西野 宏

BACKGROUND: Cancer utilizes immunosuppressive mechanisms to create a tumor microenvironment favorable for its progression. The purpose of this study is to histologically characterize the immunological properties of the tumor microenvironment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and identify key molecules involved in the immunological microenvironment and patient prognosis. METHODS: First, overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from OSCC transcriptome data in public databases. Correlation analysis of DEGs with known immune-related genes identified genes involved in the immune microenvironment of OSCC. Next, stromal patterns of tumor were classified and immunohistochemical staining was performed for immune cell markers (CD3, CD4, Foxp3, CD8, CD20, CD68, and CD163), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP5) in resected specimens obtained from 110 patients with OSCC who underwent resection. Correlations between each factor and their prognostic impact were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the novel OSCC-specific immune-related genes screened (including ADAMDEC1, CXCL9, CXCL13, DPT, GBP5, IDO1, and PLA2G7), GBP5 was selected as the target gene. Histopathologic analysis showed that multiple T-cell subsets and CD20-positive cells were less common in the advanced stages, whereas CD163-positive cells were more common in advanced stages. The immature type in the stromal pattern category was associated with less immune cell infiltration, lower expression of PD-L1 in immune cells, lower expression of GBP5 in the stroma, and shorter overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Expression of GBP5 in the tumor and stroma correlated with immune cell infiltration of tumors and PD-L1 expression in tumor and immune cells. Patients with low tumor GBP5 expression and high stromal expression had significantly longer overall survival and recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: The stromal pattern category may reflect both invasive and immunomodulatory potentials of cancer-associated fibroblasts in OSCC. GBP5 has been suggested as a potential biomarker to predict the prognosis and therapeutic efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors.

OBJECTIVES: Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents a major toxicity associated with cisplatin. We developed a risk prediction model for cisplatin-induced AKI in patients with postoperative high-risk head and neck cancer who received chemoradiotherapy during a randomized phase II/III trial, JCOG1008. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-one patients received radiotherapy with weekly cisplatin at 40 mg/m2 (weekly arm) or 3-weekly cisplatin at 100 mg/m2 (3-weekly arm). AKI was defined using the AKI Network classification/staging system as increased serum creatinine of ≥0.3 mg/dL or a ≥1.5-fold increase from baseline 30 days after completing chemoradiotherapy. The Akaike information criterion was used to explore the optimal model by combining explanatory variables at registration. RESULTS: Among the 251 patients (210 men and 41 women (median age; 62 years)), 94 (37.5 %) developed cisplatin-induced AKI. The optimal cisplatin-induced AKI risk prediction model comprised four factors, including a primary site of hypopharynx/larynx (vs. oral cavity/oropharynx), 3-weekly arm (vs. weekly arm), serum albumin of ≤3.5 g/dL (vs. >3.5 g/dL) and creatinine clearance (CCr) of <90 mL/min (vs. ≥90 mL/min). The incidence of cisplatin-induced AKI rose with cumulative count of the four factors. When the cumulative count was ≥2, the positive predictive value for cisplatin-induced AKI was 50.3 %. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a risk prediction model for cisplatin-induced AKI in patients with head and neck cancer who received postoperative chemoradiotherapy using primary site, cisplatin administration method, serum albumin, and CCr. Patients with risk factors unrelated to the cisplatin administration method should adopt a weekly cisplatin regimen.

Maxillary angiosarcoma, an aggressive tumor derived from vascular endothelial cells, is very rare. Recently, antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapies have attracted considerable attention. We describe the clinical course of a patient with maxillary angiosarcoma and discuss the expression of VEGF signaling molecules assessed via immunohistological analysis. An 81-year-old man presented with an aggressive tumor in the left maxillary sinus. Biopsy revealed atypical nuclear cell proliferation, and the tumor was suspected to be a sarcoma. The maxillary malignancy was treated using a multidisciplinary approach with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and regional chemotherapy. Examination of the specimen obtained in the first surgery revealed maxillary angiosarcoma, found to be positive for CD31, while negative for CD34, D2-40, and factor Ⅷ. Although no pathological residual tumor was observed after the planned wide surgery, cervical lymph node and distant metastases occurred. The patient died 24 months after the first surgery. Staining revealed VEGF receptor (VEGFR) 1, VEGFR2, phosphorylated Ak strain transforming, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 positivity. Although our findings do not indicate that anti-VEGF therapy is beneficial for treating maxillary angiosarcomas, we found that VEGFR signaling pathways were activated in maxillary angiosarcomas similar to angiosarcomas originating at other sites. Herein, we report a case of maxillary angiosarcoma, focused on VEGFR and signaling pathway activation. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe VEGFR system immunostaining findings in maxillary angiosarcoma.

