Publications by authors named "Nobuhiro Sawa"

Introduction: Entero-enteric fistulas are rare complications that occur in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and other intestinal diseases. In this report, we present an ileo-ileal fistula accompanied by severe malnutrition caused by strangulated ileus surgery while preserving the ischemic ileum in a very elderly patient.

Case Presentation: A 90-year-old woman underwent emergency surgery without bowel resection for strangulated ileus in another hospital.

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If invasive ventilation can be avoided by performing noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF), the disease can be effectively managed. It is important to clarify the characteristics of patients with neuromuscular diseases in whom initial NIV is likely to be unsuccessful. We studied 27 patients in stable neuromuscular condition who initially received NIV to manage fatal ARF to identify differences in factors immediately before the onset of ARF among patients who receive continuous NIV support, patients who are switched from NIV to invasive ventilation, and patients in whom NIV is discontinued.

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Background: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis responds to immunnotherapy, and approximately 80% of patients with this disorder fully recover or have only minor sequelae. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) does not show a specific abnormality, but some patients have progressive cerebral atrophy. The cerebral atrophy can become reversible after clinical improvement.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) can present with lateral trunk flexion (LTF). Abnormal posture associated with PD has been treated, but the effectiveness of these treatments is limited, resulting in unsatisfactory outcomes. Unilateral hypertrophy and unilateral hyperactivity may be useful for deciding targets for injection of botulinum toxin or physical rehabilitation.

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Various hallucinations are unpleasant for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Hallucinations are often related to anti-parkinsonian drugs. Tactile hallucinations rarely occur in patients with PD.

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Background: Postoperative respiratory insufficiency (PRI) in myasthenia gravis (MG) often occurs within several days after thymectomy and remains problematic. In limited studies reporting that preoperative steroids prevented PRI in patients with MG, high doses of steroids were used and detailed information on the use of steroids is limited. Because high-dose steroids significantly increase the risk of adverse effects, we studied 37 patients with generalized MG to investigate whether low-dose steroids might prevent PRI.

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Objectives: Some patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) present with cerebellar dysfunction. Severe degeneration of the cerebellar dentate nucleus (CDN) was evident in these patients. We evaluated signal intensity on MRI in the CDN of PSP patients with or without cerebellar ataxia.

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'Dropped head syndrome' (DHS) may be associated with a variety of neurological diseases. The absence of neurological clues to the underlying cause of DHS can make management particularly challenging. We review six patients who presented with only DHS, responded to intravenous edrophonium and turned out to have myasthenia gravis (MG) including similar patients who were previously documented.

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Abnormalities of both motor and sensory nerve action potentials, similar to those found in demyelinating polyneuropathy, may occur in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We analyzed the clinical features of unusual ALS patients with demyelinating polyneuropathy (DPN) to delineate the characteristics and outcomes of this rare condition. We reviewed three ALS patients with DPN who were confirmed to meet the electrophysiological nerve conduction criteria for DPN among 157 patients with ALS.

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A 72-year-old man with subacute right upper limb palsy was diagnosed with cerebral infarction at another hospital. However, the head magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans showed no abnormalities. He was later transferred to our hospital because of cognitive dysfunctions.

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