Resurgence of Kawasaki Disease Following Relaxation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Restrictions in Japan.

Objective: To compare the number and incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD) patients in years 2 through 4 of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and determine the impact of 3 years of implementation of infection control measures and their subsequent relaxation on the epidemiology of KD in Japan.

Study Design: We conducted a population-based, cohort study including consecutive KD patients in Kobe City between 2021 and 2023. We compared the incidence of KD cases, in relation to timing of infection control measures, as well as infectious disease cases based on a regional surveillance system.

Novel gene fusions in human oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Few reports have analyzed the fusion genes involved in carcinogenesis in the oropharynx, where the incidence of human papillomavirus-associated tumors is relatively low. The aim of this study was to identify novel driver fusion genes in patients with oropharyngeal cancer. The study enrolled fifty-seven patients who were diagnosed with oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Successful endonasal transsphenoidal surgery to treat acute internal carotid artery occlusion caused by pituitary apoplexy: Usefulness of arterial spin labeling imaging for emergency decision.

Background: Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a rare clinical condition presenting with acute headache, visual disturbance, and disorientation. PA can cause strokes due to acute internal cervical artery occlusion (ICO), which is an extremely rare condition. Arterial spin labeling (ASL) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a popular technique, which is a quantitative perfusion imaging useful for the diagnosis of ischemia.

The lymphocyte/monocyte ratio predicts the efficacy of isatuximab plus pomalidomide in multiple myeloma patients.

Background: Isatuximab, an anti-CD38 antibody, has been widely used in treatments for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Despite its high efficacy, not all patients achieve a lasting therapeutic response with isatuximab.

Objective: We tried to identify biomarkers to predict the effectiveness of isatuximab by focusing on the host's immune status before treatment.

Alexander disease with a novel GFAP insertion-deletion mutation mimicking progressive supranuclear palsy.

This report presents a case of Alexander disease showing clinical characteristics mimicking progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). A 67-year-old woman complaining of motor disturbance exhibited severe atrophy of medulla, spinal cord, and midbrain tegmentum, as well as periventricular hyperintensity on cerebral MRI. Genetic analysis identified a novel in-frame deletion/insertion mutation in the exon 3 of the GFAP gene.

Anaphylactic Shock Due to Technetium (99mTc)-Tetrofosmin During Myocardial Perfusion Scintigraphy: A Case Report.

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy is a popular minimally invasive method for evaluating chronic coronary disease (CCD). We performed myocardial scintigraphy to assess CCD in a 74-year-old man with a history of allergy to contrast media. The patient developed anaphylactic shock immediately after the administration of the technetium (Tc)-tetrofosmin preparation.

Balloon venoplasty for disdialysis syndrome due to pacemaker-related superior vena cava syndrome with chylothorax post-bacteraemia: A case report.

Background: Although superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome has also been reported as a late complication of pacemaker (PM) implantation, acute onset of SVC syndrome caused by disdialysis syndrome in patients with PM implantation is very rare. There are no specific therapies or guidelines.

Case Summary: A 96-year-old woman receiving dialysis was implanted with a PM due to sick sinus syndrome.

Co-existence of malnutrition and sarcopenia and its related factors in a long-term nursing care facility: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Malnutrition and sarcopenia often co-exist in older patients. This condition, called co-MS, shows a worse prognosis than either condition alone but is often overlooked and undertreated. We aimed to clarify the prevalence of co-MS and its associated factors with a focus on prescription in a long-term nursing care facility in Japan.

Persistent Hemarthrosis of the Knee after Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair.

Introduction: In this case report, we report a patient with complicated with persistent hemarthrosis following arthroscopic meniscal repair. . A 41-year-old male patient presented with persistent swelling of the knee 6 months after arthroscopic meniscal repair and partial meniscectomy performed for lateral discoid meniscal tear.

Substitution of Glu to Lys at Codon 332 on the GFAP Gene Alone Is Causative for Adult-onset Alexander Disease.

