PRIMARY MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA OF THE BREAST A Case Report and Review of the Japanese Literature

A 26-year-old pregnant woman was admitted to Nagasaki University Hospital complaining rapid enlargement of masses in the bilateral breasts and the right axilla. Biopsy of the right breast revealed malignant lymphoma. Simple mastectomy plus axillary node dissection on the right side (Br+Ax) and excision of the tumor in the left breast were performed. Histologically, the tumor was a diffuse lymphoma of the medium-size cell type according to the LSG classification, originated from B cells. After operation, Vincristine, Adriamycin, and Cyclophosphamide were administrered, but chemotherapy was terminated because of marked leukopenia. The patient has remained asymptomatic for 7 years without any treatment, and there is no evidence of recurrence. We have collected 79 cases of malignant lymphoma of the breast reported in the Japanese literature, including the present case, and examined factors that might affect the prognosis of patients. However, age, size of tumor, axillary lymph node involvement, histological findings, and type of therapy did not exert a significant influence. The most critical factor in a poor prognosis was the extramammary involvement of malignant lymphoma

Occurrence of equine coital exanthema (ECE) in stallions in Japan and effectiveness of treatment with valacyclovir for ECE

Equine coital exanthema (ECE) has been reported in many countries, but equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) has been isolated only once in Japan. In 2015, symptoms of ECE were found, and EHV-3 was isolated in two stallions. Valacyclovir, an anti-herpesvirus agent, was administered orally. The stallions rested from mating for more than two weeks, causing enormous financial losses because of their high fees. This is the first study in which valacyclovir was administered for ECE. Though valacyclovir treatment did not shorten the duration of healing, the affected area did not expand after administration of valacyclovir. Valacyclovir therefore seems to be effective for suppression of EHV-3 infection. Further investigation about the administration protocol might be required

Period of excretion of equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) from a stallion before showing clinical signs of equine coital exanthema and the effect of acyclovir treatment on the duration of EHV-3 excretion

In 2017, two Thoroughbred stallions, A and B in Farms A and B, respectively, in Hokkaido in Japan showed clinical signs of equine coital exanthema (ECE). In 2020, stallion C in Farm B showed clinical signs of ECE. Eighteen mares were mated within five days before stallion A developed ECE. Ten mares that mated within 3 days before onset showed clinical signs of ECE on the external genitalia. Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) was isolated from vaginal swabs from three mares that mated within 2 days before onset. Swabs from 12 mares that mated within 4 days before onset were real-time PCR (rPCR)-positive and nine of those mares had an increased EHV-3 antibody titer. The three stallions were administered valaciclovir orally and topical acyclovir ointment was applied. Treatment started on the next day after onset in stallion A and on the day of onset in stallions B and C. EHV-3 was firstly isolated from penis swabs of stallions A and B before treatment and from penis swabs of stallion C 2 days after treatment. EHV-3 was not isolated after 8, 5 and 8 days from onset in stallions A, B and C, respectively. However, swabs were rPCR-positive for at least 12, 9 and 15 days after onset of stallions A, B and C, respectively. EHV-3 was excreted from the stallions at least within 4 days before the onset of ECE, and acyclovir treatment resulted in the termination of excretion within 8 days after onset

Acute testicular atrophy in an active Thoroughbred stallion

A Thoroughbred stallion was used as an active stallion for ten years, however, the number and motility of sperm dramatically decreased and azoospermia occurred at 16 years of age. Circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) was high at 16 years of age compared to the levels before the occurrence of these symptoms. Testicular endocrine function was examined by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration. No increase in circulating testosterone was detected at 16 years of age, whereas two peaks of testosterone were observed with hCG treatment at 12 years of age. The number of Leydig cells in the testes increased, but the LH receptor was not detected in Leydig cells. These results demonstrated that acute testicular atrophy occurred within one year

Isolation of an Equine Foamy Virus and Sero-Epidemiology of the Viral Infection in Horses in Japan

An equine foamy virus (EFV) was isolated for the first time in Japan from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a broodmare that showed wobbler syndrome after surgery for intestinal volvulus and the isolate was designated as EFVeca_LM. Complete nucleotide sequences of EFVeca_LM were determined. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the long terminal repeat (LTR) region, gag, pol, env, tas, and bel2 genes revealed that EFVeca_LM and the EFV reference strain had 97.2% to 99.1% identities. For a sero-epidemiological survey, indirect immunofluorescent antibody tests were carried out using EFVeca_LM-infected cells as an antigen against 166 sera of horses in five farms collected in 2001 to 2002 and 293 sera of horses in eight farms collected in 2014 to 2016 in Hokkaido, Japan. All of the farms had EFV antibody-positive horses, and average positive rates were 24.6% in sera obtained in 2001 to 2002 and 25.6% in sera obtained in 2014 to 2016 from broodmare farms. The positive rate in a stallion farm (Farm A) in 2002 was 10.7%, and the positive rates in two stallion farms, Farms A and B, in 2015 were 40.9% and 13.3%, respectively. The results suggested that EFV infection is maintained widely in horses in Japan