Crowned dens syndrome: A case series of 72 patients at eight teaching hospitals in Japan.

Background: Crowned dens syndrome (CDS) is characterized by calcification around the odontoid process, accompanied by neck pain. Although CDS is supposedly rare, we regularly diagnose and manage this condition, indicating a perception gap between previous studies and our experience. The purpose of this study was to determine the annual incidence of CDS, time to diagnosis in CDS, as well as the features of CDS.

Prognostic significance of a novel index score based on the inflammation-based prognostic scores of patients with colorectal cancer.

Background And Aim: This study aimed to clarify the prognostic value of various inflammation-based prognostic scores (IBPSs) in patients who underwent radical surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) and to develop a novel prognostic index using IBPSs and other predictive factors.

Methods: Data of 1157 patients who underwent radical surgery for CRC were reviewed. The predictive value of various IBPSs in determining the CRC prognosis was compared.

Associations of disease duration and anti-citrullinated peptide antibody status with the effectiveness of abatacept in biologic-naïve patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Post hoc analysis of a multicentre, real-world observational study in Japan (ORIGAMI).

Objectives: The aim of the article is to investigate the associations of disease duration and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) status with the effectiveness of abatacept in biologic-naïve patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: We performed post hoc analyses of the Orencia® Registry in Geographically Assembled Multicenter Investigation (ORIGAMI) study of biologic-naïve RA patients aged ≥20 years with moderate disease activity who were prescribed abatacept. Changes in the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and Japanese Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ) at 4, 24, and 52 weeks of treatment were analysed in patients divided according to ACPA serostatus (positive/negative), disease duration (<1/≥1 year), or both.

Tumor‑infiltrating CD8 T cells as a biomarker for chemotherapy efficacy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and lenvatinib are approved frontline therapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with advanced HCC continue to have a poor prognosis despite these therapeutic choices. Previous studies have reported CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as a biomarker to predict responsiveness to systemic chemotherapy.

Results of the interim analysis of a prospective, multicenter, observational study of small subepithelial lesions in the stomach.

Objectives: Long-term outcomes of gastric subepithelial lesions have not been elucidated. To reveal the natural history, we initiated a prospective, 10-year follow-up of patients with small (≤20 mm) gastric subepithelial lesions in September 2014. Here, we report the results of an interim analysis of a prospective observational study.

Obstructive Shock Due to a Crushed Left Atrium and Pulmonary Vein by Pulmonary Artery Intimal Sarcoma Successfully Treated with Pulmonary Vein Stenting.

A 46-year-old patient who had undergone right pneumonectomy for pulmonary artery intimal sarcoma presented with hypoxemia. The recurrent sarcoma in the mediastinum revealed external compression to the left pulmonary veins (PVs), leading to obstructive shock and cardiac arrest. Venous artery extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) was initiated; however, withdrawal was difficult, and the patient's survival seemed hopeless.

Skeletal muscle atrophy and short-term mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an observational cohort study.

Background: Skeletal muscle atrophy, a common complication of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and its presence upon diagnosis can indicate a poor prognosis. Patients with IPF frequently experience acute exacerbations (AE), which is associated with a high mortality rate. However, the association between skeletal muscle atrophy and short-term mortality remains unknown.

Geriatric nutritional risk index as the prognostic factor in older patients with fragility hip fractures.

Unlabelled: This study investigated the long-term survival and incidence of secondary fractures after fragility hip fractures. The 5-year survival rate was 62%, and the mortality risk was seen in patients with GNRI < 92. The 5-year incidence of secondary fracture was 22%, which was significantly higher in patients with a BMI < 20.

Clinical characteristics of Japanese patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis.

Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with ring sideroblasts and thrombocytosis (MDS/MPN-RS-T) is a rare disease, which presents with features of myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts and essential thrombocythemia, as well as anemia and marked thrombocytosis. SF3B1 and JAK2 mutations are often found in patients, and are associated with their specific clinical features. This study was a retrospective analysis of 34 Japanese patients with MDS/MPN-RS-T.

Survival impact of pancreatic resection for metastases in the pancreas: A retrospective multi-center study.

