Sentinel lymph node biopsy for 102 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma at a single Japanese institute

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a widely accepted standard procedure for patients with clinically localized melanoma. Melanoma prevalence and Clark's subtype differ between Asians and Caucasians. Here, we evaluated our experience on SLNB for cutaneous melanoma in a Japanese population. SLNB was performed for patients with melanoma between July 2000 and June 2014. We retrospectively analyzed 102 patients regarding association of clinicopathological features with sentinel lymph node (SLN) status, melanoma‐specific survival (MSS) and disease‐free survival (DFS). A positive SLN was significantly associated with primary Breslow thickness. Compared with 43 patients with negative SLN, 59 patients with positive SLN had significantly shorter MSS (5‐year survival rate, 94.3% vs 63.2%; P = 0.0002) and DFS (5‐year survival rate, 92.7% vs 63.4%; P = 0.0004). According to our subgroup analyses, nine patients with positive non‐SLN had significantly shorter MSS compared with 32 patients with negative non‐SLN (5‐year survival rate, 32.4% vs 68.5%; P = 0.0273). The survival of 51 Japanese patients with acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) was not inferior to the survival of patients with other Clark's subtype. Breslow thickness is an important factor for both MSS and DFS, and the status of SLN is the most predictive prognostic factor in Japanese patients with clinically localized melanomas, as in case of Caucasians. Features of ALM may be different between Asians and Caucasians.     

An updated review on pathophysiology and management of burning mouth syndrome with endocrinological,psychological and neuropathic perspectives

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic oro‐facial pain disorder of unknown cause. It is more common in peri‐ and post‐menopausal women, and sex hormone dysregulation is believed to be an important causative factor. Psychosocial events often trigger or exacerbate symptoms, and persons with BMS appear to be predisposed towards anxiety and depression. Atrophy of small nerve fibres in the tongue epithelium has been reported, and potential neuropathic mechanisms for BMS are now widely investigated. Historically, BMS was thought to comprise endocrinological, psychosocial and neuropathic components. Neuroprotective steroids and glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor family ligands may have pivotal roles in the peripheral mechanisms associated with atrophy of small nerve fibres. Denervation of chorda tympani nerve fibres that innervate fungiform buds leads to alternative trigeminal innervation, which results in dysgeusia and burning pain when eating hot foods. With regard to the central mechanism of BMS, depletion of neuroprotective steroids alters the brain network–related mood and pain modulation. Peripheral mechanistic studies support the use of topical clonazepam and capsaicin for the management of BMS, and some evidence supports the use of cognitive behavioural therapy. Hormone replacement therapy may address the causes of BMS, although adverse effects prevent its use as a first‐line treatment. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) may have important benefits, and well‐designed controlled studies are expected. Other treatment options to be investigated include brain stimulation and TSPO (translocator protein 18 kDa) ligands.     

Long-term vardenafil therapy improves hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

The phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, sildenafil, has been reported to produce sustained pulmonary vasodilatation in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Recently, vardenafil, a more potent and selective PDE-5 inhibitor than sildenafil, has been approved for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. However, the long-term effects of oral vardenafil in patients with PH are unknown. We studied five consecutive patients with PH; one with primary pulmonary hypertension, two with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism, one with Eisenmenger syndrome (ventricular septal defect) and one with secondary pulmonary hypertension after a ventricular septal defect closure operation. In an acute hemodynamic trial, vardenafil (5 mg) significantly decreased both the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) with an increase in cardiac output. In a chronic hemodynamic trial, the maintenance dose of vardenafil (10 to 15 mg) for 3 months significantly decreased the PVR, but not the SVR, with a 20.7% reduction of the PVR/ SVR ratio. Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were also significantly decreased after 3 months. This pilot study demonstrates that long-term oral vardenafil therapy may be a safe and effective treatment for patients with PH.     

