Search

This study was designed to evaluate the mental health of the female basketball club members of a senior high school. All 23 members participated in this survey which consisted of questionnaires covering the POMS, SCI, and OHQ-12 items. The survey was conducted in November 2002. The POMS and SCI results were evaluated according to the students' mental health status assessed in OHQ-12. Those with inadequate mental health condition showed a high score of "Accepting Responsibility" in OHQ-12. In addition, a positive correlation (r=0.434)was found between the "Accepting Responsibility" score and the amount of stress experienced. This shows that it is presumably important to solve problems by adopting not only "Problem-Focused Coping" but also "Emotion-Focused Coping." The results indicate that screening of the group in poor mental condition out of the target athletes and evaluating the ways they address stress are effective in teaching students how to maintain good mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of reducing the incidence of sports-related mental health disorders, we conducted an investigation using 29 high school student athletes as subjects. Their mental health condition was evaluated at a high-altitude training camp using a self-completion questionnaire, a General Health Questionnaire(GHQ-12)and a Profile of Mood States (POMS). After highaltitude training the results from POMS showed relief of "Depression Dejection." "Anger Hostility," and "Confusion"; while the results from GHQ-12 showed improvement in the index of their mental health condition. However, the results also indicated a feeling of accumulated "Fatigue" has a bad effect on the willingness of athletes to continue their club activities. Discerning the feeling of adaptation of athletes in a high altitude training camp by POMS and GHQ-12 were effective in preventing sports mental health disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated climbers who visited the Mt. Okuhodaka clinic. The clinic is located 2,996 m above sea level and is open from July 20 to August 20 every year. We investigated medical records from 1994 through 1999. The most common reason for consultation was acute mountain sickness and similar symptoms (34.9%); the second was injury due to a slip or fall (16.2%); the third was knee or ankle pain (14.6%). There were many who consulted a physician in the under 30-year-old age group and many in their forties and fifties. The main reason for consultation in the young age group was acute mountain sickness and similar symptoms; on the other hand, middle-aged patients showed a high ratio of injury. We wish to use this investigation to provide guidance for safe mountaineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 67-year-old male underwent ascending aortic replacement for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection four years ago. Residual false lumen in the aortic root and mild to moderate aortic regurgitation were noted postoperatively. Two and a half years later, he presented with hemolytic anemia and shortness of breath. Computed tomography (CT) revealed aneurysmal aortic root and severely kinked vascular prosthesis, and echocardiography showed severe aortic regurgitation. It was considered that the proximal residual false lumen gradually enlarged, and the graft was pushed up distally and kinked, resulting in hemolytic anemia. Surgical treatment was indicated because of deteriorating shortness of breath due to hemolytic anemia (Hb 6.7 g/dl, LDH 1,528 U/l) and aortic regurgitation. Aortic root replacement was successfully performed and hemolytic anemia improved immediately after surgery.

Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) has improved the efficacy of HLA-mismatched hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) by decreasing the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and nonrelapse mortality. If an HLA-matched donor is not available, GVHD prophylaxis with PTCy can also be used for HLA-mismatched HCT in patients with pediatric aplastic anemia (AA). We report two cases of pediatric AA that were treated with HLA-mismatched HCT with reduced-intensity conditioning and PTCy. We administered 50 mg/kg/day Cy for GVHD prophylaxis on days 3 and 4, and tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil (or methotrexate) were initiated from day 5. In both the cases, the time to engraftment was favorable and GVHD and infection were controllable. PTCy probably allows us to expand donor candidates in pediatric AA when an HLA-matched donor is not available; however, further studies regarding optimal conditioning regimens and late complications are required.

A 32-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for consultation with a suspected left adrenal tumor detected by ultrasonography at a health check. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 3×1×4 cm multilocular cystic mass arising from the diaphragmatic crura, suggesting a retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst. The patient underwent excision of the cyst and adjacent diaphragm using a retroperitoneoscopic approach. Retroperitoneal bronchogenic cysts are rare. We review the cases of 26 patients who underwent laparoscopic resection of a retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst.

A 73-year-old man underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer. Two years after the operation, multiple lung metastasis was diagnosed and chemotherapy with bevacizumab, irinotecan, and TS-1®was started in the patient. However, epigastric pain developed 73 days after the initial course of chemotherapy. Abdominal CT revealed duodenal perforation and generalized peritonitis. Emergency operation with omental patch closure was immediately performed. The patient was discharged 15 days after the emergency operation without any complication. This is an extremely rare case of bevacizu- mab-related duodenal perforation.

A 63-year-old man with microscopic hematuria underwent contrast-enhanced CT, which showed multiple bilateral renal masses. Percutaneous biopsy results indicated renal oncocytosis. The tumors remained unchanged for 3 years. Renal oncocytosis is a very rare tumor, but it is an established disease entity characterized by numerous oncocytic tumors and diffuse (sporadic) renal parenchymal epithelial oncocytic changes on an analysis histopathology. Although renal oncocytosis can be sporadic or part of Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (BHDS), our case did not associate with BHDS because of absence of lung cyst.

