Segmental multicystic dysplastic kidney in an adult: usefulness of enhanced CT in excretory phase.

We present an adult case of segmental multicystic dysplastic kidney (SMCDK). The patient had a 10 × 6 cm oval-shaped mass consisting of a solid and multilocular cystic component at the right upper renal sinus. The solid component showed gradual and mild enhancement on dual-phase enhanced CT. Excretory-phase CT demonstrated the excretion of contrast medium into the septa and cysts. Dilation of the upper calices and renal pelvis and atretic renal pelvis in the mass were also clearly visualized in the excretory phase. The signal intensity of the solid component was slightly lower than that of the renal parenchyma on T2-weighted images and similar to that of the medulla on diffusion-weighted images. Right nephrectomy showed a multilocular cystic component within the renal sinus and some of the cysts contained blood. The renal pelvis of the upper moiety was blind, as suggested by CT. Microscopically, there were multiple non-communicating small cysts, as shown by CT, and the wall was lined with immature tubule-like cells. In addition, immature tubule-like cells were seen in the septa. Immature mesenchymal cells were seen around the cysts. The solid component mainly consisted of fibroconnective tissue with immature tubule-like cells. The pathological diagnosis was confirmed as SMCDK. Excretion of contrast media into the septum and cystic component might be a characteristic finding of SMCDK in addition to the finding of a multilocular cystic mass in the upper moiety with urinary tract abnormality.

Pathologic evaluation of primary laryngeal anterior commissure carcinoma both in patients who have undergone open surgery as initial treatment and in those who have undergone salvage surgery after irradiation failure.

Laryngeal anterior commissure (AC) cancer has been the subject of much controversy. Our study was aimed at pathologically evaluating the tendency of AC cancer to invade the thyroid cartilage and analyzing the role of thyroid cartilage invasion by tumor cells at the AC as an anatomic cause for irradiation failure. Our study included 36 patients with glottic cancer involving AC. Patients with recurrent or persistent disease after radiotherapy underwent salvage surgery. Surgical specimens from 22 patients who had open surgery, either as primary or salvage surgery, were available for pathologic examination to identify the presence of cartilage invasion. We found microscopic invasion of the thyroid cartilage in 40.9% of the studied tumors. Only 21.4% of patients who had open salvage surgery showed evidence of cartilage invasion at the AC. We concluded that laryngeal AC cancers are more likely to invade the cartilage, and that anatomic risk factors are not the main cause of irradiation failure.

Acrosyringium is the main site of the vesicle/pustule formation in palmoplantar pustulosis.

Pustulosis palmaris et plantaris or palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a refractory pustular eruption on the palms and soles with unknown etiology. Numerous eccrine sweat pores exist on the palms and soles, suggesting the involvement of eccrine sweating in the pathogenesis of PPP. To the best of our knowledge, however, no definite abnormality in sweating has been documented in PPP. Accordingly, we analyzed the eccrine sweat duct involvement in the mechanism of vesicle formation in PPP. Dermatoscopy showed that PPP vesicles are located on the top of the ridges but not in the furrows. The sweat secretion in the lesional area was much lower than that in the nonlesional area, with or without pain stimulation to induce sweating. Immunostaining of horizontal sections of the lesions using antibodies against gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) showed that these markers were localized in the cells lining the intraepidermal vesicles. Although the sweat antimicrobial peptides, dermcidin and human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide 18 (hCAP-18)/LL-37, were detected in the fluid of the vesicles/pustules, neither dermcidin nor hCAP-18/LL-37 were overexpressed by neighboring keratinocytes. These findings suggest that the acrosyringium may be involved as the main site of the vesicle formation in the pathomechanism of PPP.

Ki-67, p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in early glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure treated with radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: TNM staging system is not a sufficiently accurate method for predicting the response of an individual patient to a course of radiotherapy. After irradiation, it can become very difficult to assess data obtained by imaging and endoscopy for the diagnosis of both minimal persistent disease and early recurrence. The search for biological parameters that could be used to identify patients who will respond to radiotherapy is crucial. At this study we aimed at evaluating the prognostic significance of immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67, p53 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in laryngeal glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure and treated with radiotherapy. METHODS: From January 1995 to August 2005, 24 patients with glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure were primary treated with radiotherapy. Six patients presented with T1a, 12 patients with T1b and 6 patients with T2. Biopsies were taken before the radiotherapy treatment started. Radiotherapy was done with the same technique for all patients using a linear accelerator device with beam energy of 4-MV photons. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using avidine-biotin-peroxidase technique with antibodies to Ki-67, p53 and EGFR. RESULTS: p53 and EGFR positive expression values and labeling indices were greater in radioresistant than in radiosensitive tumors but without significant differences. On the other hand, Ki-67 was expressed in all radiosensitive tumors and Ki-67 labeling indices were significantly higher in radiosensitive tumors than radioresistant tumors (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: We identified overexpression of Ki-67 as predictive marker of radiosensitivity in glottic cancer involving the anterior commissure, with the results showing significant difference between radiosensitive and radioresistant tumors.

[Usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of polypoid gallbladder lesions].