Severe Graves' ophthalmopathy accompanied by myasthenia gravis]

We report a 53-year-old woman with severe Graves' ophthalmopathy accompanied by uncontrolled myasthenia gravis. She presented remarkable exophthalmos, chemosis, and restriction of eye movement. Despite plasma exchange, steroid pulse therapy, local injection of steroid, and irradiation, ocular symptoms did not ameliorate. Since optic neuropathy was seen, orbital decompression surgery was performed in the left eye. Bilateral chemosis was improved after the surgery. Five years after surgery, there was no ocular palsy in the operated left eye, but in the contralateral eye. For the good prognosis of the eye movement, orbital decompression might be recommended in the severe Graves' ophthalmopathy accompanied by the optic neuropathy and/or ophthalmoplegia with proptosis.     

Estimation of base blood pressure by using a new device in the outpatient clinic.

Direct measurement of intra-arterial blood pressure (BP) for 24-h provides approximately 100,000 values that vary enormously, but each (BPi) can be expressed by the equation BPi = BP0 + DeltaBPi (BP0, base BP; DeltaBPi, BP increment, i=1, 2, ..., 100 x 10(3)). About 20% of outpatients with hypertension exhibit white-coat hypertension (WCH). In such patients, DeltaBPc (i = c; c, time at the clinic) is surmised to be large. A method for explaining the physiological factors in DeltaBPc and the estimation of base BP in the outpatient clinic is important. This study addresses this issue. A total of 293 subjects were divided into four groups: 1) WCH group, 45 individuals (office BP > or = 140/90 mmHg and 24-h indirect BP < 125/80 mmHg); 2) normotensive (NT) group, 84 controls matched for age and sex; 3) WHO-I group, 95 hypertensive patients with WHO stage I (office BP > or = 140/90 mmHg and 24-h BP > or = 125/80 mmHg); and 4) WHO-II group, 69 hypertensive patients with WHO stage II. Their BPc and heart rate (HR; HRc, clinic HR) values were measured by a BP-ECG monitoring device in the outpatient clinic. Power-spectral analysis was used to obtain the ratio between the low-frequency component (LF) and high-frequency component (HF) of ECG-RR variability (LF/HF = LH). Twenty-four-hour indirect BP (and BP0) and base HR (HR0) were measured by a portable device (TM2425) at 30-min intervals. Then, DeltaBPc (= BPc - BP0) was estimated by performing linear multivariate analysis applying the model equation DeltaBPc = (BPc -alphaLH)(1-betaHR0/HRc) + epsilon to the above variables (alpha and beta, constant values; epsilon, error). This model equation made it possible to estimate BP0 (and DeltaBPc) with a high coefficient of correlation (r > or = 0.85, mean of error less than 0.82 +/- 5.9 mmHg). The predictive accuracy for discrimination between WCH and sustained hypertension (WHO-I and WHO-II groups) by this equation was 88%. The new DeltaBP-estimation device (BP-ECG monitor) enabled us to infer BP0 and is therefore useful in estimating WCH in the outpatient clinic.     

Biochemical activities of lysosomal acid hydrolases in leukemic cells

The biochemical activities of 8 lysosomal acid hydrolases in leukemic cells from 48 patients were examined. Characteristic alterations were found in α-mannosidase, β-galactosidase and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activities of leukemic cells. The level of α-mannosidase activity was much higher in myelo(mono)genous leukemias (AML, AMoL, AMMoL, CML and CMMoL) than in lymphogenous ones (ALL, T-cell leukemia, hairy cell leukemia and CLL) without exception. The β-galactosidase activity also differed as a result of α-mannosidase, except in T-cell leukemia. In T-cell leukemia it was within the range of normal lymphocytes, but in the other lymphogenous leukemias it was significantly below normal. N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activity in myelo(mono)genous leukemic cells was above the range of normal granulocytes. The changes in these enzyme levels were consistent. The lymphocytic or myelocytic nature of three cases of acute undifferentiated leukemia could be determined by enzyme studies. In two cases it was lymphocytic and in one it was myelocytic. The enzymatic abnormalities were also found in morphologically mature neutrophils from patients with not only chronic types (CML, CMMoL) but also acute types (AMoL, AMMoL) of leukemias, and were similar to those of their respective leukemic cells. Analysis of lysosomal enzymes (at least three of those mentioned above), can elucidate one of the biochemical properties of leukemic cells and may be valuable in the differentiation of leukemias.