Aim: The effect of polypharmacy on the surviral-time in patients with dementia has never been fully elucidated., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a hospital in Aichi, Japan, by reviewing the medical charts and autopsy reports. Patients were hospitalized and neuropathologically diagnosed with dementia. The data on medication was collected from the prescribed drugs taking right before the admission. Patients were divided into two groups according to the number of prescribed drugs: ≥ 5 drugs (polypharmacy) vs. ≤ 4 drugs (non-polypharmacy). "Drugs to be prescribed with special caution" were defined in accordance with the guidelines for medical treatment and its safety in the elderly (2015)., Results: Seventy-six patients were eligible, and 39.5% of patients had polypharmacy. The Kaplan-Meier method showed that the polypharmacy group tended to have a shorter survival-time than the non-polypharmacy group (p=0.067). A Cox proportional hazard model showed that the polypharmacy group tended to have a higher risk for a reduced survival-time than the non-polypharmacy group, and this tendency was more prominent after adjusting for sex and age at admission (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.631; 95% confidence interval, 0.991-2.683; p=0.054). "Drugs to be prescribed with special caution", including hypnotic-sedative drugs, antianxiety drugs, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines, were not found to be risk factors for a reduced survival-time., Conclusions: The present study showed that polypharmacy in terminal patients with dementia tended to carry a risk for reducing their remaining lifespan. The results warrant further additional study.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the outcomes of induction chemoradiotherapy (ICRT) followed by surgery in patients with non-small cell lung cancer( NSCLC)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients with NSCLC who underwent ICRT followed by surgery at our hospital between January 2006 and December 2015., Results: A total of 102 patients were eligible for evaluation (cStage/I B/II A/II B/III A/III B, 1/8/14/75/4). The median age was 66 years. Forty-one patients had adenocarcinoma, 42 patients had squamous cell carcinoma, and 19 patients had others. The regimen consisted of carboplatin and paclitaxel in 94 patients, and the others in 8 patients plus concurrent radiation at a dose of 28 Gy in 1 patient, 30 Gy in 28 patients, 40 Gy in 42 patients, 45 Gy in 3 patients, and 50 Gy in 28 patients. Major response was obtained in 84 patients. Grade 3/4 toxicity of ICRT reported in 57 patients. The 5-year relapse-free and overall survival rate was 51.4% and 62.7%, respectively., Conclusion: ICRT (carboplatin and paclitaxel plus concurrent standard radiation) followed by surgery in NSCLC can be safely performed and may contribute to satisfactory outcomes in locally advanced NSCLC. It is likely that 28~50 Gy radiation dose contributes to satisfactory outcomes in ICRT.

We report the incidence and characteristics of lymphoceles after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). Computed tomography was performed on 79 patients one month after RARP or when symptoms appeared. The lymphocele was defined as a cystic lesion over 10 mm in diameter. Symptomatic and asymptomatic lymphoceles were identified in 25% (20/79) of all cases, and in 40.9% (18/44) of the cases with lymph node dissection (LND). Symptomatic lymphoceles were identified in 2.5% (2/79) of all cases. Lymphoceles were significantly associated with LND, pathological stage over T3, longer period of indwelling drain tube,and higher volume fluid of drain tube (p<0.05). In conclusion, lymphoceles are quiet common after RARP. However, they rarely become symptomatic.

A 61-year-old man with a left renal mass, which was detected by ultrasound during a routine health examination, was referred to our department. The patient had a surgical history of two pneumothorax operations, and the patient's brother also had a history of pneumothorax surgery. A case of Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome was suspected based on patient history. The pathological diagnosis of the resected tumor, which used robot-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, was determined to be chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (grade 2, pT1a). BHD syndrome was confirmed by genetic testing, where a nonsense mutation of exon 9 in the FOLLICULIN (FLCN) gene was detected. The patient is currently alive 10 months after surgery.

Urosepsis is not uncommon and sometimes causes a critical condition including death. We retrospectivelyanaly zed the risk factors for mortalityin urosepsis. We treated 80 patients as urosepsis from 2010 to 2014 in our hospital. Five patients (6%) died within 30 days of hospitalization. The median age of the patients who died of urosepsis was 92 years (range, 83-95 years). The main causes of urosepsis were complicated pyelonephritis in 4 patients and emphysematous pyelonephritis in one. In the subgroup analysis of elderly patients over 75 years old, bad performance status and lower serum albumin were significantlyrelated to mortality(p ＝0.033, 0.046). The elderlypatients, especiallywith bad performance status and lower serum albumin, are more likelyto die.

