Long-Term Follow-Up Over 16 Years for Pituitary Hyperplasia Due to Primary Hypothyroidism With Positive Thyroid Stimulation Blocking Antibody: A Case Report.

Primary hypothyroidism is a known risk factor for pituitary hyperplasia, which develops symptoms due to compression of the optic chiasma and increased intracranial pressure. As pituitary hyperplasia is known to improve after levothyroxine replacement therapy, there are no reports of a long clinical course of pituitary hyperplasia due to primary hypothyroidism. We describe a case of follow-up over 16 years for pathologically diagnosed pituitary hyperplasia due to primary hypothyroidism with positive thyroid stimulation blocking antibody.

Outcomes of Patients with Child-Pugh B and Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing First-Line Systemic Treatment with Sorafenib, Lenvatinib, or Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab.

Introduction: Systemic therapy is recommended for patients with Child-Pugh A in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We analyzed the outcomes of a cohort of patients with HCC who received either sorafenib (Sor), lenvatinib (Len) or atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo + Bev) as first-line systemic therapy for HCC, with the aim of identifying prognostic factors for survival.

Methods: A total of 825 patients with advanced HCC and Child-Pugh A or B received either Sor, Len or Atezo + Bev as first-line systemic therapy.

Efficacy and safety of olaparib, olaparib plus bevacizumab and niraparib maintenance treatment in Japanese patients with platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer.

Objective: To investigate whether maintenance treatment could be safely and effectively performed with olaparib, olaparib plus bevacizumab and niraparib in platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer at multiple institutions in Japan.

Methods: We investigated progression-free survival and adverse events in 117 patients with platinum-sensitive advanced ovarian cancer treated with maintenance therapy.

Results: The median progression-free survival of 117 patients was 20.

Efficacy of a novel integrated biliary stent and nasobiliary catheter system for accidental tube deviation in biliary drainage.

Endoscopic nasobiliary drainage is accompanied by a risk of accidental removal of the nasobiliary drainage (NBD) tube, especially through self-removal in elderly patients. We studied the usefulness of an integrated biliary stent and nasobiliary catheter system (UMIDAS NB stent) for biliary drainage in case of accidental NBD tube removal. From April to November 2022, we placed a UMIDAS NB stent in 30 patients with acute cholangitis or obstructive jaundice.

Successful conservative treatment for massive tracheal necrosis after lung segmentectomy.

Background: Tracheal necrosis, which is rare because the trachea has rich in blood supply, can be a serious condition. Herein, we report the case of extensive tracheal necrosis that developed after right apical segmentectomy for a metastatic lung tumor of esophageal cancer.

Case Presentation: A 74-year-old man who had undergone thoracoscopic subtotal esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction via the posterior sternal route for esophageal adenocarcinoma 2 years previously was referred to our department with an enlarging nodal lesion in the right upper lung lobe.

G protein-biased LPAR1 agonism of prototypic antidepressants: Implication in the identification of novel therapeutic target for depression.

Prototypic antidepressants, such as tricyclic/tetracyclic antidepressants (TCAs), have multiple pharmacological properties and have been considered to be more effective than newer antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, in treating severe depression. However, the clinical contribution of non-monoaminergic effects of TCAs remains elusive. In this study, we discovered that amitriptyline, a typical TCA, directly binds to the lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1), a G protein-coupled receptor, and activates downstream G protein signaling, while exerting a little effect on β-arrestin recruitment.

Relapse rate and predictors of relapse after cessation of glucocorticoid maintenance therapy in type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis: a multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis responds well to glucocorticoid therapy with a high remission rate. Moreover, glucocorticoid maintenance therapy can help prevent relapse. However, the relapse rate following cessation of long-term glucocorticoid therapy is unknown.

T1-T2 Mismatch Sign as a Predictor of Ipsilateral Ischemic Change After Carotid Artery Stenting.

Background: Magnetic resonance (MR)-plaque imaging reflects the characteristics of carotid plaque. We evaluated the relationship between MR-plaque images and ischemic change after carotid artery stenting (CAS).

Methods: MR-plaque images were acquired from patients with carotid artery stenosis before CAS treatment.

Diagnostic Ability and Safety of Repeated Pancreatic Juice Cytology Using an Endoscopic Nasopancreatic Drainage Catheter for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Pathological examination is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Moreover, a reliable pathological diagnosis is extremely important for improving prognosis, especially in early-stage PDAC. This study prospectively evaluated the usefulness of repeated pancreatic juice cytology (PJC) using an endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage (ENPD) catheter for the diagnosis of PDAC.

Prognosis of repeat hepatectomy for liver transplantable hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after hepatectomy: a Retrospective Cohort Study with the Hiroshima Surgical Study Group of Clinical Oncology (HiSCO).

Purpose: Factors affecting the prognosis of repeat hepatectomy for transplantable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after hepatectomy remain unclear. We aimed to clarify the prognostic factors for transplantable hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after hepatectomy.

Methods: We included 1758 primary and 486 repeat hepatectomies out of 2244 for HCC performed between 2006 and 2017 using the Hiroshima Study Group for Clinical Oncology and Surgery database.

A Japanese Prospective, Multicenter Study of Colonic Stenting for Palliation Using a High Axial Force Self-Expandable Metal Stent for Malignant Large Bowel Obstruction in 200 Patients.

Evidence of the efficacy and safety of colorectal stent placement for palliation remains insufficient. This single-arm, prospective, multicenter study with a WallFlex enteral colonic stent included 200 consecutive patients with malignant large bowl obstruction in the palliation cohort. The technical and clinical success, as well as stent patency and complications as short-term (≤7 days) and long-term (>7 days) outcomes, of high axial force self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement was evaluated.

