Giant pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma with hemangioma mimicking intestinal obstruction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pedunculated hepatocellular carcinoma (P-HCC) has rarely been reported and is characteristically large and encapsulated. Only sporadic cases have been published, in which P-HCC was combined with other liver tumors (mostly benign), making the diagnosis difficult.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report a patient who was admitted to our hospital with clinical features of intestinal obstruction and a palpable mass in the right iliac fossa. Ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an encapsulated mass of unclear origin and characteristics of liver hemangioma. Laboratory tests revealed elevated α-fetoprotein (> 800 ng/ml) and cancer antigen 125 (> 51.2 U/ml). With a possible diagnosis of giant liver hemangioma, we proceeded to surgery. During surgery, a giant pedunculated tumor was discovered on the inferior surface of the right lobe of the liver, hanging free in the right abdominal cavity towards the right iliac fossa. The macroscopic appearance of the tumor was compatible with liver hemangioma. Tumor resection was performed at a safe distance, including the pedicle. The rest of the liver appeared normal. Histopathological examination revealed grade II and III HCC (according to Edmondson-Steiner's classification) with nodular configuration, central necrosis, and infiltration of the capsule. Underneath the tumor capsule, residual tissue of a cavernous hemangioma was recognized. The resection margins were free of neoplastic tissue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This rare presentation of a giant P-HCC combined with a hemangioma with features of intestinal obstruction confirmed the diagnostic difficulties of similar cases, and required prompt surgical treatment. Therefore, patients benefit from surgical resection because both the capsule and the pedicle prevent vascular invasion, therefore improving prognosis.</p

High Efficacy of Preoperative Low-Dose Radiotherapy with Sanazole (AK-2123) for Extraskeletal Ewing's Sarcoma: A Case Report

Extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumor that is morphologically indistinguishable from Ewing's sarcoma of bone. We report a case of extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma with several systemic problems. A 69-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of a rapidly enlarging mass in the right thigh. Because preoperative radiotherapy with sanazole (AK-2123) contributed the tumor mass reduction down to 40% in size, the tumor was successfully resected with clear surgical margins and repaired with a musculocutaneous flap. The high efficacy of pre-operative low-dose radiotherapy with sanazole was histologically confirmed that the resected tumor specimen involved no viable tumor cells and showed 100% necrosis. Based on clinical outcomes in this case, the combined modality of pre-operative low-dose radiotherapy with hypoxic cell radiosensitizer and adequate surgical resection might provide for the useful clinical application of extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma treatment

Test of exotic scalar and tensor interactions in K_e3 decay using stopped positive kaons

The form factors of the decay K+ --> pi0 e+ nu (K_e3) have been determined from the comparison of the experimental and Monte Carlo Dalitz distributions containing about 10^5 K_e3 events. The following values of the parameters were obtained: lambda_+ = 0.0278 +- 0.0017(stat) +- 0.0015(syst), f_S/f_+(0) = 0.0040 +- 0.0160(stat) +- 0.0067(syst) and f_T/f_+(0) = 0.019 +- 0.080(stat) +- 0.038(syst). Both scalar f_S and tensor f_T form factors are consistent with the Standard Model predictions of zero values.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, contributed to the proceedings of NANP Conference, Dubna, June 19-23, 200

A new limit of T-violating transverse muon polarization in the K+→π0μ+νK^{+}\to\pi^{0}\mu^{+} \nu decay

A search for T-violating transverse muon polarization ($P_T$) in the $K^{+}\to \pi^{0}\mu^{+}\nu$ decay was performed using kaon decays at rest. A new improved value, $P_T= -0.0017\pm 0.0023 (stat)\pm 0.0011 (syst)$, was obtained giving an upper limit, $| P_T | < 0.0050$. The T-violation parameter was determined to be Im$\xi = -0.0053 \pm 0.0071(stat)\pm 0.0036(syst)$ giving an upper limit, $|$Im$\xi| <0.016$.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

AtHKT1;1 Mediates Nernstian Sodium Channel Transport Properties in Arabidopsis Root Stelar Cells

The Arabidopsis AtHKT1;1 protein was identified as a sodium (Na+) transporter by heterologous expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, direct comparative in vivo electrophysiological analyses of a plant HKT transporter in wild-type and hkt loss-of-function mutants has not yet been reported and it has been recently argued that heterologous expression systems may alter properties of plant transporters, including HKT transporters. In this report, we analyze several key functions of AtHKT1;1-mediated ion currents in their native root stelar cells, including Na+ and K+ conductances, AtHKT1;1-mediated outward currents, and shifts in reversal potentials in the presence of defined intracellular and extracellular salt concentrations. Enhancer trap Arabidopsis plants with GFP-labeled root stelar cells were used to investigate AtHKT1;1-dependent ion transport properties using patch clamp electrophysiology in wild-type and athkt1;1 mutant plants. AtHKT1;1-dependent currents were carried by sodium ions and these currents were not observed in athkt1;1 mutant stelar cells. However, K+ currents in wild-type and athkt1;1 root stelar cell protoplasts were indistinguishable correlating with the Na+ over K+ selectivity of AtHKT1;1-mediated transport. Moreover, AtHKT1;1-mediated currents did not show a strong voltage dependence in vivo. Unexpectedly, removal of extracellular Na+ caused a reduction in AtHKT1;1-mediated outward currents in Columbia root stelar cells and Xenopus oocytes, indicating a role for external Na+ in regulation of AtHKT1;1 activity. Shifting the NaCl gradient in root stelar cells showed a Nernstian shift in the reversal potential providing biophysical evidence for the model that AtHKT1;1 mediates passive Na+ channel transport properties

Homogenization of weakly coupled systems of Hamilton--Jacobi equations with fast switching rates

We consider homogenization for weakly coupled systems of Hamilton--Jacobi equations with fast switching rates. The fast switching rate terms force the solutions converge to the same limit, which is a solution of the effective equation. We discover the appearance of the initial layers, which appear naturally when we consider the systems with different initial data and analyze them rigorously. In particular, we obtain matched asymptotic solutions of the systems and rate of convergence. We also investigate properties of the effective Hamiltonian of weakly coupled systems and show some examples which do not appear in the context of single equations.Comment: final version, to appear in Arch. Ration. Mech. Ana