Symptomatic relevance of intravertebral cleft in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture.

Object: The present study was designed to determine clinical and radiographic characteristics of unhealed osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) and the role of fracture mobility and an intravertebral cleft in the regulation of pain symptoms in patients with an OVF.

Methods: Patients who had persistent low-back pain for 3 months or longer and a collapsed thoracic or lumbar vertebra that had an intervertebral cleft and abnormal mobility were referred to as having unhealed OVFs. Twenty-four patients with an unhealed OVF and 30 patients with an acute OVF were compared with regard to several clinical and radiographic features including the presence of an intravertebral fluid sign.

Results of a multicenter survey of diagnosis and treatment for bacterial meningitis in Japan.

An evaluation committee was organized to evaluate 464 cases of bacterial meningitis treated at 108 nationwide medical facilities participating in this survey between April 2004 and January 2007. There were 413 evaluable cases of bacterial meningitis, including 342 children (82.8%) and 71 adults (17.

Conversion to hypertrophic vertebral pseudarthrosis following percutaneous vertebroplasty.

To determine the role of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in bone formation and the union of vertebral pseudarthrosis, we analyzed 14 patients with an average follow-up duration of 21 months. Evaluation methods included back pain (visual analog scale: VAS), wedge angle, dynamic mobility, radiographic remodeling including callus and spur formation, and union status. The Student's t test was used for statistical analysis and a probability of less than 0.

[Care continuity for children with psychosomatic disorders].

According to the analysis in pediatrics, 5.8% of children aged equal or more than 3 years attended pediatric outpatient clinics had psychosomatic problems. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that children with psychosomatic problems had complained more chronic fatigue (odds ratio: 2.

[A study of group A Streptococcus strains isolated from children with recurrent group A streptococcal infection].

Recurrent Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection was defined as a case in which GAS infection was suspected during June 2006-December 2008 and GAS was detected more than 2 times by throat culture. T serotype and emn genotype were investigated for GAS bacteria isolated from children with recurrent GAS infection. Bacteria gene homology was studied using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Nationwide survey of the development of drug-resistance in the pediatric field: drug sensitivity of Haemophilus influenzae in Japan.

We evaluated the beta-lactamase-producing ability and resistance to 20 antibacterial agents of 448 clinically isolated strains of Haemophilus influenzae accumulated from October 2000 to July 2001 (phase 1) and of 376 different strains accumulated from January to June 2004 (phase 2), from institutions that participated in a nationwide Drug-Resistant Pathogen Surveillance Group in Pediatric Infectious Disease. Between phase 1 and phase 2 the proportion of beta-lactamase-negative ampicillin (ABPC)-susceptible (BLNAS) strains declined from 62.9% to 34.

[Changes over 10 years of ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae isolated from children].

We examined the frequency of ampicillin (ABPC) resistance of 3784 strains of Haemophilus influenzae isolated from the infants aged from 1 month after birth to 12 years who had been treated in the Pediatric Department of our hospital for 9 years and 6 months from July 1999 to December 2008. We determined the drug susceptibility by Etest, and judged the resistance by the standard of Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute. The rate of strains of MIC of less than 2 microg/ml to ABPC was 87.

[T serotypes distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of Streptococcus pyogenes in children with pharyngotonsillitis in Asahikawa].

Between June 2006 and April 2007, I measured T serotypes and antibiotic susceptibilities of 367 strains of Streptococcus pyogenes isolated from children with pharyngotonsillitis in Asahikawa. Prevalent serotypes were 12 (33.8%), 1 (22.

[Clinical study of group B streptococcal infection in children].

We evaluated 12 children infected with group B Streptococcus (GBS) at Asahikawa Kosei Hospital, in Japan between 1998 and 2007. The diagnosis was bacteremia in 8 and meningitis in 4. Infection occurred before day 7 in 3 patients, between days 7 and 28 in 4, and between days 29 and 131 in 5.

Comparative study of 5-day cefcapene-pivoxil and 10-day amoxicillin or cefcapene-pivoxil for treatment of group A streptococcal pharyngitis in children.

In order to compare the bacteriological and clinical efficacy and safety of cefcapene-pivoxil (CFPN-PI) for 5 days, CFPN-PI for 10 days, and amoxicillin (AMPC) for 10 days for the treatment of pharyngitis due to group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GAS) in children, a prospective multicenter randomized open-label comparative study was performed with 12 pediatric clinics in Asahikawa between June 2006 and February 2007. Two hundred and fifty children (age range 6 months to 12 years) with signs and symptoms of acute pharyngitis were enrolled. All had a positive throat culture for GAS and were fully evaluable.

[A multicenter study of 7-day cefditoren pivoxil treatment for group A streptococcal infection].

