Delayed image of iodine-123 iomazenil as a relative map of benzodiazepine receptor binding: The optimal scan time

Delayed single-photon emission tomograpic (SPET) images after an intravenous bolus injection of iodine-123 iomazenil have been used as a relative map of benzodiazepine receptor binding. We determined the optimal scan time for obtaining such a map and assessed the errors of the map. SPET and blood data from six healthy volunteers and five patients were used. A three-compartment kinetic model was employed in simulation studies and analyses of actual data. The simulation studies suggested that, in the normal brain, the scan time at which a single SPET image best represented the relative receptor binding was 3.0–3.5 h post-injection. This finding was supported by actual data from the volunteers. The simulation studies also suggested that the optimal scan time was not greatly changed by the variability of the input functions, and that the error in the SPET image contrast in the vicinity of the optimal scan time was not increased by changes in the tracer kinetics in the entire brain. The SPET image contrast in the patients at 3.0 h post-injection agreed well with the reference receptor binding estimated by kinetic analysis, with a mean error of 3.6%. These findings support the use of a single SPET image after bolus injection of [¹²³I]iomazenil as a relative map of benzodiazepine receptor binding. For this purpose, a SPET scan time of 3.0-3.5 h post-injection is recommended.     

Phyllodes tumor of the breast with a grossly malignant appearance: A case report

A huge phyllodes tumor of the breast that appeared grossly malignant in a 43-year-old woman is described. The patient suffered from a large breast tumor that suddenly increased in size over 5 months to occupy the entire breast. The tumor was hard, ulcerated and 20 cm in greatest diameter. Diagnostic imaging (US, CT and MRI) demonstrated a circumscribed mass with a large cystic cavity. She underwent total mastectomy under a diagnosis of malignant breast tumor. Grossly, the cut surface of the tumor showed a large cystic cavity surrounding a fleshy, hemorrhagic and necrotic mass with a lobulared or trabeculared appearance. Unexpectedly, benign phyllodes tumor (PT) without any stromal overgrowth was diagnosed histologically. She has been doing well since total mastectomy. In our case and in many other reported cases, PT does not show any distinctive correlation between pathologic findings and tumor behavior. Thus wide local excision is the preferred initial treatment for PT.     

Availability and limitations of thallium-201 myocardial SPECT quantitative analysis: Assessment as daily routine procedure for ischemic heart disease

To determine the availability and limitations of the detection of ischemic lesions by stress thallium-201 myocardial SPECT as the daily routine procedure, we compared and evaluated the detectability of the quantitative analysis (%uptake and washout rate (WR)) and visual evaluation in 104 patients with effort angina and 17 normal subjects. Visual evaluation combined with WR analysis resulted in significantly higher sensitivity (88.0%) but lower specificity (60.2%) than the other methods. The sensitivity by visual evaluation was quite low in multivessel disease (MVD), and in the regions supplied by mild coronary stenosis or by the left circumflex artery. These were markedly improved by combining visual evaluation and WR analysis, but sensitivity in the MVD group was unsatisfactory even with this analytic method in comparison with the single vessel disease group. One of the causes of low sensitivity in the MVD group might be the "true negative": No induction of the ischemia in the regions of milder stenosis, or the regions supplied by the collateral coronary flow. We therefore conclude that the combination of visual evaluation as a qualitative analysis and WR analysis as a quantitative analysis, is the most useful daily routine procedure as a screening test for detecting ischemia.     

Present status of ethics committees of the medical schools in Japan

Present features and functions of ethics committees in 80 Japanese medical schools were surveyed through inquiries to those institutes by the author. Seventy nine schools have already started their own committees in each campus by the end of 1990, and the remaining one is preparing for its start in near future. The major role of the ethics committee may be said to roughly correspond to that of the Institutional Review Boards (IRB) in the USA, although a role of the hospital ethics committee has been played in addition to its proper functions in many schools. Among many problems two major drawbacks seem necessary to be removed urgently. The first one is an inappropriate composition of the committee in the majority of schools. More members from the outside of the campus, younger generations, and female reviewers should be added to the committee. The second point is the essentially closed review systems in most schools. The process of the review has not been effectively opened to the public yet, even in case in which no privacy of the patients or volunteers appears in the discussion. Several schools are preparing for opening now and the situation will be improved gradually. It was fortunate that the ethics committees in Japanese medical schools were founded by wills and efforts of members of each campus without having any suggestions, recommendations, or orders from the national government or other officials.     

