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Background: Anisakiasis is a parasitic disease caused primarily by Anisakis spp. larvae in Asia and in Western countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the genotype of Anisakis larvae endoscopically removed from Middle Eastern Japanese patients and to determine whether mucosal atrophy affects the risk of penetration in gastric anisakiasis. Methods: In this study, 57 larvae collected from 44 patients with anisakiasis (42 gastric and 2 colonic anisakiasis) were analyzed retrospectively. Genotyping was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of ITS regions and by sequencing the mitochondrial small subunit (SSU) region. In the cases of gastric anisakiasis, correlation analyses were conducted between the frequency of larval penetration in normal/atrophic area and the manifestation of clinical symptoms. Results: Nearly all larvae were A. simplex seusu stricto (s.s.) (99%), and one larva displayed a hybrid genotype. The A. simplex larvae penetrated normal mucosa more frequently than atrophic area (p = 0.005). Finally, patients with normal mucosa infection were more likely to exhibit clinical symptoms than those with atrophic mucosa infection (odds ratio, 6.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.52–31.8). Conclusions: In Japan, A. simplex s.s. is the main etiological agent of human anisakiasis and tends to penetrate normal gastric mucosa. Careful endoscopic examination of normal gastric mucosa, particularly in the greater curvature of the stomach will improve the detection of Anisakis larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the reliability of the oscillometric method in patients with peripheral vascular disease, ankle blood pressure measurement by Doppler and oscillometry was compared. This study represents a prospective, non-blinded examination of pressure measurements in 168 patients. Twenty-two patients were included who had abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and 146 had peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Patients with PAOD were divided into 2 groups according to angiography results: a crural artery occlusion group (CAO, n = 32), and a no crural artery occlusion group (NCAO, n = 114). All subjects underwent pressure measurement by both Doppler and oscillometry. The correlation coefficient was 0.928 in MA patients and 0.922 in PAOD patients. In CAO patients, there were significantly fewer patients whose oscillometric pressure was equivalent to the Doppler pressure (DP), as compared to NCAO patients, because the oscillometric pressure COP) was 10% higher than DP in 44% of CAO patients. A high correlation exists between Doppler and oscillometric ankle pressure measurements irrespective of the type of vascular disease, However, the oscillometric method could not be substituted for the Doppler method completely, because there were several patients whose OP was greater than DP especially in those with crural artery occlusive disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the suitability of the Odor Stick Identification Test for the Japanese (OSIT-J) in patients suffering from olfactory disturbance. In 120 patients with olfactory disturbance (age range 12-85 years) there were statistically significant correlations between the odor identification rate on the OSIT-J, the results of the Japanese standardized olfactory test (T&T olfactometry) and subjective symptom scores. In every patient treated for olfactory disturbance, the OSIT-J reflected the grade of recovery from the olfactory disturbance as determined by means of T&T olfactometry. The odor identification rate on the OSIT-J also correlated significantly with the results of the i.v. Alinamin® test. Regarding the rate of correct recognition of odors on the OSIT-J, menthol and curry odors were recognized with a high rate and orange and wood odors with a low rate. Although the OSIT-J includes 13 kinds of odorants, the number of odorants used can be reduced to a minimum of 5 as the results obtained with this reduced form of the OSIT-J also correlated with the results of T&T olfactometry and the subjective symptom scores as well as with the results obtained with the 13-odorant OSIT-J. We conclude that the OSIT-J is suitable not only as a screening test for olfactory disturbance but also for practical use in clinical otorhinolaryngology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Objectives The optimal antimicrobial treatment duration for patients with acute cholangitis with bacteremia remains unknown. The updated Tokyo Guidelines 2013 recommend a minimum duration of 2 weeks only when bacteremia with Gram-positive cocci is present. Since May 2013, a shorter antimicrobial treatment duration of under 2 weeks has been implemented at the authors’ institution for acute cholangitis with Gram-negative bacillary bacteremia. The aim of the present study was to validate this modified practice. Methods A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted. The antimicrobial treatment duration, 30-day mortality rate, and recurrence rate within 3 months were compared between patients treated before May 2013 and after May 2013. Results Ninety-one patients with cholangitis with bacteremia were analyzed. The median antimicrobial treatment duration was 14.5 days in patients treated before May 2013 and 10.0 days after May 2013 ( p < 0.001). While the 30-day mortality rate did not differ significantly, the recurrence rate was higher in those treated before May 2013 (5.7% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.17 and 13.3% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.03, respectively). The median treatment duration after May 2013 was 8 days for grade I patients, 10 days for grade II patients, and 11.5 days for grade III patients. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that acute cholangitis with Gram-negative bacillary bacteremia can be treated safely with a shorter antimicrobial treatment duration of <14 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although surgical treatment of orbital floor fractures can be performed by many different approaches, the application of endoscopic modified medial maxillectomy (EMMM) for this condition has rarely been described in the literature. We report on a case of a 7-year-old boy with a trapdoor orbital floor fracture successfully treated with the application of EMMM. The patient suffered trauma to the right orbit floor and the inferior rectus was entrapped at the orbital floor. Initially, surgical repair via endoscopic endonasal approach was attempted. However, we were unable to adequately access the orbital floor through the maxillary ostium. Therefore, an alternative route of access to the orbital floor was established by EMMM. With sufficient visualization and operating space, the involved orbital content was completely released from the entrapment site and reduced into the orbit. To facilitate wound healing, the orbital floor was supported with a water-inflated urethral balloon catheter for 8 days. At follow-up 8 months later, there was no gaze restriction or complications associated with the EMMM. This case illustrates the efficacy and safety of EMMM in endoscopic endonasal repair of orbital floor fracture, particularly for cases with a narrow nasal cavity such as in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Bacterial meningitis is a neurological emergency. Early diagnosis and rapid initiation of antimicrobial therapy are vital. Methods: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is increasingly used as a rapid and accurate microbial diagnostic method for species identification of pathogens. Although this technology requires a growth step to obtain bacterial colonies for the acquisition of substantial spectra in most cases, it can also be used to analyze clinical specimens such as urine and cerebrospinal fluid for direct bacterial identification. There are very few reports describing the use of MALDI-TOF MS for the direct detection of microorganisms causing bacterial meningitis. Results: We describe a case of bacterial meningitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae in which MALDI-TOF MS provided a rapid bacteriological diagnosis, thus enabling early and appropriate treatment. Conclusions: Identification of microbes based on MALDI-TOF MS is now an important technology in clinical microbiology laboratories that are required to provide a rapid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]