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We report a case of perforated rectal cancer with laparoscopic low anterior resection. Case: A 60-year-old man was transported to the hospital with a chief complaint of sudden lower abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed wall thickening of the upper rectum and free air localized around the rectum and fecal mass in the mesorectum. He was diagnosed with perforated rectal cancer. Because of the early onset, young age, and ascites confined to the pelvic floor, we decided to perform laparoscopic low anterior resection(D3 dissection). Intraabdominal observation revealed tumor in the upper rectum with a large rectal perforation 3 cm proximal to the tumor. By using gauze and suction, we were able to complete the surgery with ingenuity laparoscopically. The postoperative course was good, and he was discharged 9 days after surgery. Postoperative pathological examination revealed pT4apN0sM0, pStage Ⅱb. Adjuvant chemotherapy of 8 courses of capecitabine was performed. There has been no recurrence 3 years after surgery.

We report a case of robotic abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer with Leriche syndrome. Case: A 75-year-old male. Colonoscopy, which was performed due to persistent diarrhea, revealed type 2 lower rectal circumferential tumor. Pathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography revealed no distant metastasis, and incidentally complete occlusion from the abdominal aorta to both common iliac arteries. He was diagnosed to rectal cancer(RbRaP, cT3N0M0, cStage Ⅱa)with Leriche syndrome. Therefore, robotic abdominoperineal resection(D3 dissection)was performed. There was no complication, and he was discharged 15 days after surgery. Postoperative pathological examination revealed pT3N1asM0, pStage Ⅲb.

We herein report a 63-year-old woman who presented with about 20 mm-sized mass in the right breast and the right nipple with erosion. Preoperative examinations revealed a diagnosis of HER2-type pagetoid carcinoma with axillary lymph node metastasis. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy(pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel, followed by adriamycin and cyclophosphamide), a pathological complete response was achieved. The patient was treated with anti-HER2 therapy without recurrence.

A 52-year-old male patient with Stage Ⅲc ascending colon cancer underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with D3 lymph node dissection. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered for 6 months, and no recurrence was observed during the follow-up period. Left lung metastasis was detected and surgically removed 7 years after the initial surgery. He underwent open partial small bowel resection with lymph node dissection when mesenteric lymph node metastasis was identified 2 years later. Although chemotherapy was conducted on the identification of mediastinal lymph node metastasis 2 years later, the mediastinal lymph nodes increased. Although attempted, lymph node dissection was impossible because of the strong adhesion to the trachea. Subsequently, chemotherapy and radiation therapy were administered. However, an infiltration of the mediastinal lymph nodes into the trachea was observed. The patient underwent bronchoscopic laser tumor ablation. The patient died 4 months after the resumption of chemotherapy(18 years after the initial surgery). Mediastinal lymph node recurrence after curative resection for colon cancer is a rare clinical condition. Nevertheless, long-term survival could be achieved by multimodal treatments in such patients.

Local control is important in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC). In Western countries, the standard therapy for LARC is preoperative chemoradiotherapy(CRT)followed by total mesorectal excision. Recently, addition of intensive chemotherapy to CRT known as total neoadjuvant therapy(TNT)is increasing. We herein report a 69-year-old woman who developed LARC(cT3N3M0, cStage Ⅲc). She was diagnosed as clinical complete response after TNT, and she chose"watch and wait". She did not have a recurrence for 16 months.

A 73-year-old woman was admitted with a chief complaint of weight loss. Colonoscopy revealed rectal cancer. After the placement of a colonic stent, the patient was referred to our department. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and cystoscopy indicated extensive invasion of the bladder. Since total pelvic exenteration was necessary at the first diagnosis, total neoadjuvant therapy(TNT)was conducted. The diagnosis after TNT was ycT4bycN0ycM0. Low anterior resection with partial resection of the bladder and a diverting ileostomy were performed. The patient was discharged on the 16th day post-surgery with a good postoperative course. The pathological examination revealed a complete response, ypT0ypN0.

We report a case of laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer where a laparotomy transition prevented peritoneal metastasis from being missed. Case: A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer. Computed tomography revealed a large bowel obstruction and a 12 mm wide basal bulge in the gallbladder. A laparoscopic sigmoidectomy( D3 dissection)was first performed, and intra-abdominal observation revealed no disseminated nodules. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed continuously but, due to strong adhesions, a laparotomy was administered. Three disseminated nodules were observed in the omentum during the laparotomy and a postoperative pathological examination revealed pT4aN1b(2/23)M1c1(P2), pStage Ⅳc. Adjuvant chemotherapy of 8 courses of CAPOX was performed and there has been no recurrence 20 months after surgery.

