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Objective: To assess the determinants of target lesion revascularization (TLR) after drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for de novo small coronary artery lesions., Methods: This retrospective study enrolled consecutive lesions from patients that were in a stable condition and had undergone successful DCB treatment for de novo small coronary artery lesions. The study endpoint was TLR and major adverse cardiac events at 12 months., Results: A total of 68 patients with 83 lesions were enrolled in the study. Of these, 11 (13.3%) lesions required TLR. Mean ± SD pre-dilatation balloon diameters were similar in the non-TLR (2.33 ± 0.72 mm) and TLR (2.18 ± 0.36 mm) groups. A comparison of the two groups showed that post/pre-lumen area ratio during pre-dilatation (%) by plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA) was significantly and negatively associated with TLR and the optimal cut-off point was 170%. Cox proportional hazard and multivariate regression analyses showed that post/pre-lumen area ratio was the only independent predictor of TLR (hazard ratio 0.9318; 95% confidence interval 0.9001, 0.9645)., Conclusion: Greater pre-dilatation using POBA, assessed as the post/pre-lumen area ratio, may be independently associated with a lower 12-month TLR rate in patients undergoing DCB angioplasty for de novo small coronary lesions.

Objective: To provide appropriate treatment for patients, early diagnosis of the primary origin of skeletal metastases of unknown primary origin is important. This study aimed to assess the examination strategy effective for identifying the primary origin of skeletal metastases of unknown primary origin., Methods: Sixty-one patients with skeletal metastases of unknown primary origin were reviewed. The primary origin was examined via physical examination, blood test including tumor markers, chest radiography, thoracoabdominal computed tomography scan, positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan, metastatic lesion biopsy, and other assessments. Examination methods considered effective for the diagnosis of the primary origin in a specific type of cancer were investigated., Results: The lung was the most common primary origin site, followed by the lymph nodes, prostate, and breast. Meanwhile, biopsy was the most effective examination, followed by positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan and thoracoabdominal computed tomography scan. Blood tests are useful for detecting hematological malignancies and prostate cancer. Computed tomography scans can be used to identify cancers in the lung, breast, and kidney, which are the common primary origins. Forty-one (67.2%) of the 61 patients with skeletal metastases of unknown primary origin were diagnosed via the first four steps, that is, physical examination, blood test, chest radiography, and thoracoabdominal computed tomography scan. Finally, two patients were diagnosed with skeletal metastases of unknown primary origin., Conclusion: The examination steps used in this study, including physical examination, blood test including tumor markers, chest radiography, thoracoabdominal computed tomography scan, positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan, biopsy, and other assessments were effective in determining the primary origin of skeletal metastases of unknown primary origin during the initial visit., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate midterm clinical outcomes after implantation of LifeStent self-expanding nitinol stents for the treatment of femoropopliteal lesions. This retrospective, multicenter, non-randomized study examined 260 femoropopliteal lesions in 250 consecutive patients with peripheral artery disease implanted with LifeStents from April 2016 to April 2017. The prevalence of chronic total occlusion (CTO), lesion length ≥25 cm, and distal reference vessel diameter (RVD) <5 mm was 58%, 35%, and 50%, respectively. The 3-year restenosis rate in the overall population was estimated to be 72.9% and a major adverse limb event was observed in 36.9%. Multivariate analysis revealed that chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) (odds ratio [OR]: 8.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.86-34.7), CTO (OR: 4.87; 95% CI: 1.43-16.6), lesion length ≥25 cm (OR: 5.95; 95% CI: 1.11-32.0), and distal RVD <5 mm (OR: 4.43; 95% CI: 1.34-14.6) were independent risk factors for 3-year restenosis. The present study demonstrated the midterm clinical outcomes and risk factors for restenosis after implantation of the LifeStent in femoropopliteal artery lesions. CLTI, CTO, lesion length ≥25 cm, and distal RVD <5 mm predicted decreased patency after a 3-year follow-up.

