Action of irbesartan on blood pressure and glucose/lipid metabolism, in hemodialysis patients with hypertension.

Background: Irbesartan has been reported to have beneficial effects on glucose/lipid metabolism in addition to an antihypertensive effect; however, such effects have not been clarified in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We investigated the effects of irbesartan on blood pressure (BP) as well as glucose/lipid metabolism, in HD patients with hypertension.

Methods: Seventeen HD patients with hypertension, aged 62.

Potential extraperitoneal space continuous with the peri-intestinal space: CT evidence and anatomical evaluation in patients with pneumatosis intestinalis without intestinal ischemia.

Purpose: Extraperitoneal spaces, such as the mesenteric space and the retroperitoneal space, can serve as areas that enable a reduction in the pressure exerted by extraperitoneal fluid collection and infiltrating diseases. In clinical practice, understanding the existence of these decompression spaces (or pathways) is very important for making accurate diagnoses. Here, we evaluated potential anatomical extraperitoneal spaces based on the extraluminal gas distribution in patients with pneumatosis intestinalis without intestinal ischemia.

Therapeutic results of computed-tomography-guided transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for local recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after initial transcatheter arterial chemoembolization: the results of 85 recurrent tumors in 35 patients.

The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the long-term results of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for the treatment of local recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after the first TACE. Between September 1992 and October 2004, 85 recurrent HCC nodules of 35 patients were treated by TACE. During the median follow-up period of 15.

Local therapeutic results of computed tomography-guided transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: results of 265 tumors in 79 patients.

Purpose: To elucidate the local therapeutic results of computed tomography (CT)-guided transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) as initial treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to verify factors which affect local therapeutic results.

Methods: From 1992 to 2002, 265 tumors of 79 HCC patients were treated by 139 sessions of CT-guided TACE as initial treatment. Among these 265 tumors, 182 constituted multiple new lesions, and the remaining 83 tumors were single new lesions.

Growth rate of locally recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization: comparing the growth rate of locally recurrent tumor with that of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

We compared the growth rate of locally recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with that of primary HCC. After the first treatment by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), 60 locally recurrent HCC nodules were reviewed. The tumor volume doubling time (DT) of locally recurrent HCC was significantly shorter than that of primary HCC.

MR imaging of the thyroid: correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient and thyroid gland scintigraphy.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of echo-planar MR imaging for assessing the thyroid function and confirm the clinical use of MR imaging for thyroid diseases.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-four patients with a variety of thyroid disorders (24 Graves disease; five subacute thyroiditis; five Hashimoto thyroiditis) were examined using T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and thyroid scintigraphy with Tc-99m pertechnetate.

Results: The ADC values obtained from the diffusion-weighted images of the patients with Graves disease were significantly higher than those of patients with subacute hyroiditis and Hashimoto thyroiditis, though no difference among those disorders was observed on T1- and T2-weighted images.