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Between January 1988 and December 1992, 68 patients admitted to our Department of Internal Medicine with hematological malignancies or solid tumors showed colonization of the respiratory tract with Xanthomonas maltophilia (X. maltophilia). To characterize the significance of respiratory tract colonization by X. maltophilia, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the 68 patients colonized with this organism. Twenty-seven of these 68 patients developed pneumonia, with X. maltophilia being implicated in 10 cases. The majority of the 10 patients showed lobular infiltration on chest X-ray. Pleural effusion was observed in 2 (20%) of the 10 patients. All 68 strains of X. maltophilia were resistant to imipenem/cilastatin. Most strains (98.5%) were sensitive to latamoxef, while all strains were sensitive to minocycline. This report describes the clinical features of nosocomial X. maltophilia pneumonia in immunocompromised patients.

As part of a continuing study of the causes of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in industry, we measured sensory conduction of the median nerve in 101 Japanese furniture factory workers. We used the maximum latency difference (MLD) with a critical value of ≥0.40 msec to indicate abnormal slowing of nerve conduction. The prevalence of slowing in the Japanese workers was 17.8%, while the prevalence of probable CTS (based on symptoms only) was 2.5%, and the prevalence of definite CTS (probable CTS confirmed by slowing) was 2.0%. The most important factor predicting the MLD was the body mass index. The MLD was the most important factor predicting probable CTS. The prevalence of slowing in the Japanese workers was not significantly different from the prevalence of slowing in 316 American workers from four industries (22.0%), but the prevalences of probable CTS and definite CTS were much lower in the Japanese. The meaning of these findings is discussed.

Eleven patients underwent surgical excision for left atrial myxomas. Clinical symptoms, coronary angiographic findings and operative procedures were evaluated. Myxomas were classified into two types based on macroscopical findings, and clinical characteristics of these two types were analyzed. Seven cases (64%) classified as "lobular-type myxomas" were seen as lobulated, gelatinous and fragile. Four cases (36%) were classified as "round-type myxomas" were round and elastic soft. Primary symptoms included dyspnea on exertion in five cases (45%) and neurological disturbances in six cases (55%). Brain emboli were found in four patients by CT scan, and were classified as lobular-type myxomas. These eleven myxomas successfully removed in all cases. Four of these myxomas, which were pedunculated with fine fibrous stalks, were shaved along the base at the atrial septum or free wall. Others were excised completely along with a portion of the adjacent septum. Microscopic examination of the operative specimens revealed that two lobular-type myxomas with broad-based attachment to left atrial septum had invaded the atrial septum. All patients are doing well and have had no signs of myxoma recurrence at postoperative periods ranging from 10 months to 12 years (mean follow-up 5.3 years). Seven patients underwent selective coronary angiography due to a diagnosis of a coronary artery disease. All coronary angiograms were normal in all cases. In five (71%) of these seven, abnormally dilated atrial branches were seen as supplying the tumor. In two cases with round-type myxomas, neovascularity was evident and was made up of clusters of tortuous vessels with tumor blush.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Pseudomonas cepacia is a gram negative rod, having no fermentative activity on glucose. This organism was detected in the sputum, throat swab, or throat washing of 22 inpatients treated between January, 1990, and December, 1990, at the First Department of Internal Medicine, Kagawa Medical School. The primary diseases for which these 22 patients were hospitalized were leukemia in 12, malignant lymphoma in 5, lung cancer in 2, myelodysplastic syndrome in 1, and embryonal cell carcinoma in 1. Twelve of the 22 patients had episodes of pneumonia which complied clinically with the diagnostic criteria provided to facilitate the National Nosocomial Infection Study. The complication of pneumonia occurred in 7 patients with leukemia, 2 with malignant lymphoma, 2 with lung cancer, and 1 with myelodysplastic syndrome. In 10 of these 12 patients, the organism was detected before the onset of pneumonia. All 22 patients in whom the organism was demonstrated had received antibiotics. The antibiotics which was most frequently used to treat these patients 1 month before detection of Pseudomonas cepacia were amikacin and ceftizoxime, which were used in 13 patients. Of the antibiotics in which the susceptibility to Pseudomonas cepacia was, evaluated, minocycline was effective in 100% (21/21), ceftazidime in 50% (11/22), and ofloxacin in 27.3% (6/22). Physicians should be especially aware of the possibility of colonization and nosocomial respiratory infection by Pseudomonas cepacia in patients with severe underlying diseases.

The efficacy of combined high-dose etoposide with standard dose cisplatin was evaluated in patients who had refractory lung cancer after standard chemotherapy. Each patient was given etoposide at 500 mg/m2/day on day 1 to 3 continuously (total dose 1,500 mg/m2) and cisplatin at 80 mg/m2 on day 1. Fifteen patients (7 adenocarcinoma, 5 small cell lung cancer, 2 squamous cell lung cancer and 1 sarcoma, which latter was difficult to distinguish from giant cell carcinoma) were entered in this study. The overall response was 41.7% (5 of 12); five partial response, 6 no change, and 1 progressive disease. Three treatment-related deaths were observed; one resulted from sepsis and two from respiratory failure because of tumor progression. All of the patients developed severe myelosuppression; the mean nadir white blood cell count was 400, and the mean nadir platelet count was 24,000 in 28 evaluable courses. The range of maximum concentration of etoposide determined by HPLC was from 17.4 to 39.1 micrograms/ml. These results suggest that high-dose etoposide combined with a standard dose of cisplatin is effective against refractory lung cancer.