Key point in dermoscopic differentiation between early nail apparatus melanoma and benign longitudinal melanonychia

Longitudinal melanonychia presents in various conditions including neoplastic and reactive disorders. It is much more frequently seen in non-Caucasians than Caucasians. While most cases of nail apparatus melanoma start as longitudinal melanonychia, melanocytic nevi of the nail apparatus also typically accompany longitudinal melanonychia. Identifying the suspicious longitudinal melanonychia is therefore an important task for dermatologists. Dermoscopy provides useful information for making this decision. The most suspicious dermoscopic feature of early nail apparatus melanoma is irregular lines on a brown background. Evaluation of the irregularity may be rather subjective, but through experience, dermatologists can improve their diagnostic skills of longitudinal melanonychia, including benign conditions showing regular lines. Other important dermoscopic features of early nail apparatus melanoma are micro-Hutchinson's sign, a wide pigmented band, and triangular pigmentation on the nail plate. Although there is as yet no solid evidence concerning the frequency of dermoscopic follow up, we recommend checking the suspicious longitudinal melanonychia every 6 months. Moreover, patients with longitudinal melanonychia should be asked to return to the clinic quickly if the lesion shows obvious changes. Diagnosis of amelanotic or hypomelanotic melanoma affecting the nail apparatus is also challenging, but melanoma should be highly suspected if remnants of melanin granules are detected dermoscopically.ArticleJOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY. 38(1):45-52 (2011)journal articl

Improved syntheses of D-ribo- and 2-deoxy-D-ribofuranose phospho sugars from methyl β-D-ribopyranoside

Methyl 4-deoxy-4-dimethoxyphosphinoyl-2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-ribopyranoside (12a) and methyl 2,4-dideoxy-4-dimethoxyphosphinoyl-beta-D-erythro-pentopyranoside (20) were efficiently prepared respectively from methyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-beta-D-ribopyranoside (7a) and its 3,4-O-isopropylidene isomer (7b) in appreciably improved total yields compared with those via previously reported routes. Compounds (12a, 20) were led to D-ribofuranose and 2-deoxy-D-ribofuranose phospho sugars (4, 5)

High-frequency 30-MHz sonography in preoperative assessment of tumor thickness of primary melanoma: usefulness in determination of surgical margin and indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comHigh-frequency sonographic imaging has been used for the preoperative evaluation of primary malignant melanoma. In the present study, to identify the usefulness of 30-MHz sonography for determination of the surgical margin and indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy, the correlation between sonometric and histometric tumor thickness was investigated. A total of 74 primary melanomas, in patients seen at the dermatology clinic, Shinshu University Hospital, from 1998 to 2006, were evaluated using high-frequency sonographic equipment with two probes (15 MHz and 30 MHz), and tumor thickness was measured using electronic calipers before surgical treatment. All the primary lesions were surgically excised and Breslow's tumor thickness was measured histologically. In 68 melanomas, excluding 2 lesions of melanoma in situ and 4 lesions with poor sonographic images, sonographic and histologic thickness showed good correlation (r = 0.887). Particularly, in 26 melanomas affecting the soles of the feet, sonographic and histologic thickness showed excellent correlation (r = 0.945). Regarding the T categorization, in which T1-T4 are divided at 1, 2, and 4 mm in thickness, the categories determined with sonometry corresponded very well to those determined with histometry. The correspondence was particularly excellent in thinner primary lesions with thickness around 1 mm. We excised almost all these primary melanomas with surgical margins based on the sonometric thickness. In 22 patients with sonometric thickness more than 1 mm, sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or radical lymphadenectomy was performed. High-frequency sonography (30-MHz) is very useful in the preoperative prediction of tumor thickness, particularly in thinner primary lesions, which allows us to determine surgical margins and indication for sentinel lymph node biopsy.ArticleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY. 14(5):426-430 (2009)journal articl

On the Modern Significance of Dark Tourism : The Material Turn of Tourism

独立行政法人日本学術振興会の科研費20K01899、17K03909の助成を得た

On the Light and Shadow of Modernization : Perspectives from Dark Tourism on Gunkanjima

独立行政法人日本学術振興会の科研費20K01899、17K03909の助成を得た

Generalised Acanthosis Nigricans in Childhood with Short Stature Associated with Poor Response to Growth Hormone Provocation

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a skin disorder characterised by skin hyperpigmentation and thickening, especially in the intertriginous regions. AN is usually classified as either malignant, benign, obesity-associated, syndromic, unilateral, acral, drug-induced and mixed (1). A generalised form of AN frequently occurs together with internal malignancy in adult patients, but it is rare in childhood (2-7). Here, we report a paediatric case of generalised AN associated with short stature accompanied with decreased growth hormone levels.ArticleACTA DERMATO-VENEREOLOGICA. 94(4):486-487 (2014)journal articl