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Orosomucoid (ORM) or [[Alpha].sub.1]-acid glycoprotein is a plasma protein synthesized in the liver and composed of a single polypeptide chain of 183 amino acids with 45% carbohydrate content and 12% [...], Isoelectric focusing was used to investigate the genetic variants of the human plasma orosomucoid ORM1 and ORM2 gene loci in samples of Egyptians, Sudanese, and Qataris. The study populations were classified into 28 ORM phenotypes determined by 10 ORM1 and 9 ORM2 alleles that included 2 new alleles, designated ORM1*B13 and ORM2*H21. Family studies of these new alleles are in accordance with codominant autosomal inheritance. A new interpretation for two previously reported alleles, ORM1*C6 and ORM2*H17, is also presented. KEY WORDS: OROSOMUCOID, ORM1, ORM2, GENETIC POLYMORPHISM, EGYPTIANS, SUDANESE, QATARIS

Objective: The objective of this review was to summarize application of DNA polymorphisms to individual identification. Design: A review of forensic medicine. Materials and Methods: As a powerful evidence, biological markers are not only widely used in criminal investigation, but also in clinical tissues identification such as pathological specimen mix-up as well as mass disasters and accidents such as airline crashes, train crashes, floods and building fires. While several methods are being used for human individual identification, the biological method is more important because the identification tests are not restricted to any particular or one body landmark. Furthermore, comparison of biological markers can be used to associate separated remains or body parts. Results: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) commonly used in DNA polymorphisms has been developed to realize genetic analysis of multiplex loci employing fluorescent dye labeling technology. The genetic evidence provided by DNA polymorphic markers from the analyses of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), minisatellite (VNTR) polymorphisms, microsatellite (STR) polymorphisms, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has become the most powerful tool for individual identification in natural disasters and non-natural catastrophes, or criminal cases. Conclusion: DNA analysis is a highly discriminating tool that permits identification of remains, provided that a corresponding reference sample is available, either from biologically related family members or from the missing and unidentified person themselves. DNA markers have advantages over the traditional biological markers including the red blood cell group, serum protein types, isoenzyme types, HLA types and salivary protein types in several aspects: DNA markers are simply to analysis, require small amount of template for PCR amplification, can be used for the analysis of some degraded samples and have high power of discrimination. STR polymorphisms have become the major and widely used method for human identification tests both in criminal investigation and mass disaster victim identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to detect mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms from human hair shafts and formalin-fixed tissues using whole genome amplification.Design: A study of forensic medicine.Material and Methods: All of the hairs were taken from the human heads of 9 collaborators (8 healthy males in their 10-40s and 1 healthy female in her 20s), from whom informed consent for the study was obtained. DNA was extracted using QIAamp DNA mini kit. Human hearts, livers, or spleens excised by autopsy and preserved with 10% formalin solution for 7-17 years were used. After genome extension by primer extension preamplification (PEP)-PCR, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of samples was analyzed in two areas of HVRl, 2.Results: The applicability of PEP-PCR to mitochondrial DNA polymorphism analysis (HVRl, 2) in hair shafts and hearts, livers, and spleens preserved in formalin fixative for a maximum of 17 years was iuvestigated. From hair shafts, HVRl, 2 of the mtDNA areas was amplified in the whole genome amplification product of PEP-PCR. The sequences were successfully analyzed, and were identical to the positive control DNA.Conclusion: whole genome amplification is effective method for analysis of mitochondrial DNA polymorphism from hair shafts and formalin fixed tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Traumatic injury and surgical meniscectomy of a medial meniscus are known to cause subsequent knee osteoarthritis. However, the difference in the prevalence of osteoarthritis caused by the individual type of the medial meniscal tear has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate what type of tear is predominantly responsible for the degradation of articular cartilage in the medial compartment of knee joints. Methods Five hundred and forty eight cadaveric knees (290 male and 258 female) were registered in this study. The average age of cadavers at death was 78.8 years old (range: 52-103 years). The knees were macroscopically examined and their medial menisci were classified into four groups according to types of tears: "no tear", "radial tear of posterior horn", "other types of tear" and "worn-out meniscus" groups. The severity of cartilage degradation in their medial compartment of knee joints was evaluated using the international cartilage repair society (ICRS) grading system. We statistically compared the ICRS grades among the groups using Mann-Whitney U test. Results The knees were assigned into the four groups: 416 "no tear" knees, 51 "radial tear of posterior horn" knees, 71 "other types of tear" knees, and 10 "worn-out meniscus" knees. The knees with substantial meniscal tears showed the severer ICRS grades of cartilage degradation than those without meniscal tears. In addition, the ICRS grades were significantly severer in the "radial tear of posterior horn" group than in the "other types of tear" group, suggesting that the radial tear of posterior horn in the medial meniscus is one of the risk factors for cartilage degradation of joint surface. Conclusions We have clarified the relationship between the radial tear of posterior horn in the medial meniscus and the severer grade of cartilage degradation. This study indicates that the efforts should be made to restore the anatomical role of the posterior horn in keeping the hoop strain, when patients' physical activity levels are high and the tear pattern is simple enough to be securely sutured.

Rheumatoid meningitis (RM) is a rare but serious extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis. Due to the absence of specific biomarkers, imaging findings, or guidelines for its detection, the diagnosis of RM is difficult. This report describes a patient of RM diagnosed with an open biopsy and discusses the utility of anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and contrast-enhanced (CE) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images for screening and monitoring RM. A 65-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of headaches. Imaging studies showed asymmetric meningeal and leptomeningeal involvement seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An open biopsy of the meninges and leptomeninges depicted palisaded and necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, which suggests rheumatoid nodules. Treatment with prednisolone and tocilizumab led to symptom improvement and reduced lesion intensity on follow-up MRI. Throughout the treatment, the ACPA index in her serum and CSF, and the findings of CE-FLAIR images, rather than the CE T1WI, reflected disease activity. For 6 months, the patient has been stable without symptom recurrence. The ACPA index and the CE-FLAIR images were useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of RM. To validate these findings, further studies are necessary., Competing Interests: All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest (COIs) concerning this article according to the criteria of The Japan Neurosurgical Society (JNS). The authors (TS, YA, SS, and SO) who are members of JNS have registered online self-reported COI disclosure statement forms through the website for JNS members., (© 2024 The Japan Neurosurgical Society.)