Bothersome symptoms of hay fever impair not only patients' quality of life but also their labor productivity and learning efficiency. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) caused by hay fever is thought to be one of the reasons for these impairments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of springtime hay fever and EDS by using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included information about age, sex, height, weight, severity of hay fever, treatment for hay fever, smoking and alcohol consumption habit, history of drug use for sleeping, existence of snoring, and Japanese version of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. After excluding responses containing insufficient data, responses from 1,734 patients were considered as eligible. By performing logistic regression analysis, we analyzed the effect of the aforementioned parameters on the comorbidity of EDS and snoring. The odds ratio (OR) to comorbid EDS was significantly higher in the moderate and severe hay fever groups than in the asymptomatic hay fever group (moderate: OR=1.76, p=0.014, severe: OR=2.53, p<0.001). Also, OR to comorbid snoring was significantly higher in the severe hay fever group than in the asymptomatic hay fever group (severe: OR=1.90, p=0.001).

In recent years, hospitals have routinely implemented antimicrobial stewardship (AS) programs, and it is important that these programs are effective. Consequently, we utilized a customized computer system to support infection management and implemented a pharmacist-driven AS program in our hospital. Using this computer system, a pharmacist monitored the daily usage of carbapenems and agents against anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and generated a patient database. With the use of this computer system, we found that the patient database entry time significantly decreased from 24 to 12 min (p<0.01). Subsequently, we were also able to monitor tazobactam/piperacillin usage owing to the increased efficiency of our AS program. As a result, the average number of monitored patients significantly increased from 51 to 72 per month (p<0.01) and the number of proposed prescriptions increased from 189 to 238 per year. Additionally, the usage of carbapenems and tazobactam/piperacillin significantly decreased (p<0.01) after implementation of this computer support system. In summary, we recommend that pharmacists utilize computer systems to implement AS programs because they increase the efficiency of interventions and monitoring of patients and promote appropriate antibiotic use.

A 68-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow in the chest roentgenogram. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed the nodule in the right upper lobe (S3), 17 mm in size. One month later, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/CT scanning revealed positive reaction in the right upper lobe lesion and new lesion close to another lobe. In addition, interloblar small nodules were detected, 5 mm and 7 mm in size. A transbronchial brush cytology by bronchoscopy was performed, and the microscopic findings demonstrated the presence of atypical cells, suspected adenocarcinoma. The video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed to establish a diagnosis and a treatment. Histopathological examination showed no malignancy and organizing pneumonia with inflammation. In case of the PET-positive solitary nodule increasing in size, organizing pneumonia should be included in the differential diagnosis.

Oncocytic papillary renal cell carcinoma isa variant of papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC). We herein report two cases treated with retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy. Histologically, tumor cells of both cases exhibit round and regular nuclei with CK7 positive areas in the cytoplasm typical of TYPE1 PRCC and eosinophilic granular cytoplasm with E-cadherin positive areas in the cytoplasmic membrane, which indicates TYPE2 PRCC. Out of 46 cases reported in the literature, only one died of disease, which reveals its low malignant potential.

Tracheoinnominate artery fistula (TIF) is a relatively rare life-threating complication of long-term tracheostomy. Two patients with TIF were successfully resuscitated by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support along with advanced cardiovascular life support. The first patient was a 16-year-old boy undergoing long-term tracheostomy because of cerebral palsy, and the other patient was a previously healthy 11-year-old girl who had undergone primary tracheal tumor resection. In both cases, the onset of TIF was sudden, and the patients were immediately transferred to the operating room for emergency thoracotomy under ongoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Innominate artery division was performed under ECMO support. Adequate fluid replacement and hemorrhage control are primary treatment options for resuscitating a patient with TIF. However, hemorrhagic shock in patients with TIF is different from that in other patients, because bleeding into the trachea causes severe respiratory failure and poor oxygenation, which may worsen the resuscitation rate. Thus, ECMO can be used as an option for maintaining oxygenation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in TIF. Anesthesiologists should pay attention to the increased risk of bleeding due to anticoagulation during ECMO initiation. In conclusion, the results of these cases demonstrate the effectiveness of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in TIF patients.

Aim: We herein investigated the clinical features of elderly patients with newly developed type 1 diabetes with respect to onset age, frequency of islet-associated antibodies, and other clinical markers., Methods: One hundred and ninety-nine patients aged 65 and older with new-onset diabetes, who were admitted to our hospital between July 2000 and June 2013, were classified into 4 types of diabetes. In addition, 85 patients with newly diagnosed type 1A diabetes among all age ranges admitted during the same period were divided into two groups: a younger group (less than 65 years, n=71) and an elderly group (65 years and older, n=14). Clinical features including mode of onset, frequency of islet-associated antibodies, and serum C-peptide (CPR) levels were compared between these groups. The elderly group was further divided into two age groups (less than 75 years, n=7; 75 years and older, n=7), and the frequency of autoantibodies was compared., Results: The patients (n=199) were classified into type 1 (n=16, 8%), type 2 (n=155, 78%), pancreatic (n=22, 11%), and other type (n=6, 3%) diabetes. Between the younger and elderly groups with type 1 diabetes, no significant difference in the CPR levels, frequency of autoantibodies, or other clinical features were observed. Positivity for IA-2 antibody was higher in the younger group (53.5%) than in the elderly group (35.7%), however, it was also considerably high (57.1%) in the oldest age group (75 years and older)., Conclusions: Type 1 diabetes may develop in the elderly, and an IA-2 antibody test may be useful for diagnosing type 1 diabetes in older patients.

