1. The aim of the present study was to compare the protective effects of L-carnitine and amifostine against radiation-induced late nephrotoxicity using technetium-99m diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid scintigraphy and histopathological examination. 2. Seventy-one Albino rats were randomly divided into six groups as follows: (i) AMI + RAD (n = 15), 200 mg/kg, i.p., amifostine 30 min prior to irradiation (a single dose of 9 Gy); (ii) LC + RAD (n = 15), 300 mg/kg, i.p., L-carnitine 30 min prior to irradiation; (iii) LC (n = 10), 300 mg/kg, i.p., L-carnitine 30 min prior to sham irradiation; (iv) AMI (n = 10), 200 mg/kg, i.p., amifostine 30 min prior to sham irradiation; RAD (n = 11), 1 mL/kg, i.p., normal saline 30 min prior to irradiation; and (vi) control (n = 10), 1 mL/kg, i.p., normal saline 30 min prior to sham irradiation. Scintigraphy was performed before treatment and again 6 months after treatment. Kidneys were examined by light microscopy and a histopathological scoring system was used to assess the degree of renal damage. 3. The main histopathological findings were proximal tubular damage and interstitial fibrosis. Glomerular injury was similar in all groups. Tubular degeneration and atrophy were less common in the AMI + RAD group than in the RAD group (P = 0.011 and P = 0.015, respectively), as well as in the LC + RAD group compared with the RAD group (P = 0.028 and P = 0.036, respectively). Interstitial fibrosis in the AMI + RAD and LC + RAD groups was significantly less than that in the RAD group (P = 0.015 and P = 0.015, respectively). The highest total renal injury score (9) was seen in the RAD group. On scintigraphy, there were significant differences in post-treatment time to peak count (T(max)) and time from peak count to half count (T((1/2))) values (P = 0.01 and 0.02, respectively) between groups in the right kidney. In the control and RAD groups, the T((1/2)) of the right kidney was 8 +/- 2 and 21 +/- 2 min, respectively. The T(max) values for the AMI + RAD and LC + RAD groups (2.8 +/- 0.2 and 3.2 +/- 0.2 min, respectively) were similar to those in the control group (2.5 +/- 0.3 min). 4. Based on the results of the present study, L-carnitine and amifostine have comparable and significant protective effects against radiation-induced late nephrotoxicity.

The term ‘radiation recall’ describes an acute inflammatory reaction in previously irradiated areas after the administration of certain inciting systemic agents. It was first described in 1959 by D’Angio that dermatitis is related to the application of actinomycin D on the skin. Though this reaction occurs frequently on the skin, it may also be seen in the oral mucosa, the larynx, esophagus, small intestine, lungs, muscle tissue, and brain. Most drugs associated with recall reactions are cytotoxics, however, several other drugs may also elicit the phenomenon. Although this phenomenon is well known, its etiology is not understood. Radiation recall reactions are generally associated with megavoltage radiotherapy. The time interval between the completion of radiotherapy and the recall reaction ranges from days to years. The recall reaction occurs on average 8 days (3 days to 2 months) after the application of the promoting agent. Although no standard treatment exists, some authors suggest discontinuation of the inciting drug and the use of corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) of the pleura is an uncommon neoplasm with non-specific symptoms and non-pathognomonical radiological findings. Surgery allows establishment of a definitive diagnosis as well as a cure of the disease. The role of radiotherapy or chemotherapy in the management of the disease is unclear because of the rarity of the disease and the successful results of the surgical treatment. Long-term clinical follow-up may be useful for the patients with SFT because of the potential adverse biological behavior of this tumor, which may lead to repeated recurrences and/or malignant transformation. We reported a 66-year-old woman with recurrence of SFT in the right lung, which had significant response to external thoracic radiotherapy.

Static kidney scintigraphy represents an objective and reproducible method to noninvasively investigate kidney function following irradiation. Amifostine produced a significant reduction in radiation-induced loss of renal function.

Primary liposarcoma of the pectoral major muscle is extremely rare. We report a case of liposarcoma of the pectoral major muscle which was treated with surgical excision and postoperative radiotherapy. A 70-year-old man admitted with left-sided painless progressively growing breast mass. Radiological investigation revealed liposarcoma of the pectoralis major muscle. The patient was treated by surgical removal. Pathological diagnosis was pleomorphic liposarcoma. The patient had postoperative radiotherapy and free of disease for 9 months. Surgical excision and postoperative radiotherapy is the most favored treatment strategy. Careful follow-up is mandatory for detecting recurrences.

No abstract

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is the second most common malignancy of the major and minor salivary glands after mucoepidemoid carcinoma. The risk of distant metastases is approximately 20-50%. Although bone, the central nervous system and the other organs may become involved, the lungs are favored sites for metastases. Skeletal muscle and cutaneous metastases from adenoid cystic carcinoma of the parotid gland are extremely rare. In this case, a 40-year-old man with lung and bone metastases followed by skeletal muscle and cutaneous metastases from adenoid cystic carcinoma of the right parotid gland is presented.

Caso Clínico Clinical Case Resumo Os tumores que metastizam para os gânglios inguinais têm frequentemente origem nos órgãos genitais e reprodutores, na pele, no recto ou ânus, ou na bexiga 1,2. Há, no entanto, algumas descrições de casos raros de metástases inguinais de tumores localizados acima do diafragma 2-5 , e apenas três destes apresentavam uma metástase inguinal reconhecida antes da morte. Estes casos estão detalhadamente descritos na literatura médica de língua inglesa 3-5. Os tumores primários destes casos eram mesotelioma maligno e carcinomas do conduto salivar e da mama. Descrevemos Abstact Tumours that metastasise to groin nodes most frequently originate in genital and reproductive organs, skin, rectum or anus, or urinary bladder 1,2. However, rare cases of inguinal metastases from tumours above the diaphragm have been reported 2-5 and only three of them had an inguinal metastasis which was recognised antemortem and reported in detail in the English medical literature 3-5. The primary tumours of these cases were malignant mesothelioma, salivary duct and breast carcinoma. In this paper, we report a case Gânglio inguinal como única evidência de cancro progressivo do pulmão Inguinal lymph node as the only evidence of progressive lung cancer Recebido para publicação/received for publication: 07.04.03 Aceite para publicação/accepted for publication: 08.05.26