Although true subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is an atypical complication owing to suicide by hanging, pseudo-SAH can often develop because of hypoxic encephalopathy. Therefore, differentiating pseudo-SAH from true SAH using brain computed tomography (CT) is often challenging. In Japan, an individual's cause of brain death must be determined to be eligible for organ donation, regardless of whether true SAH is involved or not. Herein, we report a case of SAH confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a patient with brain death owing to hypoxic encephalopathy following suicide by hanging. A 48-year-old man attempted suicide by hanging. Upon arrival at the hospital, he developed pulseless electrical activity with apnea. Although spontaneous circulation returned within a few minutes of his arrival, spontaneous breathing did not recover. The patient was in deep comatose state without response to pain stimulation, brainstem reflexes, or electrical activities on an electroencephalogram. Consequently, the patient met diagnostic criteria for clinical brain death based on the Japanese organ transplantation law. Brain CT revealed global hypoxic injury and high density in the basal cisterns and subarachnoid space. Brain MR T2*-weighted imaging revealed low intensity at the left Sylvian fissure underlying the hematoma. These findings indicated brain death owing to hypoxic encephalopathy following hanging, and incidental true SAH was confirmed by MRI. Donor surgery and organ transplantation were performed. Spontaneous SAH can often develop secondary to hanging, and brain MRI can effectively determine whether the cause of brain death involves true SAH., Competing Interests: We have completed and submitted to the Japan Neurosurgical Society our COI self-report for the past 3 years. All authors have no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Japan Neurosurgical Society.)

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate whether diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can qualify and quantify cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics in the brains of healthy subjects. For this purpose, we developed new DWI-based fluidography and compared the CSF dynamics seen on the fluidography with two apparent diffusion coefficients obtained with different DWI signal models at anatomical spaces filled by CSF., Methods: DWI with multiple b values was performed for 10 subjects using a 7T MRI scanner. DWI-fluidography based on the DWI signal variations in different motion probing gradient directions was developed for visualizing the CSF dynamics voxel-by-voxel. DWI signals were measured using an ROI in the representative CSF-filled anatomical spaces in the brain. For the multiple DWI signals, the mono-exponential and kurtosis models were fitted and two kinds of apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC C and ADC K ) were estimated in each space using the Gaussian and non-Gaussian diffusion models, respectively., Results: DWI-fluidography could qualitatively represent the features of CSF dynamics in each anatomical space. ADCs indicated that the motions at the foramen of Monro, the cistern of the velum interpositum, the quadrigeminal cistern, the Sylvian cisterns, and the fourth ventricle were more drastic than those at the subarachnoid space and anterior horns of the lateral ventricle. Those results seen in ADCs were identical to the findings on DWI-fluidography., Conclusion: DWI-fluidography based on the features of DWI signals could show differences of CSF dynamics among anatomical spaces.

Background: Although the blink reflex (BR) is effective in objectively evaluating trigeminal neuropathy, few studies have demonstrated its effect on trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The authors report a patient with TN due to contralateral vestibular schwannoma (VS) functionally diagnosed by delayed R1 latency of the BR., Case Description: A 36-year-old man presented with left-sided deafness and paroxysmal facial pain in the right V1-3 area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a solid cystic mass compressing the right pons and left brainstem at the left cerebellopontine angle. Although preoperative BR evoked by right supraorbital nerve stimulation-induced delayed ipsilateral R1 latency and normal ipsilateral and contralateral R2 responses, the BR latency evoked by left supraorbital nerve stimulation was normal, indicating deficits in the principal nucleus of the trigeminal nerve in the right pons. The symptoms of TN disappeared after the removal of the VS. Postoperative MRI showed subtotal removal of the tumor and sufficient decompression of the pons and cerebellopontine cistern. The R1 latency returned to normal 50 days after surgery., Conclusion: The perioperative BR test was not only useful for objective evaluation of the localization of trigeminal neuropathy but also correlated with the symptoms of TN., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Surgical Neurology International.)

Objective: Subdural hemorrhage (SDH) has been reported to be the most frequent intracranial hemorrhagic complication following open heart surgery; however, its clinical features and pathophysiology remain unclear. The aim of this retrospective study was to elucidate the incidence, clinical course, and factors associated with the development of symptomatic SDH following heart valve surgery., Methods: A retrospective review of medical records on the development of symptomatic SDH after heart valve surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) from April 2011 to March 2016 was performed. Patients who had undergone preoperative cranial computed tomography (CT) or brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included in this study, and factors associated with SDH following heart valve surgery were analyzed. When neurological symptoms developed after heart valve surgery, cranial CT or brain MRI was performed., Results: A total of 556 patients who had undergone heart valve surgery were analyzed. Among these patients, symptomatic SDH occurred in 11 (2.0%). The mean duration of symptomatic onset was 10.1 days (range 2-37 days). Ten of 11 patients (90.9%) developed SDH in the posterior fossa or occipital convexity. Logistic regression analysis revealed longer aortic clamp time (95% CI 1.00-1.10, p = 0.04), higher dose of heparin after surgery (95% CI 1.00-1.02, p = 0.001), and higher pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) just before disconnection of the CPB (95% CI 1.01-1.37, p = 0.04) as significantly associated with the development of SDH., Conclusions: The incidence of symptomatic SDH following heart valve surgery was 2.0%. Symptoms due to SDH usually developed a few days to 1 month after surgery. Surprisingly, most SDHs developed in the posterior fossa or occipital convexity following heart valve surgery. A longer aortic clamp time, higher dose of heparin after surgery, and higher PAP just before disconnection of the CPB were related to the development of symptomatic SDH following heart valve surgery.

