Influence of dental occlusion on physical fitness decline in a healthy Japanese elderly population.

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between dental occlusion and physical fitness by a longitudinal survey. A sample of 348 subjects (171 men and 177 women) aged 71 was investigated by Eichner index (EI) as an occlusal condition (Class A: no loss; Class B: partial loss; Class C: complete loss) and five types of physical fitness tests and were re-examined 8 years later. The upper 50% were sampled to analyze the correlation between each physical fitness decline and the EI at the baseline by logistic regression models. Logistic regression analyses revealed that leg extensor power (Class B vs. Class A; odds ratio=OR=4.61, p=0.010) and one-leg standing time with eyes open (Class C vs. Class A; OR=4.27, p=0.031) showed significant correlations with the EI at the baseline. In this study, partial or complete loss of occlusion was associated with a decline in leg extensor power or a decrease in one-leg standing time with eyes open. These findings suggest that maintenance of dental occlusion may prevent a decrease in activities of daily living in the elderly.

A case of carcinosarcoma of the breast.

Carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the breast. A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of a right breast mass for one month. The mass grew rapidly, and modified radical mastectomy was performed. Based on the histological findings of carcinomatous and sarcomatous components entangled without a transition area, and the results of immunohistochemical staining, carcinosarcoma of the breast was diagnosed. Within 9 months of the surgery, a recurrent lesion appeared in her chest wall. As shown by local resection, this recurrent tumor had only a carcinomatous component. Such tumors are very rare, and there have been no detailed reports of recurrence patterns of carcinosarcoma. Here we report our pathological findings in detail.