Successful bridge to recovery in fulminant myocarditis using a biventricular assist device: a case report.

Background: Fulminant myocarditis is a life-threatening disease, and myocardial damage expands the right ventricle as well as the left ventricle in some cases. There is a mortality rate of over 40% in patients with fulminant myocarditis who need mechanical circulatory support by peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 27-year-old Japanese woman who was successfully bridged to recovery by using a biventricular assist device.

Intestinal perforation after nivolumab immunotherapy for a malignant melanoma: a case report.

Background: Nivolumab is a monoclonal antibody against programmed death 1 and has become a standard treatment of advanced melanoma because of its durable response and survival benefits. In this report, we present a case of severe intestinal perforation after nivolumab immunotherapy for malignant melanoma.

Case Presentation: A 73-year-old man with stage IV malignant melanoma underwent nivolumab therapy.

The pseudo-SAH sign: an imaging pitfall in postmortem computed tomography.

Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) of the brain has an important role in detection of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which has a high mortality rate. However, a phenomenon known as "pseudo-SAH," or high-attenuation areas along the cisterns mimicking SAH, may be seen on CT. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of brain PMCT for SAH and to identify the characteristics of pseudo-SAH.

Perforation of jejunal diverticulum with ectopic pancreas.

Perforation of jejunal diverticulum is a rare complication. Here, we report a case of jejunal diverticulum penetration with surrounding ectopic pancreas. An 83-year-old female patient was admitted to our department with acute onset of severe abdominal pain lasting for half a day.

Comparison of the cardiothoracic ratio between postmortem and antemortem computed tomography.

As postmortem imaging has gained prominence as a supplement to traditional autopsy, it is important to understand the normal postmortem changes to enable the accurate evaluation of postmortem imaging. No studies have evaluated the postmortem changes in cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) compared with antemortem images in the same subjects. We studied 147 consecutive subjects who underwent antemortem and postmortem CT, and autopsy.

Implantation of a Left Ventricular Assist Device for Danon Cardiomyopathy.

This is the first report of Danon cardiomyopathy managed with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Danon disease is an X-linked dominant inheritance disorder. Heart failure with Danon cardiomyopathy results in a poor prognosis, and heart transplantation is the treatment of choice.

Can postmortem computed tomography detect antemortem hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of brain postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) findings for the detection of global hypoxia or hypoperfusion leading to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) prior to death. Cadavers of individuals who died from non-traumatic causes were subjected to PMCT and pathological autopsy. Cases with an episode of cardiopulmonary arrest, hypoxia, or hypoperfusion that required intensive respiratory management at least 24 h before death and exhibited findings of HIE in conventional autopsy (HIE group, n = 6) were compared with those without such episodes prior to death (control group; overall, n = 37; age-matched, n = 8) with regard to four parameters: (1) width of the central sulcus (CS), (2) attenuation difference at the basal ganglia (BG) level, (3) attenuation difference between cerebral gray matter (GM) and cerebral white matter (WM), and (4) attenuation difference between cerebellar GM and cerebral GM.

Increased CXCR3 Expression of Infiltrating Plasma Cells in Hunner Type Interstitial Cystitis.

An up-regulated CXCR3 pathway and affluent plasma cell infiltration are characteristic features of Hunner type interstitial cystitis (HIC). We further examined these two features using bladder biopsy samples taken from 27 patients with HIC and 15 patients with non-IC cystitis as a control. The number of CD3-positive T lymphocytes, CD20-positive B lymphocytes, CD138-positive plasma cells, and CXCR3-positive cells was quantified by digital image analysis.

Comparison of volume and attenuation of the spleen between postmortem and antemortem computed tomography.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to compare the postmortem changes in computed tomography (CT) findings between normal spleen, splenic infarct, and splenic tumor infiltration.

Methods: The institutional review board approved this study, and informed consent was obtained from the next of kin. We studied 63 consecutive subjects who underwent antemortem CT, postmortem CT, and autopsy between February 2012 and December 2013.