In December 2021, abemaciclib was approved as an adjuvant treatment for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, high-risk early breast cancer in Japan. The Oncotype DX Breast Cancer Recurrence Score program(Oncotype DX)is a test that can be used to limit overtreatment in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative, low-risk early breast cancer. Although the target groups of both these are different and usually without many overlapping indications, we encountered a case in which this therapy and test were used in a short time period. Our experience suggests that even if the result of Oncotype DX indicates that hormone therapy alone is sufficient, it does not imply that abemaciclib is unnecessary, although this has not been directly studied in the monarchE trial. While a wider choice of treatment options is desirable for patients, more clinical data and trials are needed to further validate the utility of abemaciclib without chemotherapy.

Objective: We investigated the antibody titer of spike-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies after receiving coronavirus repair uridine ribonucleic acid (RNA) vaccine (BNT162b2, Pfizer) in health care workers., Methods: At one hospital, health care workers received the vaccination between February and May 2021. A survey using questionnaires and spike-specific IgG antibody tests (Abbott) was conducted in 293 participants who had been vaccinated at least once and consented to this study at the time of medical checkups between April and May 2021. We calculated the antibody titer in each age group and days post-vaccination. We examined whether antibody titers of 4,000 AU/mL or higher (probability of high titer: approximately 95%, Abbott) were associated with adverse reactions after vaccination. In addition (1), the antibody titers at approximately 100 days after the second vaccination in 11 participants were remeasured. Furthermore (2), the antibody titers at approximately 260 days after the second vaccination in 13 participants were remeasured and compared with the initial measurements., Results: Of the participants, 276 were post-2 doses (A), 14 were post-1 dose (B), and 3 discontinued the second vaccination (C) at the time of health checkup. The median antibody titer was 11,045.8 AU/mL (50.7-40,000) in group A, 122.7 AU/mL (2.6-1,127.0) in group B, 27,099.3 AU/mL in one of group C who had recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and 574.2 AU/mL (283.3 and 865.1) in the other two of group C. The median antibody titer was the highest in those in their 20s, and there was a significant difference between those under and above 40 years of age. The median titer was the highest in 2 weeks to 1 month after the second vaccination. After the second dose, fatigue (≥ moderate) was associated with antibody titers of 4,000 AU/mL or higher. The antibody titers of 11 and 13 participants at approximately 100 and 260 days after the second vaccination were significantly lower than those at the first measurement, with median values of 2,838.0 AU/mL (832.9-5,698.6) and 512.0 AU/mL (154.0-1,220.0), respectively., Conclusions: Antibody titers were higher in participants under 40 years of age than those 40 years or older. In addition, the percentage of high antibody titer (≧ 4,000 AU/mL) was higher in those who had severe fatigue after the second vaccination. The peak of antibody titer after the second dose was approximately 1 month, and the titer may decline gradually.

Background: Although neurological adverse events have been reported after receiving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, associations between COVID-19 vaccination and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have rarely been discussed. We report here the incidence and details of three patients who presented with intracranial aneurysm rupture shortly after receiving messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines., Case Description: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of individuals who received a first and/ or second dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine between March 6, 2021, and June 14, 2021, in a rural district in Japan, and identified the occurrences of aneurysmal SAH within 3 days after mRNA vaccination. We assessed incidence rates (IRs) for aneurysmal SAH within 3 days after vaccination and spontaneous SAH for March 6-June 14, 2021, and for the March 6-June 14 intervals of a 5-year reference period of 2013-2017. We assessed the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of aneurysmal SAH within 3 days after vaccination and spontaneous SAH compared to the crude incidence in the reference period (2013-2017). Among 34,475 individuals vaccinated during the study period, three women presented with aneurysmal SAH (IR: 1058.7/100,000 person-years), compared with 83 SAHs during the reference period (IR: 20.7/100,000 persons-years). IRR was 0.026 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.0087-0.12; P < 0.001). A total of 28 spontaneous SAHs were verified from the Iwate Stroke Registry database during the same period in 2021 (IR: 34.9/100,000 person-years), and comparison with the reference period showed an IRR of 0.78 (95%CI 0.53-1.18; P = 0.204). All three cases developed SAH within 3 days (range, 0-3 days) of the first or second dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer/BioNTech. The median age at the time of SAH onset was 63.7 years (range, 44- 75 years). Observed locations of ruptured aneurysms in patients were the bifurcations of the middle cerebral artery, internal carotid-posterior communicating artery, and anterior communicating artery, respectively. Favorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale scores, 0-2) were obtained following microsurgical clipping or intra-aneurysm coiling., Conclusion: Although the advantages of COVID-19 vaccination appear to outweigh the risks, pharmacovigilance must be maintained to monitor potentially fatal adverse events and identify possible associations., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Surgical Neurology International.)

Granulomatous mastitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown causes that forms a breast mass and may be difficult to distinguish from breast cancer on imaging studies. The patient was a woman in her 50's. Needle biopsy was performed for a mass in the upper outer quadrant of the right breast and revealed granulomatous mastitis. Breast magnetic resonance imaging showed that the tumor was malignant. Taking into account that there is a difference between histologic findings and imaging findings and that surgery after steroid therapy for granulomatous mastitis is more likely to cause complications, we decided to perform lumpectomy. The definitive pathological diagnosis was a triple negative, pT1cN0cM0 medullary carcinoma. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was performed. The absence of axillary lymph-node metastasis was confirmed by right axillary sentinel lymph-node biopsy. Radiotherapy was performed on the preserved breast region. Even if granulomatous mastitis is diagnosed, biopsy should be repeated while paying attention to biopsy methods if there is a difference between pathological findings and image findings.

Second impact syndrome occurrs when a patient who has sustained an initial head injury, most often a concussion, sustains a second head injury before the symptoms associated with the first have fully resolved, leading to rapid brain swelling and herniation. However, the underlying pathophysiology remains unclear. We report two cases in which acute subdural hematoma with rapid malignant brain swelling developed after repeated head traumas while snowboarding. One patient did not undergo craniotomy and died 21h after symptom onset. The other underwent urgent decompressive craniotomy and experienced prolonged disturbance of consciousness. Axial susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging performed 1 month after surgery in the second patient revealed multiple microbleeds in the subcortical white matter and parasagittal white matter in the bilateral hemispheres. These findings indicate that axonal injuries from angular acceleration may contribute to the rapid malignant brain swelling and poor outcomes.

