Pattern recognition and cytologic features remain essential diagnostic tools in pathology. Viral cytopathic effect may be the first clue to a diagnosis of a viral infection. This paper aims to provide a brief illustrated summary of the histopathologic changes caused by commonly encountered and rare viruses. The list of viruses discussed with characteristic viral inclusions or distinctive cytopathic effect includes cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, herpes virus (herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus), human papillomavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, parvovirus, poxvirus (molluscum contagiosum virus), and polyoma virus (JC virus and BK virus). Also reviewed are the characteristic histologic and cytopathic changes for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Paramyxoviruses (human parainfluenza virus and measles virus), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and hepatitis B virus.

Vocal cords receive nerve supply from recurrent laryngeal nerve which is a branch of the vagus nerve. Cerebral motor cortex projects corticobulbar tracts to the motor nucleus (nucleus ambiguous) of the vagus found in medulla. Vagus nerve leaves the skull through jugular foramen and travels through the carotid sheath. The left vagus gives rise to left recurrent laryngeal nerve at the aortic arch, whereas the right vagus gives rise to right recurrent laryngeal nerve at the subclavian artery. Any disruption of this pathway by any entity will cause unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Strokes that affect the motor cortex do not cause unilateral vocal cord paralysis since vagus nerve nucleus receives corticobulbar tract from both sides of the brain. We present an unusual case of bilateral vocal cord paralysis caused by unilateral right insular stroke which is not related to this pathway.

Gaucher disease (GD) is the most prevalent lysosomal storage disease resulting in accumulation of glucoceramide in lysosomes of the reticuloendothelial system. There are three clinical types of GD; the most common of which is type 1. The clinical spectrum is variable with patients developing anemia, evidence of hypersplenism and pathological fractures that are due to bone involvement, nevertheless, many have a normal life span. A case of typical type 1 GD but with atypical skin pigmentation in a Palestinian patient with strong family history of skin hyperpigmintation and hypersplenism is reported