The REICA method for quantification of cerebral blood flow is less affected by lung washout of [I] IMP than the graph-plot method.

Objective: The [Formula: see text]-Ray Evaluation with Iodoamphetamine for Cerebral blood flow Assessment (REICA) method is a new method for cerebral blood flow (CBF) quantification with SPECT and [I] IMP, which does not require invasive arterial blood sampling, or the use of a regression formula. Moreover, it takes into consideration tracer retention, while the Graph-Plot (GP) method does not. This study aims to confirm the reliability of the REICA method in calculating CBF by accounting for pulmonary tracer retention artefact.

Comparison of Long-Term Clinical Outcomes after Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease with and without Prior Cerebral Infarction.

Objective: To compare the clinical and angiographic outcomes after implantation of drug-eluting stents (DESs) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with or without prior cerebral infarction.

Materials And Methods: Ninety-eight consecutive patients (130 lesions) who underwent successful coronary DES implantation were prospectively classified into two groups: those with a clinical history of symptomatic cerebral infarction (cerebral infarction group, 49 patients, 69 lesions) and those without a clinical history of symptomatic cerebral infarction (noncerebral infarction group, 49 patients, 61 lesions). The primary endpoint was defined as death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and cerebrovascular events.

[A case successfully treated with multidisciplinary treatment against recurrence of lateral lymph node and liver for rectal cancer].

We report a case successfully treated with multidisciplinary treatment against recurrence of lateral lymph node and liver for rectal cancer. The patient was a 61-year-old man with lower rectal cancer (moderately-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma). Low anterior resection with D2 (prxD2) lymph node dissection was performed.

Structures of new cytotoxic antibiotics, piericidins C7 and C8.

Two new cytotoxic antibiotics, piericidins C7 (1) and C8 (2), were isolated from a marine Streptomyces sp. High-resolution FAB-MS established the molecular formulae of 1 and 2 as C28H41NO5 and C29H43NO5, respectively. The planar structures of the piericidins were elucidated by NMR spectral analysis including COSY, HMQC and HMBC.

Piericidins C7 and C8, new cytotoxic antibiotics produced by a marine Streptomyces sp.

Piericidins C7 and C8, two new members of the piericidin family, were isolated from a marine actinomycete. The producing organism was identified as Streptomyces sp. based on the cultural, biochemical and chemotaxonomical characteristics as well as the 16S rRNA sequence.

Correlation between salivary alpha-amylase activity and pain scale in patients with chronic pain.

Background And Objectives: The visual analog scale (VAS) is commonly used to assess pain intensity. However, the VAS is of limited value if patients fail to reliably report. Objective assessments are therefore clearly preferable.

Invasive colorectal cancer detected up to 3 years after a colonoscopy negative for cancer.

Background And Study Aims: Colonoscopy has replaced barium enema as the primary method for direct diagnosis of colorectal cancer, but detection may fail, and the reasons for this are not completely understood.

Patients And Methods: In order to analyze the accuracy of colonoscopy for detecting invasive colorectal cancer, 7365 colonoscopic examinations were matched with the most accurate local government population-based cancer registry in Japan.

Results: In 15 colonoscopic examinations, patients were not diagnosed as having invasive colorectal cancer, but disease of this type was detected within 3 years of the examinations (false-negative examinations).

Diagnosis of gastric cancer up to three years after negative upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Background And Study Aims: The degree of accuracy of gastroscopy for the detection of gastric cancer is poorly understood. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the accuracy of gastroscopy by using cancer registry records.

Patients And Methods: Gastroscopic examinations (n = 37094) conducted between 1984 and 1989 were studied by linking them with hospital-based and population-based (Fukui Prefecture, Japan) cancer registry records between 1984 and 1992.

[Relationship between participation in annual health examinations and mortality rate over a 5-year period].

A total of 34,000 adults in Fukui City who had participated in annual health examinations at least once between 1986 and 1988, were followed for a period of 5 years. The results were as follows; (1) The mortality rate during a 5 year period was significantly lower for participants in health examinations than in nonparticipants of the same age group. (2) Mortality was significantly related to obesity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucosuria, proteinuria, occult blood in urine, GOT and cholesterol in man, in women obesity, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucosuria, proteinuria, GOT, GPT and cholesterol were related to mortality.

[The volume and pH of gastric fluid in elective surgical patients after preoperative oral fluid intake].

The effect of preoperative oral fluid intake on the volume and pH of gastric fluid was examined in 45 elective surgical patients ranged in ages from 18 to 70 years. Two hours preoperatively they all received oral roxatidine 75 mg with 10 ml water, immediately followed by 150 ml oral water or 150 ml refreshing drink or no fluid as control. Just after the induction of anesthesia, a Salem-sump tube was put down to the stomach to collect gastric fluid in each patient.

Do changes in end-tidal PCO2 quantitatively reflect changes in cardiac output?

In anesthetized patients, acute decreases in cardiac output (CO) are often reflected as decreases in end-tidal CO2 tension (PETCO2), but the quantitative relationship between the changes in CO and the changes in PETCO2 is uncertain. We hypothesize that a quantitative relationship can be demonstrated if timing of the measurements in each episode of hemodynamic perturbation is standardized. In 24 patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery with constant ventilation, we prospectively performed 33 measurements of CO, PETCO2, and CO2 elimination (VECO2) within 10 min of hemodynamic changes.

[The effect of enflurane anesthesia on plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity in elderly patients].

Plasma SOD-like activity during enflurane anesthesia was measured according to electron spin resonance in ten elderly patients over 66 years and in nine patients under 64 years. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental 4 mg.kg-1 and succinyl-choline 0.

[Plasma alpha-human atrial natriuretic polypeptide levels during surgery for pheochromocytoma].

We measured plasma alpha-human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (alpha-hANP) and catecholamine concentrations during anesthesia and surgery for pheochromocytoma in five patients ranging in ages from 19 to 69. Plasma catecholamine concentrations and systemic blood pressure increased extremely during surgical manipulation of the tumor, while plasma alpha-hANP levels did not change even during surgical manipulation or after removal of the tumor as compared with preanesthetic values. Our findings suggest that plasma alpha-hANP levels were unchanged during anesthesia and surgery for human pheochromocytoma.

[Clinical study on total intravenous anesthesia with droperidol, fentanyl and ketamine--5. An anesthetic experience of a pediatric patient with severe epilepsy].

A 6-year-old girl with severe epilepsy received an orthopedic surgery of the right hand under new total intravenous anesthesia with droperidol, fentanyl and ketamine. For the induction of anesthesia, droperidol 0.25 mg.