Mapping occipital bone thickness using computed tomography for safe screw placement.

OBJECT Safe and effective insertion of occipital bone screws requires morphological analysis of the occipital bone, which is poorly documented in the literature. The authors of this study present morphological data for determining the area of screw placement for optimal internal fixation. METHODS The subjects of this institutional review board-approved retrospective study were 105 individuals without head and neck disease who underwent CT imaging at the authors' hospital.

Analysis of chronic low back pain with magnetic resonance imaging T2 mapping of lumbar intervertebral disc.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 mapping utilizes the T2 values for quantification of moisture content and collagen sequence breakdown. Recently, attempts at quantification of lumbar disc degeneration through MRI T2 mapping have been reported. We conducted an analysis of the relationship between T2 values of degenerated intervertebral discs (IVD) and chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Effect of cryotherapy after spine surgery.

Study Design: Historical controlled trial.

Purpose: To clarify the usefulness of cryotherapy after spine surgery.

Overview Of Literature: Cryotherapy has generally been performed subsequent to surgery on joints and in this application its clinical effects are well understood.

Investigation of intervertebral disc and facet joint in lumbar spondylolisthesis using T2 mapping.

Purpose: We measured T2 relaxation time of the intervertebral discs (IVD) and facet joints (FJ) in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) and no spondylolisthesis (NS) and investigated the characteristics of these parts in DS.

Methods: In 40 patients with DS and 40 patients with NS, we measured T2 relaxation time of the IVD and FJ and compared them between groups. In the group with DS, we also examined the relationship between the degree of slippage using Meyerding grade and T2 relaxation of each part in the IVD and FJ.

Atypical fungal vertebral osteomyelitis in a tsunami survivor of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Study Design: Case report.

Objective: We report a rare case of fungal vertebral osteomyelitis in a tsunami survivor of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Summary Of Background Data: Fungal vertebral osteomyelitis due to Scedosporium apiospermum (S.

Endoscopic diagnosis of gastric mucosal atrophy: multicenter prospective study.

Background And Aim: Gastric atrophy is one of the important pathological states that cause gastric cancer. As atrophic gastritis is related to the risk of gastric cancer, it is important to diagnose atrophic gastritis. In the present study, we tried to establish endoscopic criteria for atrophic gastritis.

Microendoscopy-assisted muscle-preserving interlaminar decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis: clinical results of consecutive 105 cases with more than 3-year follow-up.

Study Design: A retrospective review of data collected prospectively on patients who underwent microendoscopy-assisted muscle-preserving interlaminar decompression (MILD) for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical results including surgical invasiveness and reduction rate of facet joint with a follow-up of more than 3 years.

Summary Of Background Data: Hatta et al reported microscopic posterior decompression procedure, MILD for lumbar spinal stenosis with reference to the cervical central approach put forth by Shiraishi.

Microendoscopic discectomy in athletes.

Background: Management of lumbar disc herniation in athletes is challenging because a prolonged period of postoperative rehabilitation prevents the athlete from participating in sporting activity, resulting in loss of competitive form. No study reporting the clinical results of microendoscopic discectomy (MED) in athletes was identified in a literature search through PubMed, in spite of the relatively long history of this treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of MED for athletes, focusing on their ability to quickly resume their sports activity.

Efficacy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing spinal root disorders in lumbar disc herniation.

Study Design: Prospective study based on magnetic resonance imaging for lumbar disc herniation.

Objective: In this study, we captured diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of the affected nerve root in lumbar disc herniation and examined the relationship between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and clinical symptoms to evaluate the efficacy of DWI in the diagnosis of lumbar spinal disorders.

Summary Of Background Data: DWI captures diffusion of water molecules in intracellular or extracellular fluid, allowing visualization of edematous changes, and is therefore used in diagnosis of hyper-acute cerebral infarction.

Microendoscopic discectomy for far lateral lumbar disk herniation: less surgical invasiveness and minimum 2-year follow-up results.

Study Design: A retrospective review of data collected prospectively on 24 consecutive patients who underwent microendoscopic discectomy (MED) for far lateral lumbar disk herniation.

Objective: To evaluate the level of surgical invasiveness of the procedure and clinical results with a follow-up of at least 2 years.

Summary Of Background Data: To the best of our knowledge, there have only been 2 small-size and short-term clinical studies reporting the feasibility of MED for far lateral lumbar disk herniation, despite its relatively long history.

Changes in endoscopic findings of gastritis after cure of H. pylori infection: multicenter prospective trial.

Background And Aim: Successful eradication of H. pylori changes pathological findings of gastritis dramatically. However, change of endoscopic mucosal findings is not fully understood.

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric mucosa by endoscopic features: a multicenter prospective study.

Background: Endoscopic features corresponding to pathological findings in the Sydney System have not been identified, and endoscopic diagnosis of chronic gastritis has not yet been established. To establish the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in gastric mucosa by endoscopic features, a prospective multicenter study was carried out.

