[A case of M. fortuitum lung disease with small-cell lung cancer].

A 58-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow found on chest radiography. Chest radiographs and chest CT on admission showed a bulla with a niveau and infiltration in the right upper lobe. Smear of sputum and bronchial lavage were negative for acid-fast bacilli.

[The clinical features of ultra-old tuberculosis patients in our hospital].

Purpose: To examine the clinical features of ultra-old patients over 85 years of age who were admitted to our hospital for tuberculosis treatment.

Methods: Clinical features of tuberculosis patients over 85 years of age who were admitted to our hospital from January, 1996 to May, 2003 were analyzed in relation to their disease status, complications and prognosis.

Results: They showed a high tuberculin negative rate (26.

[The usefulness of lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) in side effects of antituberculosis drugs].

Purpose: The usefulness of the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) was examined in patients who arose side effects to antituberculosis drugs.

Methods: The usefulness of LST was examined in 36 patients from January, 1999 to July, 2002.

Results: There were 11 LST positive patients, and the LST positive rate was 30.

[A case of tuberculous pericarditis, the diagnosis of which was complicated by the delay in the rise of adenosine deaminase in the pericardial effusion].

An 81-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of pericardial effusion and sputum PCR positive for Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis. Since adenosine deaminase (ADA) value of the pericardial effusion was not high and the sputum smear and culture were negative, anti-tuberculous therapy was not started.

[A case of M. avium lung disease complicated with adenocarcinoma].

A 56-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for examination of an abnormal shadow found in a chest radiograph. Chest CT demonstrated a thick-walled cavity surrounded by small centrilobular nodules in the upper lobe of the left lung. Chemotherapy with rifampin, isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide was started, because acid-fast bacilli were observed in the bronchial brushing smear.

[A case of Mycobacterium avium pulmonary disease accompanied with pleural effusion].

Nontuberculous mycobacterial infection is seldom complicated with pleural involvement. We report a very rare case of M. avium pulmonary disease accompanied with pleural effusion.

A limited form of Wegener's granulomatosis with bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonitis-like variant in an ulcerative colitis patient.

A case of a 19-year-old man with ulcerative colitis (UC) developed multiple pulmonary nodular shadows with cavity formation, elevated perinuclear antinuclear cytoplasmic antibody (pANCA) and positive lymphocyte stimulation test by drug (DLST) for mesalazine suggesting mesalazine induced Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). Transbronchial biopsy specimens were consistent with WG and thoracoscopic biopsy specimens were consistent with bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonitis (BOOP). We diagnosed WG with BOOP-like variant, which was induced by mesalazine.

Exacerbation of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis by exogenous oestrogen used for infertility treatment.

Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease that affects women in the reproductive years. It is occasionally associated with tuberous sclerosis, especially in the incomplete form. As it is likely that oestrogen plays a central role in disease progression, exogenous oestrogen will cause a deterioration in LAM.

[The tuberculin reaction two years after the initial two-step tuberculin skin test in our hospital].

The tuberculin skin test was carried out to employees of our hospital one and two years later after the initial two-step tuberculin skin test in 1999 to examine the possibility of new tuberculosis infection. Nineteen weakly positive reactors aged 39-year-old or less in 1999 were followed up by tuberculin reaction for two years. The significant changes were not recognized in either the size of erythema or the size of induration, examined by one-way ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer multiple comparison procedure.

[The effectiveness of steroid as adjunctive therapy in the management of two patients with febrile reaction due to antituberculous drugs].

Antituberculous treatment could be continued by using steroid as adjunctive therapy in two patients showing febrile reaction to antituberculous drugs in spite of desensitization therapy. Case 1 (39-year-old man) was admitted to our hospital with positive sputum-smear and bilateral cavitary tuberculosis (b II 2) on chest X-ray. He showed fever of 38-39 degrees C after 8 days of HREZ treatment.

[The usefulness of two-step tuberculin skin testing in nosocomial infection cases].

The usefulness of the two-step tuberculin skin test in the preceding year for the contact investigation was reported, when a pulmonary tuberculosis patient was discovered in our hospital. Four persons showed stronger reaction than the results in two-step tuberculin skin test in the preceding year after nosocomial infection. One of them was diagnosed as pulmonary tuberculosis by chest radiograph, and antituberculosis chemotherapy was started.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with thrombosis in the left atrium.

We report a female patient with left atrial wall invasion from pulmonary aspergillosis. She had been treated for diabetes mellitus. Pulmonary aspergillosis extended to the left atrial wall via the left pulmonary vein and formed a polypoid lesion in the left atrium.

[Investigation of tuberculosis among the necropsy staff and environment in necropsy rooms].

We examined the incidence of tuberculosis among necropsy staff and the environment in the necropsy rooms at five medical institutions carrying out a large number of necropsy annually in the metropolis of Tokyo. The following results were obtained: 1) Incidence of tuberculosis was high among necropsy workers. 2) The method of wearing face masks was inadequate.

[Experimental tuberculosis infection of guinea pigs in the necropsy room and examination of infection risk using guinea pigs with tuberculosis].

The high incidence of tuberculosis among necropsy workers is well known and several problems related to their working conditions have been pointed out. We investigated the possibility of infection with tubercle bacilli under necropsy working conditions using guinea pigs housed in a necropsy room in which about 2,000 necropsies per year were carried out. Tuberculosis infection developed in one out of five guinea pigs.

Endotoxin, cerebral blood flow, amino acids and brain damage in young rabbits.

The effects of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) on the cerebral blood flow (CBF), amino acid levels and brain histology were studied in young rabbits. The CBF was slightly decreased in the cerebral cortex and markedly decreased in the cerebral white matter at 60 and 120 min after LPS administration. Histological examination revealed only slightly pyknotic neurons around small vessels at 24 hours, and multifocal necrosis in the deep cerebral cortex and white matter at 72 hours.