[Quantitative analysis for narrowing of radiographic joint space in knee osteoarthritis].

Conventional radiography is first performed in the evaluation of knee osteoarthritis (OA). In view of diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility, joint space narrowing that is a typical feature of knee OA should be evaluated quantitatively based on the image findings, because it has been evaluating subjectively. We measured joint space widths and joint space areas on knee radiographs to analyze joint space narrowing quantitatively and investigated the usefulness in classification of the severity of knee OA.

[Comparison of ultrasound-guided and blindly placed radial artery catheterization].

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether ultrasound (US)-guided radial artery catheterization decreases the number of failed attempts.

Methods: A total of 36 patients requiring an arterial catheter were enrolled. Patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) a blind palpation technique group, 2) an US-guided short-axis group, and 3) an US-guided long-axis group.

[Successful life saving from brachiocephalic vein injury using cardiopulmonary bypass during video-assited thoracoscopic resection for a mediastinal tumor--a case report].

A 67-year-old man was scheduled for video-assited thoracoscopic resection of a mediastinal tumor under epidural and general anesthesia. During removal of the tumor about an hour 30 minutes after the start of the operation, pulseless electrical activity developed due to uncontrollable massive hemorrhage caused by laceration of the left brachiocephalic vein. After intravenous administration of epinephrine and fluid resuscitation, compatible red cell transfusion with a different ABO group and intraoperative autotransfusion were started.

[Usefulness of preoperative epidural catheterization under radiographic monitoring in anesthesia for endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair].

In Japan, endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair became one of the standard procedures in 2006. It has been performed in 8 patients at our hospital. We try epidural anesthesia with sedation for treatment because of the good control of blood pressure and immobilization of the patient.

Remission of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis associated with a noncirrhotic portosystemic shunt after percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization.

We present a case of a 75-year-old man with nephrotic syndrome and renal insufficiency caused by immune complex-mediated secondary membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. He developed hepatic encephalopathy. A congenital portosystemic shunt was identified, indicating a diagnosis of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis with noncirrhotic portosystemic shunt.

Melorheostosis with occlusion of dorsalis pedis artery.

Melorheostosis is an unusual sclerotic dysplasia of bone. The case of a 51-year-old female patient with melorheostosis and occlusion of the dorsalis pedis artery is described. Although numerous vascular anomalies have been noted in patients with melorheostosis, occlusion of the dorsalis pedis artery has not been reported previously.