Tentorial schwannoma: a case report

A rare case of tentorial schwannoma in a 29-year-old male is described. The schwannoma was located within the leaves of the tentorium. MRI showed a wedge-shaped enhancing tumour. Exact nerve of origin of the tumour could not be identified. We speculate that the tumour arose from the tentorial branch of the trigeminal nerve. The literature concerning intracranial schwannoma unrelated to a major cranial nerve is reviewed.     

Increased activity and expression of phospholipase D2 in human colorectal cancer

Phospholipase D (PLD) has been reported as relevant to some types of human cancer, but its role in human colorectal cancer still remains to be elucidated. Thus, this study was conducted to determine the activity and the expression of PLD2 in human colorectal cancer. A significant elevation of PLD2 activity and higher expression of PLD2 protein were detected in human colorectal cancer in comparison with corresponding normal mucosa. The tendency of higher expression of PLD2 mRNA was also observed. The ratio of PLD2 activity in cancer to that in corresponding normal mucosa was greater in colorectal cancer with nodal involvement and deeper tumor invasion. Our results indicate that PLD2 has a possible implication in carcinogenesis and progression and would be a new therapeutic target and a potential tumor marker for colorectal cancer.     

Characterization of autofluorescence in oral squamous cell carcinoma

This study was carried out to evaluate the clinical characteristics of autofluorescence in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and analyze the fluorescent substances using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Fifty of 55 oral SCCs (91%) emitted orange or red fluorescence, which was recorded by fluorescence photography. The intensity of the fluorescence significantly correlated with the T and N categories of the cancers, but did not show statistical difference for the types of clinical appearance and primary sites. Protoporphyrin and coproporphyrin were identified as the fluorescent substance in the SCC samples, and the elution patterns on HPLC revealed some porphyrin compounds as specific to oral cancer. These results suggest that the autofluorescence in oral SCC correlates with the progression of lesions, and that fluorescent substances such as protoporphyrin are produced in association with the cancerous tissue.     

Role of hypomagnesemia in chronic cyclosporine nephropathy

BACKGROUND: Hypomagnesemia is a common finding of cyclosporine (CsA)-treated patients and has been proposed as both a cause and a consequence of CsA-induced nephrotoxicity. This experiment was conducted to elucidate the role of hypomagnesemia in the pathogenesis of chronic CsA nephropathy. METHODS: CsA (15 mg/kg/day subcutaneously) was administered to rats maintained on a low-sodium diet for 1, 2, and 4 weeks, and the effects of magnesium (Mg) supplementation on renal function, renal histology, and renal gene expression profile of fibrogenic molecules and vasoconstrictors was examined. RESULTS: CsA elicited hypomagnesemia and induced a progressive decline in glomerular filtration. At 28 day, renal tubular atrophy and cortical striped interstitial fibrosis were evident with CsA treatment. Dietary supplementation of Mg ameliorated CsA-induced hypomagnesemia and almost completely abolished CsA-induced chronic fibrotic lesions. Neither CsA nor Mg supplementation affected blood pressure. Renal cortical mRNA of transforming growth factor beta, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, and extracellular matrix started to increase at 14 days and elevated further at 28 days. In contrast, the increase in mRNA of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and renin was evident early at 7 days and reached peak at 14 days. These mRNA increases, except that of renin, were almost abolished when hypomagnesemia was corrected. Magnesium supplementation also improved glomerular dysfunction, at least in part, through inhibition of up-regulated mRNA of endothelin-1. CONCLUSION: CsA-induced hypomagnesemia contributes to chronic renal fibrotic lesions seen during CsA treatment through up-regulation of fibrogenic molecules, most notably early activation of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression.     

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the urinary bladder with a spontaneous perforation: a case report

A 65-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with gross hematuria. Cystoscopy revealed a non-papillary and non-pedunculated tumor on the left lateral wall of the bladder. A piece of necrotic tissue obtained from the bladder irrigation was histologically squamous cell carcinoma. A perforation at the left lateral wall of the bladder was found on the cystogram. Bone scintigraphy showed multiple metastases and computed tomography scans showed multiple lymph node metastases in the pelvic cavity. The clinical diagnosis was bladder carcinoma of T4N2M1 stage with an abscess due to a spontaneous perforation. Total cystectomy with bilateral ureterocutaneostomy was performed. She died due to sepsis 13 days after the operation. Histologically, the tumor was composed of carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements. The carcinomatous element was compatible with squamous cell carcinoma and the sarcomatous element was composed of undifferentiated malignant spindle cells. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the carcinomatous component was positive for keratin and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and the spindle cell component positive for vimentin, desmin and HCG. Therefore, we diagnosed the tumor as sarcomatoid carcinoma. We reviewed 56 cases of carcinosarcoma of the bladder in Japan and discussed the clinicopathology of the disease.     

Clinical and Prognostic Implications of Bone Lesions in Childhood Leukemia at Diagnosis

We studied 168 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 57 with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) by retrospectively analyzing clinical symptoms, bone or joint involvement, and hematological findings to verify the clinical features and prognosis of children with acute leukemia who showed radiographic bone changes at the time of diagnosis. Of these, 36 with ALL (21.4%) and 6 with ANLL (10.5%) had symptoms referable to the bones or joints. Thirteen patients (7.7%) with ALL showed bone lesions radiographically. Phenotypically, 12 of the 13 had common ALL, 8 were incorrectly diagnosed and had received treatment for osteomyelitis or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis for 1 to 7 months prior to diagnosis of ALL. Leukocyte count was nearly normal with few or no blasts, and anemia and thrombocytopenia were mild or absent in all patients. Twelve of them remained in a complete remission for 26 to 148 months. Our data suggest that children with bone lesions related to acute leukemia exhibit clinical features that mimic infectious or collagen disease at diagnosis, and may belong to a subgroup of ALL with a better prognosis.