As shown in the ATTRACTION-2 trial, nivolumab is effective as third-line chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent gastric cancer and esophagogastric junction cancer. We report a patient with esophagogastric junction cancer who underwent conversion surgery after third-line chemotherapy with nivolumab. The patient was a 72-year-old woman. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed advanced esophagogastric junction cancer of Siewert type Ⅱ, and computed tomography revealed multiple hepatic and pulmonary metastases. The esophagogastric junction cancer was diagnosed as cT3N1M1, cStage Ⅳb, and she was administered SP as first-line and nab-PTX/RAM as second-line treatment, but progressive disease remained. Nivolumab as a third-line treatment remarkably reduced the hepatic and pulmonary metastases after its administration was initiated, and conversion surgery was performed after 28 courses. The pathological diagnosis was ypT1b2(SM2), ypN0. After discharge from the hospital, postoperative chemotherapy with nivolumab was continued in the outpatient clinic, and there has been no evidence of disease progression.

Introduction: We report a case of submucosal(SM)adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon which developed distant metastasis 3 months after endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR)., Case: 54-year-old, male. Colonoscopy, which was performed due to positive fecal occult blood test, revealed 18 mm Isp sigmoid polyp. EMR was performed with en bloc resection. Pathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma(tub>por>sig), pT1b, Ly1c, V1a, pHM0, and pVM1. Therefore, laparoscopic sigmoidectomy(D2 dissection)was performed. Postoperative pathological examination revealed pT1b, pN2b(10/11), PN1b, pPM0, pDM0, pStage Ⅲb. Distant nodal involvement were found on computed tomography 3 months after EMR, although systemic chemotherapy(mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab 18 courses and FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab 4 courses)was performed, the patient died of liver failure caused by liver metastasis 21 months after EMR., Conclusion: We present a case of T1 sigmoid adenocarcinoma which developed distant metastasis 3 months after EMR with literature review.

A 47-year-old woman with a complaint of weight loss for the past 5 months was referred to our hospital. Colonoscopy revealed advanced rectal cancer 20 cm from the anal verge. The patient had left hydronephrosis caused by ureteral invasion. Firstly, we performed transverse colostomy and left nephrostomy. After 8 courses of capecitabine, oxaliplatin plus bevacizumab( CAPOX plus Bmab)therapy, colonoscopy and computed tomography revealed shrinkage of both the primary and metastatic lesions. Laparoscopic high anterior resection was performed, and the left ureter was successfully preserved. The patient received chemotherapy after surgery. Neither local recurrence nor enlargement of metastases has been observed 8 months after surgery.

A 71-year-old woman visited our hospital for the examination and treatment of retroperitoneal tumor. CT showed a retroperitoneal tumor extending to the posterior mediastinum; the tumor pressed the IVC and widely abutted the aorta. On MRI, the tumor showed low intensity on T1WI and high intensity on T2WI and DWI. However, the tumor did not show signal reduction on an ADC map. PET-CT showed high accumulation at the tumor. The patient was diagnosed with sarcoma arising from the retroperitoneum. The tumor located on a part of the diaphragm was resected. Histological examination revealed spindle cells with atypical nuclear and multinuclear cells. There were no lesions of well-differentiated liposarcoma. Both CDK4 and MDM2 tested positive on immunohistological staining. Histopathologically, the tumor was diagnosed as dedifferentiated liposarcoma without any well-differentiated liposarcoma component. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on the 13th day after surgery. Two months after surgery, no recurrence has been detected.

A 66-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with the chief complaint of a huge exposed left breast mass with bleeding. Triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast was diagnosed by core needle biopsy. Computed tomogra- phy showed axillary and infraclavicular lymph node metastases. Epirubicin/cyclophosphamide(EC)therapy was started. We reduced the dose to 80%during courses 2-4. After 4 courses of treatment, CT showed a complete response. We reduced the dose to 50% during courses 5-12 and stopped chemotherapy. Five years have passed without recurrence since the first treatment.

A 50-year-old woman had noted a mass in her right breast 2 years ago but did not consult a hospital. She consulted our hospital because the mass increased in size and also reddened. The tumor measured 10 cm in diameter and was palpable in the whole right breast. A core needle biopsy was performed, and invasive ductal carcinoma was diagnosed. CT showed multiple lung and liver metastases and bone scintigraphy showed bone metastases in a rib. Because the lung and liver metastases were life-threatening, paclitaxel(PTX)chemotherapy was administered weekly. Biomarkers analysis revealed ER(+), PgR(+), HER2(2+), HER2 FISH 1.27, Ki-67 30%, and bevacizumab (Bev) was added from 2 courses. After 4 courses of chemotherapy, the multiple lung and liver metastases were found to be significantly reduced on CT. Toxicities included alopecia, hypertension, and proteinuria. At this time, 3 years after the treatment started, PTX plus Bev combination therapy was also administered.

