Tomoyuki Kawatsu

Cutaneous and pulmonary cancers associated with Bowen's disease

Thirty-one patients with Bowens disease were studied in a restricted district of Namikata and its neighborhood of Ehime, Japan. Nineteen were alive and 12 were dead; the youngest living patient was 52 years of age. Invasive skin cancers were found in 10 patients and internal malignancies in 10, including 7 patients with pulmonary cancers. Palmoplantar keratosis was present in 25 patients and raindrop-type pigment anomalies in 15. Neutron activation analysis of hair showed only slightly higher arsenic values in patients with Bowens disease than those in normal controls, though the differences were statistically significant at p less than 0.05. A possible arsenic exposure 43 years previously was considered responsible for the occurrence of neoplasms, though the arsenic route and amount were not determined. Bowens disease started within 10 years, invasive skin cancers after 20 years, and pulmonary cancers after 30 years following the suspected arsenic exposure.

Granuloma annulare in herpes zoster scars.

A 54‐year‐old Japanese female developed granuloma annulare twice in herpes zoster scars. Soon after the second event, she developed ulcerative colitis, which was well controled by sulfonamides and corticosteroid suppository. She had no history of diabetes mellitus. There was no recurrence of granuloma annulare by June of 1999. Granuloma annulare might have contributed to the complications of ulcerative colitis, although this had not been noticed before.

Successful dietary control of tyrosinemia II

A Japanese girl, 2 years, 8 months of age, with palmoplantar keratosis and dendritic corneal opacities, showed increased tyrosine levels in the plasma, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid. The mental and physical growth was not retarded. The hepatorenal functions were within normal limits. Electron microscopically, the epidermal keratinocytes showed increased tonofibrils and no structures suggestive of tyrosine crystals. Cytosol and mitochondrial tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) activities of the liver were greatly decreased, while p-hydroxyphenyl pyruvate oxidase (p-HPPO) activity was not decreased. The plasma tyrosine levels were controlled for 3 years with low phenylalanine-tyrosine diet.

Reactive Perforating Collagenosis

幼児期より四肢末梢部に角化性丘疹を反復発生した26才男子例を報告した。皮疹は全経過8週間前後で, 浅い瘢痕を残し自然消退した。組織学的には角栓が真皮内に穿孔し, 同部に膠原線維の角栓内侵入像がみられた。皮疹は外傷により誘発され, 針擦過, 刺入によりKobner現象をみとめた。自験例を含めて文献的考察を行なつた。

Thermographic venography--a new diagnostic technique in occlusive venous diseases of lower limbs.

The superficial venous flow of the limb can be thermographically visualized when the distal portion of the limb is heated in a water bath.