INTRODUCTION: The Hippo pathway consists of mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1/2 (MST1/2), large tumor suppressor 1/2 (LATS1/2), and yes-associated protein (YAP)1. Herein, we present the first report on the significance of major Hippo pathway protein expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: The analyses included oral epithelial dysplasia (OED, n = 7), carcinoma in situ (CIS, n = 14), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC, n = 109). RESULTS: Cytoplasmic expression of MST1, LATS1, and LATS2 was low in OED, CIS, and OSCC. The cytoplasmic expression of MST2 was high in OED (5/7 cases), CIS (9/14 cases), and poorly differentiated OSCC (8/8 cases) but was low/lost in a proportion of differentiated OSCC (60/101 cases). The expression of YAP1 was associated with differentiation; low YAP expression was significantly more frequent in well-differentiated OSCC (35/71 cases), compared to moderately and poorly differentiated OSCC (11/38 cases). An infiltrative invasion pattern was associated with a high expression of MST2 and high expression of YAP1. The high expression of YAP1 was associated with features of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), such as the loss of E-cadherin and high expression of vimentin, laminin 5, and Slug. High expression of protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) 1 or 5, which positively regulates YAP activity, was associated with the high expression of YAP1 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Among the major Hippo pathway proteins, MST2 displayed a distinctive expression pattern in a significant proportion of differentiated OSCC, suggesting a possible differential role for MST2 depending on the course of OSCC progression. A high YAP1 expression may indicate aggressive OSCC with EMT via PRMTs at the invasive front.

BACKGROUND: Total pharyngolaryngectomy (TPL) is standard treatment for hypopharyngeal cancer. However, extensive thyroidectomy and paratracheal nodal dissection (PTND) can cause hypoparathyroidism. We sought to determine the optimum extent of resection. METHODS: We analyzed the clinicopathological information of 161 pyriform sinus cancer patients undergoing TPL from 25 Japanese institutions. Rates of recurrence and risk factors for hypoparathyroidism, as well as incidence of pathological contralateral level VI nodal metastasis and stomal recurrence, were investigated. RESULTS: The extent of thyroidectomy and nodal dissection were not independent risk factors for recurrence. Incidences of contralateral level VI nodal involvement and stomal recurrence were 1.8% and 1.2%, respectively. Patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy/ipsilateral PTND did not develop stomal recurrence and had the lowest incidence of hypoparathyroidism. Prognosis in patients without tracheostomy prior to hemithyroidectomy/ipsilateral PTND was comparable to that with more extensive resections. CONCLUSIONS: Hemithyroidectomy/ipsilateral PTND may be sufficient for pyriform sinus cancer cases without tracheostomy.

Background/Aim: Accelerated hyperfractionation (AHF) is used in head and neck cancer to improve the local control (LC) rate, but reports of outcomes for early-stage GC are limited. The outcomes of radiotherapy (RT) for stage 1 glottic carcinoma (GC) were retrospectively analyzed, comparing AHF and once-daily fractionation (ODF) using 2.0-2.4 Gy. Patients and Methods: A total of 102 patients with stage 1 GC underwent RT alone between 2007 and 2021, with 43 in the AHF group and 59 in the ODF group. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered to indicate a significant difference. Results: The 5-year LC rate was 98% in the AHF group and 91% in the ODF group (p=0.19). During RT, significantly more patients in the AHF group required opioids due to mucositis than in the ODF group (74% vs. 25%, p<0.001), and the rate of aspiration pneumonia tended to be higher in the AHF group than in the ODF group (7% vs. 0%, p=0.072). Conclusion: There was no difference in the LC rate between AHF and ODF for stage 1 GC. Moreover, the AHF group required opioids at a higher rate and tended to have a higher risk of developing aspiration pneumonia.