Background and Purpose: Dynamic changes in cerebrovascular reactivity after acetazolamide administration vary markedly among patients with major cerebral arterial steno-occlusive disease. MR quantitative susceptibility mapping can dynamically quantify the cerebral magnetic susceptibility. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dynamic changes in susceptibility after administration of acetazolamide on 7T quantitative susceptibility mapping are associated with pre-existing states of CBV and the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen in the cerebral hemispheres with major cerebral arterial steno-occlusive disease., Materials and Methods: Sixty-five patients underwent 7T MR imaging at baseline and at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes after acetazolamide administration. Differences between the susceptibility of venous structures and surrounding brain tissue were calculated in the quantitative susceptibility mapping images. Susceptibility differences at 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes after acetazolamide administration relative to baseline were calculated in 97 cerebral hemispheres with major cerebral arterial steno-occlusive disease. CBV and the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen were also calculated using 15 O-gas PET in the resting state., Results: Dynamic changes of susceptibility after acetazolamide administration were classified into 3 patterns: abnormally increasing 5 or 10 minutes after acetazolamide administration; abnormally decreasing within 20 minutes after acetazolamide administration; and remaining unchanged after acetazolamide administration. CBV was significantly greater in the first pattern than in the latter 2. The cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen differed significantly in descending order from the first to middle to last pattern., Conclusions: Dynamic changes of susceptibility after acetazolamide administration on 7T MR quantitative susceptibility mapping are associated with pre-existing states of CBV and the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen in major cerebral arterial steno-occlusive disease., (© 2020 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.)

Paroxysmal homonymous hemianopsia (HH) is uncommon presentation of epilepsy. We demonstrate a rare case of paroxysmal HH that was diagnosed by magnetic resonance (MR) arterial spin-labeling (ASL). A 82-year-old woman presented with abrupt onset of isolated visual field abnormality without convulsive epilepsy at 16 days after a traumatic head injury. Diffusion weighted and MR-ASL obtained on admission revealed hyperintensity and hyperperfusion in the right temporo-occipital cortex. Nonconvulsive status epilepticus was suspected. The patient was treated with oral levetiracetam and the symptoms resolved in 3 days. Paroxysmal HH should be considered in patients who present with simple partial epilepsy, and MR-ASL imaging may assist in the differential diagnosis of these patients., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.)

Although the sulcal hyperintensity on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images is detected in some chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) cases, its clinical significance remains determined. A 77-year-old man with symptomatic CSDH presented with generalized tonic-clonic seizures at 9 days after surgery. 123 I-iomazenil -single photon emission computed tomography revealed transient reduction in cortical benzodiazepine receptors binding potential at the region corresponding to that of the sulcal hyperintensity on FLAIR images. Findings of sulcal hyperintensity on FLAIR imaging under the CSDH may have a relation with the cause of epileptic seizure.

Background: The anterior temporal approach (ATA) has been reported as suitable for surgical clipping of posteriorly projecting internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms. As the ICA follows a variable course, tortuosity of the ICA may affect visualization of the aneurysm. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the intracranial course of the ICA and aneurysm projection on surgical approach., Methods: Consecutive patients with posterior communicating artery aneurysms treated with clipping at our hospital between May 2015 and April 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. When the transsylvian approach (TSA) could not achieve adequate exposure of the aneurysm, the ATA was subsequently performed. Distance between the ICA and the anterior and posterior clinoid line, angle between the midline and the C1 segment of the ICA, and aneurysm projection were compared between ATA and TSA groups., Results: Of 52 patients (40 ruptured, 12 unruptured), 12 were in the ATA group, and 40 were in the TSA group. Mean ICA-anterior and posterior clinoid distance was significantly shorter in the ATA group than in the TSA group (P = 0.002), and mean midline-C1 angle was significantly larger in the ATA group than in the TSA group (P < 0.0001). The ATA group was associated with a greater frequency of posteriorly projecting aneurysms (12 of 12; 100%) than the TSA group (9 of 40; 22.5%) (P < 0.00001)., Conclusions: A low-lying, laterally projecting intracranial ICA and posteriorly projecting aneurysm are predictors of the necessity for the ATA in the surgical clipping of posterior communicating artery aneurysms., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In most cases, the posterior communicating artery (PCoA) lies medial to the oculomotor nerve. In this report, a rare case of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm arising from a variant PCoA lying lateral to the oculomotor nerve is described., Case Description: A 41-year-old woman who had a history of surgical clipping of a right PCoA aneurysm 13 years earlier developed a subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a ruptured left true PCoA aneurysm. Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography showed a small saccular aneurysm arising from the PCoA itself. She underwent surgical clipping via a left frontotemporal craniotomy. Interestingly, the PCoA lay lateral to the oculomotor nerve, and the aneurysm dome projected medially and compressed the oculomotor nerve medially. A slightly angled fenestrated miniclip was applied across the PCoA, followed by reconstruction of the PCoA medial wall and simultaneous obliteration of the aneurysm. Complete aneurysm obliteration and good patency of both the PCoA and perforating arteries were confirmed intraoperatively by indocyanine green videoangiography. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged with no neurologic deficits., Conclusions: Recognizing this anatomic variant is helpful in minimizing the potential complications in microsurgical management around the PCoA and oculomotor nerve. Lateral localization of the P1-2 junction might affect this rare anatomic variant., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Fenestrated mini-clips have been reported as useful for treating dog ear-shaped remnant aneurysms, the small aneurysms to which the efferent artery adheres or is impeded by the surrounding neurovascular structure in the restricted operative corridor, because of the smaller clip head. Here, the alternative utility of fenestrated mini-clip was reported by mentioning the narrower clip blade., Methods: We report a case of middle cerebral artery aneurysm tightly adhered by the anterior temporal artery (ATA) as well as the efferent arteries and demonstrate the utility of fenestrated mini-clip., Results: During aneurysm dissection, the superior division of the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery and the ATA adhered tightly to the aneurysm, thereby restricting meticulous aneurysm dissection. To preserve the efferent artery and the ATA, a fenestrated standard clip was applied, transmitting the efferent artery, and the clip blade was applied in the restricted space between the adhering ATA and the aneurysm neck. However, because kinking of the ATA was observed following first clip application, the fenestrated mini-clip was applied in similar fashion to avoid kinking of the ATA instead of a standard clip, thereby preserving the ATA without further aneurysm dissection. Finally, successful obliteration of the aneurysm and preservation of the ATA were achieved with the subsequent clip application., Conclusions: In selected cases, application of a narrower bladed fenestrated mini-clip in the restricted space may be useful to preserve tightly adhering branch arteries, as well as efferent arteries., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is one of the most serious and frequent drug-related adverse events in humans. Selenium (Se) and glutathione (GSH) have a crucial role for the hepatoprotective effect against reactive metabolites or oxidative damage leading to DILI. The hepatoprotective capacity related to Se and GSH in rodents is considered to be superior compared to the capacity in humans. Therefore, we hypothesize that Se/GSH-depleted rats could be a sensitive animal model to predict DILI in humans. In this study, Se-deficiency is induced by feeding a Se-deficient diet and GSH-deficiency is induced by l-buthionine- S,R -sulfoxinine treatment via drinking water. The usefulness of this animal model is validated using flutamide, which is known to cause DILI in humans but not in intact rats. In the Se/GSH-depleted rats from the present study, decreases in glutathione peroxidase-1 protein expression and GSH levels and an increase in malondialdehyde levels in the liver are observed without any increase in plasma liver function parameters. Five-day repeated dosing of flutamide at 150 mg/kg causes hepatotoxicity in the Se/GSH-depleted rats but not in normal rats. In conclusion, Se/GSH-depleted rats are the most sensitive for detecting flutamide-induced hepatotoxicity in all the reported animal models.

