Acute myocardial infarction caused by delayed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and acute immunoreaction due to re-exposure to heparin in a systemic lupus erythematosus patient with HIT antibodies.

A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and anticardiolipin antibodies and antibodies to platelet factor 4/heparin complexes suffered an acute myocardial infarction caused by delayed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia after heparin administration given to treat pulmonary hypertension. Furthermore, additional heparin administration for emergency coronary angiography appeared to have led to an acute immunoreaction, which might have resulted in acute coronary occlusion during coronary angiography and to a decreased platelet count. The present findings suggest that one must suspect delayed-type HIT in rare cases of induction of thrombosis after the cessation of heparin treatment, and avoid re-exposure to heparin in such cases.

[Serum amyloid A as a useful index of disease activity in polymyalgia rheumatica].

Purpose: To clarify the usefulness of measuring serum amyloid A (SAA) levels in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), we compared this parameter to C-reactive protein (CRP).

Subjects And Methods: The study included 10 patients with PMR, who could be prospectively followed up from the start of prednisolone (PSL) treatment until the CRP level decreased to 1 mg/dl or less. When the CRP level decreased, the subjects were divided into the group in which the symptom persisted (n = 6) and those in which the symptom disappeared (n = 4).

Clinical study of Japanese spotted fever and its aggravating factors.

Twenty-eight patients with Japanese spotted fever were clinically investigated. The diagnosis was determined by confirming an increase of specific antibody. All patients were treated with minocycline, and all recovered, excluding one patient with a fulminant course.

Surgical treatment of celiac artery aneurysm: in situ aortoceliac artery reanastomosis: a case report.

The authors present a rare case of celiac artery aneurysm treated by aneurysmectomy and vascular reconstruction, and they review the past literature. A 57-year-old man was referred to their hospital with a complaint of epigastric discomfort. Abdominal echography, 3-dimensional computed tomography, and selective angiography showed a sole celiac artery aneurysm.

The significance of prostate-specific antigen alpha-1-antichymotrypsin complex and its indices for the detection of prostate cancer.

We examined the usefulness of prostate specific antigen alph-1-antichymotrypsin complex (PSA-ACT) and its indices for the detection of prostate cancer in patients with a prostate specific antigen (PSA) level between 2.1 and 10.0 ng/ml.

Surgical treatment for acute ischemia caused by bilateral popliteal artery entrapment syndrome in an elderly patient: report of a case.

We report the unusual case of a 73-year-old man who underwent surgery for bilateral popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES). A medial approach was used to operate on the left leg, and the vein bypass was made from the superficial femoral artery to the crural artery through a subfascial route. A posterior approach was used to operate on the right leg and it was found that the mid-popliteal artery passed medial to and beneath the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle and was severely compressed by an accessory slip of muscle.

[A patient with polymyalgia rheumatica who exhibited fever as the main symptom for a long period].

We encountered a patient with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) who exhibited fever as the main symptom for a long period without muscular pain. As an etiological factor, the condition may have been associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A 71-year-old man consulted our Department of Orthopedics for fever and lumbar pain, which initially developed in early September 2000.

Fulminant Japanese spotted fever definitively diagnosed by the polymerase chain reaction method.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to the emergency ward in our hospital on July 20, 2001, because of consciousness disturbance, fever, generalized skin eruption, and severe general weakness beginning 7 days previously. Physical examination on admission revealed marked systemic cyanosis, erythema, and purpura. Laboratory findings indicated disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and multiorgan failure (platelet count, 0.

Nephrostomy tract tumor seeding following percutaneous manipulation of a renal pelvic carcinoma.

We report a case of nephrostomy tract tumor seeding following percutaneous pyeloscopic manipulation of a renal pelvic carcinoma. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of such a lesion surrounding the nephrostomy tract. Percutaneous pyeloscopic treatment carries a potential risk of local tumor spillage and implantation in the nephrostomy tract.

[Role of newly developed technology in blood coagulation disorders].

Clarification of blood coagulation disorders has been made progress based on newly developed technologies. ANTITHROMBIN III: In 1979, studies were carried out on antithrombin III(AT III) as a blood coagulation inhibitor from the first Japanese case of congenital AT III deficiency found in the laboratory sample. An alternative anticoagulant to maintain fluidity in extracorporeal circuit in an AT III deficient patient requiring hemodialysis was needed.

