Hypothyroidism With ACTH Deficiency During Pembrolizumab Therapy for Lung Cancer: Case Report and Literature Review.

Background/aim: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors have recently shown great promise in treating various cancers, but often cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Simultaneous drug-induced hypothyroidism and isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficiency are rare irAEs. This combination of irAEs is associated with paradoxical endocrine dysfunction characterized by large amounts of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and small amounts of ACTH in the anterior lobe of the pituitary.

Surgical treatment of Bochodalek hernia incarcerated into the extra-pleural space: A rare case report.

Introduction: Bochdalek hernias are a type of diaphragm hernia. Almost all occur in the neonatal period, only 5% of these hernias occurring in adults. We here present a rare case of adult Bochdalek hernia incarcerated in the extra-pleural space.

[Analysis of Advanced or Postoperative Recurrent Non-small Lung Cancer Cases Treated with Nivolumab].

Recent developments in cancer immunotherapy are remarkable. Many reports have described the clinical effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), supporting their utility as a promising therapy that will achieve prominent effects even in patients resistant to cytotoxic anticancer drugs or gene-targeting therapy. ICIs may also prolong overall survival.

A rare anomaly of the right superior pulmonary vein: Report of a case.

Introduction: Although there are a lot of variations of pulmonary veins (PVs) including dangerous type that could cause serous complications during the surgery, limited information has been reported about these variations. We have experienced an extremely rare anomaly of the right superior PV.

Presentation Of Case: A 74-year-old man patient with right lung cancer visited our hospital.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the lung: a case report.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are relatively rare neoplasms that commonly occur in the pleura. The pathological feature of SFTs is a proliferation of spindle-shaped cells in interlacing or storiform fascicles. SFTs appear to derived from pluripotential submesothelial cells, but not the covering mesothelium.

A primary cellular fibrohistiocytoma of the lung: Report of a case.

Introduction: Cellular fibrohistiocytoma (CFH) is a type of fibrohistiocytic tumor that commonly occurs in the dermis and superficial subcutis. The designation is used for lesions that show increased cellularity with a fascicular growth pattern and frequent extension. Our search of literature only revealed one case of a primary CFH of the lung.

A rare pulmonary hamartoma: fibroleiomyomatous hamartoma.

Pulmonary hamartomas are more common than expected because they are usually asymptomatic and are either discovered on routine chest radiography or when they are noted incidentally in approximately 0.25 % of autopsies. In contrast, pulmonary fibroleiomyomatous hamartoma, which consists of interlacing bundles of smooth muscle cells admixed with fibrous tissue and numerous tubular or cleft-like epithelial inclusions, is a rare type of hamartoma.

[Placement of An Expandable Metallic Stent for Malignant Tracheal Stenosis: A Case Report].

The utility of stent placements has been widely reported. We performed a thought-provoking stent placement for malignant tracheal stenosis recently. A 90-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital because of a urinary tract infection was treated with a course of antibiotics, but she demonstrated a rapidly progressive course with dyspnea.

Thoracoscopic plication for idiopathic eventration of the bilateral diaphragm: Report of a case.

Introduction: Diaphragmatic eventration, defined as permanent elevation of the diaphragm without defects, is a rare anomaly in adults. Trauma, neoplasms, infection, and degenerative disease are the most common causes of this condition, whereas idiopathic eventration of the diaphragm is relatively infrequent.

Presentation Of Case: We herein present the rare case of an 85-year-old female with idiopathic eventration of the bilateral diaphragm.

Surgical management of pulmonary arteriovenous fistula in a female patient.

Introduction: We herein describe a rare case of a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula (PAVF).

Presentation Of Case: The patient was a 20-year-old asymptomatic female, admitted to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow in the right lung field on chest X-rays. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed two nodules with well-defined margins in the right upper and lower lobes.

Lung granuloma mimicking pulmonary arteriovenous malformation: Report of a case.

Introduction: While hypervascular lesions in the lung are known to mimic pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM), here we report a rare case of lung granuloma mimicking PAVM, on which video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was performed.

Presentation Of Case: A 76-year-old woman without any symptom was admitted to our hospital because of abnormal shadow in the left lung field on chest X-ray. A 20mm×14mm nodule with well-defined margins and smooth contours in the left upper segment was detected in her chest computed tomography (CT).

An idiopathic azygos vein aneurysm mimicking a mediastinal mass.

Azygos vein aneurysms are very rare causes of mediastinal masses and are usually accidental findings on chest roentgenography. Most are detected in patients with portal hypertension or venous malformations. An idiopathic azygos vein aneurysm is assumed to be congenital and is much more exceptional.

Clinical characteristics of small cell carcinoma of the breast.

Primary small cell carcinoma of the breast is a rare tumor of which less than 40 cases have been reported in the literature. Because of its rarity, its biological and clinical characteristics are still not fully understood and, to date, no standard therapy has been developed. Here, we present a case and a review of the literature regarding this cancer, focusing on clinicopathological findings and treatment.

Characteristic gene expression induced by polyurethane foam/spheroid culture of hepatoma cell line, Hep G2 as a promising cell source for bioartificial liver.