We report the case of a patient with spinal immature teratoma and cerebrospinal fluid leakage from the congenital dermal sinus tract. A 0-day-old female infant presented with a subcutaneous soft mass with a dimple in the lumbosacral region at birth. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mixed low-intensity mass located in the extraspinal and intraspinal canal with a sinus tract. The reconstructed three-dimensional spinal computed tomography image showed spina bifida and ectopic ossification at the dorsal aspect of the sacrum. Urgent removal of the tumor and dermal sinus tract was then performed under evoked electromyography monitoring. The resected tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as immature teratoma.

Objective: The external carotid artery (ECA) is inadvertently occluded during carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The importance of ECA occlusion has been emphasized as a loss of extracranial to intracranial collaterals, a source of chronic embolization, or a site for extended thrombosis during wound closure. This study aimed to determine whether ECA occlusion that inadvertently developed during endarterectomy and that was eventually detected using blood flow measurement of the ECA after declamping of all carotid arteries is a risk factor for development of new postoperative ischemic lesions at declamping of the ECA and common carotid artery (CCA) while clamping the internal carotid artery (ICA). This study also aimed to determine whether intraoperative transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring predicts the risk for development of such lesions., Methods: This was a prospective observational study that included patients undergoing CEA for severe stenosis (≥70%) of the cervical ICA. When blood flow through the ECA measured using an electromagnetic flow meter decreased rapidly on clamping of only the ECA before carotid clamping for endarterectomy and was not changed by clamping of only the ECA after carotid declamping following endarterectomy, the patient was determined to have developed ECA occlusion. These patients underwent additional endarterectomy for the ECA. TCD monitoring in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery was also performed throughout surgery to identify microembolic signals (MESs). Brain magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed before and after surgery., Results: There were 104 patients enrolled in the study. Eight patients developed ECA occlusion during surgery. The incidence of intraoperative ECA occlusion was significantly higher in patients without MESs at the phase of ECA and CCA declamping (8/12 [67%]) than in those with MESs (0/92 [0%]; P < .0001). Six patients exhibited new postoperative ischemic lesions on DWI. The incidence of intraoperative ECA occlusion (P < .0001) and the absence of MESs at declamping of the ECA and CCA while clamping the ICA (P <. 0001) were significantly higher in patients with development of new postoperative ischemic lesions on DWI than in those without. Sensitivity and specificity for the absence of MESs at declamping of the ECA and CCA while clamping the ICA for predicting development of new postoperative ischemic lesions on DWI were 100% (6/6) and 94% (92/98), respectively., Conclusions: ECA occlusion at declamping of the ECA and CCA while clamping the ICA during CEA is a risk factor for development of new postoperative ischemic lesions. Intraoperative TCD monitoring accurately predicts the risk for development of such lesions., (Copyright © 2018 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Fenestrated miniclips were developed as an effective tool for dog-ear-shaped remnants of aneurysms. However, the special property of these clips may have other applications. Here, we report 2 cases of ruptured small aneurysm and suggest the alternative utility of a single application of a fenestrated miniclip., Case Description: A 77-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to an anterior communicating aneurysm. The aneurysm was treated with surgical clipping via a right pterional approach. Because dissection of tight adhesion between the aneurysm and ipsilateral A2 might cause intraoperative bleeding, the angled fenestrated miniclip was applied across the ipsilateral A2 without dissection of adhesion and obliterated the aneurysm without complications. In another case, a 60-year-old man presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured vertebral artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm and was treated with surgical clipping via a far-lateral approach. Because aneurysm visualization was impeded by PICA even after mobilization of the PICA and vertebral artery, a fenestrated standard-clip was applied across the PICA. However, this clip impeded visualization of the aneurysm and could not be opened in the tight surgical field. In contrast, subsequent application of a fenestrated miniclip allowed better visualization of the aneurysm, even in a tight field, and resulted in successful obliteration of the aneurysm., Conclusion: Single application of fenestrated mini-clips may be suitable in cases of small aneurysms with thin walls adhering to branch vessels or where visualization of the aneurysm is impeded by the parent artery., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The patient was a 50-year-old woman. She had been diagnosed with bilateral breast tumors at another hospital 5 years previously and was followed up every 2 months. Ultrasonography showed hypoechoic masses in her breasts. The largest tumor in the right breast was 15mm in diameter and located in region A, while that in the left breast was 8mm in diameter and located in region B. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)showed multiple bilateral breast tumors. The largest tumor was 12mm in diameter and was suggestive of breast cancer. Core needle biopsies(CNB)of the largest tumors in both breasts were performed. Intraductal papilloma(IDP)and low-grade intraductal papillary carcinoma were diagnosed in the right and left breasts, respectively, on immunohistochemical staining. We performed left nipple-sparing mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy and right tumor excision for diagnoses of carcinoma of the left breast(cTisN0M0)and IDP of the right breast. The histopathological diagnosis of the left breast tumor was pT1aN0M0, triple negative breast cancer with extensive intraductal components, and that of the right breast tumor was IDP with atypical ductal hyperplasia. Chemotherapy was administered postoperatively. Several studies have reported that peripheral IDP often coexists with or follows the development of carcinoma. Therefore, we should also closely follow-upthe patient's right breast.