Purpose: The spectrum of diagnoses and clinical features of hand tumors differ from those of tumors in other body parts. However, only a few reports have comprehensively referenced the diagnosis and clinical features of hand tumors. This study aimed to elucidate the diagnostic distribution and the clinical features of hand tumors undergone surgery in our institute., Patients and Methods: A total of 235 lesions in 186 patients diagnosed with hand tumors between 1978 and 2020 were reviewed. Age at surgery, gender, chief complaint, tumor location, and pathological diagnosis were analyzed., Results: There were 121 benign bone tumors, 98 benign soft tissue tumors, and 16 malignant tumors. Chondroma and tenosynovial giant cell tumor were common benign bone and soft tissue tumors at the proximal phalanx of the ring finger and the palm, respectively. Meanwhile, chondrosarcoma and synovial sarcoma were common malignant tumors at the dorsal part of the hand. Local pain and painless mass were the chief complaints in patients with benign bone and soft tissue tumors, respectively. Most patients with malignant tumors were referred after unplanned resection. When patients were classified into two categories by tumor size according to maximal diameter, tumors larger than 19 mm had a significantly higher risk of malignant ( p = 0.031) despite being smaller than other tumors in different body parts., Conclusion: When a tumor malignancy is suspected, the patient should be referred to a specialist to avoid unplanned resection or delayed diagnosis due to misdiagnosis. Knowing the distribution and clinical features should help in diagnosing hand tumors.

Objective: The objective was to reveal the relationship between dose and concentration of atomoxetine. Method: Fifty-five blood samples of 33 patients with ADHD were examined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Results: The plasma concentrations were 53.2 ± 67.0, 298.0 ± 390.5, and 639.3 ± 831.9 ng/mL at doses of 40 mg, 80 mg, and 120 mg, and the concentration/dose were 1.33 ± 1.67, 3.73 ± 4.88, and 5.33 ± 6.93 ng/mL/mg, respectively. Statistical analyses revealed a significant correlation between the concentration and the dose of atomoxetine ( p = .004), and a trending toward significance in the difference in the concentration/dose in the three dosage groups ( p = .064). The concentration/dose at 40 and 80 + 120 mg/day were 1.33 ± 1.67 and 4.22 ± 5.53 ng/mL/mg, the latter was significantly higher than the former ( p = .006), which suggested non-linear pharmacokinetics. Conclusion: Clinicians should carefully titrate in high dose atomoxetine treatment.

Background: Although there is increasing evidence of the effectiveness of endovascular therapy for complex aortoiliac (AI) occlusive disease, it is not universally applied to TASC D lesions., Methods: A total of 2096 patients, 2601 limbs with AI occlusive disease, were enrolled. The lesions were categorized as TASC D (395) or TASC A-C (2206), and we compared baseline data, procedure, and follow-up result between the 2 groups., Results: The success rate of the procedure was significantly lower in the TASC D group (91.6% vs 99.3%, P < .01), and more procedure complications occurred in the TASC D group (11.1% vs 5.2%, P < .01). The results of a 5-year follow-up revealed no significant difference in primary patency (77.9% vs 77.1%, P = .17) and major adverse cardiovascular and limb events (MACLE; 30.5% vs 33.4%, P = .42) between the 2 groups. A multivariate analysis revealed complications and critical limb ischemia are independent predictors of MACLE in the TASC D group., Conclusion: The success rate of the procedure was lower in the TASC D group. Complications were more frequent in the TASC D group, and they were related to MACLE., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

