Isolated pulmonary valvular stenosis with equilateral triangle orifice.

Isolated congenital pulmonary valvular stenosis is a relatively common abnormality. A 52-year-old woman with an asymptomatic cardiac murmur since her childhood visited our hospital. The peak pressure gradient across the pulmonary valve (PV) was calculated 25 mmHg by Doppler velocity during the transthoracic echocardiography, the severity was graded into mild.

Newborn screening for Fabry disease in the western region of Japan.

Newborn screening (NBS) for Fabry disease (FD) is the best way to detect FD early prior to presentation of symptoms and is currently implemented in Taiwan and several states such as Illinois, Missouri, and Tennessee in the United States of America. In this report, we provide data from the first large-scale NBS program for FD in Japan. From August 2006 to December 2018, 599,711 newborns were screened; 26 variants, including 15 pathogenic variants and 11 variants of uncertain significance (VOUS; including eight novel variants), were detected in 57 newborns.

Multicenter Study of the Hemorrhage Risk after Endoscopic Mucosal Resection Associated with Direct Oral Anticoagulants.

Backgrounds And Aims: Recently, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have become widely used for preventing thromboembolism. However, postoperative hemorrhage (POH) is a major complication associated with endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for colorectal lesions. In this multicenter study, we analyzed the incidence of POH after EMR associated with DOACs and explored the associated risk factors.

Isolated high home systolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes is a prognostic factor for the development of diabetic nephropathy: KAMOGAWA-HBP study.

Background: Isolated high home systolic blood pressure (IH-HSBP) has been revealed to be correlated with cardiovascular disease and diabetic nephropathy, however, the prognostic significance of IH-HSBP with the development of diabetic nephropathy is unclear.

Methods: In this prospective 2-year cohort study of 477 patients with normoalbuminuria, we investigated the effect of IH-HSBP on the development of diabetic nephropathy defined by diabetic nephropathy advanced from normoalbuminuira to micro or macroalbuminuria.

Results: Among 477 patients, 67 patients showed the development of diabetic nephropathy.

Efficacy of precutting endoscopic mucosal resection with full or partial circumferential incision using a snare tip for difficult colorectal lesions.

Background: We analyzed the efficacy of precutting endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), which is a method of making a full or partial circumferential mucosal incision around a tumor with a snare tip for en bloc resection.

Methods: We reviewed cases from 2011 to 2018 in which precutting EMR (n = 167) and standard EMR (n = 557) were performed for lesions of 10 - 30 mm. Precutting EMR was indicated for benign lesions of 20 - 30 mm or lesions of < 20 mm for which standard EMR was difficult.

Changes in the Serum Hepcidin-to-ferritin Ratio with Erythroferrone after Hepatitis C Virus Eradication Using Direct-acting Antiviral Agents.

Objective Hepcidin is a master iron regulator hormone produced by the liver, but precise mechanism underlying its involvement in iron overload in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains unclear. We investigated the serum hepcidin levels against iron overload before and after HCV eradication. Methods We prospectively investigated the iron metabolism characteristics in 24 patients with HCV genotype 1b infection before and after treatment.

IL28B gene polymorphism is correlated with changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels after clearance of hepatitis C virus using direct-acting antiviral treatment.

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) rapidly clear hepatitis C virus (HCV), but the lipid dynamics after DAA treatment remain unknown. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterolemia is the predicting factor for the onset and death of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. Thus, in this study, we examined the frequency and risk of hyper-LDL cholesterolemia in HCV patients who achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) with DAA treatment.

Safety and efficacy of cold polypectomy compared to endoscopic mucosal resection and hot biopsy polypectomy.

Recently, several studies have demonstrated the usefulness of cold polypectomy (CP), a safe and simple method for the removal of small polyps. We investigated the safety and efficacy of CP compared to that of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and hot biopsy polypectomy (HB). We retrospectively examined 1713 colorectal polyps (size 1-9 mm) in 731 patients.

Newborn screening for Pompe disease in Japan: report and literature review of mutations in the GAA gene in Japanese and Asian patients.

A newborn screening program for Pompe disease using dried blood spots (DBSs) was initiated in Japan. Here, we summarized this screening program and described the results of the GAA gene analysis. From April 2013 to November 2016, 103,204 newborns were screened; 71 had low acid alpha-glucosidase (AαGlu) activity.

Phase II Study of S-1 and Paclitaxel Combination Therapy in Patients with Previously Treated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lessons Learned: In terms of efficacy and safety, good results were obtained with S-1 and paclitaxel (PTX) combination therapy.The findings suggest that S-1 and PTX combination therapy is a feasible treatment option in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Although monotherapy with cytotoxic agents, including docetaxel and pemetrexed, is recommended for patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), its outcomes are unsatisfactory.

Hyposensitization trial using salazosulfapyridine in a case of mesalamine intolerance.

A 47-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with pancolitis-type ulcerative colitis. He was treated with mesalamine in a pH-dependent release form. On day 16 of administration, he was admitted because of fever and abdominal pain.

Importance of measurement of the diameter of the distal radial artery in a distal radial approach from the anatomical snuffbox before coronary catheterization.

Coronary catheterization by a distal radial approach at the site of the anatomical snuffbox has recently been reported to be both safe and useful. No data are available on the diameter of the distal radial artery (DRA) in Japan, and it is unclear whether the DRA is large enough to withstand the insertion of a conventional sheath by a traditional radial approach. We enrolled 142 patients who underwent coronary catheterization and evaluated the vessel diameter of the DRA using ultrasound.

