Publications by authors named "Usami S"
Background: The accuracy of mammography in breast cancer screening is influenced by different factors such as breast composition. However, previous studies did not evaluate the impact of breast size on examination accuracy. This study aimed to investigate the influence of breast size on the accuracy of mammography and ultrasonography in breast cancer screening using compressed breast thickness (CBT) on mammography as an indicator of breast size.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFinite Element Analysis of the Stress Changes Associated With the Growth of Acne Keloids.
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
December 2024
Background: Almost half of all spontaneously occurring keloids are acne keloids on the anterior chest. These keloids often grow in a crab-claw shape due to predominant tractional stresses on the scar; such stresses are risk factors for keloid growth/progression. To understand the relationship between acne keloid growth and mechanical stress, we conducted finite element analysis (FEA), measured the long/short dimensions of photographed acne keloids, and subjected acne keloids to microscopy.
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- Previous trials suggest no overall benefit of screening for occult cancer in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE), but high-risk patients may still benefit.
- A study involving 3,706 patients with acute VTE found that the incidence of newly diagnosed cancer increased over time, reaching 3.7% at one year and 7.0% at three years.
- Factors such as older age, a history of cancer, autoimmune disorders, past major bleeding, and lack of transient VTE risk factors were identified as independent predictors for new cancer diagnoses post-VTE.
Evidence-based diagnostic prediction score for pediatric NMDA receptor encephalitis.
Eur J Paediatr Neurol
December 2024
Objective: Early diagnosis and treatment of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (NMDARE) are crucial for a favorable prognosis. Detecting the causative autoantibodies can be challenging. Probable diagnostic criteria are useful in adults less so in children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLow-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis: Insights From the CURRENT AS Registry-2.
JACC Cardiovasc Interv
November 2024
Background: Low-gradient (LG) aortic stenosis (AS) has not been fully characterized compared with high-gradient (HG) AS in terms of cardiac damage, frailty, aortic valve calcification, and clinical outcomes.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between each hemodynamic type of LG AS and HG AS.
Methods: The current study included 3,363 patients in the CURRENT AS (Contemporary outcomes after sURgery and medical tREatmeNT in patients with severe Aortic Stenosis) Registry-2 after excluding patients without indexed stroke volume or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) data.
Background: Schools are central places for adolescent social lives, which is a major factor greatly affecting adolescent mental health; school climate (i.e. quality of the school social environments) can be a proximal social determinant for adolescent mental health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is a paucity of data on safety of calcium channel blockers (CCB) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and hypertension.
Methods And Results: Among 2,460 patients with severe AS and hypertension receiving antihypertensive therapy in the CURRENT AS registry-2, we compared the clinical outcomes between patients taking antihypertensive therapy with CCB (CCB group) and without CCB (no CCB group). In the entire study population, CCB was prescribed in 1,763 patients (71.
We determined the relative expression levels of the receptors , , , and and ligands , , , and with RNAseq analysis on fetal human inner ear samples, located TrkB and TrkC proteins, and quantified with in situ hybridization on histological sections between gestational weeks (GW) 9 to 19. Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) and satellite glia appear to be the main source of and synthesis peaks twice at GW10 and GW15-GW17. Tonotopical gradients of revert between GW8 and GW15 and follow a maturation and innervation density gradient in SGNs.
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- * Out of 1507 cancer patients studied, 4.7% experienced an ischemic stroke over a median follow-up of 1020 days, with a cumulative incidence of 4.0% at 1 year.
- * Key risk factors for stroke include specific cancers (pancreatic, ovarian, lung), dyslipidemia, metastasis, elevated D-dimer levels, and younger age, highlighting the need for vigilant monitoring in these patients.
Article Synopsis
- * TAVI centers preferred aortic valve replacement (AVR) treatments, with a higher percentage opting for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) compared to non-TAVI centers (71% vs. 23%).
- * Despite the differences in treatment frequency, both types of centers showed similar rates of all-cause death or heart failure hospitalizations over three years, indicating no significant outcome difference.
Article Synopsis
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) may be necessary for some patients with severe pulmonary embolism (PE), but its clinical outcomes are not well understood.
- *In a study analyzing data from 2035 patients with acute PE, 76 required ECMO, with findings indicating high rates of cardiac arrest (88.2%) at diagnosis and a 30-day death rate of 30.3%, all related to PE.
- *The research highlighted significant complication rates, including a 54% incidence of major bleeding, suggesting the need for improved management strategies and future clinical trials.
Electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS) is a promising treatment to improve hearing ability in patients with high-frequency hearing loss (HL). In EAS surgeries, shorter electrodes have been preferred to avoid the presence of an electrode covering the residual hearing region. However, our earlier studies showed that EAS with longer electrodes (28 mm) could preserve acoustic hearing.
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- The study focuses on how otolaryngologists approach testing for congenital sensorineural hearing loss, specifically looking at cCMV infection and genetic testing methods.
