Abstract A 70‐year‐old man with a 2‐year history of annular elastolytic giant cell granuloma associated with diabetes mellitus was reported. The lesions mainly developed in non‐sun‐exposed areas. Histologic examination revealed phagocytosis of elastic fibers by histiocytic cells. Immunoperoxidase staining for lysozyme disclosed positive reactivity within the cytoplasm of these histiocytic cells. Electron microscopic study also showed elastic fibers and numerous lipid‐like substances in the cytoplasm of these cells. These findings indicate high phagocytolytic activity by these infiltrating cells. In our case, actinic damage was not considered to be a primary causative factor, and a possible pathogenesis was also discussed.
Summary Background There have been only limited reports on major histocompatibility complex class I antigens in pemphigus. Objectives To characterize HLA‐A, B and C class I alleles by genotyping in Japanese patients with pemphigus, and to analyse the possible association of class I alleles with disease susceptibility within a relatively homogeneous ethnic population. Methods Alleles of HLA‐A, B and C, and DRB1 and DQB1 loci were fully determined in 51 Japanese patients with pemphigus. Results Asian alleles of the HLA‐B15 family, including the allele B*1507, which was significantly increased in comparison with normal controls, were prevalent in patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The prevalence of B*15 alleles in patients with PV was not due to linkage disequilibrium with HLA‐DR4 or DR14 alleles, which have been shown to confer strong susceptibility to PV across racial barriers. In contrast to the unique distribution of the HLA‐B alleles, HLA‐A and C alleles were unremarkable in patients with PV when compared with normal control subjects. Conclusions These results suggest that there may be differences in the ethnic concentrations of different HLA‐B alleles in patients with PV.
Abstract A case of angiosarcoma arising from the nose of a 69‐year‐old man is presented in this report. The patient was treated with a combination of recombinant interleukin‐2 (rIL‐2, Celeuk®), electron beam irradiation, and surgery. He died 27 months after diagnosis, but there was no apparent remote metastasis.