ランゲルハンス細胞組織球症(Langerhans cell histiocytosis: LCH)は,抗原提示細胞の形質を示すモノクローナルなLCH細胞が浸潤する小児に好発する炎症性腫瘍疾患である。本症では治療による寛解後も長い経過中に晩期合併症や二次癌を生じて生活の質が低下することが懸念される。今回,寛解後に甲状腺乳頭癌(PTC)を生じた多発骨型LCHの1例を報告した。症例は15歳男児で,9歳時に右側頭部および左股関節にLCH病変を認め,日本ランゲルハンス細胞組織球症研究グループ(JLSG)-02プロトコールに従い化学療法で完全寛解を得た。しかし,5年後に両側リンパ節転移を伴うPTCを発症し当科に転科した。甲状腺全摘出術および両側頸部郭清術を行い,術後に放射線ヨウ素内服療法を行った。LCHおよびPTCともにBRAF V600E変異陽性であった。13年を経た現在,無病生存している。LCHは耳鼻咽喉科領域の病変で発症することが多く,PTCを続発することがあるため耳鼻咽喉科医が留意すべき疾患である。(著者抄録)

QUAD SHOT is an ultra-hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) technique that prescribes 14.0-14.8 Gy over 2 days. Although this technique has already gained some status as an effective palliative treatment for inoperable head and neck cancer (HNC), its application in other situations has not been given much consideration. Herein, we report a case of a 62-year-old woman who received preoperative QUAD SHOT therapy for poorly differentiated parotid carcinoma. In this case, after two courses of QUAD SHOT plus a standard chemotherapy regimen with pembrolizumab, the patient's inoperable, bulky tumor shrank dramatically and became operable. Best of all, while adequate therapeutic effects were achieved, the patient's time commitment and physical exertion were limited. RT during this period consisted of only eight fractions over 4 days. According to previous reports, the response rate for QUAD SHOT is sufficiently high, and the rate of serious adverse events is quite low. This case asks the question of whether the indications for QUAD SHOT irradiation can be expanded as one of the preoperative interventions undertaken by HNC surgeons to achieve conversion surgery.

Since the launch of imatinib in 2001, tyrosine kinase inhibitors are being used in chemotherapy for a wide range of malignant tumors. Drugs that inactivate multiple molecular mechanisms are called multikinase inhibitors (MKIs). Nintedanib is a type of MKI that inhibits downstream cascades in three systems: vascular endothelial growth factor receptor, fibroblast growth factor receptor, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor inhibitions. It was initially developed as an anticancer drug for non-small-cell lung carcinoma; however, it was also found to inhibit the proliferation of fibroblasts associated with chronic inflammation in the lungs. Therefore, it is being more widely used to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a benign disease, than as an antineoplastic agent. Several studies have reported adverse events associated with the concurrent use of MKIs with surgery or radiotherapy. Specifically, there has been a report cautioning against delayed wound healing associated with the use of nintedanib in patients undergoing surgery. However, there is no specific mention of its concurrent use during irradiation. We describe a case of a 72-year-old man with severely delayed recovery from radiation mucositis when nintedanib was being administered for benign disease.

Background Stromal patterns (SP), especially desmoplastic reactions, have recently gained attention as indicators of malignant potential in cancer. In this study, we explored the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of the SP in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and Methods We reviewed 232 cases of surgically resected OSCC that were not treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. We categorized the SP of the OSCC into four groups: immune/inflammatory (84 cases), mature (14 cases), intermediate (78 cases), or immature (56 cases). Results The SP category was significantly associated with various clinicopathological factors, such as the histological grade, lymphovascular invasion, neural invasion, and a diffuse invasion pattern. For each of the factors, the immune/inflammatory type was associated with favorable categories, while the immature type was associated with unfavorable categories (p ≤ 0.001). The SP category was also shown to be a prognostic predictor: the 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate was 72.0% for the immune/inflammatory type, 66.7% for the intermediate/mature type, and 31.2% for the immature type (p &amp;lt; 0.0001), and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 85.1% for the immune/inflammatory type, 76.4% for the intermediate/mature type, and 50.0% for the immature type (p &amp;lt; 0.0001). In multivariate analyses, the SP category was identified as an independent prognostic factor for RFS and OS. Conclusion Our SP categorization method provides valuable prognostic information in OSCC.

