Complete resection of hepatoblastoma originating in the caudate lobe: case report and literature review

Hepatoblastoma originating in the caudate lobe is extremely rare, and resection is technically challenging. The aim of this study was to report our experience of complete resection of hepatoblastoma originating in the caudate lobe and review the literature. A 12-month-old boy was admitted for investigation of an upper abdominal mass. Imaging studies showed an irregularly lobulated 8-cm solid tumor in the left lobe of the liver. Serum α-fetoprotein was 67,700 ng/mL. This tumor was diagnosed as hepatoblastoma (PRETEXT II) and chemotherapy (3 courses of CDDP and ADR) was performed. After chemotherapy, the tumor had shrunk to a resectable size and its origin in the caudate lobe could be determined. Left hepatic lobectomy with en bloc resection of the caudate lobe was performed. Total blood loss was 10 mL, and the operation lasted 9 h. His postoperative course was uneventful. Preoperative chemotherapy facilitated complete resection by left hepatic lobectomy with total excision of the caudate lobe.     

A case of congenital diaphragmatic hernia with intradiaphragmatic pulmonary sequestration: case report and literature review

Extralobar pulmonary sequestration (EPS) can occasionally be found incidentally in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Extralobar pulmonary sequestration usually arises in the chest or the abdomen; rarely in the diaphragm. We report a neonatal case of antenatally diagnosed CDH associated with intradiaphragmatic EPS.     

Prevention of late complications by half-solid enteral nutrients in percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube feeding

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding is accompanied by unique complications, which are not easily controlled. OBJECTIVE: In an attempt to decrease complications, we used half-solid nutrients for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding in an 85-year-old woman. The patient had been receiving enteral nutrients via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, and we examined whether this approach can reduce complications. She presented with regurgitation of enteral nutrients and recurrent respiratory infections. METHODS: Half-solid enteral nutrients, prepared by mixing liquid enteral nutrients with agar powder, were administered via percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. RESULTS: Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disappeared immediately after the start of half-solid enteral nutrient feeding. CONCLUSION: Gastroesophageal reflux and leakage, two intractable late complications of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube feeding, can be alleviated by the solidification of enteral nutrients. Since this method allows quick administration of nutrients, it is also expected to help prevent the occurrence of decubitus ulcers and reduce the burden to the caregiver.     

Successful ribavirin therapy for severe adenovirus hemorrhagic cystitis after allogeneic marrow transplant from close HLA donors rather than distant donors

Intravenous ribavirin was given to nine patients who had developed severe adenovirus-induced hemorrhagic cystitis (AD-HC) which was resistant to conventional therapy or where there was involvement of other organs after allogeneic BMT. Three patients recovered completely from AD-HC, two of whom had been resistant to vidarabine. All three had received sibling BMTs (2 HLA matched, 1 HLA mismatched). Five patients who received BMTs from related (2 HLA mismatched) or unrelated (1 HLA matched, 2 HLA mismatched) showed an improvement in symptoms but had recurrent AD-HC after discontinuation of ribavirin. Improvement in clinical symptoms and termination of virus excretion were well correlated. The last patient who received a mismatched unrelated BMT died during ribavirin therapy. Ribavirin was notably more effective among patients receiving BMTs from siblings in contrast to patients receiving BMTs from alternative donors (<0.05). One patient experienced severe pancytopenia during the second treatment with ribavirin after HC recurrence and recovered after ceasing ribavirin. Thus, ribavirin seems to be very effective for severe AD-HC for some recipients who receive transplants from a genetically close donor. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 25, 545-548.     

Polymerization of bicyclic acetals, 8. Cationic polymerization of 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene

Poly(5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2,6-diyloxymethylene) ( 6 ), a new polyacetal having a dihydropyran ring in its repeating unit was prepared by selective ring-opening polymerization of 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-2-ene ( 5 ) at temperatures between ?60 and ?90°C in dilute methylene chloride or toluene solutions using boron trifluoride etherate as initiator. The resulting polymers, having a number average molecular weight up to 1,5 · 10⁴, melted at 110 – 130°C and decomposed at ≈ 170°C in air. The isotactic dyad content of the polymers, estimated by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, was found to be in the range of 70 to 77 mole-%, somewhat lower than that of its saturated analogue, poly(tetrahydropyran-2,6-diyloxymethylene), ( 2 ). The preferred formation of the isotactic sequence along the polymer chain is rationalized in terms of the enantiomer selection by the growing chain end control mechanism as previously proposed for the polymerization of 6,8-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octane, ( 1 ).     