Relationship Between Hematological Toxicities During Maintenance Treatment and During Chemotherapy Before Maintenance Treatment in Patients With Platinum-sensitive Relapsed Ovarian Cancer.

Background/aim: To determine if maintenance treatment can be performed effectively and safely in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer.

Patients And Methods: We carried out a multi-center study to investigate progression-free survival (PFS) and adverse events (AEs) in 229 patients receiving maintenance treatment for platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer.

Results: The median PFS in the 229 patients with maintenance treatment was 14.

Usefulness of post-systolic index in facilitating stratification of risk in patients with intermediate- or low-risk non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Although there is reportedly a usefulness of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) on 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography in excluding significant coronary artery disease (CAD) in suspected intermediate- or low-risk non-ST-segment elevation-acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), the efficacy of post-systolic index (PSI) in this context is yet unknown. Therefore, we explored the usefulness of PSI in facilitating stratification of risk in patients with intermediate- or low-risk NSTE-ACS.

Methods And Results: We assessed 50 consecutive patients suspected of intermediate- or low-risk NSTE-ACS, and finally analyzed 43 patients whose echocardiographic images were suitable for strain analysis.

[Histopathological Diagnostic Marker for ALS: Phosphorylated Transacting Response DNA-Binding Protein of 43kDa in Intramuscular Nerve Bundles].

The discovery of transacting response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) led to a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Since this discovery, blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of ALS have been reported. However, these biomarkers do not exhibit sufficient specificity for ALS.

Physical Signs and Clinical Features of Cervical Myelopathy in Elderly Patients, Especially 80 Years or Older: Comparison of 100 Consecutive Operative Cases across Three Age Groups.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: The present study aimed to examine the characteristics of physical signs in elderly patients with cervical myelopathy (CM) and to compare the findings in three different age groups.

Overview Of Literature: As the global population ages, the incidence of CM in elderly patients is increasing.

Antithyroid arthritis syndrome caused by methimazole in a patient with Graves' disease.

Summary: This is a report on antithyroid arthritis syndrome (AAS) which is a rare adverse effect of antithyroid agents. AAS presents with severe symptoms including myalgia, arthralgia, arthritis, fever, and skin eruption due to the use of antithyroid agents. We encountered a 55-year-old woman with severe pain in the hand and forearm and arthralgia in multiple joints, including the knee, ankle, hand, and wrist on day 23 after initiation of methimazole (MMI) for Graves' disease.

CGG repeat expansion in LRP12 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. Although repeat expansion in C9orf72 is its most common cause, the pathogenesis of ALS isn't fully clear. In this study, we show that repeat expansion in LRP12, a causative variant of oculopharyngodistal myopathy type 1 (OPDM1), is a cause of ALS.

Serum levels of high mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1) and soluble receptors of advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) in depressed patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy.

Aims: High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is one of the damage-associated molecular patterns produced by stress and induces inflammatory responses mediated by receptors of advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) on the cell surface. Meanwhile, soluble RAGE (sRAGE) exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect by capturing HMGB1. Animal models have shown upregulation of HMGB1 and RAGE in the brain or blood, suggesting the involvement of these proteins in depression pathophysiology.

The impact that myocarditis for post-acute COVID-19 syndrome may be dermatomyositis-like myocarditis: A case report.

Myocarditis is often reported as a complication of COVID-19 infection or post-vaccination, but there are few reports of "myocarditis for Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome", and many unknowns still remain. Apart from that, an association between COVID-19 infection and dermatomyositis has also been reported. We describe the clinical presentation of acute myocarditis in a patient who had developed COVID-19 syndrome one-month earlier.

Distal Stent Graft-Induced New Entry After Frozen Elephant Trunk Procedure for Aortic Dissection.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of distal stent graft-induced new entry (dSINE) after frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure for aortic dissection (AD) and to consider strategies to prevent this complication.

Methods: This retrospective review included 52 patients who had undergone aortic arch repair for AD with the FET procedure using J Graft FROZENIX from 2014 to 2020 at a single center. Baseline characteristics, aortic characteristics and mid-term outcomes were compared between patients with and without dSINE.

Comparison of complement consumption and platelet accumulation between membrane oxygenators coated with a polymer or heparin.

Introduction: The membrane oxygenator in extracorporeal circulation circuits is coated with acrylate-copolymer (ACP) or immobilized heparin (IHP) to enhance hemocompatibility. To evaluate the relative features of both coatings, we compared blood components circulated in the circuits with ACP-and IHP-coated membranes in vitro using whole human blood.

Methods: Whole human blood was heparinized and circulated in two experimental circuits with an ACP-coated reservoir, tubes, and an ACP- or IHP-coated membrane.

Randomized phase II study of daily versus alternate-day administrations of S-1 for the elderly patients with completely resected pathological stage IA (tumor diameter > 2 cm)-IIIA of non-small cell lung cancer: Setouchi Lung Cancer Group Study 1201.

Background: It is shown that the postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was associated with survival benefit in an elderly population. We aimed to analyze the feasibility and efficacy of alternate-day S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, for adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly patients with completely resected pathological stage IA (tumor diameter > 2 cm) to IIIA (UICC TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours, 7th edition) NSCLC.

Methods: Elderly patients were randomly assigned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy for one year consisting of either alternate-day oral administration of S-1 (80 mg/m2/day) for 4 days a week (Arm A) or a daily oral administration of S-1 (80 mg/m2/day) for 14 consecutive days followed by 7-day rest (Arm B).