The Efficacy of Sonazoid-enhanced Ultrasonography in Decision-making for Liver Abscess Treatment.

Objective The usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for making decisions in the treatment of liver abscess is unknown. Methods We evaluated the internal blood flow in the arterial-predominant phase by CEUS using Sonazoid in 21 patients. The stain area rate was evaluated in maximum parting plane of abscess in CEUS.

Efficacy of 1.2 L polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid for bowel preparations.

Background: A low-volume polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution that combines ascorbic acid with PEG-based electrolyte solution (PEG-ASC) is gaining mainstream acceptance for bowel preparation due to reduced volume and improved taste. Although several reports showed that bowel preparation with PEG-ASC volume lower than 2.0 L with laxative agents could be an alternative to traditional preparation regimen, the cleansing protocols have not been fully investigated.

Hand-Foot Syndrome and Post-Progression Treatment Are the Good Predictors of Better Survival in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Sorafenib: A Multicenter Study.

Objective: To determine the relationship between treatment outcomes and hand-foot syndrome (HFS), and the relationship between survival rate and post-progression treatment after sorafenib therapy.

Methods: The study assessed 314 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with sorafenib at 5 general hospitals in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Results: At the start of sorafenib therapy, 23.

Prediction of Embolization Area after Conventional Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using SYNAPSE VINCENT.

Purpose: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is one of the most effective therapeutic options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and it is important to protect residual liver function after treatment as well as the effect. To reduce the liver function deterioration, we evaluated the automatic software to predict the embolization area of TACE in 3 dimensions.

Materials And Methods: Automatic prediction software of embolization area was used in chemoembolization of 7 HCCs.

Initial Experience Performing Percutaneous Ultrasound Examination with Real-Time Virtual Sonography with Color Display.

Purpose: We report the efficacy of percutaneous ultrasound (US) examination using a novel real-time virtual sonography (RVS) method that collates multiple Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) data sources and displays reference images in color.

Materials And Methods: A total of 7 patients with 9 hepatocellular carcinomas were evaluated. Using the SYNAPSE VINCENT volume analyzer, DICOM data of the portal vein, hepatic vein, tumor, and hepatic segment were isolated from contrast-enhanced computed tomography DICOM data.

Efficacy of probiotic treatment with Bifidobacterium longum 536 for induction of remission in active ulcerative colitis: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.

Background And Aim: We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum 536 (BB536) supplementation for induction of remission in Japanese patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: Fifty-six patients with mild to moderate UC were enrolled. Three patients had pancolitis, 36 had left-sided colitis, and 17 had proctitis.

Virtual sonography for novice sonographers: usefulness of SYNAPSE VINCENT® with pre-check imaging of tumor location.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of a virtual ultrasound (US) imaging device as a tool to assist novice sonographers.

Materials And Methods: A prospective blinded pilot study was conducted involving patients with liver lesions. Two sonographers and 2 medical doctors with less than 5 years of experience performed US examinations.

Ligand-specific antibodies to insulin-like growth factors suppress intestinal polyp formation in Apc+/- mice.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) play important roles in intestinal tumorigenesis. To investigate the effectiveness of IGF-targeting strategies, we conducted an in vivo study using anti-mouse neutralizing antibodies IGF-I (KM3168) and IGF-II (KM1468). Six- and 10-week-old Apc(+/-) mice were given KM3168 and/or KM1468 i.

Acute Epstein-Barr virus infection presenting as severe gastroenteritis without infectious mononucleosis-like manifestations.

Primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is usually a self-limiting disease. Although it is sometimes accompanied by severe complications such as thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and splenic rupture, predominantly gastrointestinal complications are rarely reported. We studied an unusual case of primary EBV infection associated with severe hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.