One-Year Outcomes of Trabeculotomy with 120°, 180°, or 360° Schlemm's Canal Incision for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Retrospective Study.

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), if caused by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), may require a trabeculotomy (LOT), in which the trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm's canal (ISC) are incised. However, the association between the incision angle and outcomes remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the surgical outcomes of a trabeculotomy combined with cataract surgery in patients with POAG over a 12-month follow-up period.

The effect of fibroblast growth factor 2 on neovascular vessels depends on the stage of angiogenesis.

Objective: The exact relationship between fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) remains unclear. In this study, using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and FGF2-tg mice which are transgenic mice with a rhodopsin promoter/FGF2 gene fusion, we aimed to investigate the dynamics of FGF2's role in angiogenesis over time.

Methods: We developed laser-induced CNV models of FGF2-tg and wild-type (WT) mice and then separated them into two groups using different laser photocoagulation (PC) conditions.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Dental Anesthesiologists: An Online Survey of Board-Certified Dental Anesthesiology Specialists of the Japanese Dental Society of Anesthesiology.

Objective: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental anesthesiologists has not been examined. This study aimed to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Japanese dental anesthesiologists' professional lives.

Methods: An online questionnaire related to the effects of COVID-19 on dental anesthesiologists' professional lives was emailed to 351 board-certified dental anesthesiology specialists from the Japanese Dental Society of Anesthesiology.

INCIDENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF INTRAOCULAR INFLAMMATION AFTER BROLUCIZUMAB TREATMENT IN JAPAN: A Multicenter Age-Related Macular Degeneration Study.

Purpose: To investigate the incidence of intraocular inflammation (IOI) and its risk factors following intravitreal injections of brolucizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in Japan.

Methods: A total of 1,351 Japanese consecutive patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who were treated with brolucizumab from May 2020 to May 2022 at 14 institutions were examined. The variables analyzed were the number of brolucizumab injections, time to onset of IOI, and risk factors.

A Small-Molecule Pan-Id Antagonist Inhibits Pathologic Ocular Neovascularization.

Id helix-loop-helix (HLH) proteins (Id1-4) bind E protein bHLH transcription factors, preventing them from forming active transcription complexes that drive changes in cell states. Id proteins are primarily expressed during development to inhibit differentiation, but they become re-expressed in adult tissues in diseases of the vasculature and cancer. We show that the genetic loss of Id1/Id3 reduces ocular neovascularization in mouse models of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

A prospective multicenter study on genome wide associations to ranibizumab treatment outcome for age-related macular degeneration.

We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on the outcome of anti-VEGF treatment for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a prospective cohort. Four hundred and sixty-one treatment-naïve AMD patients were recruited at 13 clinical centers and all patients were treated with 3 monthly injections of ranibizumab followed by pro re nata regimen treatment for one year. Genomic DNA was collected from all patients for a 2-stage GWAS on achieving dry macula after the initial treatment, the requirement for an additional treatment, and visual acuity changes during the 12-month observation period.

Intimal Flap Vegetation Following Aortic Root Re-dissection.

A 75-year-old man who had undergone ascending aorta replacement for acute Type A aortic dissection presented with a recurring high fever. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed that a vegetation had formed on the re-dissected intimal flap of the noncoronary sinus of Valsalva. This didactic case suggests that antibiotic prophylactic measures be considered for aortic dissection flaps as for irregular valves susceptible to infective endocarditis.

A modified treat-and-extend regimen of aflibercept for treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To evaluate a modified treat-and-extend (TAE) regimen of intravitreal aflibercept injection (IAI) for treatment-naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: Thirty-six eyes (36 patients) treated with the modified TAE regimen were evaluated at 12 months retrospectively. The modified TAE regimen consisted of three steps: 1) an induction phase, during which patients were treated with ≥ 3-monthly IAIs until exudative activity disappeared, 2) an observation phase, during which patients were monitored until exudative activity appeared, and 3) a TAE phase, for which the initial treatment interval was determined based on the disease recurrence interval, followed by treatment intervals changing by 2 weeks.

Surgical resection of two independent primary intimal sarcomas in the left atrium.

Primary intimal sarcoma of the heart is an extremely rare tumor that is known to have a very poor prognosis. We present a case of a 65-year-old man who suffered from deteriorating congestive heart failure due to a severe mitral stenosis caused by a large mobile left atrial tumor. The patient underwent an emergency operation of the tumor in the left atrium.

[Severe Perioperative Coronary Artery Spasm in Thoracic Aortic Surgery; Report of Two Cases].

We report 2 cases of severe perioperative coronary artery spasm in thoracic aortic surgery. Case 1 was a 72-year-old male with a distal arch aneurysm of 74 mm while case 2 was a 74-year-old male with acute type A aortic dissection. We performed thoracic aortic repair (total arch replacement and ascending aorta replacement) under moderately hypothermic circulatory arrest (25 °C) and selective cerebral perfusion in both cases.

Giant atrial septal aneurysm originating from the right coronary artery.

Giant coronary artery aneurysm is a rare clinical entity and its involvement in the interatrial space is extremely rare. We here report the rare surgical case of a 67-year old man with giant right coronary artery aneurysm located in the atrial septum with fistula formation to the right atrium, complicated with congestive heart failure, rapid atrial fibrillation and left atrial appendage thrombus. The patient eventually recovered fully without sequelae.

[THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF MICRORNA IN THE FIELD OF CARDIOVASCULAR SURGERY].

Because the number of heart failure patients increases every year, improved prevention and treatment for damaged hearts are needed. Many investigators have explored new approaches to improve cardiac function, including cell transplantation and gene therapy. MicroRNAs comprise a novel class of endogenous, small, noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression via degradation or translational inhibition of their target mRNAs.

Acute coronary artery bypass graft failure in a patient with polycythemia vera.

Polycythemia vera in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is clinically rare. A 65-year-old man with polycythemia vera was admitted with effort-related chest discomfort. We planned coronary artery bypass grafting for left anterior descending artery and obtuse marginal branch stenosis, using bilateral internal thoracic arteries, with perioperative prophylactic management to avoid thromboembolism.

Right atrial volume reduction for severely impaired pulmonary function.

We report a patient with giant right atrium and severe pulmonary dysfunction who underwent successful surgical volume reduction with significant improvement of pulmonary function studies.

Acute subdural hematoma after aortic surgery: a retrospective comparative study.

Background: Acute subdural hematoma is uncommon following open-heart surgery, but may result in increased mortality and morbidity.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed involving all patients who underwent thoracic aortic surgery from January 2009 to February 2013. There were 53 patients who had thoracic aortic repair with open distal anastomosis and required selective cerebral perfusion with or without retrograde cerebral perfusion.

Effect of microRNA-145 to prevent vein graft disease in rabbits by regulation of smooth muscle cell phenotype.

Objective: Because microRNA-145 (miR-145) is a specific mediator in the regulation of the proliferation and differentiation of smooth muscle cells, we investigated the effect of miR-145 on the intimal hyperplasia in the rabbit model of vein graft disease using electroporation-mediated gene transfer.

Methods: The right jugular vein of male Japanese white rabbits was harvested and transduced with miR-145-encoding plasmids using an electroporator and then interposed in the carotid artery. At 2 or 4 weeks postoperatively, the venous graft was explanted, and the intimal thickness and intima/media area ratio were evaluated.

Long-term suppression of ocular neovascularization by intraocular injection of biodegradable polymeric particles containing a serpin-derived peptide.

Aberrant angiogenesis can cause or contribute to a number of diseases such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD). While current NVAMD treatments target angiogenesis, these treatments are not effective for all patients and also require frequent intravitreal injections. New agents and delivery systems to treat NVAMD could be beneficial to many patients.

Long-term expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor slows, but does not stop retinal degeneration in a model of retinitis pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of diseases in which one of hundreds of mutations causes death of rod photoreceptor cells and then cones gradually die from oxidative damage. As different mutations cause rod cell death by different mechanisms, mutation-specific treatments are needed. Another approach is to use a neurotrophic factor to promote photoreceptor survival regardless of the mechanism of cell death, and previous studies have demonstrated encouraging short-term results with gene transfer of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).

Pathways of metastases from primary organs to the ovaries.

To investigate the metastatic pathways from the primary organs to the ovaries, we examined the microscopic findings from 18 original and 18 metastatic ovarian tumors carefully. In addition, we examined the immunohistochemical findings (Victoria blue stain for vascular invasion and D2-40 expression for lymphangio invasion) of metastatic ovarian tumors carefully. There were 4 (57%) ovarian lymphangio invasion cases in the 7 gastric cancers, but there were no cases in the 6 colorectal cancers (P < 0.

Induction of arginase II mRNA by nitric oxide using an in vitro model of gyrate atrophy of choroid and retina.

Purpose: The authors previously reported ornithine cytotoxicity in ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (OAT)-deficient human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells as an in vitro model of gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina (GA). Given that RPE cells are severely damaged by arginine combined with ornithine, they investigated the role of arginine metabolism using that in vitro model.

Methods: Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)-RPE cells were incubated with ornithine or other agents in the presence of 5-fluoromethylornithine (5-FMO), an OAT-specific inhibitor.

Flat fibrin thrombus deposition on tissue valve after aortic valve replacement.

Bioprosthetic valves have a lower thrombogenicity than mechanical valves, thus long-term systemic anticoagulation can be avoided. Herein, we present an extremely rare case of fibrin thrombus formation on tissue valve, which was observed during the second operation 2 years after the initial operation by chance. This report gives us a word of caution regarding the thrombus formation on the bioprosthetic valves that could be unaware of the presence for the long term.

Retroperitoneal lipoma arising from the urinary bladder.

Retroperitoneal benign lipomas are extremely rare and represent about 2.9% of all primary retroperitoneal tumors. About 80% of the tumors in the retroperitoneal cavities are malignant neoplasms.

Involvement of stem cell factor and its receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit in pain regulation.

The c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase is expressed in a subpopulation of small- and medium-sized neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and in the superficial layer of the spinal cord. Stem cell factor (SCF), a ligand of the c-kit receptor, induces neurite outgrowth from DRG and supports the survival of c-kit-expressing neurons. To clarify the possible function of the SCF/c-kit receptor system in the adult animal, we investigated the expression of c-kit receptor in the spinal cord and DRG in relation to pain by using H2C7, a newly developed anti-c-kit monoclonal antibody.