Pitavastatin inhibits intimal hyperplasia in rabbit vein graft.

Background: The autologous saphenous vein graft is currently the most suitable conduit for arterial bypass of the lower limbs. Various approaches have been attempted to control vein graft intimal hyperplasia, and several recent reports have suggested that statin use may be linked to improved patency of vein grafts. In this study, the efficacy of pitavastatin was evaluated on intimal hyperplasia and midkine expression of experimental normocholesterolemic rabbit autologous vein graft.

Hydrophilic statin suppresses vein graft intimal hyperplasia via endothelial cell-tropic Rho-kinase inhibition.

Background: Recent studies suggest that statins can protect the vasculature in a manner that is independent of their lipid-lowering activity through inhibition of the small guanosine triphosphate-binding protein, Rho, and Rho-associated kinase. Little information is available on the inhibitory effect of statins on vein graft intimal hyperplasia, the main cause of late graft failure after bypass grafting. We therefore examined the effects of a hydrophilic statin on vein graft intimal hyperplasia in vivo and Rho-kinase activity in vitro.

External iliac venous aneurysm in a pregnant woman: a case report.

We report an external iliac venous aneurysm in a young pregnant woman who was diagnosed incidentally by ultrasound scanning. The aneurysm was successfully treated by tangential aneurysmectomy and lateral venorrhaphy. Primary iliac venous aneurysm is a rare vascular abnormality.

Successful treatment of Fournier's gangrene with the assistance of preoperative computed tomography in an elderly man: report of a case.

An 87-year-old man presented with inguinal pain and swelling, and was later diagnosed as having Fournier's gangrene. The information gained from preoperative computed tomography (CT) proved very useful for defining the extent of necrosis, and emergency surgery saved his life. Thus, CT should be performed prior to treatment of Fournier's gangrene, even in an emergency situation.

[A case of advanced breast cancer with multiple lung, bone and lymph node metastases successfully treated with 5'-DFUR alone].

A 78-year-old female patient with locally advanced breast cancer, bleeding from a deep ulcer, and with multiple bone, lung and distant lymph node metastases was successfully treated with 5'-DFUR alone. She was at first treated with docetaxel + 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR) + tamoxifen, but they were discontinued because of deep venous thrombosis. She underwent simple mastectomy due to periodically recurring bleeding and infection.

A small, incidentally detected pancreatic somatostatinoma: report of a case.

We report an asymptomatic 72-year-old woman with a small, incidentally detected, pancreatic somatostatinoma. The tumor, measuring 1 cm in diameter, showed a hypervascular pattern of contrast enhancement on computed tomography, and was found angiographically to receive a blood supply from the posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery. The results of preoperative hormonal assays all were normal.