[A Case of Glycogen-Rich Clear Cell Carcinoma of the Breast with Extensive Intraductal Components and Micrometastases to the Axillary Lymph Node].

A 48-year-old woman had a left breast mass identified during routine breast cancer screening. The mammogram showed pleomorphic-segmental microcalcifications in the mediolateral-oblique view of the left breast. Ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic mass approximately 3.7 cm in diameter with multiple calcifications. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the breast showed non-mass like enhancement of approximately 4 cm in diameter in the C area of the left breast. She was diagnosed with glycogen-rich clear cell carcinoma (GRCC) by ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted biopsy. Nipplesparing mastectomy was performed along with sentinel lymph node biopsy. The intraoperative consultation suggested sentinel lymph node metastasis and we therefore performed axillary lymph node dissection. Pathological examination reported microinvasive carcinomas, 0.4 cm in maximum diameter, and extensive intraductal components, 5 cm in size. The tumor cells were stained on PAS staining, but the stains were digested with diastase. The cells were negative for adipophilin. GRCC was first reported by Hull et al. This is a rare type of breast carcinoma. There is no standard therapy for this disease or any data on the prognosis of breast cancer patients with GRCC.

A method for quantifying intervertebral disc signal intensity on T2-weighted imaging.

BACKGROUND: Quantification of intervertebral disc degeneration based on intensity of the nucleus pulposus in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often uses the mean intensity of the region of interest (ROI) within the nucleus pulposus. However, the location and size of ROI have varied in different reports, and none of the reported methods can be considered fully objective. PURPOSE: To develop a more objective method of establishing ROIs for quantitative evaluation of signal intensity in the nucleus pulposus using T2-weighted MRI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 1.5-T scanner was used to obtain T2-weighted mid-sagittal images. A total of 288 intervertebral discs from 48 patients (25 men, 23 women) were analyzed. Mean age was 47.4 years (range, 17-69 years). All discs were classified into five grades according to Pfirrmann et al. Discs in grades I and II were defined as bright discs, and discs in grades IV and V were defined as dark discs. Eight candidate methods of ROI determination were devised. The method offering the highest degree of discrimination between bright and dark discs was investigated among these eight methods. RESULTS: The method with the greatest degree of discrimination was as follows. The quadrangle formed by anterior and posterior edges of the upper and lower end plates in contact with the intervertebral disc to be measured was defined as the intervertebral area. A shape similar to the intervertebral area but with one-quarter the area was drawn. The geometrical center of the shape was matched to the center of intensity, and this shape was then used as the ROI. Satisfactory validity and reproducibility were obtained using this method. CONCLUSION: The present method offers adequate discrimination and could be useful for longitudinal tracking of intervertebral disc degeneration with sufficient reproducibility.

Phase I clinical trial of 99mTc-etarfolatide, an imaging agent for folate receptor in healthy Japanese adults.

OBJECTIVE: Technetium etarfolatide ((99m)Tc-EF) is a radioactive diagnostic imaging agent that was developed to assess the expression of folate receptors in tumors. Administering folic acid prior to the administration of (99m)Tc-EF has been shown to improve SPECT images. Here, we conducted a phase I clinical trial to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and radiation dosimetry of (99m)Tc-EF injection following pre-administration of folic acid in healthy Japanese male adults. METHODS: Six healthy Japanese male adults were enrolled in the study. Folic acid was intravenously administered, followed 1-3 min later by an intravenous injection of (99m)Tc-EF (740 MBq ± 20 %). Assessments of subjective symptoms and objective findings, electrocardiograms, physical examination, and laboratory tests were performed before and up to 7 days after the injection to assess the safety of (99m)Tc-EF. Blood and urine collections and whole-body planar imaging were conducted at various time points up to 24 h after the injection to assess the pharmacokinetics of (99m)Tc-EF. The internal radiation dosimetry was calculated based on the pharmacokinetics results using the MIRD method. RESULTS: Five adverse events were observed in three subjects (50 %) after administration of the folic acid and (99m)Tc-EF, while these events were mild and non-serious. Of those five events, three were considered to be related to the administered agents. The radioactivity in blood rapidly decreased and showed a biphasic profile. The activity of (99m)Tc-EF at 5 min post injection was largest in the bone marrow, followed by the liver and kidneys, and had decreased within 24 h in all organs/tissues without appreciable retention. The pharmacokinetics results suggested that (99m)Tc-EF was mainly eliminated by kidney. The results also suggested that when administered at 925 MBq of (99m)Tc-EF, which is the maximum dose generally used for clinical trials in other countries, the corresponding effective dose of (99m)Tc-EF is equal to or less than those determined for the current radioactive diagnostic imaging agents. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study assessing the safety and radiation dosimetry of (99m)Tc-EF with folic acid pre-administration suggested that folic acid and (99m)Tc-EF should be appropriate for further studies. No pharmacokinetics concerns were noted.

Risk factors for lumbar disc degeneration in high school American football players: a prospective 2-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Several risk factors have been proposed for intervertebral disc degeneration (DD) among adolescent athletes. However, the causes of DD are not well understood, and there have been few prospective studies evaluating DD in adolescents. PURPOSE: To identify risk factors for DD among adolescent American football (AF) players. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study (prevalence); Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: This study investigated the relationships between the progression of DD and the following factors: lumbar spine abnormalities on baseline radiographs, body mass index, AF position played (lineman or other), and length of playing career (2 full competitive AF seasons or <2 seasons). Included were 192 students who joined a top-ranked high school AF team from 2004 to 2008. Of these, 160 played for 2 full competitive AF seasons. The remaining 32 players, who stopped before completing 2 seasons, were used as a control group. Baseline radiographs and lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained when the players enrolled in the AF team in May, and follow-up lumbar MRI scans were obtained 2 years later at the end of their second academic year in March. Disc degeneration was measured by the signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus, and its progression was evaluated by multiple regression analysis of decreases in signal intensity. Also analyzed was the relationship between DD and low back pain (LBP). RESULTS: The mean decrease in signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus was 4.30% ± 11.63% in players who completed 2 AF seasons and 1.41% ± 10.03% in those who did not (P = .12). Mean visual analog scale scores for LBP at follow-up were significantly higher (P = .001) in players who had played for 2 full seasons (2.67 ± 2.81) than in those with a shorter career (0.99 ± 1.61). Decreases in signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus after 2 years of playing AF related significantly to playing a lineman position (partial regression coefficient, 3.47%), the presence of Schmorl nodes (partial regression coefficient, 3.58%), and disc herniation (partial regression coefficient, 4.09%). CONCLUSION: Significant risk factors for DD progression in high school AF players included playing a lineman position, the presence of Schmorl nodes, and disc herniation. Continuing to play AF through 2 years of high school was a risk factor for the onset of LBP.