Management of Hyperthyroidism Due to Graves' and Nodular Diseases

Endocrine surgeons have had an important role in the management of hyperthyroidism due to either Graves' disease or toxic nodule(s). Since alternative treatments such as antithyroid drugs or radioiodine are also available, the decision-making for management should be based on clear assessment of advantages and limitations of each of the treatment options. Surgery provides rapid resolution of these conditions, and cure rates are high, although it may be associated with perioperative complications and postoperative thyroid dysfunction. The authors' experience in the surgical treatment of hyperthyroidism and a review of the recent literature are outlined in this report.     

Surgical anatomy of the hepatic hilar area

It is important to understand the main variations of the biliary and vascular elements inside the plate system for hilar bile duct carcinoma because all variations of these elements occur in this plate system. The plate system consists of the hilar plate, cystic plate, and umbilical plate which cover the extrahepatic vascular system and are fused with the hepatoduodenal ligament. The bile duct and vascular system that penetrate the plate system form Glisson's capsule in the liver, but the caudate branch and the medial segmental branch are exceptions. The bile duct and hepatic artery accompanying the plate system can be exfoliated from the portal vein with numerous lymph ducts and nerves. The bile ducts in the right hepatic lobe are classified into 4 types, and the standard type is present in 53-72% of cases. In the left bile duct, the medial segmental bile duct is connected in the vicinity of the hilar area in 35.5% of cases, and these cases should be treated the same as the caudate lobe in hilar bile duct carcinoma. Generally, there is little main variation of the portal vein (16-26%), but more variation in the hepatic artery (31-33%). During surgery for hilar bile duct carcinoma, it is important to observe the plate system and the many variations of the bile duct and vascular system.     

Gastric Acidity following Pancreaticogastrostomy with Pylorus-preserving Pancreaticoduodenectomy

Pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) has been reintroduced and employed occasionally as a useful alternative to pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) after Whipple resection or pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD). Although the physiologic alteration in the stomach is important for the correlation between gastric and pancreatic functions, the actual intragastric pH profile after PG is still unclear. This study was conducted to investigate the physiologic changes in gastric pH and serum gastrin and secretin levels before and after PPPD reconstructed with PG (PPPD-PG) in humans. Twenty-four hour continuous intragastric pH and serum gastrin and secretin levels in the fasting state were examined in 25 patients who had undergone PPPD-PG. No peptic ulcer was detected after the operation. After PG, serum gastrin and secretin levels were unchanged. Twenty-four hour gastric pH monitoring revealed two distinct patterns during the nocturnal period before the operation: patients with acid-type secretion (n= 11) exhibited a persistent acid pH, whereas those with alkaline-type secretion (n= 14) had cyclic variations between an acid and an alkaline pH value. After PG, in both acid- and alkaline-type patients, median pH and percentages of time that the gastric pH was less than 4 (% pH < 4) and more than 6 (% pH > 6) did not change, and circadian pH patterns also remained unchanged. These results suggest that PPPD-PG has little influence on gastric acidity, and the neurohumoral relation between the stomach, duodenum, and pancreas is preserved after PG. Therefore, physiologically, PG can be recommended as a reconstructive procedure after PPPD.     

Effect of graft-versus-host disease on the outcome of bone marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical sibling donor using GVHD prophylaxis with cyclosporin A and methotrexate.

The effect of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on relapse incidence and survival has been analyzed in several studies, but previous studies included heterogeneous patients. Therefore, we analyzed the data of 2114 patients who received unmanipulated bone marrow graft from an HLA-identical sibling donor with a GVHD prophylaxis using cyclosporin A and methotrexate. Among the 1843 patients who survived without relapse at 60 days after transplantation, 435 (24%) developed grade II-IV acute GVHD. Among the 1566 patients who survived without relapse at 150 days after transplantation, 705 (47%) developed chronic GVHD. The incidence of relapse was significantly lower in patients who developed acute or chronic GVHD, but disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly inferior in patients who developed acute GVHD. A benefit of 'mild' GVHD was only seen in high-risk patients who developed grade I acute GVHD. The strongest association between GVHD and a decreased incidence of relapse was observed in patients with standard-risk acute myelogenous leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome. In conclusion, the therapeutic window between decreased relapse and increased transplant-related mortality due to the development of GVHD appeared to be very narrow.