A Rare Case of Appendiceal Mucocele with Myxoglobulosis

A 63-year-old man was admitted with an abdominal mass in the right lower quadrant. The tumor was diagnosed as mucocele of the appendix after admission and surgically removed. The appendix containing gelatinous mucus with numerous round bodies was distended to the size of an egg. Therefore, a diagnosis of myxoglobulosis was postoperatively made. This is a rare disease and the diagnosis has been preoperatively made in none of patients in Japan. The present case could present an echographic pattern characteristic of this cyst. Studies on all available echograms from previous patients could provide information necessary for preoperative diagnosis of myxoglobulosis

Mesenteric Bleeding due to a Ruptured Aneurysm of the Middle Colic Artery

An outpatient with repeated colic attacks of unknown cause was hospitalized and was subjected to CT scan, ultrasound inspection, cytodiagnosis via abdominocentesis, resulting in the diagnosis of epigastrial hematoma. Further angiographical investigation evidenced the presence of middle colic artery. Aneurysm was also detected in the right colic artery. Other celiac arteries, however, were normal. The aneurysms detected were surgically removed with a portion of the intestinal tract. The pathological investigation of the resected aneurysm in the present cast could not prove the association with several other diseases which have been mentioned as possible causes for aneurysm. While only 10 cases of aneurysm at the superior mesenteric arterial branch have been reported, the authors believe that angiographical inspection should indispensably be attempted for diagnosis in cases of abdominal pain or abdominal tumors of unknown causes

Differencial Diagnosis of an Abdominal Tumors of Uncertain Origin Using Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB)

FNAB under ultrasonic guidance was performed on 14 cases with abdomical tumors of uncertain origin. All of them could not be clarified their relationship with the liver, the biliary tract, the pancreas or the alimentary tract by routine clinical exams including diagnostic imaging such as CT and Ultrasonography. Preoperating histological diagnosis has been obtained for 12 of these by FNAB, thus diagnostic rate being 85.7%. The details of tumors identified by autopsy and operations were: 3 cases of lymphoma; 3 cases of leiomyosarcoma; 4 cases of adenocarcinoma; 2 cases of hematoma; and 1 case of inflammatory mass. Non-epithelial tumor was most frequently observed. FNAB is a simple diagnostic method with high cost-effectiveness for determining the therapeutical plan for an abdominal tumor of uncertain origin which is encounted in the daily treatment

Effect of acetylcholine on the highly stenotic coronary artery: Difference between the constrictor response of the infarct-related coronary artery and that of the noninfarct-related artery

AbstractTo examine the constrictor response of the infarct-related stenotic coronary artery in comparison with that of noninfarct-related stenotic arteries, acetylcholine in maximal doses of 100 μg for the left and 50 μg for the right coronary artery was injected into the 16 infarct-related coronary arteries of 16 patients with previous myocardial infarction (group 1) and into 19 stenotic coronary arteries of 16 patients with stable angina without myocardial infarction (group 2). Acetylcholine's effects on lumen diameter and area were quantitatively analyzed at the stenotic segment and its proximal segment without significant stenosis.Acetylcholine decreased lumen diameter and area at the stenotic segments from 0.72 ± 0.18 to 0.18 ± 0.33 mm and from 0.45 ± 0.22 to 0.10 ± 0.22 mm2, respectively, in group 1 (both p < 0.01) and from 0.75 ± 0.22 to 0.49 ± 0.30 mm and 0.48 ± 0.29 to 0.26 ± 0.23 mm2, respectively, in group 2 (both p < 0.01). Acetylcholine decreased the diameter and area at the proximal segment from 2.71 ± 0.75 to 2.38 ± 0.6 mm and from 6.18 ± 3.4 to 4.71 ± 2.23 mm2, respectively, in group 1 (both p < 0.01) and from 2.31 ± 0.67 to 1.95 ± 0.59 mm and from 4.5 ± 2.97 to 3.22 ± 1.96 mm2, respectively, in group 2 (both p < 0.01). The changes in diameter and area at the stenotic segment in group 1 were significantly greater than those in group 2 (both p < 0.01); there were no significant differences between groups in the changes at the proximal segment. Total or subtotal occlusion of the stenotic artery was induced in 11 (69%) patients in group 1 compared with 4 (21%) patients in group 2 (p < 0.01 group 1 vs. group 2).It is concluded that the constrictor response to acetylcholine of the stenotic segment of the infarct-related coronary artery is enhanced as compared with that of noninfarct-related arteries