We describe 14 resected cases of thyroid tumor diagnosed as Class Ⅲ by fine needle aspiration cytology(FNA). Of these, 13 cases were diagnosed as: malignant tumor(1 case), suspicion of malignant tumor(5 cases), or were hard to distinguish from benign or malignant(7 cases). The operative methods used were total or near total thyroidectomy plus D1 or D2a in 4 cases; hemithyroidectomy plus D1 in 3 cases; subtotal thyroidectomy in 3 cases; and lobectomy of the thyroid in 4 cases. The final pathological diagnoses were papillary adenocarcinoma(6 cases, all were pStage Ⅰ), follicular adenocarcinoma(1 case, pStage Ⅲ), malignant lymphoma(1 case), follicular adenoma(2 cases), and adenomatous goiter(4 cases). The results of preoperative examination and intraoperative frozen section diagnosis did not accord with the final pathological results in 2 cases(follicular adenocarcinoma: 1, adenomatous goiter: 1). FNA Class Ⅲcases should be treated surgically, because 8 of 14 FNA Class Ⅲ cases were malignant thyroid tumor. The operation method should be selected cautiously.

We have performed totally laparoscopic stomach-partitioning gastrojejunostomy for gastroduodenal outlet obstruction caused by advanced malignancies in 14 cases. We divided 14 patients into 2 groups according to age at surgery: those<80 years of age and thoseB80 years of age. We compared these 2 groups regarding preoperative status, operative findings, and postoperative course. We found that the stage of cancer in the older group was lower than in the younger group, the number of unresectable factors in the older group were fewer than in the younger group, and the postoperative stay in the older group was shorter than in the younger group. There were no serious postoperative complications in either group and all 14 patients were able to drink or eat the day after surgery. These results suggest that palliative, totally laparoscopic stomachpartitioning gastrojejunostomy may be the best option for elderly cancer patients with gastroduodenal outlet obstruction caused by advanced malignancies, even when their general conditions is poor. We should consider this surgical procedure as soon as possible when the patient decides on palliative treatment.

A 57-year-old man visited our hospital with right hypochondralgia. Abdominal contrast CT showed a 10 cm sized mass in S6-7of the liver and abdominal hemorrhage areas. The tumor showed extrahepatic growth. Blood a-fetoprotein(AFP)was high at 4,447.9ng/mL. Hemostasis was performed through emergency transcatheter arterial embolization. At a later date, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a 20 mm sized type 2 lesion in the gastric corpus. Therefore, we performed distal gastrectomy and right hepatic lobectomy. In histopathological findings, the gastric lesion showed identified as a hepatoid adenocarcinoma, which was positive for AFP protein. The liver lesion was negative for AFP protein, but was similar to hepatoid adenocarcinoma, and no fibrosis was observed in the background liver. Therefore, we diagnosed the tumor as a liver metastasis of AFP-producing gastric cancer. On postoperative day 31, CT showed a metastatic lesion in the S1 of the liver and ascites. Chemotherapy was not successful, and the patient died on postoperative day 75. The resection rate of metastatic liver tumor in AFP-producing gastric cancer is low. This is the second case in Japan, wherein a surgery was performed for a ruptured liver metastatic lesion.

Social memory is a form of episodic memories in multiple domains of social context. Functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays an important role in social memories. However, little is known about the dissociable roles within mPFC in social memories. The purpose of this article was to summarize functional neuroimaging studies investigating social memories, and to propose a hypothetical model regarding the contribution of mPFC sub-regions to social memories. In this article, we divided mPFC into three sub-regions of the orbital, ventral, and dorsal regions. Functional neuroimaging studies have shown that the orbital mPFC (orbitofrontal cortex) contributes to the reward process in episodic memory, and that the reward-related activation is identified in primary, secondary, and social rewards. A role of the ventral mPFC has been found in the self-referential process, and the encoding operation of this process produces the self-reference effect in episodic memory. Activation in the dorsal mPFC has been observed in high demanding processes including cognitive control and in social cognition such as impression formation for others during episodic encoding and retrieval. The interactive mechanisms within three sub-regions of mPFC and between mPFC and the medial temporal lobe could contribute to social memories.

We report a case of endocrine cell carcinoma of the colon with very poor prognosis, onset with bowel obstruction and multiple liver metastases. The patient was a 77-year-old man who underwent left hemicolectomy after a colon stent treatment for bowel obstruction due to cancer of the transverse colon with unresectable multiple liver metastases. Chemotherapy was not initiated because of his poor health. He died of primary cancer 52 days after the surgery. Endocrine cell carcinoma of the large intestine has a poor prognosis due to an early onset of liver and lymph node metastases, as well as peritoneal dissemination. A large-scale clinical study is needed to establish an effective adjuvant chemotherapy.