Endoscopic diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia: a prospective multicenter study.

Background: Intestinal metaplasia (IM) of the gastric mucosa has long attracted attention as a premalignant lesion involved in gastric carcinogenesis. However, endoscopic diagnosis of IM has remained unclear for a long time. In recent years, the methylene blue staining technique and narrow-band imaging (NBI) magnifying endoscopy have facilitated clinical diagnosis of IM, although these methods have some problems due to their complexity.

Endoscopic diagnosis of gastric mucosal activity and inflammation.

Aim: Gastritis is an important pathological state that causes gastric atrophy and cancer. The Sydney System is a well-used classification for histological evaluation for gastritis. However, there is no concordance with endoscopic findings.

Minimum invasive posterior decompression for cervical spondylotic amyotrophy.

Background: Cervical spondylotic amyotrophy (CSA), characterized by amyotrophy and muscular weakness of the upper limbs, is caused by damage to anterior spinal root or anterior horn of the spinal cord. Formerly, anterior decompression and fusion were performed for treatment of CSA, but it has recently been reported that posterior decompression is also effective. However, a consensus on the choice of procedure has not yet been reached.

SYT-SSX breakpoint peptide vaccines in patients with synovial sarcoma: a study from the Japanese Musculoskeletal Oncology Group.

In the present study, we evaluated the safety and effectiveness of SYT-SSX-derived peptide vaccines in patients with advanced synovial sarcoma. A 9-mer peptide spanning the SYT-SSX fusion region (B peptide) and its HLA-A*2402 anchor substitute (K9I) were synthesized. In Protocols A1 and A2, vaccines with peptide alone were administered subcutaneously six times at 14-day intervals.

Correlation between T2 relaxation time and intervertebral disk degeneration.

Objective: Magnetic resonance T2 mapping allows for the quantification of water and proteoglycan content within tissues and can be used to detect early cartilage abnormalities as well as to track the response to therapy. The goal of the present study was to use T2 mapping to quantify intervertebral disk water content according to the Pfirrmann classification.

Materials And Methods: This study involved 60 subjects who underwent lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (a total of 300 lumbar disks).

Pyogenic spondylitis in the elderly: a report from Japan with the most aging society.

Pyogenic spondylitis can be life-threatening for elderly patients. To discuss the characteristics of the disease in the elderly, medical records of 103 consecutive cases of pyogenic spondylitis were reviewed. Of these, 45 cases were 65 years of age or older, and these 45 cases were enrolled into further study.

Symptomatic relevance of intravertebral cleft in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

Object: The present study was designed to determine clinical and radiographic characteristics of unhealed osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) and the role of fracture mobility and an intravertebral cleft in the regulation of pain symptoms in patients with an OVF.

Methods: Patients who had persistent low-back pain for 3 months or longer and a collapsed thoracic or lumbar vertebra that had an intervertebral cleft and abnormal mobility were referred to as having unhealed OVFs. Twenty-four patients with an unhealed OVF and 30 patients with an acute OVF were compared with regard to several clinical and radiographic features including the presence of an intravertebral fluid sign.

[An autopsy case of hepatocellular carcinoma in which sarcoma-like changes and peritoneal dissemination were observed after RFA/TACE treatment].

The patient was a 79-year-old male. In December 2002, US findings suggested hepatocellular carcinoma, and he was admitted. Liver biopsy led to a diagnosis of well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma.

The severity of ultrasonographic findings in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease reflects the metabolic syndrome and visceral fat accumulation.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with the metabolic syndrome.

Aim: We evaluated the association among the metabolic syndrome, visceral fat accumulation, and the severity of fatty liver with a new scoring system of ultrasonographic findings in apparently healthy Japanese adults.

Methods: Subjects consisted of 94 patients who received liver biopsy and 4,826 participants who were selected from the general population.

Clonal T-cell response against autologous pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma antigen presented by retrieved HLA-A*0206.

Towards the goal of identifying tumor-rejection antigens on eradicated tumors in bone and soft tissue sarcomas, we evaluated the immune response against antigens presented by lost HLA class I molecules. Tumor specimens and peripheral blood samples were obtained from a 70-year-old woman with pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Over 1-year culture, a tumor cell line (MFH2004) was established.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a novel predictor of cardiovascular disease.

Aim: To clarify whether nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: We carried out a prospective observational study with a total of 1637 apparently healthy Japanese men and women who were recruited from a health check-up program. NAFLD was diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography.

HLA-restricted specific tumor cytolysis by autologous T-lymphocytes infiltrating metastatic bone malignant fibrous histiocytoma of lymph node.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the bone is a high-grade sarcoma characterized histologically by the composition of fibroblasts and pleomorphic cells with a prominent storiform pattern. Despite institution of multi-modality treatments, the prognosis for patients with this tumor remains unsatisfactory. In the present study, towards the goal of developing active immunotherapy for those affected, we established four cell lines from a 53-year-old woman who suffered from MFH of the humerus with lymph node metastases.