Relationship between chronic sclerosing dacryoadenitis with high level of IgG4 and Castleman disease

The purpose of this study is to present a case of chronic sclerosing dacryoadenitis with high level of IgG4 in a patient diagnosed earlier with Castleman disease. A 79-year-old man noticed a swelling of his lower left jaw that was first seen 8 years earlier. He was diagnosed with Castleman disease from the histopathological examination of a biopsy of the submandibular gland. Since then, the size of the gland had not changed, and he had no systemic inflammatory signs or symptoms. He developed diplopia a year earlier, and CT scans showed bilateral swelling of the lacrimal glands. He was referred to our hospital for further examinations. The patient underwent partial dacryoadenectomy. From the histopathological examinations, he was diagnosed with chronic sclerosing dacryoadenitis with high level of the serum IgG4. He underwent oral steroid therapy and the swollen lacrimal glands were significantly improved. The results suggest that there may be pathological links between IgG4-related dacryoadenitis and Castleman disease

Effects of mask fitness and worker education on the prevention of occupational dust exposure

To decrease the incidence of pneumoconiosis, we examined dust protective mask performance and its relation to pulmonary function as well as the effects of worker education on the proper wearing of masks. One hundred and seventy-eight workers from 15 factories subject to dust exposure participated in this study. All participants were interviewed to obtain relevant personal information and underwent both a mask leakage and a pulmonary function test. The mask leakage was expressed as a percentage, with under 10% leakage indicating that the dust protective mask worked efficiently. In addition, 23 workers from 2 factories were educated on how to wear masks properly. The average mask leakage was 24.3%, and 58% of workers wore ineffective masks. Though pulmonary function was almost normal, the percent vital capacity (%VC) tended to be lower depending on the mask leakage. Mask education, which was very easy and took only a short time, dramatically decreased average mask leakage from 32.1% to 10.5% (p0.001). Educating workers to wear masks properly might prevent the worsening of pulmonary function in response to dust exposure. Appropriate mask fitness by education could be useful in preventing the development of pneumoconiosis.</p

A Case of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Conjunctiva as Initial Sign of Systemic Cancers

The purpose of this report is to present the findings in a case of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the conjunctiva which was the initial sign of systemic cancers. A 94-year-old woman without known systemic diseases developed a mass in her right conjunctiva. She was referred to our hospital 5 months after the onset. She was diagnosed with conjunctival SCC by biopsy. Systemic CT before the surgery revealed multiple liver lesions, lung legions, and a large mass surrounding the appendix. The patient requested the surgery, and the main aim of the surgery was cosmesis. Histopathological examinations of the specimen led us to the final diagnosis as SCC. She did not receive any other therapy because of her age. As no other surgical procedures were undertaken, it is uncertain as to whether the conjunctival lesion was primary or secondary. Although, it is extremely rare that SCC of the conjunctiva is the initial sign of systemic cancers, careful systemic examinations to find other cancers should be made

Early-stage mucinous sweat gland adenocarcinoma of eyelid

We present the findings of an early-stage primary mucinous sweat gland adenocarcinoma in the lower eyelid of a Japanese patient. The patient was a 73-year-old man who had had a nodule on the left lower eyelid for two years. He was referred to our hospital with a diagnosis of a swollen chalazion. The clinical and histopathological records were reviewed and the mass was excised. Histopathological examination revealed a mucinous sweat gland adenocarcinoma. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography excluded systemic metastases. After the histopathological findings, a complete surgical excision of the margins of the adenocarcinoma was performed, with histopathological confirmation of negative margins. After the final histopathological examination, the patient was diagnosed with a primary mucinous sweat gland adenocarcinoma of the left eyelid. Six months after the surgery, no recurrence has been observed. Because the appearance of mucinous sweat gland adenocarcinoma of the eyelid is quite variable, the final diagnosis can only be made by histopathological examination. A complete surgical excision is recommended

Inflammatory Mediator TAK1 Regulates Hair Follicle Morphogenesis and Anagen Induction Shown by Using Keratinocyte-Specific TAK1-Deficient Mice

Transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is a member of the NF-κB pathway and regulates inflammatory responses. We previously showed that TAK1 also regulates keratinocyte growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, it is unknown whether TAK1 has any role in epithelial–mesenchymal interactions. To examine this possibility, we studied the role of TAK1 in mouse hair follicle development and cycling as an instructive model system. By comparing keratinocyte-specific TAK1-deficient mice (Map3k7fl/flK5-Cre) with control mice, we found that the number of hair germs (hair follicles precursors) in Map3k7fl/flK5-Cre mice was significantly reduced at E15.5, and that subsequent hair follicle morphogenesis was retarded. Next, we analyzed the role of TAK1 in the cyclic remodeling in follicles by analyzing hair cycle progression in mice with a tamoxifen-inducible keratinocyte-specific TAK1 deficiency (Map3k7fl/flK14-Cre-ERT2). After active hair growth (anagen) was induced by depilation, TAK1 was deleted by topical tamoxifen application. This resulted in significantly retarded anagen development in TAK1-deficient mice. Deletion of TAK1 in hair follicles that were already in anagen induced premature, apoptosis-driven hair follicle regression, along with hair follicle damage. These studies provide the first evidence that the inflammatory mediator TAK1 regulates hair follicle induction and morphogenesis, and is required for anagen induction and anagen maintenance

Case Report A Case of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Conjunctiva as Initial Sign of Systemic Cancers

The purpose of this report is to present the findings in a case of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the conjunctiva which was the initial sign of systemic cancers. A 94-year-old woman without known systemic diseases developed a mass in her right conjunctiva. She was referred to our hospital 5 months after the onset. She was diagnosed with conjunctival SCC by biopsy. Systemic CT before the surgery revealed multiple liver lesions, lung legions, and a large mass surrounding the appendix. The patient requested the surgery, and the main aim of the surgery was cosmesis. Histopathological examinations of the specimen led us to the final diagnosis as SCC. She did not receive any other therapy because of her age. As no other surgical procedures were undertaken, it is uncertain as to whether the conjunctival lesion was primary or secondary. Although, it is extremely rare that SCC of the conjunctiva is the initial sign of systemic cancers, careful systemic examinations to find other cancers should be made

Increase of mild disability in Japanese elders: A seven year follow-up cohort study

BACKGROUND: Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world. In a 2002 census government report, 18.5% of Japanese were 65 years old and over and 7.9% were over 75 years old. In this ageing population, the increase in the number of dependent older persons, especially those with mild levels of disability, has had a significant impact on the insurance budget. This study examines the increase of mild disability and its related factors. METHODS: All community-dwelling residents aged 65 and over and without functional decline (n = 1560), of Omishima town, Japan, were assessed in 1996 using a simple illustrative measure, "the Typology of the Aged with Illustrations" to establish a baseline level of function and were followed annually until 2002. The prevalence and incidence of low to severe disability, and their association with chronic conditions present at the commencement of the study, was analyzed. A polychotomous logistic regression model was constructed to estimate the association of each chronic condition with two levels of disability. RESULTS: An increase in mild functional decline was more prevalent than severe functional decline. The accumulation of mild disability was more prominent in women. The major chronic conditions associated with mild disability were chronic arthritis and diabetes in women, and cerebrovascular accident and malignancy in men. CONCLUSION: This study showed a tendency for mild disability prevalence to increase in Japanese elders, and some risk factors were identified. As mild disability increasingly prevalent, these findings will help determine priorities for its prevention in Japanese elders