Between October 2006 and April 2007, we enrolled 90 children with group A streptococcal infection in a prospective multicenter study. Children aged from 8 months to 12 years (6.2 +/- 2.

Human milk reduces the risk of retinal detachment in extremely low-birthweight infants.

Background: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major cause of blindness in children. Because the use of oxygen is a known risk factor for development of ROP, supplemental oxygen is used carefully. However, it does not necessarily reduce the morbidity of ROP-induced blindness.

Matrix metalloproteinases in infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus.

The cerebrospinal fluid matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activities were measured in infants with posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus to elucidate the intrinsic mechanism for the resolution of ventricular dilation. Increased MMP-9 activities were observed in the patients who escaped a shunt operation, suggesting its potential contribution to the resolution of ventricular dilation.

[Usefulness of growth chart in children and adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome].

We presented three sheets of growth chart in children with chronic fatigue syndrome. The growth chart in 14-year-old boy (patient 1) showed decreased weight gain because of too much exercise. After that he complained nausea, abdominal pain, sleep disturbance and debilitating fatigue.

Invasive Haemophilus influenzae infections in children in Kamikawa subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, 1996-2005, before the introduction of H. influenzae type b vaccination.

We evaluated 52 children with invasive Haemophilus influenzae infection in Kamikawa subprefucture, Hokkaido, Japan between 1996 and 2005. The most frequent disease was meningitis, in 30 children (57.7%), followed by pneumonia in 9 (17.

[Relationship between protein binding and antimicrobial activities of antibiotics against Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae].

Fifty isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and 42 isolates of Haemophilus influenzae were isolated from the blood of children admitted to pediatric wards of hospitals in subprefucture between January 1998 and December 2005. The susceptibilities were measured by a microbroth dilution method using a standard broth and a broth containing 4.5% albumin.

Bactericidal activities of parenteral antibiotics and genotype of penicillin-binding protein in Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae isolated from children's blood.

A total of 16 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and 18 isolates of Haemophilus influenzae were obtained from the blood of children admitted to the pediatric wards of hospitals in Hokkaido Kamikawa subprefecture between January 2003 and December 2005. The ages of the patients with S. pneumoniae or H.

[A case of local recurrence of rectal cancer in long-term responding to combined therapy of low-dose CPT-11 and 5'-DFUR].

A 68-year-old man underwent Miles'operation for advanced rectal cancer. Local recurrence occurred 9 months following the operation. We started the combined therapy of low-dose CPT-11 and doxifluridine (5'-DFUR).

[Takotsubo-like left ventricular dysfunction with delayed recovery of left ventricular shape: a case report].

A 70-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of left ventricular dysfunction, which was observed after permanent pacemaker implantation in another hospital. The left ventricular dysfunction was apical ballooning. Left ventriculography demonstrated takotsubo-like shape.

[Serotype distribution and penicillin-binding protein genes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children with invasive pneumococcal infection].

Between August 1998 and July 2005, we studied the serotypes and mutation of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) genes of 46 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from children with invasive pneumococcal infection in Hokkaido. The clinical diagnosis was pneumonia in 16 cases, occult bacteremia in 15, meningitis in 8, upper respiratory infection in 6, and arthritis in 1. Patients ranged in age from 2 months to 9 years old.

[A study of bacterial meningitis in Hokkaido between 1999 and 2003].

We evaluated 83 children with bacterial meningitis in 67 of 81 insitutions in Hokkaido, Japan between 1999 and 2003 by questionnaire. The incidence of bacterial meningitis in children aged < 5 years and 5 < or =, < 10 years was 6.3 and 0.

Blastic transformation after splenectomy in a patient with nonvillous splenic marginal zone lymphoma with p53 overexpression: a case report.

A 61-year-old man with no subjective symptom was admitted to our hospital for further examination of the causes of anemia (hemoglobin, 9.5 g/dL) and thrombocytopenia (platelets, 9.2 x 10(4)/microL), which had been pointed out in a medical checkup half a year previously.

A case of alternating bundle branch block in combination with intra-Hisian block.

We describe a 66-year-old woman who had an alternating bundle branch block consisting of coexisting occurrence of right bundle branch block (RBBB) and left bundle branch block (LBBB) combined with Mobitz type II atrioventricular block (AVB). A prolonged PQ interval was associated with the RBBB pattern whereas it was not apparent in the LBBB pattern. Electrophysiologic study revealed that the LBBB pattern was combined with a double His bundle potential.

[Study of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia in children].

From July 1999 to June 2004, we evaluated Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteremia in 40 children in Kamikawa and Soya Subprefectures in Hokkaido by obtaining the patient's information from 7 out of 9 hospitals in the area. The incidences of S. pneumoniae bacteremia in children aged < 2 years and < 5 years were 79.