FOXA1/CK7-positive Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma with Aggressive Liver Metastasis.

Cytokeratin (CK) is a specific marker of adenocarcinoma. However, cases of CK7-positive esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have only rarely been reported. We herein report a case of unresectable CK7-positive ESCC with aggressive liver metastasis following nivolumab treatment initiation.

Effect of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents on Gastroesophageal Varices in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus-Related Cirrhosis.

Aim: In patients with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis (LC) who achieve sustained virological responses (SVRs) through treatment with direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), it remains unclear whether there are improvements in gastroesophageal varices (GEVs) and portal hypertension. We investigated changes in liver function and GEVs that occurred after DAA therapy. Materials and Methods: We evaluated the medical records of 195 patients with hepatitis C virus-related LC who received DAAs.

Efficacy and safety of S-1 following gemcitabine with cisplatin for advanced biliary tract cancer.

Background Combination therapy of gemcitabine with cisplatin (GC) is a standard first-line therapy for unresectable or recurrent biliary tract cancer (BTC). S-1 is often used as a second-line therapy in clinical practice, based on the results of some clinical studies investigating its efficacy and safety following gemcitabine monotherapy. However, few studies have reported on the clinical outcomes of S-1 following GC.

Risk stratification and prognostic factors in patients with unresectable undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas.

Background: Undifferentiated carcinoma (UC) of the pancreas has been considered a highly aggressive malignancy. However, only a few studies have systematically described the clinical course of UC patients. The aim of this study was to clarify the prognosis and construct a prognostic model for patients with unresectable UC.

Clinical outcomes of chemotherapy in patients with undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas: a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

Background: Undifferentiated carcinoma (UC) of the pancreas is a rare subtype of pancreatic cancer. Although UC has been considered a highly aggressive malignancy, no clinical studies have addressed the efficacy of chemotherapy for unresectable UC. Therefore, we conducted multicenter retrospective study to investigate the efficacy of chemotherapy in patients with UC of the pancreas.

Feasibility and efficacy of chemoradiotherapy with concurrent split-dose cisplatin after induction chemotherapy with docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil for locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with concurrent high-dose cisplatin (CDDP) is a standard treatment for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LA-SCCHN). Docetaxel plus CDDP and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) induction chemotherapy (ICT) prior to CRT is considered for patients at high risk of distant metastases. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of CRT with split-dose CDDP after TPF-ICT for LA-SCCHN.

Clinical and radiation dose-volume factors related to pneumonitis after treatment with radiation and durvalumab in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction Durvalumab has been shown to confer a survival benefit after definitive chemoradiotherapy in the patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer, but no studies have attempted to identify risk factors for pneumonitis after durvalumab therapy. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between clinical and radiation dose-volume factors, and the severity of pneumonitis. Methods We retrospectively assessed the cases of 30 patients who had been started on durvalumab therapy between July 2018 and February 2019.

Pre-treatment tumor size impacts on response to nivolumab in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: Baseline tumor size has been reported to be predictive of immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacy in melanoma and lung cancer. We investigated whether pre-treatment tumor size (PTS) is predictive of progression-free survival (PFS) and tumor shrinkage in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with nivolumab.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed 37 patients who had measurable tumor lesions.

[Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency causes severe adverse effects of capecitabine].

We report the case of a 61-year-old man who experienced severe adverse effects of capecitabine because of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency. In 2016, he visited our hospital for adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction and was prescribed neoadjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine, cisplatin, and trastuzumab. On day 14 of chemotherapy, he developed severe diarrhea, canker sores, enterocolitis, febrile neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia.

Improvement in the medial meniscus posterior shift following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction can reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritic knees. The goals of ACL reconstruction are to restore knee stability and reduce post-traumatic meniscal tears and cartilage degradation. A chronic ACL insufficiency frequently results in medial meniscus (MM) injury at the posterior segment.

Formation of ring-shaped lateral meniscus following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A case report.

Introduction: We presented the first case in the literature of inter-horn bridge formation involved in ring-shaped lateral meniscus after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

Presentation Of Case: A 22-year-old man underwent anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction using semitendinosus tendon autograft. At the surgery, the lateral meniscus showed a normal appearance without meniscal tears and had no instability.

Hyaluronan stimulates chondrogenic gene expression in human meniscus cells.

Unlabelled: Purpose/Aim of the Study: Inner meniscus cells have a chondrocytic phenotype, whereas outer meniscus cells have a fibroblastic phenotype. In this study, we examined the effect of hyaluronan on chondrocytic gene expression in human meniscus cells.

Materials And Methods: Human meniscus cells were prepared from macroscopically intact lateral meniscus.