Congenital pulmonary vein stenosis (CPVS) is a rare fetal congenital heart disease with a prevalence of 1.7 per 100,000 children younger than two years of age. Because of the difficulty of maintaining the pulmonary blood flow, CPVS is associated with a 50% survival rate within five years of diagnosis. We describe a successful management of pulmonary blood flow for a 4-month-old-girl with CPVS, combined with atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect, undergoing pulmonary vein obstruction release (PVOR). In this case, CPVS was the only cause for pulmonary hypertension because there was no significant pressure gradient between each pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and the paired pulmonary vein pressure, indicating the normal pulmonary vascular structure prior to pulmonary vein stenosis. As pulmonary blood flow was estimated to be high after PVOR, pulmonary artery banding was also performed. Management of pulmonary blood flow is the most important issue for anesthesia of this surgery, especially in postcardiopulmonary bypass period, when the pulmonary vasoconstriction is induced by endothelial dysfuncion.

A 60-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow in the chest roentgenogram. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed the mass with heterogeneous low attenuation in the right lower lobe (S6), 40 mm in size. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDGPET)/CT scanning revealed slight positive reaction in the right lower lobe lesion. The video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was performed to establish diagnosis and treat. Intraoperative finding showed the tumor was located between the left upper lobe and the left lower lobe, and the inflow of the vagal pulmonary branches. Histopathological examination showed no malignancy and neurinoma with a cystic formation derived from the vagus nerve.

We treated 5 cases of preoperative decompression using the self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) against obstructive left side colon cancer since October 2013. The obstruction site was the descending colon in one patient, sigmoid colon in 2, rectal-sigmoid colon in 1, and rectum in 1. Colonic stent placements were successful in all cases. Oral intake started an average of 3.7 days after SEMS placement. All patients underwent radical surgery an average of 17.2 days after SEMS placement. Two patients waited for surgery while out of the hospital. All patients underwent colonoscopy. One patient had advanced colon cancer. Our findings show that SEMS placement can treat obstructive left-sided colon cancer.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of peripheral neuropathy on laboratory examinations and to evaluate the relationship between nerve conduction velocity (NCV), albuminuria, and ankle-brachial index (ABI) results in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). One hundred twenty-six patients with type 2 DM who had undertaken the nerve conduction study for an initial screening test of diabetic complications were included in our study. We divided patients to 4 groups according to the stage of microalbuminuria and ABI results. Two factors negative (2FN) group (n = 75), urinary albumin creatinine ratio (A/C) < 30 mg/gCr and ABI > or = 1.0; A/C group (n = 25), A/C > or = 30 mg/gCr and ABI > or = 1.0; ABI group (n = 14), A/C < 30 mg/gCr and ABI < 1.0; two factors positive (2FP) group (n = 12), A/C > or = 30 mg/gCr and ABI < 1.0. Neuropathy, retinopathy, hypertension, macroangiopathy, and hyperlipidemia were seen in 57.9%, 38.1%, 59.5%, 22.2%, and 56.3%, respectively. Lower leg NCV in 2FP group was significantly lower than other groups. Our study indicated that impaired diabetic peripheral neuropathy may be detected by combining decreased ABI with increased A/C results.

Ultrasonography (US) is a non-invasive method which can assess not only solid tissue organs but also soft tissues such as tendons and nerves. However, it has not been fully understood that US is a useful tool for the depiction of periarticular structure. We compared the diagnostic accuracies between US and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the patients with rotator cuff tear (RCT). Seventy patients, who underwent arthroscopic surgery, preoperative US and MRI examinations at Gifu University Hospital from January 2010 to April 2013 (49 male, 21 female, mean age 59.7 +/- 15.9) were included in this study. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of US and MRI were 94.3% and 94.3%, 95.8% and 97.9%, 90.9% and 84.6%, respectively, when the intraoperative finding was regarded as a gold standard. These results suggest that US is useful for the diagnosis of RCT as equal as MRI.

Early intervention is essential for improving the long-term prognosis of schizophrenic patients. With the objective of contributing to early treatment in communities in the future, we retrospectively investigated patient data, including the pathway to psychiatric care, the course prior to consultation, and initial symptoms. An interview survey was conducted involving a total of 125 patients receiving treatment for a diagnosis of schizophrenia and 74 family members using two questionnaire sheets to collect data on the pathway to psychiatric care, age at onset, time between onset and the initiation of treatment, initial symptoms, and the necessary information. For the pathway to psychiatric care, facilities were classified into : psychiatric clinic, psychiatric hospital, psychiatric department of a general hospital, and general practices, and tendencies were investigated. As for the initial symptoms, differences between those recognized by the patients themselves and their families were investigated. The results showed that approximately 80% of patients had first visited medical facilities, while the remaining patients had consulted psychologists, school nurses, teachers, or public health centers. The mean time from onset to initial psychiatric consultation was 24.7 ± 3.3 months, with a median period of 6.0 months. This duration was particularly long among patients who first visited general practitioners. As the initial symptoms, 70% of patients had psychiatric symptoms as subjective symptoms, and more than 70% of family members equally noticed psychiatric symptoms. On the other hand, 40% of patients had positive symptoms, but only 20% of family members had noticed the positive symptoms. A total of 30% of patients had been aware of somatic symptoms, and these patients were significantly more likely to initially visit physicians in a department other than the psychiatric department. As for delay in consultation, patients who had onsets at an early age tended to take longer to make the initial visit. The above findings confirmed the necessity of disease education at schools, given that onset can occur in school-age children, as well as the establishment of a mental health network, understanding of psychiatric diseases among primary care physicians and their cooperation with psychiatrists, and increased public awareness regarding psychiatric diseases.

