Pulmonary small cell carcinoma associated with sarcoid reactions: Report of a case

A 45-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for investigation of a nodular shadow in segment 5 of the right lung on a chest computed tomogram. A right middle lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection was performed under a diagnosis of lung cancer, and histologic examination confirmed small cell carcinoma. There were sarcoid reactions in the resected lymph nodes and the lung parenchyma, but no signs of systemic sarcoidosis were evident. Sarcoid reactions are rarely observed in the regional lymph nodes draining malignant tumors. Moreover, while they are most common in squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, they extremely rare in small cell carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is only the third report of this unusual entity in the English and Japanese literature.     

Pharmacological studies of Reiousan, a drug containing bezoar and ginseng--effects on the blood rheology]

Effects of Reiousan, a crude drug preparation consisting of bezoar and ginseng, on blood rheology were studied. Reiousan improved the deformability of rat erythrocytes exposed to hyperosmorality and treated with phenylhydrazine. The ATP depletion in erythrocytes, the polybrene-induced erythrocyte aggregation and the oxidation of low density lipoprotein were suppressed by Reiousan. Oral administration of Reiousan also improved the erythrocyte deformability in phenylhydrazine-treated rats and delayed the thromboembolic death induced by arachidonic acid in mice. These results suggest that Reiousan has an ameliorative effect on blood rheology related to "Oketsu" syndrome in Kampo diagnostics.     

The relationship between the onset of labor mechanisms and the hemostatic system

The relationship between onset of labor and the hemostatic system was evaluated in 38 pregnant women. The hemostatic system consists of blood coagulation, kinin-kallikrein system, the fibrinolytic system, and platelet function. The most prominent changes take place in the kinin-kallikrein system. After the onset of labor, prekallikrein decreases rapidly which may trigger changes in blood coagulation and the fibrinolytic system. Platelet hemostatic capacity (PHC) was also measured using the PFA-100 (platelet function analyzer) system. Closure times (CT) were shorter during pregnancy, compared to non-pregnant controls, suggesting an increase in PHC. Platelet aggregation by ADP at the end of pregnancy was decreased at the onset of labor. At the same time a slight increase in FDP (fibrin degeneration product) was also seen. While FDP increased, platelet aggregation decreased, which seems to suggest FDP inhibits platelet aggregation. In this manner, these three systems(kinin-kallikrein system, blood coagulation, and fibrinolytic system) and platelet aggregation are closely interrelated, possibly affecting uterine contractility during pregnancy and the onset of labor.     

Use of ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy in the diagnosis of mediastinal tumors

We herein report the usefulness of ultrasoundguided percutaneous needle biopsy for histological diagnosis in 18 patients with mediastinal tumors. Computed tomography revealed these tumors to be in contact with the chest wall. The preoperative diagnosis was thymoma in 7 patients, germinoma in 5, neurogenic tumor in 3, and other in 3. The most commonly encountered indication for an ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy was an anterior mediastinal lesion (78%; 14 of 18 patients). In 16 (89%) of the 18 patients, the biopsy diagnosis corresponded to the post-operative diagnosis. No complications were encountered in any of the patients. This new technique of ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy is both relatively simple and highly accurate and may thus be useful for outpatients. Preoperative ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy is thus considered to be a safe and reliable method for the histological diagnosis of mediastinal tumors, and a good alternative to traditional biopsy techniques such as mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy.Presented at the 11th Biennial Asian Congress on Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, November, 21–25, 1993.     

Antitumor effects of a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (CGS 16949A) on 7, 12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene-induced mammary tumors in rats.

The effects of a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor, CGS 16949A, on female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with 7, 12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary cancers were examined in relation to estrogen receptors (ER). Rat tumor sizes in each treated group were significantly smaller (P less than 0.05) and rat body weights in most treated groups were significantly increased (P less than 0.05) compared to those in the control group (no treatment) at all measurement points during treatment. Rat uterine weights in each treated group decreased significantly compared with those in the control group (P less than 0.05). There was no significant difference between ER-positive and ER-negative groups in tumor size, body weight or uterine weight. At increased doses of CGS 16949A in the experiment, further increases in testosterone levels and further decreases in estradiol levels were shown to occur. The results suggest the mechanisms of CGS 16949A action not to be influenced by the presence or absence of ER, but to be due to its potent aromatase inhibition of the conversion of androgens to estrogens.     

An aetiological study on spondylolysis from a biomechanical aspect.

The authors report clinical studies on lumbar disorders (clinical symptoms, X-ray findings) in athletes in various sports. The sport items were divided into three groups according to the main dynamic load applied to the lumbar region. As a result, over 60% of the athletes suffered from "lumbago", and among them spondylolysis reached the high rate of 27%. Arising from these clinical observations, we performed biomechanical laboratory analyses on human cadaver material, axial compression and rotational bending. Our results suggest that the incidence of spondylolysis depends upon the extent and direction of the loads.