Features of human autologous hamstring graft elongation after pre-tensioning in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose: Precise pre-tensioning protocol of the graft has not been determined in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The aims of this study are to measure the human autologous graft elongation, and to reveal what portion of the graft elongated greater after pre-tensioning in ACL reconstruction.

Methods: Twenty-four hamstring tendon grafts which were harvested from patients were included.

Location of the tibial tunnel aperture affects extrusion of the lateral meniscus following reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

The anterior root of the lateral meniscus provides functional stability to the meniscus. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the position of the tibial tunnel and extrusion of the lateral meniscus after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, where extrusion provides a proxy measure of injury to the anterior root. The relationship between extrusion and tibial tunnel location was retrospectively evaluated from computed tomography and magnetic resonance images of 26 reconstructed knees, contributed by 25 patients aged 17-31 years.

Histological and biological comparisons between complete and incomplete discoid lateral meniscus.

The discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) is an anatomically abnormal meniscus that covers a greater area of the tibial plateau than the normal meniscus. The DLM is classified into two types: complete (CDLM) and incomplete (ICDLM) types. In this study, we investigated the histological and cell biological characteristics of CDLM and ICDLM.

Significance of Anomalous Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery-Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Common Trunk Compression in Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm.

Background: The anterior inferior cerebellar artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA-PICA) common trunk anomaly is reportedly one of the most common vessel variants in the posterior circulation, but reports of hemifacial spasm (HFS) associated with AICA-PICA common trunk are very rare. In the present study, we describe methods of microvascular decompression (MVD) for HFS caused by AICA-PICA common trunk compression.

Methods: Among 159 patients who underwent MVD for HFS, 16 patients had compression of the root exit zone by the AICA-PICA common trunk anomaly.

Reappearance of Cranial Nerve Dysfunction Symptoms Caused by New Artery Compression More than 20 Years after Initially Successful Microvascular Decompression: Report of Two Cases.

Reappearance of symptoms of cranial nerve dysfunction is not uncommon after successful microvascular decompression (MVD). The purpose of this study was to report two quite unusual cases of recurrent and newly developed hemifacial spasm (HFS) caused by a new conflicting artery more than 20 years after the first successful surgery. In Case 1, the first MVD was performed for HFS caused by the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) when the patient was 38 years old.

The anterior cruciate ligament-lateral meniscus complex: A histological study.

The anterior root of the lateral meniscus (LM) dives underneath the tibial attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Although the distinct role of meniscal attachments has been investigated, the relationship between the LM anterior insertion (LMAI) and ACL tibial insertion (ACLTI) remains unclear. This study histologically analyzed the LMAI and ACLTI.

Microvascular Decompression for Hemifacial Spasm Associated with Bilateral Vertebral Artery Compression.

Background: Microvascular decompression (MVD) has been established as an effective treatment for hemifacial spasm (HFS). However, replacement of bilateral vertebral arteries (VAs) from the root exit zone (REZ) is difficult and requires special techniques. Reports of HFS cases associated with bilateral VA compression are quite rare.

Postoperative change in the length and extrusion of the medial meniscus after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose: The medial meniscus is a secondary stabilizer of anterior tibial translation in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knees. ACL reconstruction effectively restores an increased anterior tibial translation in the ACL-deficient knee. However, knee osteoarthritis sometimes develops in ACL-reconstructed patients during a long-term follow-up period.

Long term results of balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration for portosystemic shunt encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

This study examined 19 patients with portosystemic shunt encephalopathy caused by a splenorenal shunt (SRS), which was treated with balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO). Long-term treatment outcomes were evaluated based on hepatic functional reserve and vital prognosis. Encephalopathy improved in all patients after shunt embolization and closure.

Separation of Gd-humic complexes and Gd-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent in river water with QAE-Sephadex A-25 for the fractionation analysis.

Gadolinium complexed with naturally occurring, negatively charged humic substances (humic and fulvic acids) was collected from 500 mL of sample solution onto a column packed with 150 mg of a strongly basic anion-exchanger (QAE-Sephadex A-25). A Gd-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent (diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N″,N″-pentaacetato aquo gadolinium(III), Gd-DTPA(2-)) was simultaneously collected on the same column. The Gd-DTPA complex was desorbed by anion-exchange with 50mM tetramethylammonium sulfate, leaving the Gd-humic complexes on the column.

Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration versus endoscopic injection sclerotherapy for isolated gastric varices: a comparative study.

Isolated gastric varices (IGV) have a lower risk of bleeding than esophageal varices, however IGV bleeding is associated with a higher mortality than bleeding of esophageal varices. In recent years, two widely used treatments for IGV have been balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) and endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) using cyanoacrylate or ethanolamine oleate (EO). This study compared these two treatment methods for IGV.