A 58-year-old man was referred to our hospital with dysuria and elevation of prostate specific antigen (38.0 ng/ml). Prostate surface was smooth and elastic hard on digital rectal examination. Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) indicated irregular boundary and low echoic area of the prostate. Prostate biopsy specimen included the components of adenocarcinoma (Gleason score 9) and sarcoma. The tumor had extended to the rectum and metastasized to bilateral obturator lymph nodes and right ischial bone (cT4N1M1b). We started hormone therapy for the adenocarcinoma component followed by total pelvic exenteration with colostomy and ileal conduit diversion for the sarcoma component. In addition, pelvic cavity and the bone metastasis were irradiated. The patient was free of recurrence at four and a half years after surgery.

We encountered a case of delayed subcutaneous metastases of gastric carcinoma. The patient underwent distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric carcinoma 11 years ago. Postoperative pathological diagnosis indicated stage IIIB disease, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (scirrhous, T4a, ly2, v2, N2, H0, P0). Three courses of adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)+cisplatin (CDDP) were administered; however, the patient discontinued the treatment. No signs of recurrence were observed for 11 years after the treatment. However, subcutaneous metastases in the front portion of the head and the back and an ovarian tumor were detected after the remission period. The specimen from the resected subcutaneous tumor from the back indicated signet-ring cell carcinoma, and delayed subcutaneous and ovarian metastases of the gastric carcinoma was diagnosed. Therefore, 8 courses of the S-1+CDDP combination therapy were administered. The cutaneous metastases disappeared, but the ovarian tumor progressed and was therefore resected. Analysis of the resected ovarian tumor also indicated signet-ring cell carcinoma. We report a case of delayed recurrence of gastric carcinoma that was effectively treated with chemotherapy.

We evaluated the association between the number of treatment courses with the concomitant use of bevacizumab(BV) and the reasons for discontinuation of the regimen in patients who received FOLFOX with or without BV as first-line chemotherapy and FOLFIRI with or without BV as second-line chemotherapy for advanced and recurrent colorectal cancer. In first-line treatment, 12 (2-46) and 10 (2-60) treatment courses were administered with and without BV, respectively, and this difference was not significant (p=0.60). In second-line treatment after first-line treatment with the concomitant use of BV, 11 (1-23) and 3 (1-12) treatment courses were administered with and without BV, respectively, and this difference was significant (p<0.01). Discontinuation due to adverse reactions was more frequent for first-line treatment (34.9%) than for second-line treatment (6.2%; p<0.01). The reasons for discontinuation due to adverse reactions during first-line treatment with BV were often associated with BV, and those during first-line treatment without BV were most often associated with peripheral neuropathy. Therefore, we conclude that early detection and prevention of adverse reactions are important in first-line treatment and that pharmacists as well should be involved in the monitoring and management of adverse reactions, although continued administration of BV even during second-line treatment after first-line treatment with BV is recommended.

A 70-year-old man was followed up at the surgery department of our hospital after colon polypectomy. It was pointed out that the level of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) was high at blood test. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed small nodule close to the pulmonary vein in the right lower lobe (S6-S10), 15 mm in size, in September 2011. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography( FDG-PET)/CT scanning revealed a positive reaction in the right lower lobe lesion. He was introduced to our department. The video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was performed to establish diagnosis and treat. Histopathological examination showed no malignancy and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia(CEP).In a case of the solitary lung nodule patient with the past history of asthma or the atopic disease, CEP should be included in the differential diagnosis.

We performed transobturator sling (TOS) surgery for iatrogenic stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in 7 men. Assessment with the International Consultation Society Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form revealed that complete continence, significant improvement, and no change of incontinent status were observed in two, three, and two patients, respectively, at one year after surgery. Of the three patients with significant improvement, two patients obtained a pad-free status. Both of the two patients without improvement had a past history of salvage radiation therapy for biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy before TOS surgery. The severity of SUI seems not to be associated with the outcome of TOS surgery. TOS surgery can be one of the surgical options for iatrogenic male SUI.