Objectives: In approximately 15% of cases of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), an obvious source of bleeding cannot be identified by angiography; these are considered cases of SAH of unknown etiology. A rare case of cisternal pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) presenting with SAH is reported. The usefulness of the balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) sequence for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect small cisternal lesions is discussed., Case Description: The case of a 73-year-old woman who developed repeated SAHs owing to a cisternal PA is presented. She experienced sudden onset of headache and vomiting, and brain computed tomography showed diffuse SAH, whereas angiography demonstrated normal vasculature. Follow-up imaging, including T1-weighted, T2-weighted, T1-weighted contrast-enhanced, and diffusion-weighted MRI, did not show any parenchymal or cisternal lesions, although computed tomography and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI showed SAH in the same region. In contrast, the bSSFP sequence, taken as a different sequence on the same day, showed mixed-intensity reticular lesions in the left basal cistern, while neither hematoma nor positive findings were identified with the other sequences. Based on the radiologic finding and the repeated history of SAH, the lesions were partially removed 2 weeks after onset. Histological examination showed a PA., Conclusions: Despite being extremely rare, a small cisternal lesion should be considered as a cause of SAH of unknown etiology. The bSSFP sequence may be useful for detecting cisternal lesions that may be missed on the routine MRI sequences.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to determine how accurately relative cerebral blood flow (RCBF) and relative cerebrovascular reactivity (RCVR) to acetazolamide assessed using brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) detected misery perfusion identified on positron emission tomography (PET) in adult patients with ischemic moyamoya disease (MMD)., Methods: Oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), RCBF, and RCVR were assessed using 15 O gas PET and N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I]-iodoamphetamine SPECT without and with acetazolamide challenge, respectively, in 45 patients. Regions of interest (ROIs) were automatically placed in the five middle cerebral artery (MCA) territories in the symptomatic cerebral hemisphere and in the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere using a three-dimensional stereotaxic ROI template. For RCBF and RCVR to acetazolamide, the ratio of the MCA ROI to cerebellar ROI was calculated. Of the five MCA ROIs in the symptomatic cerebral hemisphere in each patient, the ROI with the highest and lowest OEF value (two ROIs per patient) was selected for analyses., Results: A significant square or linear correlation was observed between the OEF and RCBF (correlation coefficient, 0.780) or RCVR (correlation coefficient, - 0.345), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detecting misery perfusion (OEF > 51.3%) was significantly greater for the RCBF than for the RCVR (difference between areas, 0.221; p < 0.0001). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive- and negative-predictive values for the RCBF for detecting misery perfusion were 100, 91, 67, and 100%, respectively. The specificity and positive-predictive value did not differ between the combination of the RCBF and RCVR and the CBF ratio alone., Conclusions: RCBF assessed using brain perfusion SPECT detects misery perfusion with high sensitivity, a high negative-predictive value, and a low positive-predictive value in adult patients with ischemic MMD. The accuracy of RCVR to acetazolamide assessed using brain perfusion SPECT is lower than that of RCBF.

SCD1 is a rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of saturated fatty acids to monounsaturated fatty acids. SCD1 inhibitors have potential effects on obesity, diabetes, acne, and cancer, but the adverse effects associated with SCD1 inhibition in the skin and eyelids are impediments to clinical development. To avoid mechanism-based adverse effects, we explored the compounds that selectively inhibit SCD1 in the liver in an ex vivo assay. Starting from a systemically active lead compound, we focused on the physicochemical properties tPSA and cLogP to minimize exposure in the off-target tissues. This effort led to the discovery of thiazole-4-acetic acid analog 48 as a potent and liver-selective SCD1 inhibitor. Compound 48 exhibited significant effects in rodent models of diabetes, hepatic steatosis, and obesity, with sufficient safety margins in a rat toxicology study with repeated dosing., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose- The frictional force because of blood flow may dislodge masses present on the surface of a plaque. Such frictional force is calculated as wall shear stress (WSS) using computational fluid dynamics. The aims of the present study were to determine whether, in addition to carotid plaque intensity on T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, WSS calculated using computational fluid dynamics analysis for carotid arteries is associated with development of an embolism during exposure of carotid arteries during carotid endarterectomy. Methods- One hundred patients with internal carotid artery stenosis (≥70%) underwent carotid plaque imaging with MR, and 54 patients with a vulnerable plaque (intraplaque hemorrhage or lipid/necrotic core) displayed as a high-intensity lesion underwent additional cervical 3-dimensional MR angiography. The maximum value of WSS within the most severe stenotic segment of the internal carotid artery was calculated using MR angiography. Transcranial Doppler monitoring of microembolic signals (MES) in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery was performed during carotid endarterectomy. Results- Although none of the 46 patients with a nonvulnerable carotid plaque had MES during exposure of carotid arteries, 24 of the 54 patients with a vulnerable carotid plaque (44%) had MES. Logistic regression analysis showed that higher plaque intensity ( P=0.0107) and higher WSS ( P=0.0029) were significantly associated with the development of MES. When both cutoff points of plaque intensity and WSS in the receiver operating characteristic curves for predicting development of MES were combined, specificity (from 63% to 93%) and positive predictive value (from 66% to 90%) became greater than those for plaque intensity alone. Conclusions- In addition to carotid plaque intensity on T1-weighted MR imaging, WSS calculated using computational fluid dynamics analysis for carotid arteries is associated with development of an embolism during exposure of carotid arteries during carotid endarterectomy.