Japanese spotted fever associated with multiorgan failure.

A 49-year-old man was admitted to our hospital, with a diagnosis of multiple organ failure, on June 10, 2000. Physical examination revealed high fever, generalized maculopapular erythema, and an eschar on his lower leg. Laboratory findings revealed severe renal and liver dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and markedly elevated soluble interleukin 2-receptor (sIL2-R) level (>10 000 U/ml).

Intraarterial infusion of papaverine and change of cerebral hemodynamics in symptomatic cerebral vasospasm.

In 43 cases with symptomatic cerebral vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage treated by intraarterial infusion of papaverine (IAP), we studied cerebral hemodynamics by measuring cerebral circulation time (CCT) using digital subtraction angiogram. CCT on the middle cerebral artery site was defined as CCT-LAV and on the anterior cerebral artery side as CCT-MAV. In the CCT-LAV, two phases were further defined; the arterial phase (CCT-A) and the capillary phase (CCT-CAP).

Fatal pulmonary arterial thrombosis associated with chlorine gas poisoning.

We present a patient with accidental chlorine gas poisoning who died from pulmonary thrombosis due to a marked increase in hemostatic factors such as von Willebrand factor after recovering from the acute poisoning.

Pseudoankylosis of the mandible as a result of methyl methacrylate-induced inflammatory cicatricial contracture of the temporal muscle after cranioplasty.

Pseudoankylosis of the mandible after intracranial surgical procedure has been widely reported, and is usually caused by fibrosis of the temporal muscle as a result of injury during the operation. We present an unusual case of mandibular pseudoankylosis as a result of methyl methacrylate-induced aseptic inflammatory cicatricial contracture of the temporal muscle after cranioplasty.

[3 cases of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), in which serum amyloid A was a useful index of the disease activity].

We encountered 3 cases of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), in which serum amyloid A (SAA) levels were correlated with clinical pictures after normalization of ESR and CRP levels. Therefore, it is suggested that SAA may be a useful index for evaluating the severity of intractable PMR. Case 1: The patient was a 75-year-old man.

Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in patients over 65 years old with malignant lymphoma--possibility of early completion of chemotherapy and improvement of performance status.

Objective: After the initial clinical application of peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) in the latter half of the 1980s, the frequency of PBSCT for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been gradually increasing. At present, PBSCT is an important procedure for treating young patients with NHL. This procedure is now being increasingly used as a part of the chemotherapy regimen for elderly patients.

Characteristics of heparin-induced platelet aggregates in chronic hemodialysis with long-term heparin use.

This study investigated the usefulness of a new platelet aggregometer with a laser-scattering method for detection of heparin-induced small platelet aggregates in chronic hemodialysis patients. Using this device, small platelet aggregates (particle size 9--25 microm) were detectable, but these aggregates could not be detected using a conventional light transmittance aggregometer. The laser-scattering intensity of the small aggregates was increased with an increasing dosage of heparin as agonist.

Subdural empyema after tooth extraction in which Capnocytophaga species was isolated.

We describe a patient with meningitis and a subdural empyema arising from an infection after teeth extraction in which Capnocytophaga species was detected. The patient was a 54-y-old man without any underlying diseases. A computerized tomography scan showed a subdural empyema 21 d after the extraction.

A patient whose cerebral aneurysm ruptured soon after an operation to remove a maxillary cyst.

A hypertensive woman complained of a headache soon after an operation to remove a maxillary cyst. A computed tomogram showed evidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage and on angiogram an aneurysm of an anterior cerebral artery. The aneurysm was treated by clipping and the patient recovered.

Virus-associated haemophagocytic syndrome responsive to steroid pulse therapy and double filtration plasmapheresis.

We present an adult patient with haemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) successfully treated with a combination of steroid pulse therapy and double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP). A 58-year-old male was admitted with high fever, severe renal dysfunction, liver dysfunction and an increased level of lactate dehydrogenase. A serological test for Epstein-Barr (EB) virus showed an elevation of EBNA-IgM antibody titre.