Brain hypoperfusion observed on single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a typical finding in the acute phase of human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) encephalopathy. However, from 2004 to 2010, we encountered three cases of HHV-6 encephalopathy in which hyperperfusion in the area of the brain lesion was observed on SPECT performed within 48 hours after disease onset. The hyperperfusion in the brain was followed by hypoperfusion in the recovery phase. These cases suggest that hyperperfusion may appear in damaged areas prior to the hypoperfusion that is normally associated with HHV-6 encephalopathy.

A 70-year-old woman with severe respiratory distress was admitted to our hospital by ambulance. Chest X-ray revealed marked elevation of left diaphragm and invagination of megacolon. Colectomy was performed to improve the respiratory distress, but continuous mechanical ventilation was necessary after operation due to hypoxia and hypercapnea. Therefore, plication of diaphragm was additionally performed. With 10 rows of nonabsorbable sutures, 6 to 8 pleats were formed. The following day of operation, she was successfully relieved from the ventilator.

We must understand the conditions during the onset of allergic reactions induced by anticancer drugs in order to respond with an appropriate treatment. We have therefore conducted this study, focusing on allergic reactions induced by each anticancer drug used in outpatient chemotherapy. Allergic reactions occurred in a total of 3.9% (76 cases), most of which were induced by platinum and taxane anticancer drugs. The number of administrations at symptom onset and the times of onset for platinums and taxanes were 11. 7±1. 3 times and 43. 3±4. 8 minutes for platinum; and 2. 3±0. 5 times and 18. 1± 3. 6 minutes for taxanes, respectively. This demonstrated a significant difference between these two drugs(both were p< 0. 01). In terms of re-administration following the onset of allergic reactions, 21 cases(72. 4%)out of 29 cases(38. 2%) were able to continue the administration of suspected drugs. We studied various factors surrounding the possibility of continued administration to two groups which were or were not able to continue receiving treatment. No significant differences were observed between the groups. For continuous safe treatment, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of allergic reactions induced by each anticancer drug. It is also advisable to consider possible precautions(by introducing prevention regimens)and appropriate measures at the time of re-administration, following the onset of allergic reactions.

A 61-year-old man suddenly developed transient left hemiplegia and consciousness disturbance. Computed tomography showed acute Stanford type A aortic dissection. Dissection affected the entire right common carotid artery, and its false lumen extremely compressed the true lumen. The right common carotid artery, along with the right femoral and the left axillary arteries, was used as an inflow of cardiopulmonary bypass during emergency surgery. The ascending aorta that included a large intimal tear was replaced. However, systemic reperfusion either through the femoral artery or through a side branch of vascular prosthesis failed to restore the right cerebral blood flow due to persistent true lumen obstruction by the expanded false lumen in the innominate artery. Therefore, ascending aorta-right carotid artery bypass using that side branch was performed immediately. Though temporary cerebral malperfusion could cause dismal outcome, direct carotid artery cannulation played a key role in this successfully-treated patient.

Introduction: Until recently, Vidian neurectomy had been applied mainly in intractable vasomotor rhinitis and severe perennial allergic rhinitis. Although the results were excellent, the operation has not been applied recently because of the adverse events such as xerophthalmia and trigeminal neuralgia. To resolve these problems, a new surgical technique, posterior nasal neurectomy, was developed. In this report, we examined the effectiveness of posterior nasal neurectomy combined with the inferior turbinate surgery for severe perennial allergic rhinitis and intrinsic rhinitis by questionnaire., Patients and Methods: Twenty patients who had undergone posterior nasal neurectomy combined with the inferior turbinate surgery between April in 2005 and March in 2009 were enrolled. Numeric Rating Scale was used to evaluate clinical symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of pre- and postsurgery. Frequency of medication (oral administration and nasal spray) was also evaluated., Results: Questionnaires were collected from 17 patients. As for all patients but one, the surgery significantly reduced rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, and sneezing. Furthermore, QOL for many symptoms such as sleep disorder and malaise/feebleness was also significantly improved after the surgery. Eighty-one percent of patients were satisfied with the surgery., Conclusion: Posterior nasal neurectomy combined with the inferior turbinate surgery is effective in alleviating clinical symptoms and improving QOL in the patients with severe perennial allergic rhinitis and intrinsic rhinitis, although a longer follow-up is needed.

Epidemiologic data suggest that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have an increased tendency to occur in patients who are associated with metabolic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. NAFLD represents a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from fatty liver, which in general follows a benign, no-progressive clinical course, to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a more serious form of NAFLD that may progress to cirrhosis and end stage liver disease. However, currently the diagnosis of NASH requires an invasive liver biopsy. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether Cytokeratin 18 (CK-18) has potential non-invasive diagnostic capability for the NASH. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, adiponectin, leptin, and CK-18 were measured in 27 patients (8 patients with simple fatty liver, 6 fatty liver with fibrosis patients, 13 patients with NASH) and 23 healthy controls. Regarding gender difference in the control group, although both adiponectin and leptin significantly increased in the female compared with the male (p < 0.002 and p < 0.01, respectively), there were no significant gender differences in CK-18. For the conventional liver function tests, there were no significant differences in 4 groups. Serum levels of adiponectin was significantly lower in patients with NASH compared with the control group(p < 0.001), and both leptin and CK-18 were markedly higher in patients with NASH compared with control group (p < 0.001). These results suggested that measurement of serum CK-18 is useful for assessing the NASH.

