Carbon Dioxide Angiography for the Detection of Lower Gastrointestinal Arterial Bleeding Initially Occult to Angiography with Iodinated Contrast Media.

This study evaluated the utility of carbon dioxide (CO) in angiography for the detection of lower gastrointestinal arterial bleeding initially occult to angiography with iodinated contrast media. Fourteen patients underwent CO-enhanced angiography. In all patients, extravasation was identified by contrast-enhanced computed tomography but not by initial iodinated contrast-enhanced angiography.

Daily irradiation versus irradiation at two- to three-day intervals in stereotactic radiotherapy for patients with 1-5 brain metastases: study protocol for a multicenter open-label randomized phase II trial.

Background: Radiobiological daily changes within tumors are considered to be quite different between stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) (e.g., 50 Gy in 4 fractions) and conventional radiotherapy (e.

Risk score for predicting death from other causes after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Background: The number of patients who die from causes other than gastric cancer after R0 resection is increasing in Japan, due in part to the aging population. However, few studies have comprehensively investigated the clinicopathological risks associated with deaths from other causes after gastrectomy. This study aimed to build a risk score for predicting such deaths.

Early weight bearing versus late weight bearing after intramedullary nailing for distal femoral fracture (AO/OTA 33) in elderly patients: A multicenter propensity-matched study.

Background: This study aimed to assess differences in implant failure and bone union rates, amount of change in alignment of lower extremities, and walking ability between early weight-bearing (EWB) and late weight-bearing (LWB) groups following retrograde intramedullary nailing (RIMN) for distal femoral fracture (AO/OTA 33) (DFF) at multiple centers using propensity score matching.

Methods: The data of 213 patients who underwent RIMN from 2012 to 2019 in multiple tertiary hospitals were extracted from our database. Cases with the following factors were excluded: age <60, open fracture, AO/OTA-type 33-C3 fracture, preoperative New Mobility Score (NMS) < 3, postoperative follow-up <3 months, and unknown weight-bearing start time.

The Diagnostic Utility of IDH2 R172 Immunohistochemistry in Tall Cell Carcinoma With Reversed Polarity of the Breast.

Tall cell carcinoma with reversed polarity (TCCRP) is a rare histologic type of low-grade breast cancer, consisting of tall columnar cells with reversed nuclear polarity and characterized by frequent IDH2 mutations. We herein report 3 cases of TCCRP with sequencing analyses of the IDH2 gene and immunohistochemical examination using monoclonal antibodies (11C8B1) against IDH2 R172. IDH2 R172 mutations were detected in all 3 resected tumors (R172S in 2 tumors and R172T in 1 tumor), and the presence of these mutations was confirmed by IDH2 R172 immunohistochemistry.

Two-year clinical outcomes and predictors of restenosis following the use of polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stents or drug-coated balloons in patients with femoropopliteal artery disease.

We aimed to assess the clinical performance and risk factors for patency loss within 2 years following the use of polymer-coated paclitaxel-eluting stents (PC-PESs) and drug-coated balloons (DCBs) in patients with lower extremity artery disease. Multi-center registry data from 151 patients (65 and 86 treated with PC-PES and DCB, respectively) were retrospectively investigated. Two-year primary patency (PP) and clinically driven target lesion revascularization (CD-TLR) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Inflammation in VTA Caused by HFD Induces Activation of Dopaminergic Neurons Accompanied by Binge-like Eating.

Binge eating is a characteristic symptom observed in obese individuals that is related to dysfunction of dopaminergic neurons (DNs). Intermittent administration of a high-fat diet (HFD) is reported to induce binge-like eating, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We generated dopaminergic neuron specific IKKβ deficient mice (KO) to examine the effects of inflammation in DNs on binge-like eating under inflammatory conditions associated with HFD.

Successful prednisolone or calcimimetic treatment of acquired hypocalciuric hypercalcemia caused by biased allosteric CaSR autoantibodies.

Biased agonism is a frontier field in GPCR research. Acquired hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (AHH) is a rare disease caused by calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) autoantibodies, to date, showing either simple blocking or biased properties (i.e.

Cutoff values for the best management strategy for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound ablation for essential tremor.

Objective: The efficacy of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) ablation for essential tremor (ET) is well known; however, no prognostic factors have been established. The authors aimed to retrospectively investigate MRgFUS ablation outcomes and associated factors and to define the cutoff values for each prognostic factor.

Methods: Sixty-four Japanese patients who underwent unilateral ventral intermediate nucleus thalamotomy with MRgFUS for ET were included.

Reasons and risk factors for discontinuation of treatment with any biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A long-term observational study.

Objectives: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) usually switch to a second biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) when the first has proven to be ineffective, although some may discontinue bDMARDs treatment altogether. We investigated the total rate of bDMARDs retention and the risk of bDMARDs discontinuation in patients with RA.

