Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in Disseminated Infection Caused by Interferon-γ Neutralizing Autoantibodies.

Adult-onset immunodeficiency due to interferon-γ-neutralizing autoantibodies (nIFNγ-autoAbs) can remain underdiagnosed. We present a case of severe infection with nIFNγ-autoAbs. To ensure early diagnosis, clinicians should have a high index of suspicion in patients of Asian descent with opportunistic infections and perform QuantiFERON-TB assay for disease screening.

Spherical Periacetabular Osteotomy.

Unlabelled: Various techniques for periacetabular osteotomy have been reported to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis in dysplastic hips. Bernese periacetabular osteotomy, which involves the use of an anterior approach, is widely performed throughout the world because it offers preservation of the blood supply to the bone fragment and lateral pelvic muscles. However, Bernese periacetabular osteotomy has potential complications, such as nonunion at the osteotomy site, postoperative fracture, nonunion of the pubis and ischium, and damage to the main trunk of the obturator artery.

Validation of quantitative prognostic prediction using ADV score for resection of hepatocellular carcinoma: A Korea-Japan collaborative study with 9200 patients.

Background: A score derived from the concentrations of α-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) and tumor volume (TV), called ADV score, has been shown to be prognostic of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence following hepatic resection (HR) or liver transplantation.

Methods: This multicenter, multinational validation study included 9200 patients who underwent HR from 2010 to 2017 at 10 Korean and 73 Japanese centers, and were followed up until 2020.

Results: AFP, DCP, and TV showed weak correlations (ρ ≤ .

Protocol for the RETHINK study: a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, non-inferiority clinical trial comparing acetaminophen and NSAIDs for treatment of chronic pain in elderly patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee.

Introduction: In patients with chronic pain, oral analgesics are essential treatment options to manage pain appropriately, improve activities of daily living abilities and achieve a higher quality of life (QOL). It is desirable to select analgesics for elderly patients based on comparative data on analgesic effect and risk of adverse events; however, there are few comparative studies so far. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the efficacy and safety of acetaminophen are non-inferior to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the treatment of chronic pain associated with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee in elderly patients.

Histopathological presence of dermal elements in resected margins of neural structures obtained from initial repair surgery for myelomeningocele.

Background: Development of dermoid or epidermoid cysts in myelomeningocele (MMC) sites is generally thought to occur in a delayed fashion due to implantation of dermal elements during initial repair surgery. Another theory is that dermal and dermoid elements may already be present within dysplastic neural structures at birth.

Methods: We experienced histopathological presence of dermal elements in resected tissues at initial repair surgery in four out of 18 cases with MMC who required resection of parts or margins of the neural structures to perform cord untethering.

Translocation of nuclear chromatin distribution to the periphery reflects dephosphorylated threonine-821/826 of the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) in T24 cells treated with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin.

The standard treatment for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer is intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy, which is considered the only intravesical therapy that reduces the risk of progression to muscle-invasive cancer. BCG unresponsiveness, in which intravesical BCG therapy is ineffective, has become a problem. It is thus important to evaluate the effectiveness of BCG treatment for patients as soon as possible in order to identify the optimal therapy.

Estimated Gestational Age From Infant's Foot Length in Japanese.

Aim In developed countries including Japan, gestational age (GA) is predicted by the last menstrual period (LMP) and/or fetal ultrasound. In some developing countries, GA is predicted by infant's foot length (FL). Pregnant women who did not have pregnancy check-up is not infrequent in Japan, therefore there are sometimes opportunities to estimate the GA from infants after the delivery.

Eldest gastric cancer patient with high microsatellite instability responding to pembrolizumab.

Pembrolizumab has been associated with a high tumor response rate among high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) cancer patients. The efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in the treatment of MSI-H gastric cancer (GC) patients aged ≥ 85 years have not been reported. This study reports the case of an 89-year-old woman diagnosed with stage IIA MSI-H GC based on her chief complaint of abdominal pain.

Safety and Effectiveness of Lenvatinib in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Real-World Clinical Practice: An Observational Post-Marketing Study in Japan.

Background: Lenvatinib was approved for use in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) in Japan in 2018. Patients with diverse clinical characteristics receive lenvatinib treatment in clinical practice. Thus, it is crucial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of lenvatinib in real-world clinical settings.

Comparison of Laparoscopic and Open Emergency Surgery for Colorectal Perforation: A Retrospective Study.

This study aimed to clarify the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal perforation by comparing the clinical outcomes between laparoscopic and open emergency surgery for colorectal perforation. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 116 patients who underwent surgery for colorectal perforation. The patients were categorized into two groups: the open group included patients who underwent laparotomy, and the laparoscopic group included those who underwent laparoscopic surgery.

