Primary Synovial Sarcoma of the Kidney

The case was a 40-year-old female. She visited a local doctor with a chief complaint of right side abdominal pain. A right kidney tumor measuring 10 cm in diameter was observed in an abdominal Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Based on the CT image, the possibility of angiomiolipoma (AML) could not be ruled out, but a high maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 7.8 was observed in a Positron Emission Tomography CT (PET-CT) scan and there was a possibility of malignancy. We therefore performed a transperitoneal right radial nephrectomy. Although adhesion of the tumor to the duodenum and the inferior vena cava was observed, it was possible to perform an excision. The tumor accounted for a large proportion of the excised kidney; the surrounding areas had taken on a cyst-like structure, and the interior comprised grayish brittle tissue exhibiting solid growth. Histologically, gland-like and cyst-like structures composed of cylindrical cuboidal cells and mainly characterized by the solid growth of short fusiform-shaped and oval-shaped basophilic cells were observed, and we believed it was a synovial sarcoma. There were no malignant findings in the adrenal gland. There have been approximately 30 reported cases around the world of synovial sarcoma that developed in the kidney, and we herein report this case with bibliographic considerations

Carcinoid tumors of the lung: A report of 11 cases

Carcinoid tumors of the lung are rare, and account for 1% of all primary tumors of the lung. This study was undertaken to investigate the histological characteristics and clinical behavior of carcinoid tumors of the lung. We have retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of 11 consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment for carcinoid tumors of the lung between 1992 and 2007. Patients with carcinoid tumors accounted for 0.8% (11 of 1319) of the patients undergoing surgical treatment for nonsmall cell lung cancer. The group comprised six males and five females with a mean age at presentation of 58.6 years (range 27–78 years). All of the operations were lobectomies, including two sleeve lobectomies. Six patients had typical and five had atypical carcinoid tumors. Seven patients had stage IA disease, two had stage IB, one had stage IIA, and one had stage IIIA. Recurrent tumors developed in two of the five patients affected by atypical carcinoid tumors, but none of the six patients with typical carcinoid tumors. Overall, the 5-year survival rate of patients with both typical and atypical carcinoid tumors was 90.9%. Survival of carcinoid tumors was favorable. In this analysis, two patients with atypical carcinoid had postoperative recurrences. Recurrence was more common among patients with atypical carcinoid tumors

Surgical treatment of catamenial pneumothorax: Report of three cases

Catamenial pneumothorax (CP) is a rare entity of spontaneous, recurring pneumothorax in females. Although it has been known to be associated with thoracic endometriosis, varying clinical course and the lack of consistent intraoperative findings have led to conflicting etiological theories. We herein discuss the etiology, clinical course, and surgical treatment of three patients with CP. Three females (aged 40 years, 28 years, and 34 years) had recurrent right-sided spontaneous pneumothoraces that coincided with their menses. They had undergone video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) previously. Blueberry spots in the right diaphragm were detected in all three cases. Two patients had recurrence, postoperatively. The other patient, who received luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog therapy for an abdominal endometriosis in the perioperative period and postoperative chemical pleurodesis to prevent recurrence, has been free of recurrence for 15 months, postoperatively. However, pelvic endometriosis was detected in this patient only. Therefore, CP should be suspected in ovulating females with spontaneous pneumothorax, even in the absence of any symptoms associated with pelvic endometriosis. In addition, while performing VATS, careful inspection of the diaphragmatic surface is important. In complicated cases, hormonal suppression therapy and chemical pleurodesis might also be helpful adjunct modalities

