Localized wall thickening of the gallbladder mimicking a neoplasm

Clinical diagnosis of chronic cholecystitis is made based on diffuse hyperechoic thickening of the gallbladder wall as shown by ultrasonographic examination. We herein report three cases of chronic cholecystitis showing localized hypoechoic thickening of the gallbladder wall that mimicked gallbladder cancer by ultrasonography. Histologically, hypertrophy of the muscularis propria was a common characteristic finding in these three patients. A smooth surface of the inner hypoechoic layer of the thickened wall was considered to be a reliable finding in the differential diagnosis between this type of chronic cholecystitis and gallbladder cancer.     

A suspicious case of central neurosarcoidosis, manifesting as a progressive gait disturbance with a lesion in the central gray matter of the midbrain, accompanying an elevated level of angiotensin converting enzyme in the cerebrospinal fluid]

We present a suspicious case of central neurosarcoidosis that presented with progressive gait disturbance probably caused by central vestibular dysfunction. And this case showed elevated level of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) in the cerebrospinal fluid, compared with the average level of two cases with acute inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy syndrome and four cases of multiple sclerosis. A 33-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with chief complaint of a gait disturbance that had appeared 3 years prior to the admission. And the symptom had exacerbated in these 3 months. Except for the gait disturbance and positive Romberg's sign, no neurological abnormality was detected. The findings of the cerebrospinal fluid test supported the diagnosis of meningitis. An increased level of angiotensine converting enzyme was detected when compared with our previous samplings from two cases of Guillain Barré syndrome and four cases of multiple sclerosis. With T1 weighted imaging of brain MRI, a high intensity lesion with gadolinium enhancement was identified in the central gray matter of the midbrain. Scan of the chest confirmed bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy. Based on these findings and the patient's clinical course, central neurosarcoidosis was suspected. The patient's symptoms improved dramatically after the administration of corticosteroid. The enhancement of the central gray matter ameliorated, and the ACE level of the CSF was decreased to the level of the demyelinating disorders.     

Case of ruptured gastroduodenal arterial pseudoaneurysm with penetration to the duodenum, successfully treated with transcatheter arterial embolization]

A 77-year-old man, who underwent segmental pancreatectomy for intraductal papillary mucinous adenoma in 2001, was referred to our hospital with complaints of hematemesis and melena on January, 2004. Emergency upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a pulsating submucosal protrusion in the duodenal bulb, which was identified as a gastroduodenal arterial aneurysm measuring 1.5cm on abdominal CT imaging. Transcatheter arterial embolization of the aneurysm with metallic coils was successfully performed. Periodically repeated endoscopic examination has revealed the coils protruding into the duodenal lumen without any serious complication.     

A novel compound heterozygous dysferlin mutation in Miyoshi myopathy siblings responding to dantrolene

Miyoshi myopathy (MM) is an autosomal recessive distal muscular dystrophy characterized by mutations of the dysferlin gene. Although several pairs of homozygous/heterozygous mutations have been reported, few effective treatments of MM are available. We had observed the decreased serum creatine kinase (CK) before and after administration of dantrolene in the elder brother and the increased serum CK before and after discontinuance of the drug on suspicion of drug-induced hepatopathy in the younger sister. We report a novel pair of heterozygous mutations in the 3'-splicing site of exon 26 and the translation site of exon 28 of the dysferlin gene in two siblings, and effective treatment of their MM with dantrolene.     

ENDOSCOPIC MUCOSAL RESECTION AND SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION METHOD FOR LARGE COLORECTAL TUMORS

The goal of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is to allow the endoscopist to obtain tissue or resect lesions not previously amenable to standard biopsy or excisional techniques and to remove malignant lesions without open surgery. In this article, we describe the results of conventional EMR and EMR using an insulation‐tipped (IT) electrosurgical knife (submucosal dissection method) for large colorectal mucosal neoplasms and discuss the problems and future prospects of these procedures. At present, conventional EMR is much more feasible than EMR using IT‐knife from the perspectives of time, money, complication, and organ preservation. However, larger lesions tend to be resected in a piecemeal fashion; and it is difficult to confirm whether EMR has been complete. For accurate histopathological assessment of the resected specimen en bloc EMR is desirable although further experience is needed to establish its safety and efficacy. Further improvements of in EMR with special knife techniques are required to simply and safely remove large colorectal neoplasms.     

Acute pulmonary embolism after cerebral infarction associated with a mobile thrombus in the ascending aorta

Although the causes of stroke are diverse, thromboembolism due to a mobile aortic thrombus is rare. We describe a surgical case of acute massive pulmonary embolism after critical cerebral infarction associated with a mobile ascending aortic thrombus in a 52-year-old woman. Concomitant surgical removal of the aortic thrombus and pulmonary embolectomy was performed successfully, and the patient has been stable without recurrent thromboembolic complications after 18 months of follow-up.     

Characterization of adenosine deaminase (ADA)-negative B-lymphoblastoid cells cocultured with ADA-positive fibroblasts

Abstract: A cell line, BAD05, derived from B lymphocytes of an adenosine deaminase (ADA; EC 3,5,4,4)-deficient patient could not proliferate in a serum-free medium containing 100 μmol/l deoxyadenosine. When BAD05 was cultured with ADA-positive fibroblasts, the proliferation of BAD05 was improved. BAD05 cell density increased when the initially mixed ratio of fibroblasts/BAD05 was 1/10 or higher, but decreased when the ratio was 1/20 or lower. Deoxyadenosine concentrations in the medium and ATP and deoxyATP (dATP) levels in the BAD05 were measured after 4 hours of coculture at initial BAD05 cell densities of 1 × 10⁵and 1 × 10⁶cells/ml. Deoxyadenosine concentrations in the medium decreased as the density of fibroblasts increased. The dATP level decreased as the mixed ratio rose. The ratio of fibroblasts/BAD05 rather than the cell density of fibroblasts had a larger effect on the dATP levels in BAD05. Under our experimental conditions, ADA-negative cells proliferated well when the ratio of ADA-positive cells/ADA-negative cells was over 1/10.     

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid gland

Primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid gland is extremely rare, and to the best of our knowledge only five well-documented cases have been reported in the world literature. We herein report a 58-year-old female patient with primary leiomyosarcoma of the thyroid who was successfully treated by total thyroidectomy with a modified neck dissection. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed positive reactivity to α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin. Radical surgery was thus considered to be essential in the treatment of this rare but rather aggressive malignancy.