A man in his 70s was referred to our hospital for evaluation of low-grade fever, weight loss, and liver dysfunction. Serological tests for viral hepatitis or autoimmune diseases were negative. No significant findings were observed on whole-body computed tomography (CT). Histopathologic examination of a liver biopsy sample revealed a non-caseating granuloma with acid-fast bacillus using the Ziehl-Neelsen stain. Serum Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) antibody was positive. We started treatment for pulmonary MAC disease. His clinical condition and liver function improved within two months. He was diagnosed with liver MAC disease.

We report 4 cases ofStage IV colorectal cancer patients over 90 years ofage who received surgical treatment. All of 4 cases were right-sided advanced colon cancer(1 case had also recto-sigmoid advanced cancer)and were received emergency operation. Two cases received resection ofprimary tumors and anastomosis, the other 2 cases received only ileostomy or colostomy. Three cases were able to be discharged from hospital successfully, but unfortunately, we lost one case because of cerebrovascular complication after surgery. We could provide palliative care facilities or home care services for survived three cases after spending certain time with their families peacefully. We treated them successfully with a collaborative medical team including experienced staffs for oral care, skin care, rehabilitation, mental care and social workers and others. Regarding to surgical treatment ofStage IV colorectal cancer patient, especially for extremely elderly patients over 90 years of age, we should consider not only perioperative treatment but also post- discharge comprehensive and palliative care.

A 54-year-old woman underwent high anterior resection with D3 lymphadenectomy for rectal cancer at another hospital. She was diagnosed with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of rectal cancer, pT3, N1, H0, P0, M0, fStage III a. She did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Eighteen months after surgery, abdominal CT at our hospital showed a 19mm-sized mass in S7 of the liver. EOB-MRI also showed a mass in the same location. The mass was a ring contrast-enhanced lesion on dynamic phase, had a low signal pattern on liver cell phase, and had high signal pattern on diffusion-weighted imaging. As such, it was diagnosed as liver metastasis of rectal cancer, and surgery was performed. During surgery, the tumor was found to be located between the liver and diaphragm. Thus, we performed partial resection of the liver diaphragm. Histopathologically, the tumor was the same well-differentiated adenocarcinoma as the primary tumor. In addition, the tumor existed only in the diaphragm and was pumping out the liver. Therefore, we diagnosed the tumor as a diaphragm metastasis of rectal cancer. On literature review, only 8 reports of colorectal metastatic tumors involving the diaphragm were found.

Locally advanced breast cancer that exhibits bleeding, has a foul odor, and expresses an exudate often reduces the quality of life(QOL). Bevacizumab(Bv)in combination with weekly paclitaxel(PTX)therapy has a high response rate. To date, we have used this combination for 8 cases of locally advanced breast cancer in our hospital. The patients' mean age was 62.1 years. The tumors were T4b in 6 cases, T4c in 1 case and T4d in 1 case. The clinical stage was Stage III B in 1 case and Stage IV in 7 cases. The subtype was Luminal A in 2 cases, Luminal B in 4 cases, and triple negative in 2 cases. The mean dosage duration was 5.8 months. Five cases underwent local control operations after chemotherapy. One case showed a complete response, 4 cases had a partial response, 2 cases had a stable disease and 1 case had progressive disease. Four cases with Grade 2-3 hypertension and 4 cases with Grade 2 neutropenia were identified. Bvin combination with weekly PTX therapy had a high response rate, and 5 patients were able to undergo surgery. As QOL improved after treatment and the safety did not have any problem, Bv in combination with weekly PTX therapy is one of the effective treatments for locally advanced breast cancer.

Empyema with fistula usually resists conservative treatment such as thoracic cavity drainage and administration of antibacterial agents, thus it often requires surgeries such as fenestration, omental/muscle filling, and thoracoplasty. However, due to advanced age and poor condition, conducting invasive surgeries is often difficult in elderly patients. We report a case with the improvement of empyema by bronchial filling with endobronchial Watanabe spigot (EWS) under thoracoscopic observation for an 89-year-old patient who had developed chronic empyema with a bronchial fistulas. After filling EWS, air-leakage from bronchial fistula disappeared and the patient could discharged from the hospital successfully.