Objective: Nitinol stenting could bring the better outcome in endovascular therapy for femoropopliteal disease. However, it might be expected that recent marked advances in both device technology and operator technique had led to improved efficacy of balloon angioplasty even in this segment. The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical impact of balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal disease and make risk stratification clear by propensity score matching analysis., Methods: Based on the multicenter retrospective data, 2758 patients (balloon angioplasty: 729 patients and nitinol stenting: 2029 patients), those who underwent endovascular therapy for femoropopliteal disease, were analyzed., Results: The propensity score matching procedure extracted a total of 572 cases per group, and the primary patency rate of balloon angioplasty and nitinol stenting groups after matching was significantly the same (77.2% vs 82.7% at 1 year; 62.2% vs 64.3% at 3 years; 47.8% vs 54.3% at 5 years). In multivariate Cox hazard regression analysis, significant predictors for primary patency were diabetes mellitus, regular dialysis, cilostazol use, chronic total occlusion, and intra-vascular ultra-sonography use. The strategy of balloon angioplasty was not evaluated as a significant predictor for the primary patency. After risk stratification using five items (diabetes mellitus, regular dialysis, no use of intra-vascular ultra-sonography, chronic total occlusion, and no use of cilostazol: the DDICC score), the estimated primary patency rates of each group (low, DDICC score 0-2; moderate, DDICC score 3; high risk, DDICC score 4-5) were 88.6%, 78.3%, and 63.5% at 1 year; 75.2%, 60.7%, and 39.8% at 3 years; and 66.0%, 47.1%, and 26.3% at 5 years (p < 0.0001). The primary patency rate of balloon angioplasty and nitinol stenting groups was significantly the same in each risk stratification., Conclusion: This study suggests that balloon angioplasty does not have inferiority to nitinol stenting but does have favorable efficacy in femoropopliteal segment by careful risk stratification with the recent advance of technique.

Objective: Patients categorized Rutherford category IV might have different characteristics compared with Rutherford category V and VI. Our study aims were to estimate the clinical differences between Rutherford category IV and Rutherford category V and VI, for those underwent endovascular therapy for isolated infrapopliteal disease, and also to find risk factors for endovascular therapy in Rutherford category IV., Methods: Based on the Japanese multi-center registry data, 1091 patients with 1332 limbs (Rutherford category IV: 226 patients with 315 limbs, Rutherford category V and VI: 865 patients with 1017 limbs) were analyzed retrospectively., Results: Patients' backgrounds and lesions' characteristics had significant differences. Both freedom rate from major adverse limb event with perioperative death and amputation-free survival rate at 1 year were better in Rutherford category IV than Rutherford category V and VI (93.6% vs 78.3%, 87.7% vs 66.7%) and those maintained to 3 years (p < 0.0001). Significant predictors for major adverse limb event/perioperative death were small body mass index (<18.5 kg/m(3)) and initial endovascular therapy success, and those for amputation-free survival were small body mass index (<18.5 kg/m(3)), non-ambulatory status, high systematic inflammatory reaction (C-reactive protein > 3.0 mg/dL), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and coronary artery disease in Rutherford category IV., Conclusion: From the present results, Rutherford category IV should be recognized to have quite different backgrounds and better outcome from Rutherford category V and VI.

Purpose: To compare the safety and efficacy of the S.M.A.R.T. Control stent vs. other stents in patients with symptomatic aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) followed for up to 4 years., Methods: A subgroup analysis of data from a retrospective multicenter registry examined 2036 symptomatic patients (1659 men; mean age 71±8 years) who received stent-supported endovascular therapy for 2541 AIOD lesions between April 2005 and December 2009. The cohort was divided into the S.M.A.R.T. stent group (955 patients/1196 lesions) and the "other" stent group (1081 patients/1345 lesions). The main study outcomes of primary patency and event-free survival at 4 years were compared before and after propensity matching analysis. The rates for freedom from major amputation, surgical conversion, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and major adverse limb events were also assessed., Results: The S.M.A.R.T. Control stent group had greater frequency of critical limb ischemia (CLI), TASC C/D lesions, and chronic total occlusions. The mean follow-up was 25±17 months in the S.M.A.R.T. group vs. 29±19 months in the other stent group. After propensity matching, 4-year primary patency (86% vs. 76%, p<0.001) and freedom from adverse limb events (93% vs. 90%, p=0.04) were greater in the S.M.A.R.T. Control stent group, while event-free survival rates (75% vs. 77%, p=0.50) were similar between groups. Univariate subgroup analysis showed that use of the S.M.A.R.T. stent was associated with greater primary patency in patients with renal insufficiency (serum creatinine >1.5 mg/dL) and CLI., Conclusion: After propensity matching analysis, the durability of the S.M.A.R.T. stent was superior to that of other stents, which might reflect differing design characteristics.