We investigated the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for differential diagnosis of polypoid gallbladder lesions in 60 patients, consisting of gallbladder carcinoma in 20, adenoma in 2, benign polyp in 29, and adenomyomatosis in 9, comparing contrast enhancement patterns with pathologic findings. We monitored vascular flow for 120 sec, constructing a time intensity curve (TIC) by flash-echo imaging. We compared the number of vessels and vessel diameter determined by contrast enhancement patterns and by pathologic examination. Contrast enhancement patterns were classified as linear, scattered, diffuse, or branched. When diffuse type and branched type were considered as indicative of cancer, accuracy was 84.5%, sensitivity 100%, and specificity 76.9%. In gallbladder carcinoma, the TIC rose from no contrast to early-phase contrast sooner than in other diseases. In adenocarcinoma, high-intensity values persisted at 120 sec. With an intensity of 90 or greater at 120 sec taken as indicating cancer, accuracy was 89.7%, sensitivity 89.5%, and specificity 89.7%; Vessels were significantly more numerous in diffuse type cases than in those with other patterns. Vessel diameter was greatest in the diffuse type and the branched type patterns, both differing significantly from the linear type. Ultrasonographic contrast enhancement patterns show characteristic associations with pathologic findings and serve as valuable adjuncts in the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases.

Irrigation volume determines the efficacy of "rectal washout".

PURPOSE: Rectal stump washout has been recommended to prevent implantation of exfoliated malignant cells in the anastomosis after anterior resection for rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate its efficacy, particularly the extent to which the volume of irrigation fluid might influence the efficacy of tumor cell elimination and whether tumor characteristics might influence the result. METHODS: The study comprised 30 consecutive patients operated on by anterior resection for rectal cancer. After cross-clamping the rectum below the tumor, a washout sample was collected for examination after every incremental 500 ml of saline irrigation up to 2 liters. The presence of shed cancer cells was correlated with the washout volume and tumor characteristics. RESULTS: Cancer cells were found in 29 of 30 patients (97 percent) in the first sample of irrigation fluid and decreased gradually in frequency and number with increasing irrigation volumes. No cancer cells were demonstrated after 1.5 liters of irrigation in patients with tumor below the peritoneal reflection, whereas cancer cells were still present in one-fourth of the patients with tumor located above the peritoneal reflection. Finally, only a small number of cancer cells was confirmed in one patient after 2 liters of irrigation. CONCLUSIONS: The irrigation volume determined the efficacy of rectal washout. With our method, 1 1/2 liters of saline irrigation appears to clear contents from cancer cells in patients with tumors below the peritoneal reflection whereas at least 2 liters is recommended for patients with tumor above the peritoneal reflection.

Expression of LL-37 by human gastric epithelial cells as a potential host defense mechanism against Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: LL-37/human cationic antimicrobial peptide 18 (hCAP18) is a human cathelicidin with broad-spectrum antimicrobial, lipopolysaccharide binding, and chemotactic activities. This study examined the role of LL-37/hCAP18 in gastric innate immune defense by characterizing its constitutive and regulated expression by human gastric mucosa and its bactericidal activity against the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori. METHODS: LL-37/hCAP18 messenger RNA expression in normal and H. pylori -infected gastric mucosa and gastric epithelial cells was determined by in situ hybridization, real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunostaining, and immunoblot analysis. Bactericidal activity was measured by using a colony-forming unit assay. RESULTS: LL-37/hCAP18 messenger RNA and protein were expressed in a distinct distribution by surface epithelial cells as well as chief and parietal cells in the fundic glands of normal gastric mucosa. LL-37/hCAP18 was significantly increased in the epithelium and gastric secretions of H. pylori -infected patients, but not in individuals with non-H. pylori -induced gastric inflammation. Infection of cultured gastric epithelial cells with a wild-type but not an isogenic Delta cagE mutant strain of H. pylori increased LL-37/hCAP18 expression, indicating that H. pylori -induced regulation of LL-37/hCAP18 production required an intact type IV secretion system. LL-37, the C-terminal peptide of LL-37/hCAP18, alone or in synergy with human beta-defensin 1, was bactericidal for several H. pylori strains. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that H. pylori up-regulates production of LL-37/hCAP18 by gastric epithelium and suggest this cathelicidin contributes to determining the balance between host mucosal defense and H. pylori survival mechanisms that govern chronic infection with this gastric pathogen.

Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia of the salivary glands.

We encountered two cases of low malignant mucoepidermoid carcinoma with scanty cellular atypism which originated in the parotid or submandibular gland and was characterized by marked fibrosis and eosinophilic infiltration within tumor tissue despite the predominance of the squamous component. Here we report these two cases and provide a review of the literature. We believe that clinically these two tumors with stromal fibrosis and eosinophilic infiltration have a low malignant potential, although histological examination revealed a scanty mucus-producing epithelial component. Therefore, we consider this type of tumor as a new subtype of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. A low-malignant mucoepidermoid carcinoma with stromal fibrosis and eosinophilic infiltration, as described in these two cases, may be misdiagnosed as a highly malignant mucoepidermoid carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma because of its histologically scanty mucus-producing epithelial component. The objective of this study was to clarify their differences and to discuss the rendering of an accurate histological diagnosis, the degree of malignancy in relation to prognosis prediction, and the choice of therapy. In addition, we propose regarding this type of tumor as a new subtype of mucoepidermoid carcinoma.