Brain Swelling and Loss of Gray and White Matter Differentiation in Human Postmortem Cases by Computed Tomography.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the brain by postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) versus antemortem computed tomography (AMCT) using brains from the same patients. We studied 36 nontraumatic subjects who underwent AMCT, PMCT, and pathological autopsy in our hospital between April 2009 and December 2013. PMCT was performed within 20 h after death, followed by pathological autopsy including the brain.

Elevated Serum IgG4 Complicated by Pericardial Involvement with a Patchy (18)F-FDG Uptake in PET/CT: Atypical Presentation of IgG4-related Disease.

IgG4-related pericardial involvement has rarely been reported and its clinical features remain unknown. We herein report a case of a 50-year-old woman with pericarditis who presented with a fever, elevated C-reactive protein levels, elevated serum IgG4 concentrations, and thickened pericardium with a patchy (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. A biopsy specimen of (18)F-FDG accumulated in the mediastinal lymph nodes revealed an abundant infiltration of IgG4-bearing plasma cells without fibrosis.

Common Postmortem Computed Tomography Findings Following Atraumatic Death: Differentiation between Normal Postmortem Changes and Pathologic Lesions.

Computed tomography (CT) is widely used in postmortem investigations as an adjunct to the traditional autopsy in forensic medicine. To date, several studies have described postmortem CT findings as being caused by normal postmortem changes. However, on interpretation, postmortem CT findings that are seemingly due to normal postmortem changes initially, may not have been mere postmortem artifacts.

Phospholipase A2 receptor positive membranous nephropathy long after living donor kidney transplantation between identical twins.

Although membranous nephropathy (MN) is a commonly observed cause of post-transplant glomerulonephritis, distinguishing de novo from recurrent MN in kidney allograft is often difficult. Phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) staining is useful for diagnosing recurrent MN in allografts similarly to idiopathic MN in native kidney. No specific treatment strategy has been established for MN, especially when accompanied with HCV infection in kidney transplant recipients.

Congenital Contractural Arachnodactyly without FBN1 or FBN2 Gene Mutations Complicated by Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is a rare connective tissue disorder characterized by marfanoid habitus with camptodactyly. However, cardiac features have rarely been documented in adults. We herein report a sporadic case of CCA in a 20-year-old woman who developed decompensated dilated cardiomyopathy.

Comparison of attenuation of striated muscle between postmortem and antemortem computed tomography: results of a longitudinal study.

Objective: We evaluated the postmortem changes of striated muscle by comparing computed tomography (CT) images obtained postmortem and antemortem in the same patients.

Materials And Methods: We studied 33 consecutive patients who underwent antemortem CT, postmortem CT, and pathological autopsy in our tertiary care hospital between April 2009 and December 2010. Postmortem CT was performed within 20 h after death and was followed by pathological autopsy.

Early postmortem volume reduction of adrenal gland: initial longitudinal computed tomographic study.

We aimed to confirm whether postmortem adrenal volumetric changes occur by measuring adrenal volumes on computed tomography (CT). Fifty-five adrenal glands from 28 subjects who died were included. All subjects underwent antemortem CT (AMCT) and postmortem CT (PMCT) within 94-1,191 min after death, followed by conventional autopsy.

Fluid in the airway of nontraumatic death on postmortem computed tomography: relationship with pleural effusion and postmortem elapsed time.

To evaluate radiographic features of endotracheal/endobronchial fluid in the airway (FA) observed on postmortem computed tomography (PMCT). We studied 164 subjects who died at our hospital between April 2009 and September 2012. Fluid in the airway was considered positive when fluid was identified in the lumen of 1 of the 2 main bronchi in continuity with a segmental bronchus.

Heart wall is thicker on postmortem computed tomography than on antemortem [corrected] computed tomography: the first longitudinal study.

Objective: To evaluate the postmortem changes of the heart wall on postmortem (PM) computed tomography (CT) in comparison with those on ante mortem CT (AMCT), and in comparison with the pathological findings, obtained in the same patients.

Materials And Methods: We studied 57 consecutive patients who had undergone AMCT, PMCT, and pathological autopsy in our tertiary care hospital between April 2009 and December 2010. PMCT was performed within 20 hours after death, followed by pathological autopsy.