Background: Sevoflurane is one of the commonly used volatile anesthetics in cancer patients. The protective effect of sevoflurane preconditioning has raised concerns about whether sevoflurane could act advantageously for survival even of cancer cells. Therefore, we investigated the effects of sevoflurane on proliferation in colon cancer cell lines., Methods: HCT116 and HT29 cells were plated in 96-well plates at a density of 1 x 10(4) cells/well and incubated overnight. On the next day, cells were exposed to 1% or 2% sevoflurane for 6 hr. After 24 hr recovery, we performed MTT assay. The absorbance of the formazan product was measured at a wavelength of 570 nm using 650 nm as the reference. In addition, to investigate the role of adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels, we conducted the same experiment under co-administration of K(ATP) inhibitor, glibenclamide., Results: Only 1% sevoflurane significantly enhanced cell proliferation compared to the control in HCT116 and HT29 cells. Enhanced proliferation by sevoflurane was completely blocked by co-administration with glibenclamide in HCT116 cells., Conclusions: We had shown that 1% sevoflurane for 6 hr potentially enhances cell proliferation via K(ATP) channels in cancer cells.

In addition to cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease patients also exhibit non-cognitive symptoms commonly referred to as behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, or BPSD. These symptoms have a serious impact on the quality of life of these patients, as well as that of their caregivers, but there are currently no effective therapies. The amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) is suspected to play a central role in the cascade leading to Alzheimer's disease, but the precise mechanisms are still incompletely known. To assess the influence of Aβ pathology on cognitive and non-cognitive behaviors, we examined locomotor activity, motor coordination, and spatial memory in male and female APPswePS1dE9 mice (Alzheimer's disease model, double transgenic mice expressing an amyloid precursor protein with Swedish mutation and a presenilin-1 with deletion of exon 9) at 5 months of age, when the mice had subtle Aβ deposits, and again at 9 months of age, when the mice had numerous Aβ deposits. Compared to wild-type mice, the male and female APPswe/PS1dE9 mice showed normal motor coordination in the rotarod test at both 5 and 9 months. In the Morris water maze test, male and female APPswe/PS1dE9 mice showed impaired spatial memory at 9 months; however, no such deficits were found at 5 months. In a locomotor activity test, male APPswe/PS1dE9 mice exhibited locomotor hyperactivity at 9 months, while females exhibited locomotor hyperactivity at both 5 and 9 months compared to the control mice. Together, these results indicate that APPswe/PS1dE9 mice developed spatial memory impairment and BPSD-like behavioral alterations resulting from Aβ accumulation.

An increasing aggressive therapeutic strategy has attracted growing attention to the potentials of MR imaging in the diagnosis, prognostication, and outcome measure of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the diagnosis of RA, skeletal destructions are the key to the diagnosis and assessment of long-term prognosis in RA. Marginal bone erosion is still recognized as an important finding in the 2010 RA criteria, and erosions typical of RA are deemed to have prima facie evidence of RA. MR imaging can detect erosions better than radiolography. In this regard, erosions detected by CT are considered to be reference standard to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of erosion in MR imaging and other imaging modalities. Further, to assess therapeutic effect of therapeutic agents involving the control of bone remodeling, CT may be used to evaluate bone formation and improvement of osteoporosis.

Background: The Pentax-AWS equipped with a new thinner blade (Introck-T) is an intubation device that provides a non-line-of sight view of the glottis. A non-line-of sight view is expected to cause less movement of the cervical spine during laryngeal visualization. We measured the degree of cervical spine movement during laryngoscopy with the device., Methods: Twenty patients requiring general anesthesia were studied. Each patient underwent laryngoscopy using the Pentax-AWS with the Introck-T. Movements of cervical spine were measured by radiography in the same patient both at neutral head position and during laryngoscopy., Results: The anterior movement of the vertebral bodies from baseline was 16.7 +/- 5.2 mm, 16.5 +/- 4.4 mm, 16.5 +/- 4.7mm and 15.5 +/- 4.7mm at the atlas (C1), C2, C3, and C4 vertebrae, respectively, during laryngoscopy. The change in angle during laryngeal visualization was 8.3 +/- 4.0 degrees, 7.6 +/- 3.7 degrees, 1.7 +/- 2.4 degrees, and 1.6 +/- 3.3 degrees, at Occiput/C1, C1/C2, C2/C3, and C3/C4 motion segments, respectively. The total change in angle between the occiput and C4 was 19.1 +/- 5.1 degrees (95% CI 16.6 degrees - 21.5 degrees)., Conclusions: Laryngeal visualization using the Pentax-AWS with the new thinner Introck-T produces the anterior movement and extension of the cervical spine.

