Lost Smell and Taste Hint COVID-19 Can Target the Nervous System

Matthew Anderson, MD, PhD

Dr. Matt Anderson, chief of neuropathology at Beth Israel in Boston, forwarded me a recent article from The Scientist. The article describes the experience of Alessandro Laurenzi, a biologist working in Bologna, Italy, regarding the proposition that COVID-19 infected patients can have transient loss of the sense of smell. Olfactory sensory loss may play a role in early diagnosis, but it may also help in understanding pathogensis.

Dr. Anderson is quoted in the article, stating that central nervous system involvement by the virus may play a part in the respiratory symptomatology.

George Perry, former AANP president, granted meritorious award by the American Society for Investigative Pathology

George Perry, PhD

It was recently announced that Dr. George Perry has been given the Rous-Whipple Award by the American Society for Investigative Pathology.  According to the ASIP website, the Rous-Whipple Award "is presented to a senior scientist with a distinguished career in research who has advanced the understanding of disease and has continued productivity at the time of the award."

Congratulations, Dr. Perry. And thanks to Dr. Charles White for sharing this news.

David Solomon and Gregory Fuller garner prestigious awards at USCAP annual meeting

David Solomon, MD, PhD

Dr. David A. Solomon, assistant professor at UCSF, has been awarded the Ramzi S. Cotran Young Investigator Award at the recent annual meeting of the United States & Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) for his work on diciphering the molecular pathogenesis of various brain neoplasms.

Also at this year's USCAP meeting, Gregory N. Fuller, MD, PhD was awarded the Harvey Goldman Teaching Award. Among his many contributions to pathology education is authoring the CNS chapter of the latest edition of the textbook Histology for Pathologists (2019).

Best Post of October 2019: Cytoplasmic Bodies in a Muscle Biopsy

The next in our "Best of the Month" series comes from October 7, 2019:

The inimitable Dr. Christian Davidson, formerly of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers and now at the University of Utah, sent in pictures of cytoplasmic bodies in a muscle biopsy from a patient with severe myositis. Thank you, Dr. Davidson!

Trichrome

Electron Microscopy