
Ophthalmology
66
40.5