Transparaumbilical Intravariceal Sclerotherapy for Duodenal Varices Using Outflow Embolization.

A 55-year-old patient was admitted for variceal treatment, a complication of chronic portal hypertension and liver cirrhosis. Imaging studies revealed prominent duodenal varices, the pancreaticoduodenal vein as its afferent pathway, a drainer vessel into the inferior vena cava, and a paraumbilical vein. We successfully performed complete obliteration of the varix, including its afferent and efferent vessels, via the paraumbilical vein approach.

Frequency and imaging features of the adjacent osseous changes of salivary gland carcinomas in the head and neck region.

Purpose: The association between salivary gland carcinomas and adjacent osseous changes in the head and neck region is not clear. We evaluated the frequency and imaging features of such changes and investigated the specific characteristics of salivary gland carcinomas associated with them.

Methods: A total of 118 patients with histologically proven salivary gland carcinomas were retrospectively reviewed.

Charge generation dynamics in hematite photoanodes decorated with gold nanostructures under near infrared excitation.

Photochemical water splitting offers a useful solution for efficient energy conversion into hydrogen gas. Hematite has been focused on this purpose as the photoanode due to the advantages of low-cost, chemical stability, and suitable bandgap. The photocatalytic ability, however, is limited by the short-lived carriers and lack of photoresponse in the near infrared (NIR) region.

ELectron microscopic abnormality and therapeutic efficacy in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy with anti-neurofascin155 immunoglobulin G4 antibody.

Introduction: Neurofascin155 (NF155) is a target antigen for autoantibodies in a subset of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).

Methods: We report the cases of 4 patients with anti-NF155 immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) antibody-positive CIDP who underwent sural nerve biopsies.

Results: All patients were relatively young at onset.

Treatable Leukoencephalopathy in a Patient with Hypophosphatemia.

We report the first patient with pathologically proven leukoencephalopathy associated with hypophosphatemia. A 61-year-old woman had repetitive episodes of decreased consciousness with pontine and pallidal lesions and extensive leukoencephalopathy on MRI, later found to be associated with hypophosphatemia. Although hypophosphatemia has been linked to central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis (osmotic myelinolysis), lesions in the deep white matter have not been reported.

Coronary plaque progression of non-culprit lesions after culprit percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with moderate to advanced chronic kidney disease: intravascular ultrasound and integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound study.

Previous studies have suggested that the deterioration of renal function increases the risk of major adverse clinical events not only in culprit lesions but also in non-culprit lesions (NCLs) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study evaluated serial coronary plaque change of NCL in patients with different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and integrated backscatter IVUS (IB-IVUS). In 113 patients (113 NCLs) underwent both IVUS-guided PCI and follow-up IVUS, volumetric IVUS analyses were performed at proximal reference NCLs in de novo target vessels post PCI and at 8-month follow-up.

Successful coronary intervention for spontaneous coronary dissection in a patient with fibromuscular dysplasia.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a reported rare cause of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and sudden death among middle-aged women. Some institutes have recently reported fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) concomitant with SCAD. Therefore, a survey of the presence of comorbid FMD in SCAD patients is important to obtain a definitive diagnosis and for the prediction of possible SCAD recurrence.

A rare case of myocardial infarction related to diagnostic intravascular ultrasound.

A 71-year-old man underwent intracoronary stent implantation for acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI). Immediately after diagnostic intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at 8 months' follow-up, an acute occlusion of the sinus node (SN) artery appeared, which developed sinus arrest with junctional escape rhythm. The serum level of high-sensitivity troponin T (TpT) was markedly elevated on the day after the procedure (2.

Association of seasonal variation in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome with insulin resistance.

The aim of this study was to examine the hypothesis that seasonal variation in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased insulin resistance. Among 840 Japanese male workers who were evaluated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in June (summer) 2010, we prospectively studied a total of 758 subjects (40-65 years of age) who underwent an assessment in December (winter) 2010. MetS was defined according to the criteria proposed by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine (JSIM).

Coronary arterial remodeling and out-stent plaque change after drug-eluting stent implantation--comparison between zotarolimus-eluting stents and paclitaxel-eluting stents.

Background: Out-stent plaque characteristics and eosinophilic inflammatory response, which correlates with positive remodeling after first-generation drug-eluting stent implantation, may be associated with late restenosis and very late stent thrombosis. The differences of out-stent plaque characteristics were compared between paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) and zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES), using integrated backscatter-intravascular ultrasound (IB-IVUS).

Methods And Results: Of 78 patients enrolled, 25 receiving PES and 25 receiving ZES had adequate IVUS assessment.

Design and synthesis of a photoaromatization-based two-stage photobase generator for pitch division lithography.

The synthesis of a two-stage photobase generator (PBG) based on photoinduced aromatization is described. This material was designed for use in resolution-enhanced photolithography. Computer modeling predicts that a delay in the onset of base generation can lead to improved image quality.

Study of a two-stage photobase generator for photolithography in microelectronics.

The investigation of the photochemistry of a two-stage photobase generator (PBG) is described. Absorption of a photon by a latent PBG (1) (first step) produces a PBG (2). Irradiation of 2 in the presence of water produces a base (second step).

Evidence of a vicious cycle in mitral regurgitation with prolapse: secondary tethering attributed to primary prolapse demonstrated by three-dimensional echocardiography exacerbates regurgitation.

