[Clinical benefit of full-dose gemcitabine for advanced pancreatic cancer refractory to S-1+gemcitabine].

A 62-year-old man with pancreatic body cancer underwent distal pancreatectomy without adjuvant gemcitabine(GEM). Because the pancreatic cancer recurred 4 months after surgery, however, he was treated with combination chemotherapy(S- 1+GEM at 750mg/m2). Unfortunately, this combination regimen was ineffective; therefore S-1 was withdrawn and full-dose GEM was administered as second-line treatment. One year of full-dose GEM showed a significant clinical benefit, completely eliminating multiple pulmonary metastases even after a 3-month suspension of chemotherapy. Our findings suggest that GEM monotherapy is a useful mainstream treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer.

Lymphomatoid gastropathy: a distinct clinicopathologic entity of self-limited pseudomalignant NK-cell proliferation.

Diagnostic errors in distinguishing between malignant and reactive processes can cause serious clinical consequences. We report 10 cases of unrecognized self-limited natural killer-cell proliferation in the stomach, designated as lymphomatoid gastropathy (LyGa). This study included 5 men and 5 women (age, 46-75 years) without any gastric symptoms. Gastroscopy showed elevated lesion(s) (diameter, ∼ 1 cm). Histologically, medium-sized to large atypical cells diffusely infiltrated the lamina propria and, occasionally, the glandular epithelium. The cells were CD2(+/-), sCD3(-), cCD3(+), CD4(-), CD5(-), CD7(+), CD8(-), CD16(-), CD20(-), CD45(+), CD56(+), CD117(-), CD158a(-), CD161(-), T cell-restricted intracellular antigen-1(+), granzyme B(+), perforin(+), Epstein-Barr early RNA(-), T-cell receptor αß(-), and T-cell receptor γδ(-). Analysis of the 16 specimens biopsied from 10 patients led to a diagnosis of lymphoma or suspected lymphoma in 11 specimens, gastritis for 1 specimen, adenocarcinoma for 1 specimen, and LyGa or suspected LyGa for 3 specimens. Most lesions underwent self-regression. Three cases relapsed, but none of the patients died. According to conventional histopathologic criteria, LyGa is probably diagnosed as lymphoma, especially as extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type. However, LyGa is recognized as a pseudomalignant process because of its clinical characteristics. The concept of LyGa should be well recognized.

Dermoscopy of rippled pattern sebaceoma.

A 77-year-old Japanese woman presented a dome-shaped pinkish nodule on the scalp. Dermoscopy demonstrated yellowish homogeneous ovoid areas with translucent whitish veil and arborizing vessels. No association with Muir-Torre syndrome was found. Histopathology revealed a smooth-bordered neoplasm in the dermis with partial connection to the epidermis. The tumor was composed mainly of germinative cells. The tumor focally showed a typical "rippled pattern". There were only a few vacuolated cells suggesting sebaceous differentiation. These cells were highlighted with adipophilin antibody. No nuclear atypia or mitotic figures were observed. We regarded the neoplasm as sebaceoma. Dermoscopy demonstrated clearly visualized yellowish homogeneous ovoid areas. This feature usually corresponds to dermal conglomerations of the cells with sebaceous differentiation. However, this case histopathologically showed only limited area with sebaceous differentiation. We presented a case of rippled-pattern sebaceoma and described its dermoscopic features. This was the first report referring to the dermoscopic features of sebaceoma.

Case of subcutaneous abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica in an aplastic anemia patient.