Background/aims: Polyurethane foam (PUF)/ spheroid-culture can improve liver-specific functions of hepatoma cell line, Hep G2. Therefore, gene expression profile in the PUF/spheroid culture is hypothesized to be different from that in the monolayer culture. The aim of this study is to clarify the characteristic gene expression in PUF/spheroid-cultured Hep G2 cells, as a cell source for bioartificial liver (BAL), using microarray analysis.

Tumor necrosis factor-a antisense transfer remarkably improves hepatic graft viability.

Background: Cold ischemia/reperfusion injury of the hepatic graft, an unsolved problem in liver transplantations, is attributed to the release of inflammatory cytokines, especially the tumor necrosis factor- (TNF) alpha, from activated Kupffer cells (KC). Therefore, the specific inhibition of TNF-alpha could improve the viability of the hepatic graft upon reperfusion.

Methods: We assessed the efficacy of TNF-alpha antisense (TNF-AS) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) delivery to KC in a rodent liver transplantation model.

Preoperative sorting of circulating T lymphocytes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: its prognostic significance.

Aim: To elucidate the immunologic parameters for the outcome of patients with malignant tumors, especially esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) associated with high malignant potential.

Methods: Clinicopathologic features were compared between patients with lower and higher CD4 and CD8 values as well as CD4/CD8 ratio in peripheral blood.

Results: The survival rate of patients with higher CD4 value was significantly better than that in patients with lower CD4 value (P = 0.

Unusual endoscopic findings of CMV esophagitis after liver transplantation.

Cytomegalovirus infections are associated with a high mortality rate after liver transplantation, but they are treated successfully by administration of the combination of ganciclovir plus intravenous immunoglobulin. We herein describe cytomegalovirus esophagitis in a patient having gastrointestinal symptoms such as dysphagia, retrosternal pain and epigastralgia after liver transplantation was detected by performing the surveillance of endoscopy. At first, the findings of endoscopy that were segmental erosive areas but no ulcerative areas on the esophageal lumen were unusual in this case of cytomegalovirus infections, but cytomegalovirus esophagitis was confirmed by cytomegalovirus immunohistochemical stain using biopsies.

Extended lobectomy for procurement of the left lobe with caudate lobe for living-related liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation from living-related donors has been established for end-stage liver disease. In adult cases, the left lobe with a caudate lobe was transplanted in order to increase the graft volume. However, the procurement operation should be less invasive for the donor.

Postoperative adjuvant therapy with tamoxifen, tegafur plus uracil, or both in women with node-negative breast cancer: a pooled analysis of six randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: This article reports the results of a pooled analysis of six randomized trials conducted to study the efficacy of uracil and tegafur (UFT) in the adjuvant treatment of node-negative breast cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: Six randomized controlled trials on node-negative breast cancer patients were conducted from 1992 through 1995 in Japan that included the three, three-arm trials (control [no adjuvant], UFT, and tamoxifen [TAM] groups) and the three, four-arm trials (control, UFT, TAM, and UFT plus TAM groups). Pooled analysis was performed on the data obtained from these six trials (involving 2,934 patients).

A case of gastric hyperplastic polyp with malignant transformation.

In this paper we report a case of hyperplastic polyp with malignant transformation. The patient was followed up by annual radiographic and endoscopic examination during 9 years. The first gastroscopy revealed a semi-pedunculated polyp beneath the esophageal-cardiac junction, 1.

The effect of the herbal medicines dai-kenchu-to and keishi-bukuryo-gan on bowel movement after colorectal surgery.

Background/aims: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the herbal medicines Dai-ken-chu-to and Keish-bukuryo-gan in the patients undergoing colorectal resection.

Methodology: Sixty-six patients undergoing colorectal resection were studied. Patients in the Study group began on 7.

Hyperinsulinemia in patients with colorectal cancer.

Background/aims: It has been reported that non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is one of the risk factors for colorectal cancer. Usually, in the pre-NIDDM state, hyperinsulinemia is seen for 5 to 8 years. Insulin is the growth factor of epithelial and cancer cells of colon and rectum.

Clinicopathological correlates of aspartyl (asparaginyl) beta-hydroxylase over-expression in cholangiocarcinoma.

Unlabelled: Aspartyl (asparaginyl) beta-hydroxylase (AAH) expression in surgically resected intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma significantly correlated with tumor size, growth type, differentiation, vascular invasion, and prognosis after surgery. AAH may have a role in regulating invasive or metastatic tumor cell growth of human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Recent studies demonstrated increased expression of the AAH gene in the majority of cholangiocarcinomas.

Frequent loss of heterozygosity but rare microsatellite instability in oesophageal cancer in Japanese and Chinese patients.

Reported frequencies for microsatellite instability (MSI) in oesophageal cancer differ widely in the literature, perhaps due to the high incidence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in this cancer. Using high-resolution fluorescent microsatellite analysis (HRFMA), we analysed microsatellite alterations in detail in 50 Japanese and 50 Chinese patients with squamous cell carcinoma in the oesophagus. In HRFMA, several devices have been developed to improve the detection characteristics, reproducibility of polymerase chain reaction and the migration accuracy of electrophoresis.