Background: In patients with mitral valve prolapse, nonprolapsed leaflets are often apically tented. We hypothesized that secondary left ventricular dilatation attributed to primary mitral regurgitation (MR) causes papillary muscle (PM) displacement, resulting in this leaflet tenting/tethering, and that secondary tethering further exacerbates malcoaptation and contributes to MR severity.

Methods And Results: Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 25 patients with posterior mitral leaflet prolapse with an intact anterior mitral leaflet (AML) and 20 controls.

Proposed cutoff level of waist circumference in Japanese men: evaluation by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance levels.

Objective: The aim of this study is to propose the cutoff level of waist circumference (WC) on the basis of homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels in order to diagnose metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: We examined a total of 798 non-diabetic men (40-65 years of age) by using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the cutoff level that yielded the maximum sensitivity plus specificity. According to the criteria proposed by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine (JSIM), subjects with ≥ 2 metabolic components other than abdominal obesity, were considered to have MetS.

Different influences of left ventricular remodeling on anterior and posterior mitral leaflet tethering.

Background:  Different influences of left ventricular (LV) remodeling on anterior and posterior mitral leaflet (AML and PML) tethering in ischemic mitral regurgitation (MR) has not been fully investigated. We hypothesized that progressive outward displacement of papillary muscles, including posterior vector, may cause greater tethering to PML compared to AML.

Methods And Results:  In 79 patients with LV ejection fraction <50% and 20 controls, LV sphericity, AML and PML tethering angles, apical and posterior displacement of coaptation, mitral annular area, and severity of MR (vena contracta width) were measured using 3-D echocardiography.

Intravascular ultrasound and histopathological observations in a patient with very late sirolimus-eluting stent thrombosis.

This case report describes an autopsy case of very late stent thrombosis, which was associated with intravascular ultrasound findings of late-acquired stent malapposition with thrombotic materials and marked positive vascular remodeling at the site of the sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. Histopathological examination showed both destructive and proliferative reactions had occurred in the same stented coronary arterial wall 44 months after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation. Long-lasting severe local inflammation beyond healing reaction, causing vessel enlargement, may be related to very late stent thrombosis.

Impacts of icodextrin on integrin-mediated wound healing of peritoneal mesothelial cells.

Aims: Exposure to glucose and its metabolites in peritoneal dialysis fluid (PDF) results in structural alterations of the peritoneal membrane. Icodextrin-containing PDF eliminates glucose and reduces deterioration of peritoneal membrane function, but direct effects of icodextrin molecules on peritoneal mesothelial cells have yet to be elucidated. We compared the impacts of icodextrin itself with those of glucose under PDF-free conditions on wound healing processes of injured mesothelial cell monolayers, focusing on integrin-mediated cell adhesion mechanisms.

Evaluation of in-stent neointimal tissue components using integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound: comparison of drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents.

Although in-stent restenosis (ISR) occurs after drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation, neointimal tissue characteristics have not been fully investigated. We assessed neointimal tissue components using integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound (IB-IVUS) after DES and bare-metal stents (BMS) implantation. Fifty-seven consecutive patients with 61 lesions underwent repeated percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the treatment of ISR (DES: 24 lesions, BMS: 37 lesions).

Elevated depressive symptoms are associated with hypertriglyceridemia in Japanese male workers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether elevated depressive symptoms are associated with metabolic syndrome and its components in the Japanese population.

Methods: Out of 1,386 male workers who underwent measurements of variables of metabolic syndrome components in their health checkup, 1,186 subjects (44.5 ± 9.

Comparison of acute and chronic impact of adaptive servo-ventilation on left chamber geometry and function in patients with chronic heart failure.

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine differences in the acute and chronic impact of adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) on left chamber geometry and function in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods And Results: An acute ASV study was performed to measure echocardiographic parameters before and 30 min after the initiation of ASV therapy in 30 CHF patients (mean age: 69 years, 23 male). The chronic effects of ASV therapy were also evaluated in 26 of these 30 patients over a mean follow-up period of 24 weeks.

Effect of intravascular ultrasound-guided adjuvant high-pressure non-compliant balloon post-dilation after drug-eluting stent implantation.

Drug-eluting stent (DES) expansion characteristics after aggressive high-pressure post-dilation using a non-compliant (NC) balloon have not been fully investigated. We evaluated 58 patients with native coronary lesions treated with DESs [24 paclitaxel eluting stents (PES) and 34 sirolimus-eluting stents (SES)]. After post-dilation (12-14 atm) using a stent-mounted semi-compliant balloon to reduce stent edge injury, adjuvant high-pressure post-dilation using NC balloon was performed within the stents.

Prevalence and clinical implication of complex atherosclerotic plaque in the descending thoracic aorta of Japanese patients assessed by transesophageal echocardiography.

Background: Aging and westernization of lifestyle has accelerated the prevalence and severity of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases in the Japanese population. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of complex plaque formation in the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) as assessed by real-time 3-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) and its relation to clinical factors.

Methods And Results: A prospective analysis of atherosclerotic plaque in the DTA of 350 consecutive patients who were clinically indicated for real-time 3DTEE was performed.

Impact of diastolic dysfunction grade on left atrial mechanics assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.

Background: Mitral inflow patterns reflect not only left ventricular diastolic function but also left atrial (LA) remodeling. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction on LA volumetric and functional parameters assessed using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

Methods: Two-dimensional speckle-tracking analysis of the LA wall in the apical four-chamber view was performed in 268 subjects.