Methods: The study included 564 patients with RA who started bDMARDs treatment before 2008 (<65 years old, n = 413; ≥65, n = 151).

Pulmonary hypertension with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Aichi cohort study.

Background: The incidence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) has not been investigated in regional cohorts. The aim of this study was to clarify the incidence of PH associated with BPD in all very low birthweight infants (VLBWIs) born during the study period in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of all VLBWIs born in Aichi Prefecture.

Long-term outcomes of percutaneous revascularization for internal mammary artery-left anterior descending artery bypass failure.

Despite the excellent long-term results of internal mammary artery (IMA)-left anterior descending (LAD) bypass, percutaneous revascularization of IMA is sometimes required for IMA-LAD bypass failure. However, its clinical outcomes have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term clinical outcomes, including target lesion revascularization (TLR) following contemporary percutaneous revascularization of failed IMA bypass graft.

Salivary gland polymorphous adenocarcinoma: Clinicopathological features and gene alterations in 36 Japanese patients.

Background: Polymorphous adenocarcinoma is a common intraoral minor salivary gland carcinoma in Western countries but is extremely rare in Japan. The current study aimed to characterize the clinicopathological features and status of molecular alterations of polymorphous adenocarcinoma-associated genes, such as PRKD1/2/3, ARID1A, and DDX3X, in a large cohort of Japanese patients with polymorphous adenocarcinoma.

Methods: We examined the cases of 36 Japanese patients with salivary gland polymorphous adenocarcinoma and 26 cases involving histopathological mimics.

Relationship between the number of lymph nodes dissected and prognosis in muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the era of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Objectives: Many studies have shown a good prognostic association with a large number of lymph node dissections. However, most of these studies did not include patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to verify the relationship between survival outcomes and the number of lymph nodes removed during radical cystectomy in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the era of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Preoperative neutrophil-to-platelet ratio as a potential prognostic factor for gastric cancer with positive peritoneal lavage cytology in the absence of other non-curative factors: a multi-institutional dataset analysis.

Purpose: Peritoneal dissemination is the key to the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) and can be detected early with peritoneal lavage cytology. No studies have examined preoperative prognostic factors in GC patients who have positive cytology but no other non-curative factors.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using a multicenter database of 3575 patients who underwent gastrectomy between 2010 and 2014.

Case of a Pregnant Woman with Capillary Hemangioma of the Parasellar Region.

Here we report a rare case of capillary hemangioma (CH) in a 28-year-old woman suffering from gradual worsening diplopia at 28 weeks of pregnancy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass lesion (about 3 cm in diameter) in the right parasellar region. We decided to observe as she was pregnant, and had no symptoms other than right abducent nerve palsy.

Recurrent Mural Thrombosis of the Ascending Aorta in a Patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

A 38-year-old man presented with embolic occlusion of the brachial artery. As per his computed tomography results, a pedunculated mass in the proximal ascending aorta was detected. Since discrimination between a thrombus and a tumor was deemed difficult, the patient underwent replacement of the ascending aorta.

Time to remission of proteinuria and incidence of relapse in patients with steroid-sensitive minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: the Japan Nephrotic Syndrome Cohort Study.

Background: Minimal change disease (MCD) is characterized by a nephrotic syndrome usually steroid-sensitive and a high incidence of relapse of proteinuria. Previous cohort studies have reported conflicting results regarding the association between the time to remission and incidence of relapse.

Methods: This multicenter prospective cohort study included 102 adult patients with steroid-sensitive MCD or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis from a 5-year cohort study of primary nephrotic syndrome, the Japan Nephrotic Syndrome Cohort Study, who achieved remission of proteinuria within 2 months of immunosuppressive therapy (IST).

Primary results from the Japanese Heart Failure and Sudden Cardiac Death Prevention Trial (HINODE).

Aims: The HINODE study aimed to analyse rates of mortality, appropriately treated ventricular arrhythmias (VA), and heart failure in Japanese patients and compared with those in Western patients.

Methods And Results: After treatment decisions following contemporary practice in Japan, patients were prospectively enrolled into four cohorts: (i) internal cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), (ii) cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) defibrillator (CRT-D), (iii) standard medical therapy ('non-device': ND), or (iv) pacing (indicated for CRT; received pacemaker or CRT pacing). Cohorts 1-3 required a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%, a history of heart failure, and a need for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death based on two to five previously identified risk factors.

Impact of Serum Zinc Level and Oral Zinc Supplementation on Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Infrainguinal Bypass for Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.

Background: Zinc (Zn) has been reported to play an important role in wound healing (WH). Nevertheless, the effect of Zn in chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients is unclear. This study investigated the effect of Zn on the clinical outcomes of CLTI patients undergoing bypass surgery.