Radical ions of poly(phenylsilyne) and poly(phenylgermyne)

Poly(phenylsilyne) and poly(phenylgermyne), which have a network Si- and Ge-skeleton, were synthesized by electrochemical reduction of trichlorophenylsilane and trichlorophenylgermane, respectively. The poly(phenylsilyne) showed broad absorption and emission bands that are characteristic of silicon network polymers. Similarly broad absorption and emission bands were observed for the poly(phenylgermyne). Radical anions and radical cations of poly(phenylsilyne) and poly(phenylgermyne) were produced by pulse radiolysis. The radical ions of these network polymers showed broad transient absorption bands from the UV to the IR region. Within 200 ns after pulse radiolysis, the absorption band of the radical cation in the UV region decreased, whereas the band in the IR region increased. The time-dependent spectral change of the radical cation suggests the formation of a change resonance band of the delocalized positive charge on the σ-conjugated polymer chain. In contrast to the radical cation, the radical anion of the network polymers did not show a spectral change.     

Effects of stimulation of the dorsocaudal claustrum on activities of striate cortex neurons in the cat

In the cat striate cortex, single electrical shocks applied to the dorsocausal claustrum (CLdc) elicited bimodal excitatory responses with about 12 and 26 ms latencies. About one-fourth of the cortical cells observed had CLdc-induced inhibitions with onset latencies longer than the excitations. On cortical field responses to geniculate stimulation, CLdc conditioning shocks exerted early facilitatory and late inhibitory effects which were shown to be not transmitted through the mesencephalic reticular formation.     

Chronic mesothelial reaction and toxicity of potassium octatitanate fibers in the pleural cavity in mice and F344 rats

Fiber‐shaped particles of potassium octatitanate (tradename TISMO; chemical formula K₂O·6TiO₂), which are morphologically similar to asbestos particles, were shown to induce severe proliferative reactions in the pleural mesothelium in a previous experiment carried out over 21 weeks. The present study aims to determine whether these fibers induce malignant mesotheliomas in rodents, and to examine chronic toxicity induced. Additionally, we investigated the specific differences observable between the biological responses to the direct infusion of the fibers alone into the pleural cavity and those induced by the co‐administration of the fibers with a known carcinogen. To detect the induction of malignant pleural mesotheliomas, two experiments were undertaken. In Experiment 1, four strains of mice, A/J, C3H, ICR, and C57BL, were examined for 52 weeks after experimental treatment with TISMO. In Experiment 2, the F344 rats were treated with TISMO alone, the lung carcinogen N‐bis (2‐hydroxypropyl) nitrosamine (DHPN) alone, both TISMO and DHPN, or left untreated and were then examined for 52 weeks. In this experiment, malignant lesion induction was expected in the co‐administration group. TISMO fibers were observed in the alveoli, indicating penetration through the visceral pleura in mice and rats. The histopathological detection of TISMO fibers in the liver and kidneys of mice and rats indicated migration of the fibers out of the pleural cavity. Atypical mesothelial cells with severe pleural proliferation were observed, but malignant mesotheliomas were not detected. Among the rats, there were no observed malignant alterations in the mesothelium induced by DHPN–TISMO co‐administration.     

釉质基质蛋白促进纯钛种植体表面骨形成的研究

目的　采用背反射电子(BSE)显微镜图像分析,定量研究釉质基质蛋白对纯钛种植体表面新骨形成的诱导作用。方法　实验用的纯钛种植体采用放电加工法特制而成,直径为1.6mm ,长度为3.5mm。种植体植入的部位为Wistar大鼠的两侧股骨,一侧作为实验组,种植窝内使用釉质基质蛋白Emdogain ;另一侧作为对照组,种植窝内仅使用釉质基质蛋白的载体丙二醇藻酸酯(PGA)。观察种植体植入后第14天和第30天种植体周围的新骨形成。结果　种植体植入后第14天,实验组和对照组种植体表面以及骨髓腔内均可见少量的新生小梁骨形成。种植体植入后的第30天,种植体周围新生小梁骨的量实验组高于对照组。结论　釉质基质蛋白可以促进种植体周围新骨的形成。