Kin-ichi Nabeya

New Measures for Early Detection of Carcinoma of the Esophagus

Imbriglia and Lopusniak [2] discovered early esophageal cancer through aspiration cytology in 1949, and in the same year Andersen et al. [1] diagnosed esophageal cancer by means of brush cytology. In China [5], good results have been obtained with balloon cytology. In 1976, Nabeya [3, 4] developed capsulated brush cytology.

The Effectiveness of Ultrasonography in Diagnosis of Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Preoperative Esophageal Cancer

In determining treatment procedures, it is most important to diagnose cervical lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer preoperatively. Heretofore, the conventional criteria for ultrasonography (US) in metastatic lymph nodes, as designated in the Guidelines for the Clinical and Pathologic Studies on Carcinoma of the Esophagus [1] were: (1) Well defined margins, (2) irregular inner echo images, and (3) longitudinal diameter over 5 mm. Lymph nodes satisfying all three criteria were diagnosed as metastatic. Investigations were made along these lines and it was found that sensitivity was 58.3%; specificity, 97.0%; accuracy, 80.7%; false positive, 17.5%; and false negative, 1.8%. In other words, with the current diagnostic criteria, anticipated delineation ratios could not be obtained. Therefore, keeping in mind the results of occupancy ratios of cancerous lesions within metastatic lymph nodes, new criteria that would be minimally influenced by the examination apparatus or by the examinee’s subjective point of view was established: (1) Ratio of longitudinal diameter to short axis over 0.5, and (2) lymph node longitudinal diameter over 0.5 cm. Lymph nodes satisfying these two criteria were considered to be metastatic. Investigations were made along these lines and it was found that sensitivity was 71.4%; specificity, 100%; accuracy, 87.7%; false positive, 10.5%; and false negative 0%. A satisfying delineation ratio was obtained.

Studies on Preoperative Treatment for Esophageal Cancer and Prognosis of Markedly Effective Cases

Preoperative treatment for esophageal cancer is performed with the objective of improving the prognosis of esophageal cancer. Heretofore, there have been reports [1] indicating effectiveness in preoperative treatment results but a consensus of opinion has not been reached. However, it is possible to demonstrate the histological effects of preoperative treatment for esophageal cancer. The effects range from ineffective to disappearance of the cancer cells. In cases where preoperative treatment was markedly effective, satisfactory responses in postoperative treatment could be anticipated and, in accordance with treatment methods, improvement in prognosis can also be anticipated.

Proceedings of the 23rd Autumn Meeting from October 14–16, 1981-Yonago City, Tottori, Japan

The methodology currently used in the field of physiology of intestinal absorption was reviewed and important progresses in our knowledge of mechanisms of intestinal absorption brought about by introduction of new methods were also summarized. The physiological methods currently employed can cover a broad range of investigations from those at an organ level, e.g. perfusion of intestinal segments, to those at a molecular level, e.g. transport studies in reconstituted systems with purified membrane proteins. By these methods, Na +-dependent mechanism of uphill uptake of various organic solutes and electrolytes across the brush border membrane have been largely clarified and active transport of various solutes is now explained on the basis of the concept of the secondary active transport. The mechanism of exit of solutes from the enterocytes have also been investigated in isolated cell suspensions and purified basolateral membrane vesicles, and some carriers responsible for the exit have been characterized. The charge transfer associated with organic solute transport has been studied by electrophysiological techniques. These studies indicate that organic solutes induce a Na + pathway and resultant Na + flow across the membrane causes a coupled flow of the cosubstrate. A relatively new problem is the transport of small peptides in intact form. Its physiological significance, comparative and developmental aspects are now under investigation in several laboratories. Vira l hepatitismRecent advances of its fundamental research

STUDIES ON THE X-RAY FINDINGS OF EXTRA-ESOPHAGEAL COMPRESSION WITH SERIAL ESOPHAGOGRAMS

食道X線連続撮影による心血管食道圧迫例は, 大動脈弓6例, 異型右鎖骨下動脈4例, 下行大動脈3例, 心肥大2例, 右側大動脈弓1例の16例であった.大動脈弓による異常例の判定は, 大動脈弓食道圧迫幅によった.60歳以上の高齢者で嚥下困難を訴えるもので, 拡張期血圧が100mmHg以上であるものは, 大動脈弓, 下行大動脈による食道圧迫を考慮すべきである.