- A survey of 20 otolaryngologists showed that 90% use cCMV and genetic tests, with 95% applying cCMV testing in their practices, and many pursue broader genetic screening if initial tests return negative.
- The findings also highlight reimbursement rates for these tests, revealing that a majority of respondents receive coverage for cCMV, genetic variant testing, and wider genetic screening.
Article Synopsis
- Elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts are identified as a risk factor for adverse outcomes in patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) who do not have active cancer.
- In a study involving 5,197 patients, those with the highest WBC counts (Q4) were more likely to experience severe forms of VTE like pulmonary embolism and had a significantly higher risk of death and major bleeding over five years.
- The findings suggest that monitoring WBC counts at VTE diagnosis can help in assessing patient risk and potential outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- * The COMMAND VTE Registry-2 study tracked 5,197 patients with venous thromboembolism in Japan, finding that 2.3% of those with acute PE developed CTEPH over an average follow-up of 747 days.
- * Identified risk factors for developing CTEPH included being female, longer time from symptom onset to PE diagnosis, experiencing hypoxemia, having right heart load, lower D-dimer levels, and having
Background: While cochlear implantation (CI) and electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) have a positive outcome in most cases, their effectiveness varies depending on the etiology of the hearing loss. Among the various etiologies, genetic factors are the leading cause of hearing loss and may impact CI and EAS outcomes.
Aims/objectives: To reveal the genetic background of the hearing loss in CI/EAS patients in each ethnic population, we undertook a multi-center study involving the genetic testing of hearing loss in CI/EAS patients from 10 centers.
New strategy for shortening the consolidation period in distraction lengthening of phalanges or metacarpal bone.
J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg
December 2024
Distraction lengthening of digits enhances hand function in patients with congenital phalangeal defects or traumatic hand amputations. Although callotasis is a useful distraction lengthening method, it is challenging and often results in various complications and prolonged fixation. Based on our experiences, we attempted to develop innovations to reduce the fixation period.
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- The simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) score helps identify low-risk patients for home treatment of pulmonary embolism, but its use with direct oral anticoagulants hasn't been thoroughly studied.
- A study of 2,496 patients with stable pulmonary embolism found that only 25% had an sPESI score of 0, and among those, only 17% were treated at home, though their 30-day mortality was notably low (0% vs. 4.8% in higher risk groups).
- Factors promoting home treatment included the absence of temporary risk factors, no elevated cardiac biomarkers, and the use of direct oral anticoagulants during the acute phase.
Article Synopsis
- Simultaneous dislocation of both distal and proximal interphalangeal joints is a rare injury, often complicated by chronic cases having severe soft tissue contractures.
- A case study of a 46-year-old man with chronic contracture from a dorsal dislocation in his little finger showed positive results after undergoing primary joint distraction followed by open reduction.
- The method utilized, including the Ilizarov mini-fixator, effectively restored joint function and improved motion in the finger six months after surgery, highlighting its reliability for treating complex joint injuries.
Aim: To elucidate the effects of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on body weight and ad libitum energy intake compared with non-UPFs.
Materials And Methods: In this randomized, open-label crossover study conducted at the University of Tokyo Hospital, overweight/obese Japanese male participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to start the study with consumption of either UPFs or non-UPFs for 1 week, followed by a 2-week washout period, before crossing over to the alternate food diet for 1 week. Individuals with diabetes, hypertension or any other medical conditions who visited a hospital regularly were excluded.
Article Synopsis
- A study in Japan compared outcomes of patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) treated with warfarin (2010-2014) versus direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) (2015-2020) from two multicenter registries.
- The use of DOACs skyrocketed from 2.6% in the warfarin era to 79% in the DOAC era, leading to a significant reduction in the 5-year recurrence rate of VTE (10.5% to 9.5%).
- However, the incidence of major bleeding remained similar between the two eras, indicating that while DOACs may reduce VTE recurrence, concerns about bleeding risks continue.
Although many cross-sectional studies showed that psychotic experiences (PEs) and dissociation were closely related, the longitudinal association between them remains unknown. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine the longitudinal association of these two symptoms throughout adolescence, under the hypothesis that these two symptoms are bidirectionally associated. Data were obtained from a population-based cohort, the Tokyo Teen Cohort study (TTC; N = 3171).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Acute sensorineural hearing loss represents a spectrum of conditions characterized by sudden onset hearing loss. The "Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Acute Sensorineural Hearing Loss" were issued as the first clinical practice guidelines in Japan outlining the standard diagnosis and treatment. The purpose of this article is to strengthen the guidelines by adding the scientific evidence including a systematic review of the latest publications, and to widely introduce the current treatment options based on the scientific evidence.
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- The PE-SARD bleeding score was developed to predict early major bleeding in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) but has not been fully validated externally.
- A study using data from the COMMAND VTE Registry involving 2,781 acute PE patients categorized them into high, intermediate, and low-risk groups based on this score, revealing a clear increase in bleeding rates with higher risk scores.
- The results indicated the score has modest effectiveness in predicting bleeding risk overall, with better performance in patients without active cancer.