OBJECTIVE: Intracordal injection under local anesthesia is widely performed; however, few studies show hemodynamic changes in the heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and blood pressure during intracordal injection under local anesthesia. This study examined changes in vital signs (heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure) during intracordal injection under local anesthesia among high-risk patients and investigated whether intracordal injection under local anesthesia could be safely conducted. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was adopted as the research design. We investigated the changes in vital signs (heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure) before and after intracordal injection with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) preparations under local anesthesia in 46 patients who visited our institution and developed unilateral vocal cord paralysis after a thoracic aortic aneurysm, thoracic aortic dissection surgery, thyroid disease, esophageal disease, idiopathic disease, etc. RESULTS: The average operation time for the high-risk group was 3.67 minutes, with the shortest operating time being 2 minutes and the maximum operating time being 13 minutes. The average operation time for the control group was 3.73 minutes, with the shortest operating time being 1 minute and the maximum operating time being 9 minutes. Results before and after intracordal injection with bFGF preparations under local anesthesia for heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure had P-values of 0.324, 0.394, 0.215, and 0.508, respectively, in the high-risk group, and no significant differences were found. Conversely, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure had P-values of 0.057, 0.232, 0.265, and 0.091, respectively, in the control group, and no significant differences were found. CONCLUSION: Intracordal injection under local anesthesia may be safe, even for patients who require blood pressure management after thoracic aortic disease surgery.

OBJECTIVE: In Japan, many otolaryngologists provide primary care for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of otorhinolaryngological findings in order to improve COVID-19 diagnostic systems in a primary care setting. METHODS: A total of 351 patients (mean age, 36.0 ± 15.4 years) diagnosed with COVID-19 by otolaryngologists who belong to the Japan Otorhinolaryngologists Association were included in the study. A web-based questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the timing of positive identification of COVID-19, the route of infection, symptoms, and findings in the tonsils, nasal cavity, pharynx, ear, and neck. A modified Centor score was calculated for cases in which age, symptoms, and tonsil and neck findings were described. RESULTS: Symptoms included fever (56%), olfactory disturbance (46%), and a sore throat (56%). Of the individuals considered, 63% had ordinary rhinoscopic findings, 21% experienced watery rhinorrhea, and 12% had observable mucosal redness. Further, 87% had ordinary tonsillar findings, 13% displayed tonsillar redness, with enlargement and white mucus observe in 2% and 1% of participants, respectively. A total of 193 patients had a calculated Centor score of 3 points in 2%, and scores of the remaining participants were ≤2 points. CONCLUSION: Of all patients considered, 40% had nasal findings and 4% had purulent nasal discharge. In contrast, only 13% of the patients had tonsillar findings, and no patients had Centor scores ≥4 points. Symptom differentiation from that of bacterial infections is difficult. In areas where COVID-19 is prevalent, the disease should be considered in patients presenting with fever, olfactory disturbances, and sore throat with minimal or no clinical findings in the nasal cavity and pharynx.

Methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the methionine salvage pathway, which recycles one carbon unit that is lost during polyamine synthesis back into the methionine cycle. Although MTAP deficiency has been reported in various tumours, MTAP is overexpressed and might promote oncogenesis in other cancers, including prostate and colon cancer. Currently, little is known about the MTAP status of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we immunohistochemically examined the expression of MTAP in surgically resected oral epithelial dysplasia (OED, n=7), carcinoma in situ (CIS) (n=16), and OSCC (n=118). In the normal epithelium, MTAP was only weakly expressed in the cytoplasm of the basal layer cells. In OED, CIS, and OSCC, MTAP was uniformly expressed in the cytoplasm of the dysplastic and cancer cells. In addition to cytoplasmic MTAP expression, 45 of 118 cases (38.1%) exhibited increased nuclear expression of MTAP in the cancer cells at the invasive front. Statistical analysis showed that the concomitant nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of MTAP was associated with a high budding score (p=0.0023); poor differentiation (p=0.0044); aggressive invasion patterns (p=0.0001); and features of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), such as loss of E-cadherin expression (p=0.0003) and upregulated expression of vimentin (p=0.0002), slug (p=0.0002), and laminin 5 (p<0.0001). High expression of protein arginine methyltransferase 1 or 5, the functions of which are reported to be inhibited in MTAP-deficient cancer, was associated with the concomitant nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of MTAP (p<0.0001). Concomitant nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of MTAP was marginally significantly associated with worse 5-year relapse-free survival (p=0.045). These findings suggest that MTAP not only plays a role in the oncogenesis of OSCC, but that it might also make it more aggressive by inducing EMT through its activity in the methionine salvage pathway.

