A case of recurrent malignant phyllodes tumor undergoing nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction.

Background: Although the primary treatment for malignant phyllodes tumor (PT) is complete surgical excision with either breast-conserving surgery or total mastectomy, recent technical advances have led to the adoption of nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) with immediate breast reconstruction (IBR).

Case Presentation: A 28-year-old woman noticed a mass in her left breast that was rapidly increasing in size. She underwent tumor excision and a histological diagnosis of marked degenerative and necrotic induration suggested benign PT.

Myocardial scintigraphy may predict the conversion to probable dementia with Lewy bodies.

Objective: To compare the usefulness of brain perfusion SPECT and (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine ((123)I-MIBG) in predicting the conversion of possible dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) to probable DLB.

Methods: We examined 94 patients with possible DLB based on the Consensus Criteria for the Clinical Diagnosis of DLB by N-Isopropyl-p-(123)I-iodoamphetamine ((123)I-IMP) brain perfusion SPECT and (123)I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy. After 1 year of follow-up, 33 of 94 patients met the criteria for probable DLB.

Nipple- or skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction by the "moving window" operation.

Background: Endoscope-assisted skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) or nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) has been developed to minimize the skin incision and to improve the cosmetic outcome of reconstructed breast for patients with breast cancer. However, this procedure can be performed without using endoscopic instruments.

Methods: We have performed SSM or NSM via a small periareolar incision with axillary incision using wound retractors without disposable endoscopic instruments.

[Case of dementia with Lewy bodies showing cervical dystonia after donepezil administration].

We reported a patient with probable dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) showing cervical dystonia during treatment with donepezil. A 78-year-old female had been treated with donepezil 5 mg/day for 18 months. The patient admitted to our hospital because of severe antecollis.

Treatment for chronic abscess after cranioplasty: reconstruction of dura maters using the anterolateral thigh flap with fascia lata.

Although artificial dura maters such as Gore-Tex are used in cranioplasty, the use of artificial products occasionally results in the formation of infectious lesions. Recently, we encountered two patients who underwent brain surgery and contracted infection from artificial dura maters used for cranioplasty. To treat the postoperative infection, we prepared a vascularized fascia lata attached anterolateral thigh flap that could be applied to the infected wounds in the reconstruction of dura maters and obtained satisfactory results.

A case of meningeal carcinomatosis presenting with the primary symptoms of facial palsy and sensorineural deafness.

We report the case of a 59-year-old man with meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) who presented with peripheral facial palsy and progressive sensorineural deafness. The patient had been operated on for gastric cancer 1 year previously, and no metastases had been detected in the retroperitoneum or thorax at follow-up examination 1 year later. However, he developed headache, deafness, and peripheral facial palsy and was referred to us for further evaluation, as magnetic resonance of the head had shown no abnormalities.

Involvement of mannose receptor in glycopeptidolipid-mediated inhibition of phagosome-lysosome fusion.

We previously reported that glycopeptidolipid (GPL) isolated from Mycobacterium avium serovar 4 inhibited phagosome-lysosome (P-L) fusion when macrophages phagocytosed heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus (SA). In the present study we analyzed the underlying inhibitory mechanism of GPL coated on SA. Elimination of oligosaccharide from GPL abrogated its inhibitory activity.

Pulmonary collectins enhance phagocytosis of Mycobacterium avium through increased activity of mannose receptor.

Collectins, including surfactant proteins A (SP-A) and D (SP-D) and mannose binding lectin (MBL), are the important constituents of the innate immune system. Mycobacterium avium, a facultative intracellular pathogen, has developed numerous mechanisms for entering mononuclear phagocytes. In this study, we investigated the interactions of collectins with M.