A 57-year-old man whose mother had been pathologically diagnosed with Alexander disease (ALXDRD), presented with cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal signs, and mild dysarthria. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed typical ALXDRD alterations, such as atrophy of the medulla oblongata (MO) and cervical spinal cord, a reduced sagittal diameter of the MO, and garland-like hyperintensity signals along the lateral ventricular walls. A genetic analysis of GFAP by Sanger sequencing revealed a single heterozygous mutation of Glu to Lys at codon 332 (c.

Mucous Gland Adenoma of the Lung: A Neoplastic Counterpart of Mucinous Bronchial Glands.

Mucous gland adenoma (MGA) is a rare benign tumor that usually arises in the proximal airway and consists of mucus-secreting cells resembling bronchial glands. Here, we report 2 cases of MGAs and describe their morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular profiles in comparison with 19 pulmonary tumors of 5 other histologic types with mucinous cells (invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, mixed squamous cell and glandular papilloma, bronchiolar adenoma/ciliated muconodular papillary tumor, and sialadenoma papilliferum). Two MGAs were found in 1 male patient and 1 female patient, located in the bronchus and trachea, respectively.

Efficacy of elotuzumab for multiple myeloma in reference to lymphocyte counts and kappa/lambda ratio or B2 microglobulin.

Novel therapeutic drugs have dramatically improved the overall survival of patients with multiple myeloma. We sought to identify the characteristics of patients likely to exhibit a durable response to one such drug, elotuzumab, by analyzing a real-world database in Japan. We analyzed 179 patients who underwent 201 elotuzumab treatments.

Monocyte or white blood cell counts and β microglobulin predict the durable efficacy of daratumumab with lenalidomide.

Background: Daratumumab is one of the most widely used treatments for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) patients. However, not all patients achieve a lasting therapeutic response with daratumumab.

Objectives: We hypothesized that a durable response to daratumumab could be predicted by the balance between the MM tumor burden and host immune status.

Clinical impact of amrubicin monotherapy in patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer: a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Topoisomerase is an essential enzyme for deoxyribonucleic acid replication, and its inhibitors suppress tumor progression. Amrubicin, a topoisomerase II inhibitor, is mainly used in the second-line treatment of patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). However, the impact of different types of topoisomerase inhibitors for first-line chemotherapy on the efficacy of amrubicin remains unclear.

Association of the KRAS genotype and clinicopathologic findings of resected non-small-cell lung cancer: A pooled analysis of 179 patients.

Background: This study assessed the clinicopathological background of early-stage KRAS-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer and analyzed the biological process of KRAS-mutated tumor using an RNA sequencing procedure.

Patients And Methods: We used a cohort of consecutive series of 179 surgically resected early-stage non-small-cell lung cancers harboring KRAS mutations and analyzed the clinicopathological features, including the KRAS genotypes, affecting the recurrence-free survival and prognosis. Consequently, we performed RNA sequencing to determine the gene expression profiles of nineteen KRAS-mutated non-small-cell cancers.

A Pathogenic NRAS c.38G>A (p.G13D) Mutation in RARA Translocation-negative Acute Promyelocytic-like Leukemia with Concomitant Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

An acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patient not demonstrating the retinoic acid receptor α (RARA) translocation is rare. A 76-year-old man was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). After a year, abnormal promyelocytes were detected with pancytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy.

Biological Difference between L858R and Exon 19 Deletion Contributes to Recurrence-Free Survival of Resected Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Introduction: The differences in biological characteristics among different genotypes of classical EGFR mutations have not been clarified. This study aimed to clarify the clinical and biological differences between L858R and 19 deletion in NSCLC.

Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 191 consecutive cases of surgically resected NSCLC harboring EGFR driver mutations (L858R or 19 deletion) in which curative resection was performed in Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan, from January 2006 to September 2021 and in which recurrence subsequently developed.

Prophylaxis of Post-Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis Using Temporary Pancreatic Stents Versus Rectal Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Both pancreatic stenting and rectal nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) prevent post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis. The aim of the study was to compare post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) prophylaxis using pancreatic stents and/or rectal NSAIDs prospectively.

Methods: A total of 321 patients undergoing ERCP were studied.