Background: Every airway maneuver will cause some degree of neck movement. Ventilation via face-mask technique requires lifting the mandible (jaw thrust) to the facemask. A significant degree of cervical spine motion induced by bag-mask ventilation has been reported on human cadavers with destabilized cervical vertebrae. However, to our knowledge, no quantitative data have reported evaluating the effects of bag-mask ventilation on cervical spine motion in living humans. We measured the cervical spine movement during bag-mask ventilation., Methods: Twenty patients requiring general anesthesia were studied. Each patient underwent bag-mask ventilation. Movements of cervical spine were measured by radiography in the same patient both at neutral head position and during bag-mask ventilation., Results: The anterior movements of the vertebral bodies from baseline were 11.3 +/- 5.8 mm, 11.1 +/- 4.9 mm, 11.0 +/- 4.7 mm and 10.6 +/- 4.4 mm at the atlas, C2, C3, and C4 vertebrae, respectively, during bag-mask ventilation. The changes in angle during bag-mask ventilation were 7.4 +/- 4.5 degrees, 4.9 +/- 4.2 degrees, 1.7 +/- 3.2 degrees, and -0.1 +/- 2.3 degrees, at occiput/C1, C1/C2, C2/C3, and C3/C4 motion segments, respectively. The total change in angle between the occiput and C4 was 13.8 +/- 6.4 degrees (95% CI 10.9 degrees-16.8 degrees)., Conclusions: The lifting the mandible causes both extension and anterior disposition in the cervical vertebrae.

A 54-year-old female was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (pT3N1M0, Stage IIIA, estrogen receptor positive [ER (+)], progesterone receptor positive [PgR (+)], human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 [HER2] score 0) and was treated by preoperative chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel followed by 5-fluorouracil(5-FU) plus epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide regimen(FEC). Partial mastectomy with axillary dissection was performed. The pathological examination disclosed that the tumor was scirrhous carcinoma, and a pathological partial response was achieved by chemotherapy. Multiple bone metastases were detected 18 months after the surgery during treatment with letrozole as adjuvant therapy. Retroperitoneal metastases with hydronephrosis and a lung metastasis were detected 28 months after the surgery, even though exemestane and zoledronate were administrated after detection of the bone metastases. Chemotherapy with capecitabine was started and she recovered from hydronephrosis 4 months after the start of treatment. After 32 months from the first treatment with capecitabine, the patient is presently alive without hydronephrosis due to continued chemotherapy.

We present a case of a 55-year-old woman who visited our hospital aware of a lump in her right breast. We diagnosed it as bilateral breast cancer [Rt: ABCDE, T3N1M0, ER (-), PgR (-), HER2: 3+, Stage IIIA; Lt: C, T2N0M0, ER (-), PgR (-), HER2: 1+, Stage IIA]. She underwent NAC with EC followed by docetaxel. After cPR, an operation (Rt Bt+Ax, Lt Bp+Ax) was performed. Liver metastases were identified 9 months after the operation, and she was administered weekly paclitaxel+trastuzumab for 12 courses. After cPR, the treatment was changed to trastuzumab only. Because a cerebellar metastasis appeared in postoperative month 19, she underwent an operation using a gamma-knife. Because a new cerebellar metastasis appeared in postoperative month 26, she underwent another gamma-knife operation. Furthermore, liver metastases were diagnosed as PD, and treatment was changed to vinorelbine and trastuzumab. Because third new cerebellar metastasis appeared in postoperative month 45, she underwent another gamma-knife operation. Lung metastases were identified 59 months after the operation, and the therapy was changed to lapatinib and capecitabine. There was no subsequent growth of metastatic tumors, and good control was obtained.

A 44-year-old woman who underwent surgery for left breast cancer 2 years ago presented with dyspnea. Her pathological stage of breast cancer was T2N1M0, ER (3+), PgR (3+), and HER2: 1+. She was treated with tamoxifen only as adjuvant therapy. Pleural effusion in both lungs and pericardial effusion were detected by computed tomography. We aspirated 1,100 mL of the pleural effusion and 700 mL of the pericardial effusion; the cytologies of both were class V. Because her dyspnea disappeared, she was administered weekly paclitaxel. Her pleural effusion and pericardial fluid have not re- emerged. The therapy of choice for pericardial effusion is local chemotherapy or systemic chemotherapy. Systemic chemotherapy after pericardial drainage was effective for this patient. Key words: Breast cancer.

A 60-year-old man was diagnosed as pseudomembranous colitis with chief complaint of fever and abdominal distension after a cerebral operation. It was ineffective although vancomycin hydrochloride (VCM) was given orally. Complications occurred. The patient had toxic megacolon and paralytic ileus. VCM was administrated via an ileus tube. In addition, the bowel was lavaged and VCM was sprayed by colonoscopy. This therapy was very effective. Generally, a patient with pseudomembranous colitis concomitant with toxic megacolon or/and paralytic ileus is considered to have a poor prognosis, however, he completely recovered by a combination of medical treatment.

