Antitumor effect of hepatocyte growth factor on hepatoblastoma.

A six month-old girl presented with an abdominal mass, and high serum level of alpha-fetoprotein. She was diagnosed as having a well-differentiated hepatoblastoma by open biopsy. The biopsy specimen was transplanted on a nude mouse, and a xenograft was successfully established. Because the xenograft maintained the characteristics of the original tumor, the effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on hepatoblastoma xenograft was investigated. Recently HGF was reported to be involved in growth, invasion, and metastasis of tumor cells. Contrary to our expectations, the treatment of hepatoblastoma xenograft with recombinant 20 ng/ml HGF produced a marked inhibition of cell growth and a suppression of producing alpha-fetoprotein.

Giant calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe (pilomatrixoma): imaging features.

We present a case of giant calcifying epithelioma of Malherbe (pilomatrixoma) in the right upper arm of a 62-year-old man. It measured 18 x 12 x 8 cm in size, making it the largest of all the cases reported previously. CT clearly demonstrated a well-defined, subcutaneous mass with amorphous calcifications. The mass showed intermediate signal intensity on T2*-weighted MR images and slight contrast uptake on contrast-enhanced MR images. Histopathologically, this tumor showed no aggressive or malignant nature. The patient is without evidence of recurrence or metastasis 3 years following the resection.

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis associated with hiatal hernia.

From 1988 to 1994 the authors treated three patients with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) who presented with hiatal hernia (HH). Two of the cases had been diagnosed preoperatively. HPS should be considered in HH cases in which a significant delay of gastric output is suspected in the early neonatal period.

Endoscopic membranectomy for congenital duodenal stenosis in an infant.

A 60-day-old baby boy (body weight, 3,100 g) with congenital membranous stenosis in the third portion of the duodenum was successfully treated with endoscopic membranectomy by means of a high-frequency wave cutter.

[A case of renal carcinoma with bone metastasis, producing alpha-fetoprotein].

A 54-year-old man was admitted with the complaint of severe lumbago, pain in the right shoulder and difficulty in walking. Laboratory tests showed markedly increased alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level (600 ng/ml) and tomography demonstrated osteolytic lesion of the 5th lumbar vertebra and right scapula. Needle biopsy of the 5th lumbar vertebra revealed only necrotic tissue pathologically. Liver scan and whole body CT did not show any abnormality except for a right renal mass. Hypervascular tumor at the lower pole of the right kidney was noted by IVP and selective renal angiography. No pulmonary metastasis was found. The patient underwent transabdominal right nephrectomy. He had a lowered level of AFP (300 ng/ml) on the 17th post operative day. AFP level dropped further to 100 ng/ml after administration of vinblastine and ifosfamide. Lumbago continued without improving, and the patient died at home 20 weeks after surgery due to general weakness. Although we did not perform radiological examination of gastro-intestinal tract or autopsy, we concluded that renal cancer and/or a metastatic lesion to bone produced AFP because of the following reasons. No other tumor was detected by liver scan, whole body CT, laboratory examinations, operation or clinical symptoms. The AFP level was lowered after nephrectomy, and further dropped with chemotherapy. A case of renal cancer with bone metastasis and without liver metastasis, producing AFP was reported in the Japanese literature in 1983.