Yukinori Asada

Inhibitory effect of erythromycin on interleukin‐8 secretion from exudative cells in the nasal discharge of patients with chronic sinusitis

Objectives: The mechanism of the efficacy of long‐term low‐dose macrolide therapy for chronic sinusitis is not fully understood. The authors studied the inhibitory effect of erythromycin on interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) secretion from exudative cells in the nasal discharge of patients with chronic sinusitis. Study Design and Methods: Exudative cells in the nasal discharge were isolated from six patients with nonallergic chronic sinusitis. The cells, more than 90% of which were neutrophils, were incubated with or without erythromycin in the presence of 10 μg/mL of lipopolysaccharide. The IL‐8 concentrations in the culture supernatants were measured by enzyme‐linked immunoassay. Results: The amount of secreted EL‐8 in the absence of erythromycin was 682 ± 226 pg/10 6 cells/24 h. The IL‐8 secretion was significantly reduced to 66 ± 15% and 46 ± 13% of the control in the presence of 10−6 and 10−5 M of erythromycin, respectively. Conclusion: Erythromycin may act as a biologic modulator that inhibits IL‐8 secretion from exudative cells and thereby blocks the vicious circle of neutrophil recruitment and IL‐8 generation in the inflammatory site in chronic sinusitis.

Malignant melanoma of the head and neck: A multi‐institutional retrospective analysis of cases in Northern Japan

Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck is rare and is associated with a poor prognoses because of locoregional failure and distant metastasis. The aim of our study was to review the characteristics of these patients in northern Japan and to analyze their outcomes.

Effect of HMB/Arg/Gln on the Prevention of Radiation Dermatitis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

OBJECTIVE This prospective randomized Phase II study was designed to evaluate the preventive effect of an oral nutrition supplement composed of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate, arginine and glutamine (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate/arginine/glutamine) on radiation dermatitis in head and neck cancer patients. METHODS Forty patients with histologically proven head and neck cancer, treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy involving cisplatin were recruited. They were randomly assigned to the beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate/arginine/glutamine supplement treatment group (Group A) or the control group that received no supplement (Group B). The primary endpoint of this study was the percentage of patients developing ≥Grade 3 dermatitis. The secondary endpoints were the percentage of patients developing ≥Grade 2 dermatitis, and the duration of each grade of dermatitis relative to the observation period. RESULTS The incidence of ≥Grade 3 dermatitis did not differ between the two groups. However, as secondary endpoints of this study, the incidence of ≥Grade 2 dermatitis was lower in Group A than B (62.6 vs. 94.4%; P < 0.05), and the duration of ≥Grade 1 dermatitis was shorter in Group A than B (44.8 vs. 56.7%; P < 0.01), as was the duration of ≥Grade 2 dermatitis (16.5 vs. 26.5%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our study indicated that beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate/arginine/glutamine supplementation was potentially effective in the prevention of radiation dermatitis in head and neck cancer patients.

Central-part laryngectomy is a useful and less invasive surgical procedure for resolution of intractable aspiration

A novel narrow-field laryngectomy procedure known as central-part laryngectomy (CPL) for less invasive laryngeal diversion in patients with intractable aspiration is introduced. We conducted retrospective case reviews of 15 patients who underwent CPL. In this procedure, an area of the glottis including the mid-part of the thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage is removed to separate the digestive tract from the air way. The lateral part of the thyroid cartilage, the entire hypopharyngeal mucosa and epiglottis are preserved. The superior laryngeal vessels and nerve are not invaded. All fifteen patients were relieved of aspiration without major complications. In good accordance with cutting of the cricopharyngeal muscles and removal of the cricoid cartilage, postoperative videofluoroscopy demonstrated smooth passages of barium. Ten of 12 patients who had hoped to resume oral food intake became able to do so after CPL and two others also achieved partial oral deglutition. CPL is a useful procedure for treatment of intractable aspiration and offers considerable advantages over other laryngotracheal diversion procedures from the view point of oral food intake.

