Yuji Yamamoto

Agenesis of the left internal carotid artery, common carotid artery, and main trunk of the external carotid artery associated with multiple cerebral aneurysms

A case of agenesis of the left internal carotid artery, common carotid artery, and the main trunk of the external carotid artery with multiple cerebral aneurysms is presented. This case was diagnosed by angiography and computed tomography scanning and confirmed by operation. Correlation between the anomaly of the circle of Willis based on the absence of the internal carotid artery and the development of cerebral aneurysm is discussed on the basis of the reported cases.

Histopathologic investigation of a case of meningioangiomatosis not associated with von Recklinghausen's disease

A case of meningioangiomatosis not associated with von Recklinghausens disease is reported. Microscopically, irregularly branched blood vessels extending into the gray matter from the meningeal surface are surrounded by a concentric arrangement of proliferating spindle-formed cells. Ultrastructurally these proliferating cells are composed of elongated heterochromatin-rich nuclei and slender cytoplasm-containing microfilaments, occasionally associated with desmosomal junctions and basal laminalike structures. Judging from these findings, together with a negative immune reaction for S-100 protein, the histogenesis of these proliferating cells is most probably meningothelial in origin.

Negligent homicide by traumatic asphyxia

We presented an unusual case of negligent homicide by thorax compression, which is the expanded concept of traumatic asphyxia. A 58-year-old man was restrained in the prone position by six prison officers. They were ordered by their superiors to continue restraining him for about 15xa0min and the victim died. At the forensic autopsy, typical findings of thorax compression with intramuscular hemorrhages on the back and multiple fractures of the ribs were observed. No evidence of neck compression/smothering or other fatal issues likely to occur by chest compression was found. The reconstruction of the scene corresponded exactly with the localization of the injuries found in the victim. This is the first case of death by pure thorax compression without other fatal factors during intentional restraint, in which the force causing the chest compression was distinctly determined by the autopsy and reconstruction.

Typing of Y chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms in a Japanese population by a multiplexed single nucleotide primer extension reaction

We have developed a new method for typing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the human Y chromosome based on a multiplexed single nucleotide primer extension. This method has the advantage that several SNPs are typed rapidly and simultaneously. We examined 15 different SNP loci on Y chromosome, M9, M105, M122, M125, M128, M130, SRY465, IMS-JST006241, IMS-JST006841, IMS-JST002611, IMS-JST003305, IMS-JST008425, IMS-JST021354, IMS-JST021355 and IMS-JST055457, in 159 Japanese males. From the typing results of these 15 loci, we found 13 haplotypes. Gene diversity for each locus ranged from 0.025 to 0.486 and the haplotype diversity was estimated to be 0.838. This method could be readily applied for personal identification and paternity testing.

Sudden unexpected death due to rupture of the stomach

We report a case of sudden unexpected death due to rupture of the stomach. A 49-year-old man was found dead in a public lavatory. Autopsy findings revealed two rupture wounds measuring 14 cm and 6 cm located in the fundus of stomach at the side of the greater curvature despite of any superficial injury. The deceased had an ulcer in the lesser curvature of stomach, and dilation in this area was expected to be impaired. Under this condition, excessive over-eating resulting in over-extension of the stomach wall at the greater curvature was speculated to have caused stomach rupture.

Minimum dose contrast bolus in computed angiotomography of the brain

We have carried out basic investigations of an intravenous minimum dose bolus (MinDB) injection method for cerebral computed angiotomography by comparing blood iodine concentrations with high resolution computed tomography (CT) images of cerebral blood vessels. With the GECT/T 8800 scanner, a MinDB injection of 1 ml/kg of 60% Conray at a rate of 2 ml/s made it possible to increase the blood iodine concentration in the carotid artery to more than 15 mg/ml for about 20 s. Computed tomography performed during this period enabled us to obtain clear images of the circle of Willis, including other main cerebral arteries, deep veins, and cortical and lenticulostriate arteries. Cerebral computed angiotomography using this method should be useful for noninvasive screening or detection of cerebrovascular lesions themselves, such as cerebral aneurysms, cerebrovascular obstructions, arteriovenous malformations, and moyamoya disease, and should also be useful for determining the anatomical relationship between the cerebral blood vessels and other parenchymal or space occupying lesions.

Massive pulmonary embolization with cerebral tissue due to gunshot wound to the head.

Autopsy findings in a 22-year-old man who received a gunshot wound to the head and died at the scene are presented. Massive white-grey emboli were found in the pulmonary arteries, and these were identified as cerebral cortical or glial tissue by histological examination. It was thought that the momentary severe increase of intracranial pressure and simultaneous rupture of the superior sagittal sinus due to the kinetic energy of the bullet had caused the lacerated cerebral tissue to enter the blood stream.

Towne (Half-axial) and semisagittal computed tomography in the evaluation of blow-out fractures of the orbit

Three cases of blow-out fractures of the orbit were evaluated by Towne and semisagittal computed tomography (CT). The Towne CT well delincated the inferior rectus muscle, the orbital floor, and the entrapped orbital contents, including a bony fragment in the maxillary sinus. The semisagittal CT plane was optimal for lateral delineation of the orbit, although their is need for improvement in the head positioning and gantry width. Postoperative recovery of impaired eye movements was related to CT findings.

Normal anatomy of cerebral vessels by computed angiotomography in the coronal, Towne, and semisagittal planes.

This report presents a detailed analysis of the normal cerebrovascular anatomy on the modified coronal, Towne (half-axial), and semisagittal computed tomographic (CT) images. Direct multiplane CT scans were obtained from fresh cadavers injected with gelatinous iodine solution. The modified coronal plane is optimal for delineation of the internal carotid bifurcations and the anterior and the middle cerebral arteries, and for identification of the lenticulostriate arteries and the angiographic sylvian point. The Towne plane is optimal for delineation of the vertebrobasilar arterial system. Thorough knowledge of the normal appearance of cerebral blood vessels in biplane or multiplane computed angiotomography is a prerequisite for understanding the spatial relationships of the abnormal cerebrovascular anatomy.

Polymorphism of the D12S391 microsatellite in a Japanese population sample

Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we studied the short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphism observed at the D12S391 locus. In 350 Japanese examined, 14 different alleles ranging from 209 bp to 261 bp were detected. Allele 18 (221 bp) showed the highest frequency at 0.30. Observed and expected values of respective genotypes satisfied the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (chi 2 = 24.08, P = 0.24, df = 20). In addition, 18 additional sequence structures (suballeles), were detected in this study. Within the suballeles, sequence variants, in which the initial repeat of (AGAT) was replaced with (AGGT), was found in five samples. It was found that the analysis of single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) before sequence analysis was useful for distinguishing these suballeles.