Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis testis of unknown malignant potential: Sonographic appearance

Paratesticular mesothelioma is a rare differential diagnosis in the presence of scrotal hydrocele. A 17-year-old boy presented with a 3-year history of progressive hydrocele. Sonography revealed a large left paratesticular mass within the hydrocele. Serum tumor markers were negative. Left hydrocelectomy was performed and pathological analysis of the epididymal mass revealed a well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma. We discuss the sonographic and pathological findings of this rare neoplasm.

Development of a simplified assay for the detection of neutralizing antibodies to Japanese encephalitis virus

Japanese encephalitis virus is a common cause of viral encephalitis in Asia with an estimated 45,000 cases annually. It causes significant morbidity and mortality. It is transmitted primarily by Culex mosquitoes between birds and animals, while man is thought to be an accidental, dead-end host. Since dengue is also prevalent usually in Japanese encephalitis-endemic areas, all Japanese encephalitis positive sera must be confirmed by detecting Japanese encephalitis specific neutralizing antibodies. The plaque reduction neutralization test is the gold standard for detecting and quantifying Japanese encephalitis neutralizing antibodies. This test, however, takes about a week and is carried out in 6 or 24-well plates, which limits its usage for large-scale screening. A simplified assay was developed for the detection and quantification of Japanese encephalitis neutralizing antibodies. The assay, which is carried out in 96-well plates, would be suitable for use in the mass screening of the population's immunity level as well as for use in vaccine efficacy studies.

Incidence of toxigenic vibrios in foods available in Taiwan

A total of 1088 vibrios and related species were isolated from seafood and aquacultured foods available in Taiwan. They were identified as Vibrio alginolyticus, V. cholerae, V. fluvialis I, V. fluvialis II, V. parahaemolyticus, V. mimicus, Aeromonas caviae, A. hydrophila, A. sobria and other species. Incidence of these Vibrio and Aeromonas species in these foods was high. Vibrio parahaemolyticus was frequently found in seawater and in foods of freshwater origin. The Vibrio isolates were examined for enzymatic and toxigenic activities. Most of them showed strong lipase or protease activities. Haemolytic activities of V. cholerae, V. fluvialis I and V. fluvialis II isolates were mostly strong. About 49% showed cytotoxic activity and 5% cytotonic activity in Chinese hamster ovary cell culture assay. Nevertheless, only three non-O1 V. cholerae (2.07%) and two V. parahaemolyticus isolates (1.65%) produced cholera toxin and thermostable direct haemolysin activity, respectively. Various toxigenic vibrios may be important food-borne pathogens in this region because of their high incidence in foods.