Tall P-waves in inferior leads: A case of coexisting ectopic rhythm and atrial fibrillation arising from the superior vena cava.

Suppression of atrial fibrillation (AF) arising within the superior vena cava (SVC) requires SVC electric isolation (SVCI) without sinus node (SN) injury. If an ectopic rhythm and AF trigger coexist within the SVC, the intra-SVC ectopic rhythm complicates the pre-SVCI search for the SN. This coexistence is without precedent; however, it is important to carefully locate the SN to prevent injury during SVCI.

Association between Serum Oxysterols and Coronary Plaque Regression during Lipid-Lowering Therapy with Statin and Ezetimibe: Insights from the CuVIC Trial.

Aim: Several clinical trials using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) evaluation have demonstrated that intensive lipid-lowering therapy by statin or a combination therapy with statin and ezetimibe results in significant regression of coronary plaque volume. However, it remains unclear whether adding ezetimibe to statin therapy affects coronary plaque composition and the molecular mechanisms of plaque regression. We conducted this prospective IVUS analysis in a subgroup from the CuVIC trial.

Endothelial function testing before conditioning therapy is useful for predicting transplant-related complications after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a useful tool for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, transplantation-related complications are the main cause of non-relapse mortality. Previous reports suggest that endothelial damage is related to early complications after HSCT.

Rehabilitation Nutrition in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Cachexia.

Rehabilitation nutrition is a proposed intervention strategy to improve nutritional status and physical function. However, rehabilitation nutrition in patients with cachexia and protein-energy wasting (PEW), which are the main nutrition-related problems in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), has not been fully clarified. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the current evidence and interventions related to rehabilitation nutrition for cachexia and PEW in patients with CKD.

A Telemedicine Approach for Monitoring COPD: A Prospective Feasibility and Acceptability Cohort Study.

Background: Telemedicine may help the detection of symptom worsening in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), potentially resulting in improved outcomes. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of telemedicine among patients with COPD and physicians and facility staff in Japan.

Methods: This was a 52-week multicenter, prospective, single-arm, feasibility and acceptability cohort study of Japanese patients ≥40 years of age with COPD or asthma-COPD overlap.

Epidemiologic and genomic investigations of an unusual increase in Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A infection among travelers returning from Myanmar in 2015.

Objectives: An unusual increase in Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A infection rate in Japanese travelers returning from Myanmar was observed in 2015.

Methods: We analyzed epidemiologic data of returned travelers with enteric fever from 2005-2019. We also analyzed 193 Salmonella Paratyphi A isolates, including 121 isolates with published genomes.

Laryngotracheal separation surgery in a patient with severe Angelman syndrome involving a 19.3 Mb deletion on 15q11.2-q14.

A severe Angelman syndrome (AS) patient with a very large deletion (19.3 Mb) at 15q11.2-q14 required laryngotracheal separation, which is not a common surgery in AS.

Development and implementation of an aspiration pneumonia cause investigation algorithm.

The diagnostic criteria of aspiration pneumonia have not been established, and it remains an underdiagnosed entity. Diagnosis and cause investigation is essential in improving the management of aspiration pneumonia. The Japanese Respiratory Society Guidelines for the Management of Pneumonia in Adults (JRS Guidelines) show a list of risk factors for aspiration pneumonia.

Late reversible complete atrioventricular block and PR interval normalization after antegrade slow pathway ablation for atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia with pre-existing PR prolongation.

Unlabelled: Late complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) is a rare periprocedural complication in the treatment of atrioventricular (AV) nodal re-entrant tachycardia. However, it can necessitate permanent pacemaker implantation. We present a case of late CAVB that developed during the periprocedural period.

A laser guide technique: a novel method for accurate acetabular cup alignment in total hip arthroplasty.

For accurate cup alignment without navigation in total hip arthroplasty (THA), we developed a "laser guide technique." The major purposes of this paper are to introduce the technique and compare its accuracy with a conventional manual technique. As a clinical outcome, the dislocation rate was reviewed.

Diagnostic Performance of Physician Gestalt for Bacteremia in Patients in the Process of Being Admitted With Suspected Infection.

Background: Due to potentially fatal consequences of missed bacteremia, blood cultures are often overused. While there are several prediction models that can be used to identify patients who truly need blood cultures, physicians often rely on their gestalt. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of physician gestalt for bacteremia in comparison with 2 existing prediction models: Takeshima and Shapiro.