Background: Pancreatic metastases from other primary malignancies are rare. There is no clear evidence for a treatment strategy for this condition. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical outcomes, including prognostic factors for pancreatic resection of metastatic tumors in the pancreas, through a retrospective review.

Survey of psychiatric symptoms among inpatients with COVID-19 using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination data and medical records in Japan.

Physical symptoms such as fatigue and muscle weakness, and psychiatric symptoms like depression and anxiety are considered as complications and sequelae of COVID-19. This epidemiological study investigated the actual status of psychiatric symptoms and disorders caused by COVID-19, from four major university hospitals and five general hospitals in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, having a population of 5 million. We conducted a survey of psychiatric disorders associated with COVID-19 using Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) data and the psychiatric records of the hospitals.

The first case of clade I Candida auris candidemia in a patient with COVID-19 in Japan.

Candida auris is a health hazard because of its antifungal resistance and the potential to cause healthcare-associated outbreaks. To our knowledge, no previous cases of candidemia caused by C. auris have been reported in Japan.

The Integration of Traditional Medicine with Conventional Biomedicine: A Narrative Review of the Japanese Perspective.

This is a narrative review of the integration of traditional medicine with conventional biomedicine in present day Japan, whose aging population is considered one of the largest globally. It is focused on the aging population because this age group most avails of healthcare. We also tried to describe the unique Japanese medical situations, clinical outcome of Japanese traditional medicine (Kampo medicine) which may include acupuncture, and education of Kampo medicine workforce.

Prevention and Repair of Ultraviolet B-Induced Skin Damage in Hairless Mice via Transdermal Delivery of Growth Factors Immobilized in a Gel-in-Oil Nanoemulsion.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or artificial sources is one of the primary causes of skin damage, including sunburns, tanning, erythema, and skin cancer. Among the three different types of UV rays, UVB rays have a medium wavelength that can penetrate the epidermal layer of the skin, resulting in sunburn, suntan, blistering, and melanoma in case of chronic exposure. This study aimed to evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of a gel-in-oil nanogel dispersion (G/O-NGD) as a transdermal delivery biomolecular carrier for skin damage caused by UVB light.

Ectopic dorsal root ganglion in cauda equina mimicking schwannoma in a child.

Background: A heterotopic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is sometimes observed in the vicinity of dysplastic neural structures during surgery for open spinal dysraphism; however, it is rarely associated with closed spinal dysraphism. Distinguish from neoplasms by preoperative imaging study is difficult. Although the embryopathogenesis of a heterotopic DRG has been speculated to be migration disorder of neural crest cells from primary neural tube, its details remain unelucidated.

Surgical Outcomes of Laparoscopic versus Open Hepatectomy for Left Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Propensity Score Analyses Using Retrospective Japanese and Korean Individual Patient Data.

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the prognostic impact of laparoscopic left hepatectomy (LLH) with that of open left hepatectomy (OLH) on patient survival after resection of left hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Among the 953 patients who received initial treatment for primary HCC that was resectable by either LLH or OLH from 2013 to 2017 in Japan and Korea, 146 patients underwent LLH and 807 underwent OLH. The inverse probability of treatment weighting approach based on propensity scoring was used to address the potential selection bias inherent in the recurrence and survival outcomes between the LLH and OLH groups.

Risk factors for loss to follow-up after the start of direct-acting antiviral treatment for hepatitis C virus infection.

Background And Aim: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have recently been developed to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Additionally, interferon-free DAA treatment has improved liver function and reduced the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following HCV eradication. Previous studies on HCV have focused mainly on the treatment rate and the risk of developing HCC, and less attention has been given to loss to follow-up (LTFU) after DAA treatment.

One-Year Functional Outcomes After Invasive Mechanical Ventilation for Older Adults With Preexisting Long-Term Care-Needs.

Objectives: To examine 1-year functional outcomes after invasive mechanical ventilation for adults greater than or equal to 65 years with preexisting long-term care-needs.

Design: We used medical and long-term care administrative databases. The database included data on functional and cognitive impairments that were assessed with the national standardized care-needs certification system and were categorized into seven care-needs levels based on the total daily estimated care minutes.