[Benign Subcutaneous Nodules for the Diagnosis of Which Ultrasonography Is Useful].

Objective: We analyzed sonographic appearance of dermatofibroma, schwannoma, small-sized venous mal- formation, glomus tumor, nodular fasciitis, and thrombus for effective use in the diagnosis.

Methods: We evaluated with sonography 44 subcutaneous nodules in histopathologically proven cases.

Results And Discussion: 1) Sonography was the most useful for diagnosing schwannoma.

[Sonographic appearance of benign subcutaneous nodules--including color Doppler sonography].

Objective: Color Doppler sonography is used to distinguish malignant from benign subcutaneous nodules because many malignant tumors show an increased number of vessels. But benign lesions, such as inflammatory epidermal cysts, pilomatricomas, palmoplantar fibromatoses show vascular flow signals. We analyze diagnostic factors for subcutaneous nodules on the basis of ultrasonographic appearance including color Doppler sonography.

Analysis of the plasma concentration of tacrolimus: a useful method for distinguishing falsely elevated tacrolimus concentrations reported by the ACMIA.

Unlabelled: Tacrolimus monitoring is essential because tacrolimus has a narrow therapeutic dose range. A 35-year-old male after kidney transplantation showed unusually high tacrolimus concentrations in the affinity column mediated immunoassay (ACMIA).

Methods: His whole blood tacrolimus concentrations were measured by the ACMIA, microparticle enzyme immunoassay (MEIA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT).