A rare case of dermoid cyst in the right nasal cavity in a 16-year-old female who had complained of nasal obstruction was reported. The tumor with some gray hairs on the inferior turbinate was observed postoperatively either histologically or scanning-electron microscopically. The tumor was removed en bloc without any difficulties by an endonasal approach. There is no reported case of such a tumor occurring in the nasal cavity in the past literature.

View full abstract

A 44-year-old male had a rapidly enlarging tumor at the right angle of his mouth. By means of the light and electron microscopic observation, we diagnosed the case as angiosarcoma. The lesion was irradiated with 6, 000 rads and excised sufficiently.
Under the light microscope, spindle- or oval-shaped tumor cells with atypical, round, clear nuclei and a clear nucleolus proliferated like a network. Several tumor cells were surrounded by silver fibers. Under the electron microscope, pinocytotic vesicles were seen to be numerous. Fine cytoplasmic filaments, Golgi apparatus, and rough endoplasmic reticulum were seen in great abundance. Desmosome, fingerbinding, and the cellular processes were also seen. Based on the above findings, we made a diagnosis of angiosarcoma.
Angiosarcoma is relatively rare, and is very rare in the soft tissue as in this case.

View full abstract

A case of triple cancer in a 66-year-old woman which included cancer of the tongue is reported. The first cancer was squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix and treated by irradiation at 61 years of age in 1974. Then ovarian cancer, a rare so-called malignant Brenner tumor, and cancer of the tongue were found at the same time in 1979. The ovarian tumor of a size larger than a child's head was extirpated successfully. The pathological finding of the tongue specimen revealed that it was superficial squamous cell carcinoma, so that the patient received repeated local treatment by means of Bleomycin-Iontophoresis. Following this therapy which was given ten times in 30 days, good results were shown in both clinical and pathological findings.
Although triple cancer in the head and neck region have been considered to be fairly rare, we found 45 cases in the past literature. It was suggested that such cases as well as double cancers were definitely increasing in recent years. A possible oncogenesis of multiple cancer in the head and neck region was discussed briefly.

View full abstract

It has been reported that Cinnarizine is effective in suppressing postrotatory sensation and nystagmus in normal subjects and in patients with vestibular disorders (Philipszoon 1962) by producing direct vascular dilation in the brain and inner ear (Nagao 1972). The antivertiginous effects of Cinnarizine were evaluated in a controlled study in 24 patients with vertigo and/or dizziness, particularly with vestibular disorders.
Clinical subjective signs and symptoms in these cases were evaluated every two weeks both by the physicians and the patients themselves. Objective symptoms were also evaluated using equilibrium and auditory examinations before treatment, two weeks thereafter and four weeks thereafter by the same doctors. Cinnarizine was given in dosages of 150mg daily for four weeks.
Overall comparative judgment of the subjective and objective clinical findings revealed antivertiginous drug effects in 15 out of the 24 patients (62.5%) after four weeks ingestion.
However, the effects on tinnitus and on fullness of ears were present in five of the 16 patients (31.3%), and in two of the ten patients (20%), respectively.
Side-effects were minimal and only two patients were found to develop exanthema in the extremities after three weeks ingestion.

View full abstract

The effects of Cerocral (Ifenprodil tartrate) were clinically studied in 22 patients with peripheral vertigo and dysequilibrium. These effects were assessed by subjective and objective parameters. A “vertigo diary” was used for subjective evaluation.
The following results were obtained.
1) As to the subjective parameters, Cerocral was effective on “vertigo” (84.2%), “heavy feeling of the head” or “headache” (68.8%) and “nausea and/or vomiting” (60.0%). On the other hand, the effects on “shoulder stiffness”, “sleeplessness” and “feelings of lassitude” were limited, and on “tinnitus” and “hearing impairment” were nonexistent.
2) As to the objective parameters, Cerocral was effective for the “nystagmus test” (88.9%), but not for the “hearing test” (6.7%).
3) Side effects were observed in three patients, but these were not very severe.
4) In light of these results, Cerocral appears to be effective for the treatment of peripheral vertigo and dysequilibrium, and safely usable.

View full abstract

Bestatin, a new immunopotentiator, was used against malignant tumors of the head and neck.
It was administered alone in dosage of 100mg daily at early morning fasting time for 2 weeks prior to the initiation of active cancer therapy, and immunity before its administrations was compared with that at the end of 2-week treatment. The series contained 11 cases, 1 case of reticulum cell sarcoma and the others of squamous cell carcinoma. Only one recurrent case was included. Lymphocyte count increased in 5 cases, T cell % increased in 7 cases, and response to PPD was enhanced in 8 cases. The values for lymphocyte count, T cell % and PPD test all increased in 5 cases. Since patients received no concomitant treatment, the above results can be taken to indicate that Bestatin enhanced immunity. None of the patients presented hepatic or renal function abnormality that would have required withdrawal of Bestatin.
Immunity before its administrations was then compared with that determined 1-2 months after the termination of active cancer therapy. This series contained 12 cases of squamous cell carcinoma including 2 recurrent cases. Lymphocyte count increased in 8 cases, T cell % increased in 5 cases, and response to PPD was enhanced in all the cases. The resumption of therapy was needed only in 3 cases. Decreases in lymphocyte count, T cell % and response to PPD were not observed in spite of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery in 4 cases, and post-treatment progresses were good. In cases where lymphocytes, etc. decreased, the values tended to rise, which gave an impression that Bestatin stimulated the anti-tumor immunity.

View full abstract

To see the characteristics of ataxia induced by scoliosis we attempted to examine the equilibrium function of scoliotic patients using the tests for optokinetic nystagmus and compared the results obtained with those from patients with head and neck injury. The methods of analysis of optokinetic nystagmus used herein were the following two. One was that in which nystagmic responses were recorded using “the superimposed method” and these were further divided into the following two patterns: foveal and retinal (hereafter termed the method of Nakano et al., 1972). The other was that in which the above-described foveal pattern was adopted and tested in terms of both degrees and patterns of fluctuation of the slow phase (hereafter termed the method of Izumikawa, Futaki et al., 1978).
The results from these two methods of analysis of optokinetic nystagmus and our interpretation of these results were as follows.
(1) In the patients with scoliosis and those with head and neck injury, malfunction of the oculomotor system was observed and it contributed to abnormal development of both foveal and retinal patterns. Furthermore, in the former group, the system related to the production of the foveal pattern (i. e., the pursuit-movement system) was predominantly disturbed, whereas in the latter, the system related to the production of the retinal pattern (i. e., the saccadic-movement system) was significantly deteriorated.
(2) The patients with head and neck injury tended to show an increased retinal pattern when a small dose of adrenaline (0.006mg per kg of body weight) was injected subcutaneously. This indicates that the malfunction of the above-mentioned saccadic-movement system is possibly due to hyperexcitability of the adrenaline-sensitive component in the brain stem reticular formation (Rothballer 1956). Furthermore, in traumatized patients dysfunction of the cerebellum possibly contributes to excessive development of the retinal pattern, in collaboration with the hyperexcitability of the above-mentioned adrenaline-sensitive component. In contrast, the scoliotic patients tended to show a decreased retinal-pattern when the same drug was given. Furthermore, no signs of cerebellar symptom were found in these patients. With reference to these results and those described in item (5), the malfunction of the pursuit-movement system which was mentioned above was possibly induced in relation to the following two factors: abnormal tonic impulses from the truncal proprioceptors (particularly, those from the lumbar region) and congenital dysfunction of the hypothalamo-brain stem system. Thus, we postulate that there are demonstrable differences between the two groups of patients with regard to the development of malfunction of the oculomotor system.
(3) Traumatized patients with cerebellar symptoms responded to slow and rapid movements of stripes of an optic cylinder, showing excessive development of overshooting form and slowing of pursuit, respectively.
This indicates that the cerebellum probably exerts the following two different actions on the reactivity of the oculomotor system, particularly the brain stem. One is an inhibitory action on the hyperreactivity of the pursuit-movement system in the brain, which is manifested in response to slowly moving objects. The other is an excitatory action on the hyporeactivity of the saccadic-movement system, which is displayed in response to rapidly moving objects. Through the two types of actions of the cerebellum, foveo-retinal coordination is effectively realized in response to various optokinetic stimuli, through which the brain participates in the maintenance of equilibrium of humans.
(4) The method of Nakano et al. was found to be useful in detecting dysfunction of the cerebellum, showing excessive development of both overshooting form and slowing of pursuit. The method of Izumikawa, Futaki et al. was noted to be valuable in demonstrating dysfunction of the cerebellum

View full abstract

Interferon has been a potential chemotherpeutic agent for the prevention of respiratory infection for the past 20 years. However, the only significant antiviral effect was reported to occur in volunteers treated with large doses of human leukocyte interferon administered before and after viral challenge.
This report describes damage to the cilialy system of mouse nasal epithelia resulting from the challenge of mouse adapted influenza A virus PR8 (PR8) and the sensitivity of mouse nasal epithelia to exogenously applied mouse brain interferon (MBIF). Organ culture of mouse nasal epithelia was used to measure responses.
The nasal epithelia taken from the C3H strain mouse (female, 6 wks old) were cultured in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 10% heat inactvated fetal calf serum and 10% chicken embryo extracts. The culture discs were incubated in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO₂ and 95% air at 37°C. The cilialy movement of the epithlia was quantitatively analyzed by an inverted binocular microscope (phase contrast).
Without any treatment, the cilialy movement was observed for longer than 2 wks and the residual cilialy rate was more than 50% on the 7th day. However, with PR8 challenge, the residual cilialy was almost 0% on the 7th day. And MBIF (100 Iu) or L-cell IF (100 Iu) added to the medium before PR8 challenge reduced the viral damage to the cilialy epithelium. (p<0.001). Such an antiviral effect was not observed after the pretreatment of heat-inactivated MBIF, mock MBIF or human leukocyte interferon. In summary, the nasal epithelial cells obtained antiviral resistance by IF treatment.

View full abstract