Endoscopic submucosal dissection as excisional biopsy for anorectal malignant melanoma: A case report.

Background: Anorectal malignant melanoma (AMM) is a rare disorder with an extremely poor prognosis. Although there is currently no consensus on the treatment methods for AMM, surgical procedures have been the most common treatment methods used until now. We recently encountered a case of AMM that we diagnosed using endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).

Gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic gland type spreading to heterotopic gastric glands.

Herein, we present a case of gastric adenocarcinoma of fundic gland type (GA-FG) spreading to heterotopic gastric glands (HGG) in the submucosa. A 58-year-old man with epigastric pain was referred to our hospital and underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A Borrmann type II gastric cancer at the antrum and a 10 mm submucosal tumor-like lesion in the lesser curvature of the upper third of the stomach were detected.

[A case of small intestinal intussusception caused by anisakiasis diagnosed and treated by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy].

A 35-year-old man attended our hospital with complaining of epigastric pain and vomiting. He was diagnosed with bowel intussusception based on the target sign revealed in the upper jejunum by abdominal computed tomography. However, the cause of the intussusception was not clear.

[A case of liver abscess caused by appendicitis which was considered to be drained from hepatobronchial fistula].

A 52-year-old man was referred to our hospital complaining of right lower abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with appendicitis complicated with a liver abscess and underwent an appendectomy. After antibiotic treatment following surgery, the liver abscess penetrated the right lung, which was considered to be drained from a hepatobronchial fistula.

Indications and outcomes of excimer laser coronary atherectomy: Efficacy and safety for thrombotic lesions-The ULTRAMAN registry.

Background: Excimer laser coronary atherectomy (ELCA) recently became available in Japan, but ELCA's effectiveness and safety are not clear.

Methods And Results: We enrolled consecutive patients who underwent ELCA and were registered in the Utility of Laser for Transcatheter Atherectomy-Multicenter Analysis around Naniwa (ULTRAMAN) registry comprising six Japanese medical centers around Naniwa in Japan with patients registered from April 2006 to June 2015. We evaluated the catheter sizes used and compared the success rate, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow, blush score, and complications between the rich-thrombus (RT) group [acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and saphenous vein graft (SVG)] and the poor-thrombus (PT) group [in-stent restenosis (ISR), chronic total occlusion (CTO), calcification, and long or bifurcation (L&B) lesions].

Follow-up after undersized dilatation of targeted lesions in carotid artery stenting.

Background And Purpose: We assessed whether intentional undersized dilatation of targeted lesions during carotid artery stenting (CAS) carried a higher risk of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and correlation to subsequent ischemic stroke in qualifying arteries in the follow-up period.

Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing CAS between April 2003 and May 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The use of a filter device as a distal embolic protection device (EPD) was first approved by Japanese governmental health insurance in April 2008; previously, transient balloon occlusion was used off-label.

A successful treatment for a lesion of chronic total occlusion with contralateral angiography in a single radial access.

A 50-year-old man was admitted due to effort chest pain. Coronary angiogram showed a total occlusion of LAD. The 5-French JL 3.

A successful treatment for a lesion of chronic total occlusion using a virtual 3 Fr guiding catheter.

A 43 year-old man was admitted due to effort related chest squeezing for 3 months. Coronary angiogram showed a total occlusion of the proximal right coronary artery (RCA) with collateral vessels from left anterior descending artery. The 5F sheathless guiding catheter was engaged into the RCA and the 3F JL3.

A successful treatment for in-stent restenosis using a 4-French guiding catheter with optical coherence tomography guidance.

An 83-year-old woman was admitted due to effort related chest squeezing over the duration of 5 months. A coronary angiogram revealed significant in-stent restenosis at proximal left anterior descending artery. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) image acquisition was successfully performed using a non-occlusive technique.

Long-term angiographic outcomes of post-sirolimus-eluting stent restenosis in Japanese patients.

Though restenosis after drug-eluting stent implantation is still observed, the factors affecting post-sirolimus-eluting stent restenosis (re-restenosis) have not been fully determined. We evaluated the long-term angiographic outcomes and examined background factors affecting re-restenosis. We enrolled 51 patients with 68 sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) restenosis lesions who underwent target lesion revascularization (TLR) and angiographic follow-up studies.

Erythropoietin in patients with acute coronary syndrome and its cardioprotective action after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Erythropoietin (EPO) has been shown to have effects beyond hematopoiesis, such as prevention of cardiac apoptosis. The purpose of the current study is to examine the influence of the time-course change in the serum concentration of endogenous EPO on cardiac functions in the chronic phase in patients with acute coronary syndrome, who successfully achieved reperfusion by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: The prospective study included 34 patients with angiographically documented coronary artery disease, including 24 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 10 patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) who underwent successful PCI within 24 h from the onset.

[Coronary artery plaque assessment using Volcano Therapeutics' Virtual Histology intravascular ultrasound and temperature guide wire].

Objectives: This study investigated the tissue characterization of human coronary artery plaque using Virtual Histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) and temperature guide wire.

Methods And Results: Between August 2005 and December 2005, VH-IVUS examination and guide wire based measurement of coronary temperature were performed in 66 patients: 39 with stable angina pectoris (SAP), and 27 with unstable angina pectoris(UAP). Patients in the acute myocardial infarction with necrotic tissue and thrombus were excluded.

[Clinical usefulness of 201Tl/99mTc-PYP dual myocardial quantitative gated SPECT program using low-dose dobutamine loading in assessment of myocardial viability in patient with acute myocardial infarction--a case report].

An 86-year-old man with chest pain was admitted to our hospital. Coronary angiography revealed 99% stenosis of the mid segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery, therefore, a coronary stent was implanted. Immediately after the stent implantation, 99% stenosis occurred at the proximal site of the 1st diagonal artery because of stent jeal.

[Clinical usefulness of 1231I-BMIPP myocardial SPECT in patient with microvascular spasm: a case report].

This patient was a 64-year-old man with chest pain at rest. An electrocardiogram showed depression of the ST segment in V2-V5 leads during chest pain. 123I-BMIPP myocardial SPECT revealed reduced uptake in the apex.

[A case of subarachnoid hemorrhage associated with spontaneous intracranial hypotension].

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage has recently been documented in most patients, as the main cause of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). No cases of SIH accompanying an episode of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has yet been reported and, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient, who developed SAH during his clinical course of SIH. SAH was cured completely by surgical intervention.