[Infective endocarditis of the mitral valve complicated with preoperative rupture of the mycotic iliocolic artery aneurysm].

A 55-year-old man was diagnosed with infective endocarditis( IE) of the mitral valve caused by Streptococcus sanguinis. His IE was controlled immediately after the initiation of intravenous antibiotic therapy lasting for 4 weeks. A few days before surgery, he complained of abdominal discomfort and computed tomography (CT) scan revealed rupture of the mycotic iliocolic artery aneurysm.

[Distal aortic repair after aortic arch replacement].

Background: It is crucial to expose the proximal aorta in distal aortic repair, i.e., replacement of the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) or the thoracoabdominal aorta (TAA), after aortic arch replacement.

Increase of child car seat temperature in cars parked in the outpatient parking lot.

Background: A guideline for the safe use of child car seats (CS) was published by the Japan Pediatric Society in 2008. There have been few studies of the increase of temperature of a CS in parked cars. The aim of this study was to determine the change in the temperature of the CS in cars parked in full sun.

Dosage form design and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of cevimeline extended-release tablet formulations.

The objective of the present work is to develop an extended-release dosage form of cevimeline. Two types of extended-release tablets (simple matrix tablets and press-coated tablets) were prepared and their potential as extended-release dosage forms were assessed. Simple matrix tablets have a large amount of hydroxypropylcellulose as a rate-controlling polymer and the matrix is homogeneous throughout the tablet.

Mumps virus reinfection is not a rare event confirmed by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

Clinically apparent mumps reinfection is considered extremely rare, but several cases have been suspected of reinfection in an out-patient clinic. In this study, virological examination, virus isolation, the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), and IgG and IgM EIA antibodies, were examined in order to identify mumps reinfection. Patients were divided into three categories; the reinfection group comprised 29 patients with a history of natural infection, the vaccine-failure group consisted of 37 patients with an immunization history, and two patients had histories of both immunization and mumps infection.

A comparative study of the incidence of aseptic meningitis in symptomatic natural mumps patients and monovalent mumps vaccine recipients in Japan.

To compare the incidence of aseptic meningitis associated with symptomatic natural mumps infection and in mumps vaccine recipients, we conducted a prospective comparative study. Consecutive samples of 1051 children with mumps were enrolled by 10 pediatricians and 21,465 vaccine recipients by 143 pediatric primary care practitioners, from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2003. Parents used a daily diary to record symptoms during the period of illness (15 days) or 30-day period following immunization.

Efficacy of inactivated trivalent influenza vaccine in alleviating the febrile illness of culture-confirmed influenza in children in the 2000-2001 influenza season.

During the 2000/2001 influenza season in Japan, children ranging in age from 6 months to 13 years with fever exceeding 37.5 degrees C were recruited. Vaccine efficacy was evaluated by comparing the rates of pre-seasonal vaccination between groups stratified by fever severity.

Left ventricular rupture following mitral valve replacement due to oversize prosthesis.

Left ventricular rupture following mitral valve replacement is one of the most serious complications. We report our experience in successful treatment of type III left ventricular rupture following mitral valve replacement probably due to an oversize prosthesis. A 67-year-old woman, with the history of percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy 11 years previously, underwent mitral valve replacement for mitral restenosis with a 27 mm CarboMedics mechanical bileaflet valve (Sulzer CarboMedics Inc.

Mitral valve replacement after percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy.

Objectives: We reviewed our experience of mitral valve replacement (MVR) after percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) for mitral stenosis (MS).

Methods: From December 1987 to December 2001, PTMC was conducted in 75 patients with symptomatic rheumatic MS. At mean follow-up of 8.

Molecular epidemiology of mumps virus in Japan and proposal of two new genotypes.

We isolated 872 strains of mumps virus from naso-pharyngeal secretions in seven different districts of Japan from January 2000 to July 2001. Among them, 57 strains were geno-typed by nucleotide sequencing in part of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) and small hydrophobic (SH) protein regions. Four different genotypes (B, G, K, and L) of mumps virus were co-circulating in Japan and the distribution of genotypes varied in geographically different districts.

Acute type A aortic dissection complicated with acute inferior myocardial infarction following aortic valve replacement.

Acute aortic dissection complicated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the most fatal situation. We experienced the successful treatment for acute type A aortic dissection complicated with inferior AMI following aortic valve replacement (AVR). A 60-year-old man had had AVR for aortic regurgitation.

Surgery for coronary artery disease with penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the ascending aorta.

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) is most often found in the descending aorta but rarely in the ascending aorta. In such a rare case, a 63-year-old man with ischemic change at precordial leads in electrocardiography was found in coronary angiography to have the left main trunk stenosis and in aortography (aortic phase of left ventriculography) to have PAU in the ascending aorta. We conducted 3-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting and replaced the ascending aorta.

Left pulmonary artery occlusion due to compression by aortic aneurysm.

A 72-year-old man with shock was transferred to our emergency room. The computed tomograms revealed a ruptured giant thoracic aortic aneurysm obstructing the left pulmonary artery. Emergency total aortic arch replacement was performed, and the postoperative course was uneventful.

Cyclodextrin conjugate-based controlled release system: repeated- and prolonged-releases of ketoprofen after oral administration in rats.

6(A)-O-[2-(3-Benzoylphenyl)propinoyl]-alpha-cyclodextrin (KP-alpha-CyD conjugate), in which an anti-inflammatory drug, ketoprofen (KP), is covalently bound to one of the primary hydroxyl groups of alpha-cyclodextrin, was prepared, and its release behavior in vitro and in vivo was investigated. Further, the CyD conjugate-based repeated- and prolonged-release systems were designed by combining the conjugate (used as a delayed-release fraction) with the KP-2-hydroxypropyl-beta-CyD (HP-beta-CyD) complex (used as a fast-release fraction) or with KP-ethylcellulose (EC) solid dispersion (used as a slow-release fraction), respectively. The conjugate released KP only in rat cecum and colonic contents, whereas it was stable in other biological fluids of rats.

Colon-specific delivery of prednisolone-appended alpha-cyclodextrin conjugate: alleviation of systemic side effect after oral administration.

Prednisolone (PD), a typical glucocorticoid, has been widely used for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, when PD is administered orally, a large amount of the drug is absorbed from the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract and causes systemic side effects. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect and systemic side effect of the PD succinate/alpha-cyclodextrin (PDsuc/alpha-CyD) ester conjugate after oral administration were studied using IBD model rats.