症例は70歳代男性で、右頸部腫瘤を主訴とした。CTとMRIで右梨状陥凹の粘膜に沿って存在する造影効果を伴う腫瘍および右総頸動脈から内外頸動脈分岐部領域に頸動脈浸潤を伴うリンパ節転移を認め、下咽頭癌T3N3bM0 stage IVBと診断した。化学放射線療法目的で入院後、腫瘍増大による気道閉塞に対し局所麻酔下気管切開術を施行する際、頸部伸展させた時に意識レベルが低下した。その後自然に回復したため手術を再開し終了したが、術当日の夜間帯も再度意識レベルの低下と回復を認めた。意識消失発作時に高度徐脈および50mmHg以上の収縮期血圧低下を認めたことから、繰り返す意識消失発作の原因は血管抑制型頸動脈洞症候群と考えられた。頸部の伸展を避けるように指導し、その後は意識消失発作を再発することなく化学放射線療法を完遂し、退院した。

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Brain and thyroid metastasis from rectal cancer are uncommon, and the prognosis is poor. We report a patient with rectal cancer who developed metachronous lung, brain and thyroid metastases. Each metastatic lesion was curatively resected resulting in prolonged survival. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old male underwent rectal cancer resection, and the pathological diagnosis was tubular adenocarcinoma, pT2,pN1a,M0, pStageⅢa. Ten years after rectal resection, a solitary tumor in the left lung was detected. The tumor was resected thoracoscopically and the pathological diagnosis was metastatic tumor. Three years after the pulmonary resection, a solitary brain tumor was detected. The tumor was removed surgically, and the pathology was metastatic tumor. Two years after brain resection, a thyroid mass was detected. A partial thyroidectomy was performed and the pathology with immunohistochemical staining confirmed the thyroid lesion as a metastasis from the previous rectal cancer. Four years after thyroid resection (19 years after the initial rectal resection), he died from multiple lung and bone metastases. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Colorectal metastases to the brain and thyroid gland are uncommon and are usually found with other distant metastases. Overall survival has been reported to be extremely poor. In this patient, lung, brain, and thyroid metastases were solitary and metachronous, and each lesion was curatively resected. Surgical treatment might contribute to prolonged survival. CONCLUSION: The treatment strategy of each patient should be individualized and depends on the timing of metastasis development. Selected patients with complete resection of metachronous metastases may have prolonged survival.

RATIONALE: Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare and highly aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. SDC demonstrates a potential for invasive growth with early regional and distant metastasis to organs, such as bone, lung, liver, and brain. Because, adrenal gland metastasis from SDC is rare, its treatment options are not well established. Herein, we report a case of SDC metastasis from the parotid gland to the adrenal gland, which was successfully treated by surgery. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient had an abnormal but painless lump on the right parotid gland. The size of the mass had increased over a period of 3 years. The patient underwent complete removal of the right parotid gland and radical neck dissection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Two years later, a mass was identified in the left adrenal gland by computed tomography. As no local recurrence or metastasis to other organs was observed, the patient underwent adrenalectomy. DIAGNOSES: Metastasis of SDC in the adrenal gland was confirmed by histopathological examination of the adrenalectomized specimen. INTERVENTIONS: After adrenalectomy, the patient was followed-up without adjuvant therapy. OUTCOMES: The patient was well and alive during the 13-month postoperative follow-up period without any complications. LESSONS: Surgical resection of solitary metastatic lesion may show a survival benefit with metastatic SDC.

Introduction: The carotid sinus is an organ that regulates the blood pressure and heart rate, but spread of head and neck cancer to the neck lymph nodes can cause carotid sinus syndrome, with syncopal attacks. We report a case of hypopharyngeal carcinoma with neck lymph node metastasis who was suspected as having carotid sinus syndrome. Case presentation: The patient was a man in his 70s. While hospitalized for hypopharyngeal carcinoma, he suffered syncopal attacks. Since there was no evidence of a cardiac origin for the fainting attack, we suspected vasosuppressive carotid sinus syndrome, which is relatively rare. Conclusion: Head and neck cancers are often associated with lymph node metastasis, which may cause carotid sinus syndrome. Head and neck surgeons and otolaryngologists should be made aware of possible cause of syncopal attacks.