We report our activity in the Consultation and Support Service in Toyama (CAST), a clinical service provided by the collaboration of Toyama Prefectural Mental Health Center and University Hospital of Toyama(UHT). About 23% of users diagnosed with at-risk mental state (ARMS), during October 2006 until March 2012, transitioned to overt schizophrenia. More than half of the subjects who continued to visit the specialized clinic in UHT were treated with antipsychotic drugs. We encountered a case of schizophrenia in which early treatment with an atypical psychotic drug was effective in normalizing cognitive function and achieving a good social consequence. The ability of mismatch negativity, an event-related potential, to predict progression to psychosis in subjects with ARMS is discussed. Further efforts should be directed towards improving long-term outcomes, such as social function, for users of the CAST.

A 75-year-old woman was followed up at the urology department of our hospital after left nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed ground-glass opacity in the right lower lobe( S6), 6 mm in size, in December 2010. 3 months later, the tumor was enlarged and she was introduced to our department. Wedge resection was performed to establish giagnosis. Pathological diagnosis was atypical adenomatous hyperplasia( AAH) and many small spindle-shaped cell nests were found at the same tissue. Immunohistochemically, this nest was shown to be minute pulmonary meningothelial-like nodules(MPMNs). MPMNs are asymptomatic small pulmonary nodules incidentally found during pathologic evaluation of pulmonary specimens. Combinations of MPMNs with adenocarcinoma or AAH have been reported, and the genetic relation of MPMNs and AAH is suggested.

Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications are commonly used for the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. We studied 84 patients who received heparin as a bridging anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy during the perioperative period. Hospitalization was extended for adjusting anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs and also bleeding complications in the perioperative period. There were 25 instances of bleeding complications (29.7%) in this study. These complications mainly occurred when anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications were restarted in the postoperative period. In transurethral surgery, patients taking warfarin and antiplatelet drugs (aspirin or ticlopidine) had a statistically significant increase in bleeding complications compared to patients taking warfarin alone. We compared 51 cases of transurethral resection of bladder tumor, transurethral resection of the prostate holium laser enucleation of the prostate, nephroureterectomy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy with heparinization were compared to 692 cases with no heparinization. The heparinization group had a statistically significant longer hospitalization period and an increase in bleeding complications. There was one instance of thromboembolism (1.2%) in our series. This involved stent thrombosis of a patient who had drug-eluting stent in the left anterior descending coronary artery. She died three days postoperatively. The number of patients taking anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet drugs is predicted to increase in the future due to aging of the population. Guidelines for the management of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy in the urological period are considered necessary.

A patient registration system is mandatory for establishing the scientific credibility of the multi-center clinical trials. The Japan Interventional Radiology in Oncology Study Group (JIVROSG) was organized in 2002 to establish evidence supporting the procedures used in interventional radiology. The Internet Data and Information Center for Medical Research (INDICE), provided by the University Hospital Medical Information Network(UMIN), has been utilized for patient registration in the clinical trials of JIVROSG. In this study, the safety and efficacy of UMIN-INDICE were evaluated. From 2002 to 2010, 18 clinical trials, including one international trial, were conducted. A total of 736 patients were enrolled from 51 institutions. No significant trouble was encountered during this period. A questionnaire survey demonstrated that 90% of participating researchers could use this system without difficulties. UMIN-INDICE may contribute to promoting clinical trials as an infrastructure of multicenter studies.

A 64-year-old woman presented with recto-cutaneous fistula after tension-free vaginal mesh reconstruction using polypropylene mesh for pelvic organ prolapse. Eleven months after the operation, an ulcerative lesion with stools smell secretion developed in the left hip. Magnetic resonance imaging and colonoscopy revealed a migration of the left arm of the mesh and a recto-cutaneous fistula. The patient underwent excision of the infected mesh and rectal wall closure together with transient colostomy. After 8 months, colonoscopy revealed a new migration of the mesh in the rectum, which was also removed. The colostomy was closed one year later and rectal erosion has not reccurred since then. The possibility of developing a rare but severe mesh-related complication as presented here should always be kept in mind.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) while neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory disease of the CNS that selectively affects the optic nerves and spinal cord. An antibody for aquaporin-4 (AQP4), which is a water channel located in astrocyte foot process, is specifically positive for NMO and antibody and complement dependent astrocytic damage is thought to be a main cause of NMO. Baló's disease is characterized by alternating rings of demyelination and preserved myelin. We pathologically compared the astrocytic changes among autopsied cases with these CNS demyelinating diseases. NMO, MS and Baló's disease shared with reduced AQP4 immunoreactivity independent of antibodies and complements. The pathological finding was accompanied with a reduced immunoreactivity of connexin 43 and perivascular lymphocytic cuffing predominantly composed by T cells. The loss of astrocytic proteins such as AQP4 and connexin 43 preceded the loss of myelin proteins in some lesions. These features suggest astrocyte damages resulting in the loss of connexin 43 cause demyelination through the impairment of interaction between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes and the pathomechanism involves a T cell reaction.