Maximum morning home systolic blood pressure is an indicator of the development of diabetic nephropathy: The KAMOGAWA-HBP study.

Aims/introduction: The maximum value of home systolic blood pressure is correlated with damage to target organs, including diabetic nephropathy. However, the precise relationship between the development of diabetic nephropathy and maximum home systolic blood pressure has not been elucidated.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective 2-year cohort subanalysis of the KAMOGAWA-HBP study, the patient population was 477 Japanese patients with normoalbuminuria.

Effects of L-Menthol and Carbon Dioxide on the Adenoma Detection Rate during Colonoscopy: L-Menthol and Carbon Dioxide on Colonoscopy.

Background And Aims: We examined the efficacy of the combined use of L-menthol spraying (L-mentholS) as an antispasmodic agent and carbon dioxide insufflation (CO2I) on the adenoma detection rate (ADR) in a prospective, single-center trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design.

Methods: We randomly assigned 611 patients scheduled to undergo colonoscopy to 4 groups: (1) the L-mentholS + CO2I (n = 153), (2) L-mentholS + air insufflation (AI; n = 156), (3) CO2I (n = 153), and (4) AI (n = 149) groups. We used 20 mL of 0.

A Phase II Study of S-1 and Paclitaxel Combination Therapy as a First-Line Treatment in Elderly Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lessons Learned: Coadministration of S-1 and paclitaxel in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer showed favorable efficacy.Coadministration of S-1 and paclitaxel in elderly patients with advanced non-small lung cancer showed tolerable toxicity.

Background: Although monotherapy with cytotoxic agents including docetaxel or vinorelbine are recommended for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the outcome is not satisfactory.

Usefulness of the modified clip-with-line method for endoscopic mucosal treatment procedure.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) might be difficult to perform in some cases even for experienced endoscopists. Recently, various traction methods have been introduced to facilitate ESD procedures, such as clip-with-line (CL), external forceps, clip and snare, internal traction, double scope, and magnetic anchor. The traction procedure using the CL method enhances the visibility of the operation field during ESD.

Phase I study of S-1 plus paclitaxel combination therapy as a first-line treatment in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

This phase I study was aimed at determining the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) for oral S-1 plus paclitaxel combination therapy in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Chemotherapy-naïve patients (age, >70 years) with stage III/IV NSCLC were treated with paclitaxel intravenously at four dose levels (DLs), 60, 70, 80, and 90 mg/m, on day 1 and 8, and with S-1 (80 mg/m) orally on days 1-14 every 3 weeks. MTD was defined as the dose at which two of the initial three patients experienced dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs).

[An Elderly Case of Recurrent Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Stomach Treated with Ramucirumab].

An 84-years-old man underwent total gastrectomy with D1 plus lymph node dissection in December 2015, and diagnosed as Stage III B neuroendocrine carcinoma of the stomach. An abdominal computed tomography revealed swollen paraaortic lymph nodes and left adrenal grand in May 2016. Since his serum level of CA19-9 was elevated, he was thus diagnosed as having recurrence, and was started chemotherapy with ramucirumab(RAM).

Massive chronic irreducible rectal prolapse successfully treated with Altemeier's procedure.

The guideline for the treatment of rectal prolapse recommends that surgeons select appropriate surgical procedures individually based on each patient's overall status. However, in cases of irreducible or incarcerated rectal prolapse, surgical options are quite limited. Here we present a case of an elderly woman with massive chronic irreducible rectal prolapse.

Feasibility Study of Sequentially Alternating EGFR-TKIs and Chemotherapy for Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background/aim: The purpose of this trial was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of alternating platinum-based doublet chemotherapy with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced NSCLC harboring an EGFR mutation were enrolled. All patients underwent induction chemotherapy by sequentially alternating pemetrexed/cisplatin/bevacizumab and EGFR-TKIs followed by maintenance therapy with pemetrexed/bevacizumab and EGFR-TKIs.

Impact of masked hypertension on diabetic nephropathy in patients with type II diabetes: a KAMOGAWA-HBP study.

The prognostic significance of masked hypertension (MH) on the progression of diabetic nephropathy among patients with type II diabetes is not well documented. We examined the relationship between clinic systolic blood pressure (SBP) and morning home SBP measurements and progression to macroalbuminuria in patients with type II diabetes. We analyzed prospective cohort study data from 712 patients with type II diabetes.

[A Case of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Small Intestine Complicated by Hemorrhagic Shock Due to Gastrointestinal and Intraperitoneal Bleedings].

A 44-years-old man presented to our hospital with bloody stool. CT of the abdomen revealed a 90mm mass adjacent to small intestine and high density ascites in lower abdomen. On the day of the admission, he lapsed into hemorrhagic shock caused by gastrointestinal bleedings.

[Two Cases of Single-Incision Laparoscopic Ileocecal Resection for Patients over 90 with Colon Cancer].

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery(SILS)is superior to multiport laparoscopic surgery in terms ofcosmetics, but in other terms it is still disputable and needs further investigation. The treatment of SILS for colon cancer has increased, however, the feasibility of single-incision laparoscopic colectomy(SILC)for patients over 90 with colon cancer has not been well examined. We report 2 cases ofsingle -incision laparoscopic ileocecal resection without complications.

Prognostic significance of day-by-day variability of home blood pressure on progression to macroalbuminuria in patients with diabetes.

Objectives: Previously, we have shown in cross-sectional analysis of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus that the presence of diabetic nephropathy is associated with increased home blood pressure (HBP) variability. We now examine the prognostic significance of HBP variability in substantially the same cohort.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of type 2 diabetes patients.