An autopsy case of refractory epilepsy due to unilateral polymicrogyria in a 65-year-old man: Histogenesis of four-layered polymicrogyric cortex.

Polymicrogyria (PMG) is a complex malformation accompanied with abnormal cortical laminations (two-, four- or six-layered cortex), and horizontally oriented myelinated fiber layer is evident in four-layered PMG in older individuals. Here we report a 65-year-old man with refractory epilepsy, in whom postmortem examination revealed four-layered PMG in the left hemisphere. We carried out a histological and immunohistochemical study to clarify the nature of the myelinated band in four-layered PMG cortex.

Feasibility of resuscitation contrast-enhanced postmortem computed tomography using cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique with chest compression immediately after death.

Purpose: Our purpose was to evaluate image delineation ability of contrast-enhanced post-mortem computed tomography (CEPMCT) using cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique of chest compression, named "resuscitation CEPMCT".

Materials And Methods: Non-traumatically-deceased 15 subjects (7 men; 8 women) aged 19-87 years (mean 61 years) underwent resuscitation CEPMCT. The contrast-enhanced technique, while injecting 100 ml of contrast media from the right cubital vein at a rate of 1 ml/s, chest compression was performed for 2 minutes at a rate of 100 times/min (a total of 200 times).

Background and current status of postmortem imaging in Japan: short history of "Autopsy imaging (Ai)".

There is a low autopsy rate and wide distribution of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in Japan. Therefore, many Japanese hospitals, including 36% of the hospitals with in-patient facilities and 89% of large hospitals with ER facilities conduct postmortem imaging (PMI), use clinical scanners to screen for causes in unusual deaths as an alternative to an autopsy or to determine whether an autopsy is needed. The Japanese PMI examination procedure is generally referred to as "autopsy imaging" (Ai) and the term "Ai" is now commonly used by the Japanese government.

[Accidental poisoning and test for it].

There are many dangerous materials which cause poisoning, toxins or poisons, in our lives. We may suddenly suffer from the effects of these materials by inhalation or ingestion before we are aware of the risk. It is very important to identify toxins or poisons to prevent poisoning and treat the poisoned patients.

Postmortem computed tomography findings as evidence of traffic accident-related fatal injury.

Purpose: Most traumatic deaths in Japan are due to nonpenetrating injuries, especially those that result from traffic accidents; however, the autopsy rate of traffic accident-related deaths is only about 5%. We investigated the diagnostic ability of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) in cases of fatal trauma after traffic accidents.

Materials And Methods: Our subjects were 78 subjects (59 males, 19 females; mean age 50 years, range 15-87 years) who were brought to our institution in cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival after traffic accidents and died despite resuscitation attempts.

Joint symptoms: a practical problem of anastrozole.

Background: Anastrozole and tamoxifen have mild toxicity. However, we noticed that more patients treated with anastrozole complained of joint symptoms than expected. In particular, digital stiffness as is seen with rheumatoid arthritis is a problem.

[Two cases of stage IV breast cancer with severe hypercalcemia].

Case 1: A 34-year-old woman,who had a right breast cancer with axillary lymph node metastasis and multiple bone metastases, was referred to our clinic. She developed paralysis of lower extremities and disorder of the bladder and rectum due to metastasis to the thoracic vertebra, and also had renal dysfunction due to severe hypercalcemia and hemorrhagic cystitis. Correcting the serum calcium level with intravenous infusion, elcatonin, pamidronate and betamethasone, she underwent radiation therapy for the vertebral metastasis.

Prolonged unilateral vasodilatation and brain edema in fulminant hepatic failure, associated with symptomatic seizure.

We report prolonged unilateral vasodilatation and hemispheric brain edema in a 49-year-old man with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). The patient presented with a tonic-clonic seizure caused by a hypertensive subcortical hemorrhage in the left parietal lobe. Serial computed tomography (CT) scans showed progressive darkening of the ipsilateral hemisphere, suggesting hemispheric cerebral infarction, but the patient did not show clinical signs of deterioration.