Increased expression of kisspeptin and GnRH forms in the brain of scombroid fish during final ovarian maturation and ovulation

BACKGROUND: Kisspeptins (Kiss) are prime players in the control of reproductive function through their regulation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) expression in the brain. The experimental scombroid fish, chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) expresses two kiss (kiss1 and kiss2) and three gnrh (gnrh1, gnrh2, and gnrh3) forms in the brain. In the present study, we analyzed expression changes of kiss and gnrh mRNAs in the brain and corresponding GnRH peptides in the brain and pituitary during final ovarian maturation (FOM) and ovulation. METHODS: Female fish possessing late vitellogenic oocytes were injected with GnRH analogue to induce FOM and ovulation. Fish were observed for daily spawning activities and sampled one week post-injection at germinal vesicle migration (GVM), oocyte hydration, ovulation, and post-ovulatory time periods. Changes in relative mRNA levels of kiss and gnrh forms in the brain were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. Changes in GnRH peptides in the brain and pituitary were analyzed using time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. RESULTS: Both kiss1 and kiss2 mRNA levels in the brain were low at late vitellogenic stage and increased significantly during the GVM period. However, kiss1 mRNA levels decreased during oocyte hydration before increasing again at ovulatory and post-ovulatory periods. In contrast, kiss2 mRNA levels decreased at ovulatory and post-ovulatory periods. Levels of gnrh1 mRNA in the brain increased only during post-ovulatory period. However, levels of gnrh2 and gnrh3 mRNAs were elevated during GVM and then, decreased during oocyte hydration before increasing again at ovulatory period. During post-ovulatory period, both gnrh2 and gnrh3 mRNA levels declined. Peptide levels of all three GnRH forms in the brain were elevated during GVM and oocyte hydration; their levels were significantly lower during late vitellogenic, ovulatory, and post-ovulatory periods. In contrast, pituitary GnRH peptide levels did not show any significant fluctuations, with the GnRH1 peptide levels being many-fold higher than the GnRH2 and GnRH3 forms. CONCLUSION: The results indicate increased expression of multiple Kiss and GnRH forms in the brain and suggest their possible involvement in the regulation of FOM and ovulation in captive female chub mackerel

MEFV gene mutations in neuro-Behçet's disease and neuro-Sweet disease

ArticleAnnals of clinical and translational neurology. 6(12): 2595-2600 (2019)journal articl

Overexpression of RORγt Enhances Pulmonary Inflammation after Infection with Mycobacterium Avium

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) is the most common cause of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease in humans. The role of Th17 immunity in the pathogenesis of intracellular bacteria, such as MAC, is not currently understood. Transcription factor RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) is known as the master regulator for Th17 cell development. Here, we investigated the role of RORγt in host responses against MAC infection. Wild-type (WT) mice and RORγt-overexpressing mice were infected with MAC via intratracheal inoculation. Systemic MAC growth was not different between WT mice and RORγt-overexpressing mice. However, neutrophilic pulmonary inflammation following MAC infection was enhanced in RORγt-overexpressing mice compared with that in WT mice. The cytokine expression shifted toward a Th17 phenotype in the lungs of RORγt-overexpressing mice following MAC infection; the levels of IL-6 and IL-17 were significantly higher in the lung of these mice than in WT mice. In addition to the increase in IL-17 single-positive T cells, T cells producing both IL-17 and interferon-γ were elevated in the lung of RORγt-overexpressing mice following MAC infection. These findings suggest that RORγt overexpression-mediated Th17 bias contributes to local inflammation rather than systemic responses, by regulating neutrophil recruitment into the sites of infection during MAC infection

A case of cerebellar ataxia associated with VZV infection

The varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a neurotropic virus that becomes latent in the sensory ganglia, but later causes various neurologic complications such as meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis, meningoencephalitis, cranial neuropathy, and peripheral neuropathy [1]. While acute cerebellitis is one of the most frequent acute cerebellar diseases associated with VZV in childhood, VZV rarely causes cerebellitis in adults, with or without skin manifestations, and only a few isolated cases of adult VZV cerebellitis have been reported. We report a case of acute cerebellitis associated with VZV infection after a herpetic rash in an 80-year-old male. Functional imaging of his cerebellum showed high blood perfusion during the acute stage of the disease, though perfusion decreased in the subacute stage. Keywords: VZV infection, Acute cerebellitis, Hyperperfusio