We report a case of bilateral renal calculi in a 1-year-old female with adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) partial deficiency. She initially visited another institution with high fever as the major complaint. Computed tomography revealed a bilateral renal stone and left hydro nephrosis. In the urine, there were 2, 8-dihydroxyadenine (DHA) crystals. An analysis of the APRT gene revealed the APRT deficiency and the genotype to be APRT*J/APRT*Q0. We performed extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) under general anesthesia, and as dissolution therapy we administered Meylon through the nephrostomy and citric acid orally. The stone disappeared from her kidney. The analysis of the stone fragments revealed 2,8- dihydroxyadenine (DHA) urolithiasis.

Trastuzumab is used for patients with metastatic breast cancer of HER2 over expression and adjuvant chemotherapy. Trastuzumab is recognized as a medicine with few adverse effects, although infusion reaction at its first dosage appears in high frequency as a main adverse effect. However, because we realized that there were many patients who appeared to have skin toxicity or nail toxicity, the adverse effects of trastuzumab were investigated retrospectively. Of 51 cases who underwent trastuzumab-containing chemotherapy, 25 cases(49. 0%)had skin toxicity, 14 cases(27. 5%) had nail toxicity, and 12 cases(23. 5%)had both toxicities. Skin toxicity and nail toxicity appeared in 14 of 25 cases(56. 0%) and 6 of 14 cases(42. 9%)respectively, within 6 months after the first medication dosage. Symptoms of skin toxicity were eruptions on the face and body(14 cases; 27. 5%), skin detachment or thinning on hands and feet(9 cases; 17. 6%), itching (8 cases; 15. 7%), skin drying(7 cases; 13. 7%)and so on. On the other hand, symptoms of nail toxicity were softening, thinning, or loss(13 cases; 25. 5%), paronychia(4 cases; 7. 8%), and discoloration(2 cases; 3. 9%). Our present findings suggest that skin toxicity and nail toxicity are highly frequent adverse events for those taking trastuzumab, although the drug is considered to be a molecular target drug with few adverse effects.

To assess appropriate treatment strategies for transitional cell carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the upper urinary tract (UUT), we evaluated the long-term outcome of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) perfusion therapy for CIS of UUT. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 24 patients who underwent BCG perfusion therapy for CIS of UUT between August 1993 and August 2009. Patients received at least one course of BCG (once weekly for 6 weeks). The median follow-up period was 48.5 months (range 16-201 months). In 23 patients (96%), cytology became negative after one course of BCG perfusion and 12 patients (50%) remained disease-free for a median follow-up of 38. 5 months. In 11 patients positive cytology recurred, and in five of them nephroureterectomy was performed after radiologic studies showed the presence of a tumor in the UUT. Histopathology showed invasive tumor (pT3) in all cases, and three of them experienced distant metastases after surgery. In conclusion, BCG perfusion therapy is effective for the treatment of CIS of UUT with long-term follow-up. However, in cases with a poor response or recurrence of CIS, there is a high risk of developing invasive tumor. Surgical intervention should be immediately considered in such cases after the first course of BCG perfusion therapy.

A 52-year-old man admitted to our hospital with a pulmonary nodule detected by chest X-ray. Painless mass was located on the right anterior chest below the right clavicle, but enlarged recently. Chest computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the hourglass shaped mass penetrating his right 2nd intercostal muscle, and growing to intra- and extra-thoracic areas. 60 x 40 x 50 mm in size. His laboratory findings were almost within normal ranges. We performed resection of the tumor and partial resection of the 2nd and 3rd ribs with a help of thoracoscopy. Pathological diagnosis was "intramuscular lipoma-infiltrating type, no malignancy". Assistance of thoracoscopic approach was found to be useful for complete resection of the tumor existing intra- and extra-thoracic areas.

The chemotherapy treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL)is associated with an increased risk of infection because of the intensity of the treatment. We examined the frequency of herpes zoster infections in 170 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients who had completed a chemotherapy course. Furthermore, we examined the risk factors contributing to these infections. This study took place in the Department of Hematology at Ogaki Municipal Hospital. Of the 170 patients treated in our facility, 25 developed herpes zoster(14. 7%), 19 of whom developed symptoms within 30 days of starting the chemotherapy treatment. Significant risk factors for the development of herpes zoster were post-autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, relapsing patients, ten or more total treatments and the use of two or more regimens. In these cases the average interval of the treatments had to be extended from 6. 6 days to 14. 2 days due to the infection(comparing post - infection to pre-infection). We recommend the prophylactic use of low-dose acyclovir in patients with a higher risk of herpes zoster infection. We also recommend further monitoring of other opportunistic infections associated with chemotherapy usage.