Endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising from endometriosis of the rectosigmoid.

A case of endometrioid adenocarcinoma supposedly arising from endometriosis of the rectum is reported. Malignant transformation is uncommon but a well-known complication of endometriosis. In the present case, it was proved by histopathological findings and immunophenotype such as cytokeratin7+/cytokeratin20-/estrogen receptor+. The cause of rectal endometriosis in this case might have been related with previously received hormone replacement therapy for ovarian endometriosis. Following surgical removal of the lesion, this patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin, although this kind of therapy is still controversial as to its effectiveness.

[An autopsy case of alpha-fetoprotein-producing carcinoma of the sigmoid colon resulting in sudden death].

A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of abdominal distention and bilateral cervical masses. Her serum AFP was 11700 ng/dl. AFP was confirmed immunohistochemically by biopsy of a sigmoid colon tumor, yielding a diagnosis of AFP-producing carcinoma of the sigmoid colon, accompanied by multiple liver metastases, and systemic multiple lymph node metastases. Due to her poor general condition with mitral regurgitation, the patient began S-1 treatment. The patient's general condition rapidly worsened after 1 course of S-1 had no effect. She died on the 59th hospital day and a pathological autopsy was performed. We examined 67 cases of AFP-producing colon cancer in Japan, including our own, and report the findings with references.

[A case of tubercular papillitis of Vater].

A 47-year-old man presented with an abnormality of the duodenum detected on a health check endoscopy. Further endoscopy revealed swelling of the papilla of Vater with a whitish exudate and surrounding small nodules, which biopsy revealed to be non-caseating granulomas. Colonoscopy showed typical tubercular lesions in the colon on the right side, so we speculated that the lesions of the papilla of Vater were tubercular. After the administration of anti-tubercular drugs, both the duodenal lesion and the colonic lesions improved. Therefore, the papilla of Vater lesion was diagnosed as tubercular, although such cases are extremely rare.

[Two cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the stomach and a consideration of its malignancy potential and treatment strategy - report of two cases].

We report two cases of large gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the stomach both of which were assessed as highly malignant, but took different clinical courses. Case 1: A 72-year-old male. Case 2: A 63-year-old female. The tumor size of Case 1 was suggestive of high malignancy, but only a partial gastrectomy was selected because it did not show any invasive findings. This patient has been followed up for 3 years post-operatively and no recurrence or metastasis has been noted. Case 2 had liver and lymph node metastases, which was consistent with high malignancy. We performed a total gastrectomy with distal pancreatosplenectomy and segmental liver resection. But after surgery, liver metastasis recurred therefore, imatinib mesylate was administered as adjuvant chemotherapy and since then, the tumor has been diminishing in size. No definitive evidence for adjuvant therapy has been established so far, but we suggest that post-operative adjuvant therapy is effective for high-risk GIST.

Right axillary lymph node metastasis of carcinoma of the cecum with histologically proven cutaneous lymphatic invasion by carcinoma cells: a case report.

Axillary lymph node metastasis from colorectal carcinoma is extremely rare, and this scarcity hinders understanding of its pathogenesis and, thus, the application of appropriate management. Here, we present a case with axillary lymph node metastasis of cecal carcinoma associated with macroscopic invasion of the skin of the abdominal wall with histological evidence of such invasion, findings which support our hypothesis that the axillary lymph node metastasis developed via the lymph channels in the skin of the abdominal wall. A 76-year-old woman with cecal carcinoma (T4N1M0), complicated with an abdominal wall abscess, underwent right hemicolectomy with partial resection of the abdominal wall. Histology demonstrated multiple sites of lymphatic invasion in the skin. Two months later, an enlarged right axillary lymph node was noticed on CT, and an excisional biopsy was obtained, which later confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma. This is the first case report of axillary lymph node metastasis of carcinoma of the cecum with histologically proven invasion via the lymphatic system in the skin. If axillary lymph node metastasis results from aberrant lymphatics due to invasion from an adjacent organ, and not the result of systemic malignant disease, it may be considered as a surgically curable pathology. Therefore, the authors advocate that patients with axillary lymph node metastasis should be evaluated with regard to the possibility of surgical curability.

A Case of Malignant T-Cell Lymphoma of Gastric Origin Accompanied by Pyothorax.

The patient was a 74-year-old man suffering from tuberculotic chronic pyothorax. He had hematemesis in January 2006. Hb was 6.1 g/dl. A type 2 tumor 3 cm in diameter was found in the vaulted region on the greater curvature side. It was diagnosed as a malignant lymphoma. WBC and differential count were normal, and the patient tested negative for HTVL-1 antibody. sIL2-R was elevated to 1,500 U/ml. The superficial lymph nodes were not palpable. CT examination was not remarkable for the liver and spleen. There was no generalized lymph node enlargement. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of malignant lymphoma of gastric origin was made. As the patient had respiratory disorders, too, wedge-shaped gastrectomy was performed to inhibit invasion. Pathological examination revealed CD3 positive large atypical lymphocytes diffusely, EBV positive, HP negative. As a result, a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma was made. The tumor did not return for 1 year and 8 months after surgery, but the patient died of sudden aggravation of respiratory disorders in September 2007. Pathological anatomy was performed. The gastric remnant was left with lymphoma, and the bone marrow and systemic lymph nodes were negative for a malignant lymphoma. The possibility of stomach metastasis from the preoperative pyothorax-related malignant lymphoma was considered, but was ruled out because the lungs were devoid of a malignant lymphoma. We report a case of an extremely rare malignant T-cell lymphoma of gastric origin.

Pyogenic cervical spondylitis with quadriplegia as a complication of severe burns: Report of a case.

We report a case of cervical pyogenic spondylitis complicated by epidural abscess with quadriplegia during treatment of severe burns. The patient was a 49-year-old man with 3rd-degree burns to 20% of his body, involving the lower extremities. We performed escharectomy of the 3rd-degree necrosis on days 7 and 16, followed by the first skin graft on day 23. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected in the postoperative graft wound culture. On day 23 after the skin graft, he became febrile and began to experience cervical pain and muscle weakness of the extremities. By day 24, quadriplegia had developed. A cervical vertebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed pyogenic spondylitis with an epidural abscess, which was causing the quadriplegia. We treated the patient by performing curettage of the pyogenic lesion and anterior fixation of the cervical vertebral bodies. The fact that P. aeruginosa was detected in the pyogenic focus culture indicated that burn wound sepsis was responsible for the infection. This case reinforces that acting on a strong suspicion helps to establish a diagnosis and initiate appropriate treatment early.