小児甲状舌管癌は頻度が少なく,再発症例はさらに稀である。今回2度再発を反復した症例を経験したので報告する。初発時12歳の男児。甲状舌管から右頸部にかけての乳頭癌に対し甲状腺右葉切除術,Sistrunk手術,頸部郭清術を併施した。右葉には原発巣を認めず甲状舌管癌と診断した。13歳時に頸部リンパ節再発し,頸部郭清術を施行した。今回,経過観察中の21歳時に甲状腺左葉へ乳頭癌の転移再発を認め,左葉切除術を施行した。甲状腺が原発巣であった可能性を完全には否定できないものの,超音波所見の推移から可能性は極めて低いと考える。初回治療の議論や左葉病変の臨床的及び病理学的な検討を含め考察する。(著者抄録)

小児甲状舌管癌は頻度が少なく，再発症例はさらに稀である。今回2度再発を反復した症例を経験したので報告する。初発時12歳の男児。甲状舌管から右頸部にかけての乳頭癌に対し甲状腺右葉切除術，Sistrunk手術，頸部郭清術を併施した。右葉には原発巣を認めず甲状舌管癌と診断した。13歳時に頸部リンパ節再発し，頸部郭清術を施行した。今回，経過観察中の21歳時に甲状腺左葉へ乳頭癌の転移再発を認め，左葉切除術を施行した。甲状腺が原発巣であった可能性を完全には否定できないものの，超音波所見の推移から可能性は極めて低いと考える。初回治療の議論や左葉病変の臨床的及び病理学的な検討を含め考察する。

INTRODUCTION: Metastases to the thyroid gland in patients with colorectal cancer are uncommon. We report a patient with rectal cancer who developed a metastasis to the thyroid gland. PRESENTATION OF CASE: The patient was a 45-year-old female five years status post rectal cancer resection. A thyroid lesion was detected on PET-CT scan with synchronous lung metastases. After pulmonary resection, a partial thyroidectomy was performed and pathological examination with immunohistochemical staining confirmed that the lesion was a metastasis from previous rectal cancer. She is free from recurrence two years after thyroid surgery. DISCUSSION: Colorectal metastases to the thyroid gland are usually seen with widespread disease, often with lung and liver metastases. The overall outcomes of previously reported patients with thyroid metastases were extremely poor, with most patients dying within months of diagnosis. Careful attention should be given to other sites of metastatic disease including the thyroid gland during postoperative follow-up. PET scan may be helpful to establish the diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Treatment decisions must be individualized, and depend on the presence of systemic disease. Selected patients may benefit from resection of metastases, and PET scan may be useful to identify patients who will benefit from resection.

The oropharynx is examined with a light source such as an electric light, a penlight, or a forehead mirror based on an acquired visual field using a tongue depressor. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain objective and reproducible images of tissue within the pharynx required in recent years with these methods, and insufficient progress in the examination tools has been made. There is an increasing need to develop a method for display during oropharyngeal examination. We conducted the present study to develop a novel oropharyngeal endoscope as an objective observation method.

Vascularized iliac bone grafts are used for mandibular reconstruction, but the factors affecting graft maintenance are unknown. This study explored the postsurgical changes in vascularized iliac bone grafts in patients who had undergone mandibular reconstruction after segmental resection. The study involved 24 patients (16 men and eight women) with oral tumours or osteoradionecrosis. Thirteen patients required bare bone grafting (BBG) and 11 patients required reconstruction with soft tissue coverage (six with a skin paddle and five with direct closure). The bone graft maintenance rate (with regard to the height of the centre of the graft) was calculated immediately after surgery and at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery. The maintenance rate was significantly lower in the BBG group than in the soft tissue coverage group at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, and in those who were fitted with dentures compared to those who were not at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Local infection also influenced the maintenance rate, but not significantly so. These findings indicate that the reconstruction technique and denture use can affect the bone graft maintenance rate after mandibular reconstruction with vascularized iliac bone grafts.

Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMT) 5, a member of type II arginine methyltransferases, catalyzes the symmetrical dimethylation of arginine residues on histone and non-histone substrates. Although the overexpression of PRMT5 has been reported in various cancers, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not been elucidated. In the present study, we immunohistochemically examined the expression of PRMT5 in surgically resected oral epithelial dysplasia (OED, n = 8), oral intraepithelial neoplasia (OIN)/carcinoma in situ (CIS) (n = 11) and OSCC (n = 52) with or without contiguous OED lesions. In the normal epithelium, PRMT5 was weakly expressed in the cytoplasm of basal layer cells. In OED, OIN/CIS, and OSCC, its expression consistently and uniformly increased in the cytoplasm of dysplastic and cancer cells. Moreover, nuclear and cytoplasmic localization was detected in the invasive front of cancer cells, particularly in cases showing poor differentiation or aggressive invasion patterns. The concomitant nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of PRMT5 correlated with the loss of E-cadherin and cytokeratin 17, and the upregulation of vimentin, features that are both indicative of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. PRMT5 may play a role from early oncogenesis through to the progression of OSCC, particularly in the aggressive mode of stromal invasion.

OBJECTIVE: There has been little progress in examination of the oropharynx with a light source such as electric light, a penlight, or a forehead mirror over the past 100 years. It is therefore necessary to develop methods to display and record oropharyngeal observations. METHOD: Since the aim of this study was to assess the safeness to use from the perspective of physicians, medical staffs, patients, and patients' families and usefulness of pharyngeal scope, the number of devices was limited, the number of patients was not set based on hypothetical statistical tests. RESULTS: A total of 150 volunteers were enrolled in this study. Among them, 96 underwent examination alone and the remaining 28 underwent treatment procedures. The study was done without any complications in all 150 cases. Most (91.3%) physicians hoped to continue using the new device if available. When comparing the use of the device for observation alone and for treatment procedures, there was no significant difference for evaluation items (p > .05) except convenience factor which received a significantly different (p = .0154) evaluation from physicians for observation alone and for treatment procedures. A positive evaluation was received about examination, recording/display and explanation from the patients and patients' families. CONCLUSIONS: Our new device received positive evaluations by who underwent examination of the oral cavity and pharynx, recording of the results, and treatment procedures.

There have been a limited number of studies about clinical symptoms in patients in the terminal phase of head and neck cancers. The aim of this prospective multi-institutional study (11 institutes) was to assess the prevalence of symptoms and functional status among patients with advanced head and neck cancer. Of the 100 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 72 patients were observed until their death. Neck dressing treatment was needed for skin-infiltration symptoms, such as bleeding, infection, and exudation in 30.6% of patients at study entry and in 36.1% just before death. Severe bleeding causing death was observed in 6.9% of patients and the lethal rupture of the carotid artery was seen in only one case (1.4%). At the time of study entry, 75% of patients maintained enteral nutrition, and 61.1% still received enteral nutrition just before death. Laryngeal phonation ability was not maintained in 44.4% of patients at the time of study entry and 50% just before death. Edema in the head and neck region was observed in 23.6% of patients at entry and 36.1% at the time of death. Since the above-mentioned symptoms in patients in the terminal phase were not mild, these symptoms sometimes cause uneasiness in head and neck patients, their families, and the medical staff. To relieve the anxiety of patients, families, and the medical staff, further large-scale prospective studies are needed to establish care management of head and neck cancer patients in the terminal phase and bring them a better quality of life in the terminal phase.

In this clinical report, we present the management of a brain abscess that was presumed to be caused by radiation osteomyelitis of the mandible. The patient underwent chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal carcinoma on the left side at the Department of Otolaryngology of our hospital in 2000. Local recurrence or metastasis did not occur post-treatment. In January 2009, the patient was diagnosed with radiation osteomyelitis of the mandible on the left side, complicated by a pathologic fracture. In July 2011, numbness occurred in the left upper extremity and the patient was transferred to the emergency center of our hospital. A computed tomography scan showed a tumor lesion in the brain that was diagnosed as a brain abscess by magnetic resonance imaging. Neurosurgeons performed burr hole drainage of the abscess, followed by administration of antibiotics. Although impaired fine movements of the left hand remain, progress has been relatively favorable with no recurrence of osteomyelitis or brain abscess post-surgery.