Progress of pulmonary hypertension and high manganese levels through congenital portosystemic shunt closure.

A 6-year-old girl with congenital portosystemic shunt presented with abnormal manganese levels and improving pulmonary hypertension even 1 year after shunt vascular ligation. As the progress after portal vein blood flow recovery varies among individuals, long-term follow-up of patients with congenital portosystemic shunt is needed.

Comparison of transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure between children and adults.

The data comparing the characteristics and effect of transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure between children and adults is scarce. We analyzed 54 consecutive patients who underwent transcatheter PDA closures. We divided the patients into 2 groups of < 18 years and ≥ 18 years and compared the hemodynamic changes before and after the PDA closure.

Electric Polarization of Soft Biological Tissues Induced by Ultrasound Waves.

Ultrasound irradiation makes it possible to generate alternating electric polarization through the electromechanical coupling of materials. It follows that electromagnetic fields are often emitted to the surrounding environment when materials are acoustically stimulated. We investigate the acoustically stimulated electromagnetic (ASEM) response of soft biological tissues.

Predictors of Early Postoperative Supraventricular Tachyarrhythmias in Children After the Fontan Procedure.

Postoperative arrhythmias are a frequent and fatal complication after the Fontan operation. However, clinical evidence demonstrating early postoperative arrhythmias in children undergoing the Fontan operation is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of arrhythmias and identify the predictors of early postoperative supraventricular tachyarrhythmias (SVTs) after the Fontan procedure.

Successful radiofrequency catheter ablation of life-threatening atrial tachycardia in an infant with asplenia syndrome.

A 1-year-old infant with asplenia syndrome and congenital heart disease consisting of common atrium, common inlet left ventricle with a common atrio-ventricular (AV) valve, pulmonary atresia, and total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was admitted to our hospital for radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) before total cavo-pulmonary connection. After antiarrhythmic medications were discontinued for RFCA, she suffered from SVT that resulted in the rapid deterioration of hemodynamic status. Antiarrhythmic medications and cardioversion were not effective in terminating SVT.

Clinicopathologic characteristics and management of minute esophageal lesions diagnosed by narrow-band imaging endoscopy.

Background And Study Aims: Magnifying narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopy enables the diagnosis of minute esophageal neoplasia. We aimed to evaluate clinicopathological diagnosis of minute esophageal neoplasia by using magnifying NBI endoscopy and biopsy.

Patients And Methods: In total, 309 patients (127 men and 182 women) with minute esophageal lesions of intrapapillary capillary loop (IPCL) type IV were enrolled.

Successful emergent coil embolization of an inferior epigastric artery perforation in a neonate.

A 28-day-old neonate with a postoperative ventricular septal defect and coarctation of aorta suffered from a right inferior epigastric artery perforation at the time of a central venous catheter placement. It resulted in a rapid and extreme hemoglobin decrease and decrease in the systolic blood pressure. The contrast computed tomography scan revealed a large amount of retroperitoneal hemorrhaging and a hematoma.

Usefulness of the Red Blood Cell Distribution Width to Predict Heart Failure in Patients With a Fontan Circulation.

The red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a quantitative measure of the variability in the size of circulating erythrocytes. We aimed to study whether higher levels of the RDW were associated with heart failure in a Fontan circulation and to analyze its clinical value compared to brain natriuretic peptide. This retrospective study included 38 consecutive pediatric patients with a Fontan circulation who underwent routine cardiac catheterization at the International Medical Center, Saitama Medical University from October 2010 to July 2014.

Clinicopathological features of minute pharyngeal lesions diagnosed by narrow-band imaging endoscopy and biopsy.

Aim: To evaluate the utility of magnified narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopy for diagnosing and treating minute pharyngeal neoplasia.

Methods: Magnified NBI gastrointestinal examinations were performed by the first author. A magnification hood was attached to the tip of the endoscope for quick focusing.

Severe neurotoxicities in a case of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 caused by vincristine for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We report a 13-year-old male patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 2 who developed severe neuropathy because of vincristine (VCR) for his acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A clumsy gait, muscle weakness in his fingers, and inverted champagne bottlelike muscle in the lower limbs were noticed after remission induction treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which included VCR at a total dose of 8 mg/m. An electrophysiologic study showed an almost normal median motor nerve conduction velocity (approximately 50 m/s), markedly reduced M-wave amplitude and sensory disturbance.