Association Between Change in Prognostic Nutritional Index During Neoadjuvant Therapy and Dental Occlusal Support in Patients with Esophageal Cancer Under Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Retrospective Longitudinal Pilot Study.

A high prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is associated with good prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer. However, nutritional status often decreases during neoadjuvant therapy. Functional tooth units (FTUs) provide an index for the status of posterior occlusal support.

Detection of anti-MGL_1304 IgE using the ImmunoCAP system for diagnosis of type I allergy to sweat.

Background: Type I allergy to sweat is involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) and cholinergic urticaria (CholU), with MGL_1304 from Malassezia globosa being the major causative antigen. Currently, no standard diagnostic test exists for sweat allergy that uses serum.

Methods: The ImmunoCAP (iCAP) system to measure antigen-specific IgE was developed using recombinant MGL_1304 (rMGL_1304).

Impact of platelet-lymphocyte ratio after robot-assisted partial nephrectomy with renorrhaphy.

Renorrhaphy is often performed after tumor resection during robotic-assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN). This study aimed to investigate the association between renorrhaphy performance and inflammatory markers. A retrospective cohort study was conducted including patients with renal cell carcinoma who underwent RAPN at eight institutions in Japan between April 2016 and November 2023.

Early initiation of intravenous cyclophosphamide and one-year outcome in super-refractory cryptogenic-new onset refractory status epilepticus.

To explore the potential efficacy of early initiation of intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCPA), we reviewed consecutive four cases of super-refractory cryptogenic-new onset refractory status epilepticus (C-NORSE) between 2015 and 2023. We compared functional outcomes at 3 months and 1 year after the onset between patients who received IVCPA within 20 days (early-treated) and those who received it later (late-treated). All patients (median age: 43 years) had a prodromal fever.

Oral Inflammation and Microbiome Dysbiosis Exacerbate Chronic Graft-versus-host Disease.

The oral microbiota, second in abundance to the gut, is implicated in chronic systemic diseases, but its specific role in GVHD pathogenesis has been unclear. Our study finds that mucositis-induced oral dysbiosis in patients post-hematopoietic cell transplantation associated with increased chronic GVHD (cGVHD) even in patients receiving post-transplant cyclophosphamide. In murine HCT models, oral dysbiosis caused by bilateral molar ligatures exacerbated cGVHD and increased bacterial load in the oral cavity and gut with Enterococcaceae significantly increasing in both organs.

Clinical Significance of Lymphatic Involvement in Intramucosal (pT1a) Gastric Cancer Resected by Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection.

Background And Aim: Lymphatic involvement is sometimes detected during routine examination of intramucosal (pT1a) gastric cancer resected endoscopically. However, its clinical significance and association with the risk of metastasis remain unknown.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of 6797 consecutive patients with pT1a gastric cancers treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) at three institutions in Japan from January 2005 to August 2023.

Outcomes of allogeneic SCT versus tisagenlecleucel in patients with R/R LBCL and poor prognostic factors.

This study investigated the efficacy of tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) for patients with relapsed and/or refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) with poor prognostic factors, defined as performance status (PS) ≥ 2, multiple extranodal lesions (EN), chemorefractory disease, or higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Overall, the allo-SCT group demonstrated worse progression-free survival (PFS), higher non-relapse mortality, and a similar relapse/progression rate. Notably, the tisa-cel group showed better PFS than the allo-SCT group among patients with chemorefractory disease (3.

Electrocardiographic changes in severe quetiapine poisoning.

Introduction: Quetiapine shares sodium channel-blocking properties with tricyclic antidepressants. We present the electrographic findings in two patients with severe quetiapine poisoning.

Case Summaries: Two patients poisoned with quetiapine presented with impaired consciousness, requiring mechanical ventilation and vasopressor support, with one also experiencing status epilepticus.

Myelin measurement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with synthetic MRI: A potential diagnostic and predictive method.

Background: Myelin damage has recently been highlighted as a major causative factor of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although myelin damage has been pathologically identified in ALS, it has not been clinically evaluated. This study aimed to quantify myelin volume using synthetic MRI to evaluate myelin damage in patients with ALS, and determine its association with clinical parameters.

Dilated common bile duct diameter as an indicator of bacteremia in patients with symptomatic common bile duct stones.

