Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology which predominantly affects medium- and small-sized muscular arteries. Histopathologic studies of KD vasculitis lesions have demonstrated characteristic T cell infiltration and an abundance of CD8+ T cells; however, the contribution of cytotoxic lymphocytes to KD vasculitis lesions has not been identified. Here, we histopathologically and immunohistochemically examined infiltrating inflammatory cells, particularly cytotoxic protein-positive cells, such as granzyme B+ cells and TIA-1+ cells, in KD vasculitis lesions. Three autopsy specimens with acute-phase KD were observed and contained 24 vasculitis lesions affecting medium-sized muscular arteries, excluding pulmonary arteries. Infiltrating neutrophils in vasculitis lesions were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and monocytes/macrophages and lymphocytes were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The predominant cells were CD163+ monocytes/macrophages and CD3+ T cells. CD8+ T cells, granzyme B+ cells, and TIA-1+ cells were also observed, but CD56+ natural killer cells were rare. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first histopathologic report confirming the infiltration of inflammatory cells with cytotoxic proteins in vasculitis lesions in patients with KD. Cytotoxic T cells may play a role in the development of vasculitis lesions in KD patients.
As the number of long-term cancer survivors is increasing, the incidence of post-irradiation malignant mesothelioma may also increase. We herein present the case of an 85-year-old female patient with a history of several surgeries for solid tumors and radiotherapy to the pelvis, who presented with abdominal pain and diarrhea. The patient's general condition gradually worsened and she succumbed to cardiopulmonary arrest triggered by vomiting ~3 months after the onset of the abdominal symptoms. An autopsy revealed malignant intestinal obstruction caused by peritoneal mesothelioma. Irradiation is a known risk factor for malignant mesothelioma, which may develop ~10-30 years after radiotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with malignant mesothelioma developing ~50 years after radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to remind physicians that malignant mesothelioma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with a history of radiotherapy who present with gastrointestinal symptoms.
We here report the case of a 40-year-old man with primary pulmonary chordomas. Although an abnormality had been noted on a chest radiograph at age 26 years, the patient had not undergone further examination at that time because he was asymptomatic. Standard chest radiographs and computed tomography showed slow-growing, multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules. Two tumors were resected thoracoscopically to obtain a diagnosis. Pathologic examination resulted in a diagnosis of chordomas. Subsequent systemic examination revealed no additional lesions, not even in the axial skeleton. The patient is alive without any new lesions 38 months after surgery. These clinical and pathological findings suggest that our patient has multiple primary chordomas of the lung, which is an extremely rare condition.
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