Carcinoid tumors of the lung: A report of 11 cases

Objective: Carcinoid tumors of the lung are rare, and account for 1% of all primary tumors of the lung. This study was undertaken to investigate the histological characteristics and clinical behavior of carcinoid tumors of the lung. Methods: We have retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of 11 consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment for carcinoid tumors of the lung between 1992 and 2007. Results: Patients with carcinoid tumors accounted for 0.8% (11 of 1319) of the patients undergoing surgical treatment for nonsmall cell lung cancer. The group comprised six males and five females with a mean age at presentation of 58.6 years (range 27–78 years). All of the operations were lobectomies, including two sleeve lobectomies. Six patients had typical and five had atypical carcinoid tumors. Seven patients had stage IA disease, two had stage IB, one had stage IIA, and one had stage IIIA. Recurrent tumors developed in two of the five patients affected by atypical carcinoid tumors, but none of the six patients with typical carcinoid tumors. Overall, the 5-year survival rate of patients with both typical and atypical carcinoid tumors was 90.9%. Conclusion: Survival of carcinoid tumors was favorable. In this analysis, two patients with atypical carcinoid had postoperative recurrences. Recurrence was more common among patients with atypical carcinoid tumors

Neonatal lethality with abnormal neurogenesis in mice deficient in DNA polymerase β

DNA polymerase β (Polβ) has been implicated in base excision repair in mammalian cells. However, the physiological significance of this enzyme in the body remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that mice carrying a targeted disruption of the Polβ gene showed growth retardation and died of a respiratory failure immediately after the birth. Histological examination of the embryos revealed defective neurogenesis characterized by apoptotic cell death in the developing central and peripheral nervous systems. Extensive cell death occurred in newly generated post-mitotic neuronal cells and was closely associated with the period between onset and cessation of neurogenesis. These findings indicate that Polβ plays an essential role in neural development

Surgical treatment of catamenial pneumothorax: Report of three cases

Catamenial pneumothorax (CP) is a rare entity of spontaneous, recurring pneumothorax in females. Although it has been known to be associated with thoracic endometriosis, varying clinical course and the lack of consistent intraoperative findings have led to conflicting etiological theories. We herein discuss the etiology, clinical course, and surgical treatment of three patients with CP. Three females (aged 40 years, 28 years, and 34 years) had recurrent right-sided spontaneous pneumothoraces that coincided with their menses. They had undergone video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) previously. Blueberry spots in the right diaphragm were detected in all three cases. Two patients had recurrence, postoperatively. The other patient, who received luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog therapy for an abdominal endometriosis in the perioperative period and postoperative chemical pleurodesis to prevent recurrence, has been free of recurrence for 15 months, postoperatively. However, pelvic endometriosis was detected in this patient only. Therefore, CP should be suspected in ovulating females with spontaneous pneumothorax, even in the absence of any symptoms associated with pelvic endometriosis. In addition, while performing VATS, careful inspection of the diaphragmatic surface is important. In complicated cases, hormonal suppression therapy and chemical pleurodesis might also be helpful adjunct modalities

A Rho-based reaction-diffusion system governs cell wall patterning in metaxylem vessels

Rho GTPases play crucial roles in cell polarity and pattern formation. ROPs, Rho of plant GTPases, are widely involved in cell wall patterning in plants, yet the molecular mechanism underlying their action remains unknown. Arabidopsis ROP11 is locally activated to form plasma membrane domains, which direct formation of cell wall pits in metaxylem vessel cells through interaction with cortical microtubules. Here, we show that the pattern formation of cell wall pits is governed by ROP activation via a reaction-diffusion mechanism. Genetic analysis and reconstructive assays revealed that ROPGEF4/7 and ROPGAP3/4, which encode ROP activators and inactivators, respectively, regulated the formation of ROP-activated domains; these in turn determined the pattern of cell wall pits. Mathematical modelling showed that ROP-activation cycle generated ROP domains by reaction-diffusion mechanism. The model predicted that a positive feedback and slow diffusion of ROP11-ROPGEF4 complex were required to generate ROP-activated domains. ROPGEF4 formed a dimer that interacted with activated ROP11 in vivo, which could provide positive feedback for ROP activation. ROPGEF4 was highly stable on the plasma membrane and inhibited ROP11 diffusion. Our study indicated that ROP-based reaction-diffusion system self-organizes ROP-activated domains, thereby determines the pit pattern of metaxylem vessels