Kichiro Matsumoto

Colchicine in the treatment of acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome)

We describe three cases of Sweets syndrome which showed very rapid improvement with colchicine.

Atypical (“pseudosarcomatous”) cutaneous histiocytoma

We report a patient with a cytologically atypical hemiosiderotic histiocytoma that histologically suggested a sarcoma. The lesion is differentiated from atypical fibroxanthoma and fibroxanthosarcoma, We wish to emphasize the benign nature of this variant of histiocytoma whose extreme cellular atypicality may simulate a sarcoma.

S–100 protein-positive cells in hidrocystomas

The histogenesis of hidrocystomas was examined by the use of immunostaining for S–100 protein. In normal sweat glands, S–100 protein was found exclusively in the secretory cells of eccrine glands, whereas this protein was not present in the other parts of eccrine glands or at any levels of the structure of apocrine glands. On the bases of this immunostaining pattern in normal sweat glands, we attempted to correlate the origin of 8 cases of hidrocystoma to the presence of S–100 protein‐positive cells. S–100 protein was detected in the cells of one solitary eccrine hidrocystoma, but not in those of 2 cases of “classic”, multiple‐lesion type of eccrine hidrocystoma. This indicated that the former arose from the secretory portion of the eccrine gland and the latter from the eccrine ductal cells. Two of the 5 cases of apocrine hidrocystoma showed positive staining in a part of the lining cells of the cyst wall, while the other 3 cases were negative to this protein. This finding suggests that some of the tumors diagnosed morphologically as apocrine hidrocystoma differentiate in the direction of eccrine secretory cells. In addition to S–100 protein, we also surveyed for the presence of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and all cases examined were consistently positive to this substance. The detection of S–100 protein was considered to be more helpful in classifying hidrocystomas than that of CEA.

Benign lymphoplasia of the earlobes induced by gold earrings: Immunohistologic study on the cellular infiltrates

We report three patients with peculiar nodules of the earlobes that developed a few months after the wearing of pierced-type gold earrings. Biopsy specimens showed dense infiltration of lymphoid cells in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue associated with the formation of lymphoid follicles. The clinical and histologic pictures were similar to those of lymphocytoma cutis. Immunohistologically, the nodular lesions were characterized by the proliferation of T cells, mainly suppressor/cytotoxic T cells, and the presence of histiocytic cells displaying Leu-3a antigens on the surface. Patch tests of aqueous gold compound induced a strong skin reaction. A histologic study of the patch test reaction sites revealed a picture of ordinary allergic contact dermatitis showing that T cells, including both helper and suppressor T cells, invaded the spongiotic epidermis and the papillary dermis. Eosinophils and a few Langerhans cells were also present in the dermal infiltrates. These findings suggest that pierced-type gold earrings induced a long-term dermal response that resulted in producing benign lymphoplasia in the sensitized individuals.

Prognosis of cutaneous angiosarcoma in Japan: A statistical study of sixty-nine cases

SummaryThe prognosis of 69 cases of cutaneous angiosarcoma reported in Japan during 1967–1982 was studied statistically. These cases were followed for a minimum of five years. They included 43 males and 26 females. The mean age was 66.8 years. The lesions were confined to the scalp-face region in 60 cases. There was a history of antecendent trauma at the tumor sites in 14 patients and of irradiation in 2 patients. The sites of metastases in order of frequency were the lung, liver and regional lymph nodes. Sixty-four patients died as a result of their tumor. Mean survival was 13.4 months. Five-year survival rate was 6.1%. Only two patients had long-term, disease-free survival. Duration between the onset and the initial visit, and survival period were not correlative. Tumor size was shown to be an important prognostic factor in the scalpface cases. No type of treatment has been particularly effective.