Background: Using angled fenestrated clips for posteromedially projecting internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms may allow the surgeon to simultaneously obliterate the aneurysmal neck and preserve the branching artery by applying the blade of the clip parallel to the ICA. However, using these clips when the aneurysm neck involves the branching artery may have a risk of branching artery stenosis, occlusion, or incomplete obliteration of the aneurysm., Case Description: A 52-year-old woman developed a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Three-dimensional computed tomography angiography showed a saccular aneurysm arising from the left ICA-posterior communicating artery (PCoA) bifurcation. The aneurysmal fundus projected posteromedially, and the PCoA was larger than the ipsilateral P1 segment, in which its origin involved the aneurysmal neck. Tandem straight fenestrated clips were applied across the ICA, followed by reconstruction of the ICA wall with preservation of the PCoA and obliteration of the aneurysm., Conclusion: When using angled fenestrated clips is unsuitable because of a risk of branching artery stenosis, occlusion, or incomplete obliteration of the aneurysm, using multiple straight fenestrated clips may be a useful alternative., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report our experience with a patient with breast cancer who showed recurrence in the nipple skin 5 years and 10 months after a breast-preserving surgery. The patient was a woman, and was 65-years old at the time of initial surgery. Breast-preserving surgery and axillary lymph-node dissection were performed for left breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast(pT3N0M0)was triple-negative, and the patient postoperatively received adjuvant chemotherapy. Left breast pain developed 5 years and 6 months after surgery. Computed tomography showed no evidence of recurrence, and the symptoms resolved after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs). After 3 months, however, the left nipple had enlarged to about 1.5 cm, and the surrounding skin was red and painful. Treatment with NSAIDs was thus resumed. After 1 week, redness of the nipple skin and pain were improved. However, the nipple had enlarged to twice its normal size. Nipple skin biopsy was subsequently performed, and revealed adenocarcinoma invading the skin. Left axillary lymph-node metastasis was suspected, but there was no evidence of metastasis to other sites or recurrence. Conservative total mastectomy with axillary lymph-node dissection was thus performed. The histopathological diagnosis was the recurrence of invasive ductal carcinoma, arising mainly in the reticular layer of the dermis. Chemotherapy was administered postoperatively. There has been no evidence of recurrence as of 1 year after surgery.

Purpose: Misery perfusion is defined as marginally sufficient cerebral blood supply relative to cerebral metabolic demand. The aim of the present study was to determine the optimal brain Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) SPECT imaging and analysis to detect misery perfusion on O PET imaging in patients with chronic occlusive disease of unilateral internal carotid or middle cerebral artery (MCA)., Methods: For 97 patients, cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, and oxygen extraction fraction were measured using O PET; Tc-ECD SPECT was performed using dynamic scanning with a scan duration of 10 minutes each for 50 minutes after tracer administration. A region of interest was placed in the bilateral MCA territories and in the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres in all standardized images using a 3-dimensional stereotaxic region-of-interest template and affected-to-contralateral asymmetry ratio in the MCA territory (ARMCA) and contralateral-to-affected asymmetry ratio in the cerebellar hemisphere (ARcbl) were calculated., Results: The ARMCA or ARcbl on Tc-ECD SPECT with a scan time of 20 to 30 minutes after tracer administration (ARMCA20-30 or ARcbl20-30) was correlated with ARMCA on PET cerebral blood flow (r = 0.654) or ARMCA on PET cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (r = 0.576), respectively, more strongly than with other scan times. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detecting abnormally elevated ARMCA on PET oxygen extraction fraction was significantly greater for ARcbl20-30/ARMCA20-30 (0.947) than for ARMCA20-30 alone (0.780) (difference between areas, 0.167; P = 0.0001) on Tc-ECD SPECT., Conclusions: Combination of asymmetries in the cerebellar and cerebral hemispheres on Tc-ECD SPECT in a scan time of 20 to 30 minutes after tracer administration optimally detects misery perfusion in unilateral internal carotid artery or MCA occlusive disease.

Objective: The purpose of the present exploratory study was to evaluate the effects of uncomplicated carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on cognitive function and brain perfusion in patients with unilateral asymptomatic severe stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) by comparison with unoperated patients., Methods: Patients with age ≤75 years and unilateral asymptomatic severe stenosis (≥70%) of the cervical ICA underwent CEA with antiplatelet therapy (surgically treated group: 116 patients) or antiplatelet therapy alone or neither (medically treated group: 45 patients). For the surgically treated group, neuropsychological testing and brain perfusion measurement using single-photon emission computed tomography were performed within one month before surgery and one month after surgery. For the medically treated group, the same testing and measurement were performed twice at an interval of 1 to 2 months., Results: None of the operated patients developed new major ischemic events after surgery or intraoperative cerebral hyperperfusion. None of the patients in the medically treated group experienced neurological deficits including transient ischemic attacks during the study period. The incidence of patients with interval cognitive improvement was significantly greater in the surgically treated group (11 patients: 9%) than in the medically treated group (0%) (p = 0.0352). The incidence of patients with interval brain perfusion improvement in the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere was significantly greater in the surgically treated group (24 patients: 21%) than in the medically treated group (0%) (p = 0.0003)., Conclusions: Uncomplicated CEA may improve cognitive function and brain perfusion in patients with unilateral asymptomatic severe stenosis of the ICA when compared with unoperated patients.

Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (MGAT2) plays an important role in intestinal fat absorption. We discovered the novel MGAT2 inhibitor, JTP-103237, and evaluated its pharmacological profile. JTP-103237 selectively inhibited MGAT2 without remarkable species differences and reduced absorbed lipids in circulation. After lipid administration, JTP-103237 slightly but significantly decreased triglyceride content in proximal small intestine and significantly increased the lipids content in the distal small intestine. In addition, JTP-103237 significantly increased MGAT substrate (monoacylglycerol and fatty acid) content in the small intestine. JTP-103237 increased plasma peptide YY levels after lipid loading and reduced food intake in a dietary fat-dependent manner. After chronic treatment, JTP-103237 significantly decreased body weight and increased O2 consumption in the early dark phase in high fat diet induced obese (DIO) mice. Moreover, JTP-103237 improved glucose tolerance and decreased fat weight and hepatic triglyceride content in DIO mice. Our findings indicate that JTP-103237 prevents diet-induced obesity by inhibiting intestinal MGAT2 and has unique properties as a drug for the treatment of obesity., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether preoperative measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) with acetazolamide in addition to preoperative measurement of CBF at the resting state increases the predictive accuracy of development of cerebral hyperperfusion after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). CBF at the resting state and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) to acetazolamide were quantitatively assessed using N-isopropyl-p-[(123)I]-iodoamphetamine (IMP)-autoradiography method with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) before CEA in 500 patients with ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis (≥ 70%). CBF measurement using (123)I-IMP SPECT was also performed immediately and 3 days after CEA. A region of interest (ROI) was automatically placed in the middle cerebral artery territory in the affected cerebral hemisphere using a three-dimensional stereotactic ROI template. Preoperative decreases in CBF at the resting state [95% confidence intervals (CIs), 0.855 to 0.967; P = 0.0023] and preoperative decreases in CVR to acetazolamide (95% CIs, 0.844 to 0.912; P < 0.0001) were significant independent predictors of post-CEA hyperperfusion. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for prediction of the development of post-CEA hyperperfusion was significantly greater for CVR to acetazolamide than for CBF at the resting state (difference between areas, 0.173; P < 0.0001). Sensitivity, specificity, and positive- and negative-predictive values for the prediction of the development of post-CEA hyperperfusion were significantly greater for CVR to acetazolamide than for CBF at the resting state (P < 0.05, respectively). The present study demonstrated that preoperative measurement of CBF with acetazolamide in addition to preoperative measurement of CBF at the resting state increases the predictive accuracy of the development of post-CEA hyperperfusion.

The patient was a 53-year-old woman in whom ultrasonography of the breast revealed a lobular mass, 14 mm in diameter, in the right AB region. Spindle cells were obtained on fine-needle aspiration biopsy, but it was not possible to diagnose whether the tumor was benign or malignant. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass with a cystic component that was darkly stained in the early phase. Needle biopsy showed a dense proliferation of atypical spindle cells with no distinct epithelial-like arrangement. The differential diagnosis included mesenchymal malignant tumors such as fibrosarcoma, some phyllodes tumors, and epithelial tumors with sarcomatoid differentiation. Immunostaining revealed that the tumor was cytokeratin (AE1/AE3)-negative, partially CAM 5.2-positive, p63-positive, S100-negative, SMA-positive, partially vimentin-positive, with a Ki-67 index of 80% and negativity for ER, PgR, and HER2. Spindle-cell carcinoma was thus diagnosed. A partial right mastectomy with sentinel lymph-node biopsy was performed. Immunostaining of the resected specimen confirmed spindle cell carcinoma. The General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Recording of Breast Cancer classify spindle cell carcinoma as a special type of invasive cancer with a sarcomatoid structure, consisting of spindle-shaped cancer cells. This type of carcinoma is extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of all breast cancers.

The patient was a 43-year-old single woman. Her family history included schizophrenia in her mother and manic-depression in her father. Remicade® (infliximab) had been administered for 3 years to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The patient initially presented to our hospital with dyspnea. Computed tomography revealed left-sided breast cancer associated with multiple bone tumors and multiple pulmonary nodules. A poorly mobile mass with an ulcer was found in left breast. Core-needle biopsy and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)revealed an invasive ductal carcinoma that was positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2, 2 +). The clinical diagnosis was Stage IV T4bN3M1 cancer (metastases to the lungs, liver, and bone). Because of the presence of bone metastasis, the patient was admitted and she received complete bed rest as supportive therapy. However, the patient decided to receive treatment on an outpatient basis after carefully discussing the following points: 1) treatment of pulmonary metastasis with dyspnea should receive priority; 2) anticancer agents not causing nausea were required; 3) the risk of bone fractures as a complication (spinal cord injury); 4) how she wanted to spend the limited time available with her family; and 5) how the patient wanted to.

The patient was a 66-year-old woman with left breast cancer who underwent left segmental mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy. The histopathological diagnosis was estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), progesterone receptor-positive( PgR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-equivocal( HER2()2+)( with no HER2 gene amplification by fluorescence in-situ hybridization analysis) invasive ductal carcinoma (scirrhous carcinoma) with Ki-67 expression of less than 10% (pathological T1c, N0, M0, stage I). The patient requested chemotherapy, and 4 cycles of docetaxel plus cyclophosphamide (TC) were scheduled. Fever and epigastric pain developed on day 13 of cycle 2. On day 22, the patient was examined before the third cycle of TC, and right lower abdominal pain was reported. Computed tomography revealed appendicitis and an intraperitoneal abscess. She was admitted to the hospital and underwent partial ileocecal resection. The patient was discharged on the 12th postoperative day with no further complications. Acute abdomen during chemotherapy for malignant tumors has been reported sporadically in patients with leukemia. A diagnosis of acute abdomen in patients undergoing cancer treatment requires careful assessment of gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, fever associated with granulocytopenia, and findings indicative of local inflammation. The patient in this case recovered uneventfully because imaging studies and surgery were performed promptly after presentation.