Retrospective observational study of occult cervical lymph-node metastasis in T1N0 tongue cancer

Objective: Delayed neck metastasis is the most significant prognostic factor for early tongue cancer. The main strategies for controlling cervical lymph nodes in Japan are elective neck dissection or watchful waiting. Elective neck dissection offers significantly better survival, but adversely impacts patient quality of life; consequently, here we investigated how to identify high‐risk patients warranting elective neck dissection. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 67 patients with T1N0 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma who underwent primary treatment in our department from April 2001 to March 2015. All the patients underwent watchful waiting alone for neck management. We investigated the rates of occult neck metastasis, prognosis and circumstances of recurrence, and associations with pathological tumor thickness, depth and muscle invasion by the primary tumor. Correlation between the thickness in pathological specimens and that at magnetic resonance imaging was additionally investigated. Results: Neck recurrence was evident in 20 patients, of which 19 developed within 1 year. Therefore, the rate of occult neck metastasis was 29.9%. Patients with muscle invasion, tumor thickness ≥2 mm or tumor depth ≥2 mm on surgical specimens were significantly more likely to develop delayed neck metastasis. Prognosis was significantly worse for patients with muscle invasion or tumor thickness ≥2 mm. Thickness using magnetic resonance imaging was well correlated with pathological thickness. Conclusions: Patients with tumors ≥2 mm in thickness or muscle invasion developed neck metastasis, suggesting that elective neck dissection may be warranted for patients with these findings. For preoperative assessment of the need for elective neck dissection, magnetic resonance imaging would be a potential modality for T1N0 tongue cancer.

Clear cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity: A case report from histopathological viewpoint

We report an extremely rare case of primary clear cell carcinoma (CCC), not otherwise specified (NOS) of the nasal cavity. An 80-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with left nasal obstruction caused by a nasal cavity tumor. The tumor was resected completely with lateral rhinotomy approach. Histopathological examination revealed CCC. CCC metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which is at the top of differential diagnosis, was ruled out by the absence of renal tumor at computed tomography (CT). Also, immunohistochemical results of the specimen with vimentin negative and CK7 focally positive excluded the possibility of RCC metastasis. The patient is free from recurrence 1 year after the surgery, and there is no evidence of RCC. In this report histopathological characteristics, especially immunohistochemical properties of primary CCC, NOS of the nasal cavity are presented together with some clinical features of this rare tumor. Also, we refer to histopathogenesis of primary CCC of nasal cavity in relation to myoepithelial carcinoma. Histopathological discussion is further extended to include other CCC and CCC-resembling histologies to confirm the uniqueness of the present case.

Risk factors for cervical lymph node metastasis in endoscopically resected superficial hypopharyngeal cancers

OBJECTIVE Hypopharyngeal cancer is a head and neck cancer with a poor prognosis, and most cases show metastases on diagnosis. Cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis is a poor prognostic factor in hypopharyngeal cancer patients. The identification of risk factors for LN metastasis can help guide surgical treatment strategies for these patients. METHODS This retrospective study included 93 superficial hypopharyngeal cancer patients with 109 histopathologically examined lesions treated by endoscopic resection between January 2007 and December 2017. Tumor thickness quantification, quantification of budding nests, immunostaining and other histopathological analyses in paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissue sections (3-μm) of surgical specimens were performed by a certified pathologist. RESULTS Cervical LN metastasis was positive in 18 out of 93 cases (19.3%) and 18 out of 109 lesions (16.5%). No differences were detected in patient characteristics between LN-positive and LN-negative cases, except for tumor thickness, which was significantly larger in LN-positive cases (3119.4±602.2μm vs. 1015.5±129.6μm, respectively; p<0.0001). Univariate analysis showed that tumor thickness ≥1000μm (odds ratio: 5.559, p=0.003), lesions with high budding grade (odds ratio: 5.188, p=0.01) and vascular invasion (odds ratio: 12.710, p=0.007) were significantly associated with cervical LN metastasis. Multivariate analysis revealed tumor thickness≥1000μm as the most significant risk factor for cervical LN metastasis in superficial hypopharyngeal cancer (odds ratio: 3.639, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate for the first time that high budding grade may serve as powerful predictors of LN metastasis and tumor thickness ≥1000μm is a significant risk factor for LN metastasis of superficial hypopharyngeal cancer. These results should be further examined in future larger scale studies.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery program with dexamethasone administration for major head and neck surgery with free tissue transfer reconstruction: initial institutional experience