We report a case of subcutaneous abscess caused by Nocardia farcinica in a 44-year-old man, who had been treated with systemic prednisolone and cyclosporin for aplastic anemia. He had been affected by aplastic anemia for 8 years, and was previously treated with antithymocyte globulin. The effect was insufficient, and platelet and erythrocyte transfusion was required. Bone marrow transplantation was not adopted due to a psychological problem. He had also been treated with prednisolone and cyclosporin for 3 years. Without apparent cause, swelling and pain of left upper extremity developed in April, 2008. There was no abnormality in cutaneous macroscopic findings, such as a wound or a sting. He was administered antibiotics, but they were ineffective and effusion were excreted into the skin. After hospitalization, he was treated by incision and drainage and antibiotics were started. The pathogen was identified as Nocardia farcinica by its biochemical characters. There was no dissemination to other organs like lung or brain and he recovered completely with a treatment of antibiotics for 1 year. We studied the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of Nocardia infections reported in Japan from 2000 to 2008 and identified 92 cases using the medical article search engine Ichushi-Web (Japan Medical Abstract Society). The results indicate that the most important risk factor in systemic nocardiosis ia an immunosuppressive agent such as prednisolone, cyclosporine, or azathioprine. We believe that we should take the possibility of Nocardia infection into consideration in a compromised host.

[A case of both cryptococcal pneumonia and meningitis with idiopathic CD4+T-lymphocytopenia followed up over a long time].

A 62-year-old man had felt cold-like symptoms for 2 months. He visited a clinic for a health check in late July 1998 and chest X-ray film showed an infiltrative shadow in the left middle and lower lung fields. Next day he had a fever of 38.3 degrees C and felt breathless. Six days thereafter he had a cough, thick head and felt fatigue. Chest X-ray films showed other infiltrative shadows in the bilateral upper lung fields. He worked in a race track and was exposed to pigeons and seabirds at that time. Culture of sputum grew Cryptococcus neoformans. He was admitted and was treated with intravenous antifungal drugs. Cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed positive Indian ink stain for C. neoformans. The CD4 + T-lymphocyte count and CD8 + T-lymphocyte count were 143.4 cells/mm3 and 1288.8 cells/mm3 respectively, but without HIV infection. Cryptococcal pneumonia and meningitis with Idiopathic CD4 + T-lymphocytopenia was diagnosed. After induction therapy, the symptoms improved but abnormal shadows remained on chest X-ray films. Maintenance therapy has been continued at doses of 200 mg/day of fluconazole for 10 years. He has had no symptoms, but the abnormal X-ray shadow has persisted and the CD4 count has remained low during the same period.

[Study on clinico-pathological features of active pulmonary tuberculosis found at autopsy in a general hospital].

OBJECTIVES: To clarify clinico-pathological features of tuberculosis found at autopsy. METHODS: This study investigates 18 (3.7%) of active pulmonary tuberculosis out of 489 autopsy in Tachikawa Sougo Hospital during the period from 1992 to 2005. RESULTS: There were 11 men and 7 women, with a median age of 69.5 years. Tubercle bacilli were proved from sputum in 6, which consisted of 3 with positivity on sputum smear microscopy and culture, and 3 with positivity only on sputum culture. Two were examined, but not diagnosed before death. Three didn't show any positive result despite of repeated sputum tests. The features of the chest radiological findings were: (1) Shadows that present prior tuberculosis (ex: nodules, fibrotic lesion) were found in 9 and ground-glass-opacity in 5. (2) In 6, radiological findings consistent with tuberculosis were not pointed out because shadows such as fibrosis, pleural effusion, or cancer were mixed in the same lung. (3) In 11, main radiological findings were found in atypical segments, when there were some underlying conditions such as the use of corticosteroidal therapy or diabetes mellitus. Four were diagnosed correctly, and treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs. Other 14 were not diagnosed before death and diagnosed wrongly as pneumonia, cancer, or other diseases. Encapsulated caseous nodules were seen in 7, and autopsy confirmed that 12 including these 7 were caused by endogenous reactivation. Miliary tuberculosis was found in 5, caseous pneumonia/bronchitis in 6. One had tuberculous empyema. As to underlying diseases, 8 had malignant disease, 6 had diabetes mellitus and 6 were treated with corticosteroids. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that sputum culture or radiological findings are not sufficient enough to diagnose tuberculosis, especially in compromised host. We emphasize the vital role of treatment for latent tuberculosis for cases with high risk of endogenous reactivation, and it's necessary to make the guideline for the treatment of such latent tuberculosis.