A 62-years-old woman visited a dermatology clinic for hard mass at her scalp. Clinicallly, the mass was hard and alopecic. The diameter was 3 cm. A skin biopsy was done and histpathological examination showed adenocarcinoma. Immunehistchemically, estrogen receptor was positive. It was suspected that breast cancer could be metastasized to the scalp, but mammography, ultrasound, and positron emission tomography showed no particular metastases in her breast and other organs. Magnetic resonance imaging showed enhanced lesions in her birateral breast. Needle biopsy was done and pathological findings showed bilateral breast carcinoma and metastases to the scalp. So we started endocrine therapy using letrozole, the mass was shrunk to 1 cm after 6-month. It is rare that breast cancer was metastasized to the scalp. But Conner et al. reported that 84% of metastatic scalp carcinoma was from the breast, so we should examine the breast more carefully.

We report a 55-year-old female with liver metastases from breast cancer who responded to lapatinib and capecitabine combination therapy as third-line. She was diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma (T1cN1M0, stage IIA). Biomarker of breast cancer was negative hormone receptor (ER-, PgR-) and overexpression of HER2(HercepTest 3+). We started preoperative chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel followed by FEC100. Then mastectomy with axillary dissection was performed. Histopathology of the breast and lymph nodes showed complete disappear of invasive cancer cells( pCR, grade 3). We performed her adjuvant therapy with trastuzumab after surgery. The liver metastases developed 5 months after surgery. We treated her in trasutumab combined with vinorelbine, and followed by docetaxel during one year and four months. Because liver metastases re-grew during the combination therapy with trastuzumab, we switched to lapatinib and capecitabine combination therapy. After four months of administration, abdominal CT revealed liver metastases were remarkably reduced in size. The efficacy of chemotherapy lasted for eight months.

Background: GlideScope videolaryngoscope (GVL) is a novel indirect laryngogoscope for tracheal intubation. Both mid-size and large blades of the GVL are available for adult patients. The distortion of the anterior airway anatomy and cervical spine motion using the mid-size GVL is unknown. We compare the degree of anterior airway distortion and cervical spine movement during the use of the mid-size GVL compared with the large GVL., Methods: Twenty patients requiring general anesthesia and tracheal intubation were studied. Each patient underwent laryngoscopy with both mid-size and large GVLs. During each laryngoscopy, a radiograph for the lateral view of the head and neck was taken when the best view of the larynx was obtained. Based on the radiographs, independent radiologists evaluated anterior airway movement and cervical spine movement., Results: The tip of the mid-size GVL was anteriorly positioned during laryngoscopy, compared with large GVL. The distance between epiglottis and posterior laryngeal wall was longer with the mid-size GVL than with the large GVL. Both the mid-size and large GVL caused a significant anterior movement in the cervical spine during laryngoscope. The difference in the movement in the atlas and C2 was small, but statistically significant. No difference was found in the anterior movement with C3 and C4. During laryngoscopy, cervical spinal extension occurred with both GVLs, while there was no difference in the cervical spinal extension between the mid-size and large GVL., Conclusions: The tip of the mid-size GVL during laryngoscopy is anteriorly positioned and the distortion of the anterior airway was greater with the mid-size GVL than with the large GVL.

A 64-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of cough, bloody sputum and chest pain in January 2007. Chest computed tomography (CT) on admission revealed hyperattenuated mucoid impaction and consolidation in the right S3b. She was given a diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis caused by Schizophyllum commune. Treatment with 200 mg/day itraconazole and 15 mg/day oral prednisolone was begun, and her symptoms and consolidation resolved. In December 2007, consolidation in the left lower lobe appeared after itraconazole was stopped and replaced with oral prednisolone with inhaled fluticasone propionate. She again received 200 mg/day itraconazole and 15 mg/day oral prednisolone, resulting in a reduction in her consolidation. In May 2008, itraconazole was stopped and oral prednisolone was changed to inhaled salmeterol fluticasone propionate. In November 2008, her symptoms appeared again, and chest CT demonstrated hyperattenuated mucoid impaction and consolidation in the right S8. A transbronchial biopsy revealed granulomatosis, Charcot-Leyden crystals, and mucus infiltrated by eosinophils and fungi. Schizophyllum commune was isolated from her bronchial lavage fluid. A recurrence of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis was diagnosed. Retreatment with itraconazole and oral prednisolone resulted in improvement of her symptoms and chest radiographic findings. To the best of our knowledge this is the first reported case of allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis caused by Schizophyllum commune presenting with hyperattenuated mucoid impaction.