Abstract Objectives: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols promote recovery after various invasive surgeries. Likewise, preoperative glucocorticoid administration can reduce complications after some surgeries. However, the effects of ERAS protocols and glucocorticoid administration in patients undergoing major surgery for head and neck cancer have not been well described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an ERAS protocol with preoperative glucocorticoid administration in major surgery for head and neck cancer. Methods: This retrospective study included 28 patients who underwent major head and neck surgery with free tissue transfer reconstruction at our institution from September 2016 to May 2017, after implementation of an ERAS protocol with preoperative glucocorticoid administration. Outcomes in that group were compared with those in a control group that underwent surgery from January 2015 to September 2016, before implementation of the protocol. Results: Analysis revealed significantly less body weight fluctuation, lower C-reactive protein levels, higher albumin levels, and lower body temperature in the ERAS group than in the control group postoperatively. Conclusions: Patients undergoing major surgery for head and neck cancer who were treated with the ERAS protocol and preoperative glucocorticoid administration had evidence of better hemodynamic stability and less inflammatory response than control patients.

Laryngeal function-preserving operation for T4a laryngeal cancer with vocal cord paralysis — A case report

For locally advanced laryngeal cancers, the standard treatment of choice is chemoradiotherapy if organ function needs to be conserved. Surgical treatment with larynx preservation is conducted only for limited cases. For locally advanced laryngeal cancers such as those with vocal cord fixation and/or cricoid cartilage destruction, there is no apparent standardized organ-preserving surgery keeping the essential laryngeal functions, viz. the airway, deglutition and articulation, uncompromized. Recently, our surgical team saw a patient with T4a advanced laryngeal cancer with vocal cord fixation who aspired to maintain his laryngeal function. Driven by his eagerness, we contrived novel techniques for laryngeal function preservation and performed a two-staged operation. In the first stage, extended vertical partial laryngectomy was conducted including resection of the affected thyroid, arytenoid, and cricoid cartilages, followed by local closure of the hypopharynx. Additionally, laryngeal suspension surgery and cricopharyngeal myotomy were performed in addition to suturing the epiglottis with the intact arytenoid cartilage to enhance swallowing function. In the second stage, airway reconstruction was performed using a local skin flap. As of 10 months after operation, there has been no tumor recurrence, and the reconstructed larynx has been working satisfactorily. In this report we describe an innovative operation that was especially contrived for laryngeal function preservation.

Late-onset dysphagia caused by severe spastic peristalsis of a free jejunal graft in a case of hypopharyngeal cancer

Free jejunal transfer is the main technique used for reconstructing a circumferential defect caused by total pharyngo-laryngo-cervical-esophagectomy in certain cancer cases. We report a rare case of severe late-onset dysphagia caused by autonomous spastic peristalsis, which led to complete obstruction of the free jejunal route. A 70-year-old man underwent treatment for hypopharyngeal cancer involving total pharyngolaryngectomy with free jejunal transfer. After uneventful peri- and postoperative recovery, he developed sudden-onset severe dysphagia 22 months later. Gastrografin fluoroscopy revealed abnormal peristalsis and contraction of the transferred jejunum, leading to complete obstruction. Nutritional treatment, application of depressants of peristalsis, and xylocaine injection into the outer space of the jejunal mucosa all failed to alleviate the dysphagia. Surgical treatment involving a longitudinal incision of the jejunal graft, and interposing a cutaneous flap, as a fixed wall, between the incised jejunal margins to prevent obstruction was performed. After further reconstructive surgery involving using a pectoralis major musculocutaneous flap and a split-thickness skin graft to close a refractory jejunum-skin fistula, the dysphagia was permanently alleviated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of severe dysphagia caused by peristalsis of a free jejunal graft.