Background: The optimal timing and selection for blood culture collection in patients with acute cholangitis remains unclear. The relationship between common bile duct (CBD) diameter and the incidence of bacteremia in patients with CBD stones was elucidated.

Methods: This single-center retrospective observational study included patients with symptomatic CBD stones who presented to the emergency department between January 2019 and December 2021.

Detecting Early Signs of Extrapericardial Cardiac Tamponade With ECG.

Cardiac tamponade is a condition with impaired cardiac function by acute fluid accumulation in the pericardium. Extracardiac masses, such as a mediastinal hematoma, can also cause cardiac tamponade. We report a case of impending extrapericardial cardiac tamponade secondary to traumatic sternal fracture with expanding mediastinal hematoma.

The required experience of open pancreaticoduodenectomy before becoming a specialist in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeons: a multicenter, cohort study of 334 open pancreaticoduodenectomies.

Background: Open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) is an essential surgical procedure for expert hepato-biliary-pancreatic (HBP) surgeons. However, there is no standard for how many surgeries must be performed by a surgeon in training before they are considered to have enough experience to ensure surgical safety.

Methods: Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) analysis was performed using the surgical data of OPDs performed during the training period of board-certified expert surgeons of the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.

Out-of-hospital onset versus in-hospital onset for clinical outcomes in spontaneous intramuscular hematoma diagnosed by computed tomography: a retrospective cohort study.

The aging global population and the increasing use of antithrombotic agents have made spontaneous intramuscular hematomas (SIH) a growing concern. The association between the settings of SIH onset and clinical outcomes remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine these associations.

Pathophysiological Mechanisms of the Onset, Development, and Disappearance Phases of Skin Eruptions in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a typical example of an intractable skin disease with no clear cause and significantly affects daily life of patients. Because CSU is a human-specific disease and lacks proper animal model, there are many questions regarding its pathophysiological dynamics. On the other hand, most clinical symptoms of urticaria are notable as dynamic appearance of skin eruptions called wheals.

Lymphadenectomy and chemotherapy are effective treatments for patients with 2023 international federation of gynecology and obstetrics stage IIC-high risk endometrial cancer in Japan.

Background: In early-stage endometrial cancer (EC), the treatment of aggressive histological subtypes (endometrioid carcinoma grade 3, serous carcinoma, clear-cell carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, mixed carcinoma, and carcinosarcoma) is controversial. We aimed to investigate the treatment of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IC and stage IIC EC according to the 2023 classification.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with FIGO 2023 stage IC, IIC-intermediate risk (IIC-I), and IIC-high risk (IIC-H) EC who underwent adjuvant therapy or observation after surgery at eight medical institutions from 2004 to 2023.

Early diagnosis of nonconvulsive status epilepticus due to lithium intoxication using 6-channel electroencephalography.

Introduction: Nonconvulsive status epilepticus is a severe complication of lithium intoxication that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. While conventional electroencephalography (EEG) remains the gold standard for diagnosis for nonconvulsive status epilepticus, its implementation in emergency settings can be challenging and time-consuming. We present a case in which simplified EEG with six electrodes enabled rapid detection and monitoring of nonconvulsive status epilepticus in lithium intoxication in the emergency setting.

Gastro-tracheal fistula following esophageal cancer surgery through the retrosternal route: a case report.

Background: Gastro-tracheal fistula is a rare but serious complication after esophageal surgery, often requiring long-term treatment and invasive procedures. Gastro-tracheal fistula usually occurs through the posterior mediastinal route and rarely through the retrosternal route. No previous reports have described gastro-tracheal fistula after retrosternal route reconstruction was cured by conservative treatment.

Randomized Phase II Trial of Amrubicin Plus Irinotecan Versus Cisplatin Plus Irinotecan in Chemo-naïve Patients With Extensive-Disease Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Results of the Japan Multinational Trial Organization (JMTO) LC 08-01.

Background: We conducted a randomize phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topoisomerase II inhibitor amrubicin plus topoisomerase I inhibitor irinotecan (AI) compared with cisplatin plus irinotecan (PI) as first-line therapy in patients with extensive-disease (ED) small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Patients And Methods: Chemo-naïve patients with pathologically proven ED-SCLC (including limited disease (LD) SCLC with malignant effusion) were enrolled. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either AI (amrubicin 90mg/m on day 1 and irinotecan 50mg/m on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle) or PI (cisplatin 60mg/m on day 1 and irinotecan 60mg/m on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day cycle).