The patient was a 52-year-old woman in whom CT revealed a huge tumor located mainly in the mesenterium. On the 5(th) day, clinical symptoms progressed rapidly and chemotherapy for malignant lymphoma was performed after percutaneous core needle biopsy. However, the patient died on the 9(th) day. After her death, the pathological diagnosis proved to be neuroblastoma based on the core needle biopsy. This disease is extremely rare in adults, but should be taken into consideration since rapid progression may sometimes occur.

Currently, there are five anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs approved. These are tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine. The mechanism of the first four drugs is acetylcholinesterase inhibition, while memantine is an NMDA-receptor antagonist. However, these drugs do not cure Alzheimer's, but are only symptomatic treatments. Therefore, a cure for Alzheimer's disease is truly needed. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive deficits. The cause of the disease is not well understood, but research indicates that the aggregation of beta-amyloid is the fundamental cause. This theory suggests that beta-amyloid aggregation causes neurotoxicity. Therefore, development of the next anti-Alzheimer's disease drug is based on the beta-amyloid theory. We are now studying natural products, such as mulberry leaf extracts and curcumin derivatives, as potential cure for Alzheimer's disease. In this report, we describe some data about these natural products and derivatives.

A 28-year-old man had a 1-year history of hemoptysis. Consequently, he underwent a medical examination. A right pleural effusion, left hydropneumothorax, and multiple pulmonary nodular shadows were found on chest radiography. During a detailed interview, he reported that the hemoptysis began after eating "kejang" (a raw crab preparation) with a friend a year previously. His peripheral blood eosinophil count and serum IgE level were elevated. In addition, ova were detected in the sputum and bilateral pleural effusion. Morphological examination of the ova and immunoserological examination led to the diagnosis of Paragonimus westermani infection. The pleural effusion could be partially drained, and his symptoms and radiographic results showed improvement after treatment with Praziquantel administered at a dose of 75 mg/(kg x day) for 3 days. After one month, he and his friend ate seasoned raw crabs, Paragonimus was diagnosed in his friend. This case suggests that on encountering a paragonimus infection, everyone who ate food prepared in the same kitchen should be contacted because of possible infection with paragonimus.

We report a rare case of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, with skin ulceration and multiple nodules in the lung, and will compare this case with others in the literature. A 54-year-old man was troubled with flare and swelling of his right arm for one month. He was referred to our hospital because of subcutaneous nodules with ulceration on the right arm, fever, and general fatigue. Chest radiograph revealed multiple nodular shadows in both lungs. The patient was admitted for further evaluation. Chest computed tomography revealed multiple nodules in both lungs with ground-glass opacities around some of them. Some nodules seemed to be clustered in the right lower lobe. Biopsy specimens of subcutaneous nodules and transbronchial biopsy specimens of pulmonary tissue demonstrated only extensive necrosis. A VATS lung biopsy from the right S9 was then taken. Pathological and immunohistological findings suggested a diagnosis of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (WHO classification), stage IVB. The patient was transferred to the department of hematology in another hospital for systemic chemotherapy, but died 2 months later.

A 57-year-old woman was referred because of exertional dyspnea, fever, and cough in June 2006. She had been employed to culture roses in greenhouses since 1991 and had developed a cough during the summer from 2003. Chest CT scan revealed diffuse centrilobular micronodules. Transbronchial lung biopsy specimens demonstrated alveolitis with lymphocytes and non-necrotizing epithelioid cell granulomas. After admission, both the patient's symptoms and laboratory data improved without medication. However, upon her return to work in the greenhouse, cough and exertional dyspnea reappeared. Aspergillus niger was detected in the greenhouse. Her serum was assayed for precipitating antibodies against various antigens, and precipitating antibodies against Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus glaucus, and Aspergillus niger were demonstrated. In a double immunodiffusion test, cross-reactivity between Aspergillus niger and other Aspergillus species was indicated. Consequently, she was diagnosed as having hypersensitivity pneumonitis resulting from the inhalation of Aspergillus niger.

A 66-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of right chest pain on inspiration. Chest X-ray film revealed diffuse opacities, predominantly in the lower lung field, and right pleural thickening. Serum ACE and lysozyme levels were elevated. Chest CT revealed diffuse ground-glass opacity, centrilobular granular nodules, bronchovascular bundle irregular thickening and right pleural irregular thickening over the right inferior lobe, but bilateral hilar lymph node enlargement was not present. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid demonstrated increased numbers of total cells and CD4 T-helper lymphocytes. The transbronchial lung biopsy specimen revealed non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas. From these findings, we established a diagnosis of type III sarcoidosis with pleural involvement. The patient has been observed without treatment, and 10 months later the lung involvement and pleural thickening have disappeared.