Thirty-one patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were given either an intraarterial injection of iodized poppyseed oil (Lipiodol) alone (group A, n = 6), an emulsion of iodized oil and doxorubicin hydrochloride (Adriamycin) (group B, n = 15), or chemoembolization with the same emulsion followed by gelatin sponge (Gelfoam) particles (group C, n = 10). Hepatic resection was subsequently performed. The frequencies of complete necrosis of tumor in the main lesion, daughter tumors, tumor thrombus, and foci of intracapsular invasion were evaluated in the cut surface of the resected specimen. Group C demonstrated the best therapeutic effects, showing complete necrosis of the main lesion in 83% (P less than .01), daughter tumors in 53% (P less than .01), tumor thrombus in 17%, and foci of intracapsular invasion in 67%. These results are superior to those reported previously for chemoembolization without iodized oil. Group B showed better results than group A, but the difference was not significant. Iodized oil alone (group A) had practically no therapeutic effect but was helpful in differentiating small HCC from regenerative nodules.

The laminin‐5 γ2 chain plays an important role in cell migration during tumour inva‐sion and tissue remodelling. Laminin‐5 γ2 chain expression in squamous cell carcino‐mas of the tongue in 67 patients with Stage II, III or IVA,B (excluding the cases with distant metastasis) was examined immuno‐histochemically to determine its associa‐tions with the clinicopathological features of each tumour. The predominant staining patterns were categorised as follows: A, few or no tumour cells were positive; B, part of the tumour nest periphery was positive; C, the tumour nest periphery was circumferentially positive; or D, almost all the tumour cells were positive. Laminin‐5 γ2 chain expression was observed clearly in tumour cell cytoplasm. Of the 67 tumours examined, 6(9%), 31 (46%), 19 (28%) and 11 (17%) showed staining patterns A, B, C and D, respectively. With progression from staining pattern A to D, the number of immunopositive tumour cells increased significantly (P<0.0001), and the tumour histology showed significantly more infiltrative growth (P<0.0001) and poorer differentiation (P=0.0021). Furthermore, both univariate (P=0.0019) and multivariate (P=0.0003; hazard ratio=3.132) analyses of the patients’ survival revealed that the prognosis became significantly poorer with progression from staining pattern A to D. Increased laminin‐5 γ2 chain immunore‐activity, which may reflect a high invasive potential of cancer cells, is a factor indica‐tive of a poor prognosis for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Henk Tideman

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Purpose: To preoperatively visualize the course of the facial nerve, which is displaced by vestibular schwannoma, using diffusion tensor (DT) tractography, and to evaluate the agreement with surgical findings. Materials and Methods:The subjects were eight patients with vestibular schwannoma who had undergone removal surgery. DT MR images were obtained and tracts that were considered to represent the facial nerve were constructed. We assessed the success rate for tract construction and evaluated the agreement between tractography findings and surgery. Results:We obtained a tract that connected the internal auditory meatus and brainstem, and was considered to represent the facial nerve in seven of eight cases. The course of the constructed tract agreed with surgical findings in five of these seven cases. One exception was a case in which the tumor was too large to enable intraoperative observation of the facial nerve; however, the facial nerve appeared to be displaced anteriorly at intracapsular resection, in agreement with tractography. In the other case, the schwannoma was mostly cystic. Conclusion:Tractographs constructed using MR tensor images enabled us to identify tracts considered to represent facial nerves. We consider DT tractography to be a useful tool for preoperatively predicting facial nerve displacement in vestibular schwannoma.

There were a positive correlation between calcium scores on CT and angiographic changes of arteriosclerosis in the siphon as well as bifurcation, indicating angiographic changes can be predicted using calcium scores. However, the degree of calcification in the siphon cannot be used to predict the possibility of a future cerebral stroke.