A CASE REPORT OF BASAL CELL ADENOMA SHOWING ELASTIC FIBER (ELASTIN-BASEMENT MEMBRANE COMPLEX) FORMATION OF THE SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND

A biopsy case of basal cell adenoma of the submandibular gland was reported in a 15-year-old boy. The tumor was pigeon's egg-sized, spherical in shape and encapsulated by fibrous tissue, and its cut-surface was grayish white. Histologie feature of this neoplasm was a trabecular or tubular monomorphic adenoma with well-developed elastic fibers (elastin-basement membrane complex) in the interstitial tissue. Electron microscopy disclosed 4 kinds of tumor cells, that is, secreting cells, squamous cell-like cells with tonofibrils and tonofilaments, clear cells with a few filaments, and myoepithelial cells. The interstitium contained elastin, collagen fibrils and basement membrane-like substance. Possible production of elastic fibers by the myoepithelial cells of this adenoma was discussed.     

Education in medical technology

This year the education of Medical Technologists has reached the third turning point. The first turning point was the start of the two-year education of health laboratory technicians in 1958 and the second turning point was the start of the three-year education of Medical Technologists in 1971 and, this time, the third turning point is the start of the full-fledged university education. All 20 national education facilities for Medical Technologists and 2 public junior colleges have started the university education from this year. Adding the existing universities, about a half of education facilities for Medical Technologists are universities. From this situation, human resource development with not only knowledge and technique as medical technologists but also with humanly nurtured sentiment is expected in the future. In such situation, I'd like to discuss the progress of education of Medical technologists for 53 years, the current educational situation, and the future education of Medical technologists including the direction of desirable course for the three-year educational facilities.     

A Japanese version of the perceived stress scale: translation and preliminary test

This paper describes the development of a Japanese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Four independent Japanese translations were made and used to develop a single Japanese version. This was back-translated into English. Discrepancies between the original and the back-translation were identified. The Japanese version was altered accordingly, and again back-translated. This forward-backward process was repeated until satisfactory agreement was attained. The PSS was administered to 38 native English speakers and the Japanese version (PSSJ) to 23 native Japanese. High Cronbach's alpha coefficient was shown for both versions. Factor analysis revealed that the PSS and PSSJ showed an almost identical factor structure. Therefore, the equivalence between the PSS and PSSJ and the validity for each scale was underpinned.     

Pseudostenosis of the internal carotid artery in 3D time-of-flight MR angiography: effects of a magnetization transfer contrast pulse and metallic material

Pseudostenosis or pseudoocclusion of the internal carotid artery in 3D time-of-flight MR angiography has been reported to be caused by susceptibility artifacts due to the presence of a metallic foreign body in the subject's neck. We experimentally demonstrate that the use of a non-slice-selective magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) pulse increases the degree of pseudostenosis, whereas slice-selective MTC does not. Selective MR angiography demonstrating this phenomenon was also performed. We then report a case that exhibited this phenomenon. We conclude that the magnetic field inhomogeneity induced by metallic material causes the non-slice-selective MTC pulse to act as a local presaturation pulse. Selective MR angiography using this phenomenon can be applied on varieties of MR scanners from different vendors.     

Lymph node metastasis from 259 papillary thyroid microcarcinomas: frequency,pattern of occurrence and recurrence,and optimal strategy for neck dissection

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and pattern of lymph node metastasis (LNM) from papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) and the results of node dissection, and to establish the optimal strategy for neck dissection in these patients. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Most PTMCs carry a favorable prognosis, but a few present with palpable lymphadenopathy. Patients with LNM are at risk for nodal recurrence, although they do not have higher mortality. The frequency and pattern of LNM from PTMC and the results of node dissection are not well established. METHODS: The frequency and pattern of LNM from 259 PTMCs were analyzed according to the size and location of the primary tumor. Of the 259, 24 with palpable nodes underwent therapeutic node dissection and the other 235 patients without palpable nodes underwent prophylactic node dissection. The authors compared the results of node dissection between the therapeutic group and the prophylactic group, and between PTMCs 5 mm or smaller and PTMCs larger than 5 mm. The authors also compared nodal recurrence between the prophylactic group and a no-lymph-node-dissection group (155 PTMCs). RESULTS: Overall, 64.1% (166/259) and 44.5% (93/209) had node involvement of the central and ipsilateral lateral compartment, respectively. Pretracheal (43.2%), ipsilateral central (36.3%), and ipsilateral mid-lower (37.8%) jugular were more commonly involved. LNM was more frequent in the therapeutic group than in the prophylactic group (95.8% vs. 60.9% for central compartment, 83.3% vs. 39.5% for ipsilateral lateral compartment). Nodal recurrence was more common in the therapeutic group than in the prophylactic group (16.7% vs. 0.43%), but did not differ between the prophylactic group and the no-dissection group (0.43% vs. 0.65%). The tumor size did not influence nodal recurrence. Nodal recurrence preferentially occurred in ipsilateral mid-lower jugular nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who have PTMC presenting with palpable lymphadenopathy should have therapeutic node dissection. Prophylactic node dissection is not beneficial in those without palpable lymphadenopathy.     

Discovery and preclinical characterization of (+)-3-[4-(1- piperidinoethoxy)phenyl]spiro[indene- 1,1'-indane]-5,5'-diol hydrochloride: a promising nonsteroidal estrogen receptor agonist for hot flush

In our studies of the development of a novel class of selective estrogen receptor modulators, (+)-3-[4-(1-piperidinoethoxy)phenyl]spiro[indene-1,1'-indane]-5,5'-diol hydrochloride (1) was found to be an estrogen receptor ligand with beneficial effects in rat models for human hot flush. Moreover, 1 was found to have beneficial effects on lipid and bone metabolism while maintaining marginal effects on the uterus and breasts. These findings suggest that 1 would provide a new treatment for hot flush.     

Decreased plasma adiponectin levels in young obese males

Plasma adiponectin levels are reduced in middle-aged obesity and in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of early-aged obesity on plasma adiponectin level. Twenty-six male college students (19.2 +/- 1.1 years, obese group: n = 15, [body mass index > 25, percent body fat > 25%], non-obese group: n = 11) participated in the present study. We measured anthropometric parameters and plasma adiponectin and leptin level. Plasma adiponectin levels in the obese group were significantly lower than those in the non-obese group (obese: 4.7 +/- 2.0 micro g/ml, non-obese: 6.8 +/- 2.2 micro g/ml, p < 0.05). On the other hand, plasma leptin levels in the obese group were significantly higher than those in the non-obese group (obese: 8.4 +/- 3.2 ng/ml, non-obese: 2.6 +/- 2.1 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Plasma adiponectin levels were significantly correlated with body weight (r = -0.415, p < 0.05) and percent body fat (r = -0.412, p < 0.05). Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that percent body fat was a significant independent predictor of plasma adiponectin level (r = 0.406, p < 0.05). These results show that obesity is associated with reduced plasma adiponectin even in young subjects.