Slowly progressive interstitial lung disease preceding typical dermatomyositis symptoms in anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody-positive clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis.

A 73-year-old woman who visited our hospital complaining of dry cough for three months was refractory to antimicrobial therapy. Chest computed tomography revealed subpleural consolidation. Specimens obtained from surgical lung biopsy revealed subpleural perilobular airspace organization and fibrosis.

Bilateral lung transplantation in a 9-year-old girl with bronchopulmonary dysplasia with pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that occurs in premature infants and the prognosis is variable depending on the comorbidities including fibrosis, emphysema, or pulmonary hypertension (PH). We present a case of a 9-year-old girl who developed PH associated with severe BPD (BPD-PH) and underwent bilateral lung transplantation (BLTx). Case description A 9-year-old girl was admitted to our department to undergo BLTx.

Characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background And Objective: A high frequency of infections complicating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been reported due to the immunomodulatory effect of RA or to agents with immunosuppressive effects used in its treatment. We aimed to assess clinical and radiological characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients with and without RA.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 52 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and divided them into two groups, those with RA and without RA, and compared clinical characteristics and radiological findings between them.

[Multicenter Evaluation of Cine Angiography and Digital Subtraction Angiography Dose Rate for Various Angiography Programs: Comparison with Fluoroscopic Dose Rate].

We conducted a nationwide multicenter survey of various interventional radiology (IVR) procedures. Data were collected from 385 X-ray systems in 126 institutions, including 432 cine programs and 380 digital subtraction angiography (DSA) programs for diagnostic catheterization, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), ablation, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), neurologic IVR, thorax IVR, abdominal IVR, and endovascular therapy (EVT). Fluoroscopic and cine dose rates were 10.

Deregulation of protein phosphatase 2A inhibitor SET is associated with malignant progression in breast cancer.

To understand the mechanism underlying metastasis, identification of a mechanism-based and common biomarker for circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in heterogenous breast cancer is needed. SET, an endogenous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A, was overexpressed in all subtypes of invasive breast carcinoma tissues. Treatment with SET-targeted siRNAs reduced the motility of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in transwell assay.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Accompanying Diffuse Panbronchiolitis.

A 58-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) visited our hospital complaining of a persistent cough and sputum for the past year. She had a high cold hemagglutinin titer and chronic sinusitis. Chest computed tomography revealed bilateral diffuse centrilobular nodules, bronchiectasis, and bronchial wall thickening.

Right ventricular outflow obstruction with squamous cell carcinoma of unknown origin.

A 60-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of chest tightness. CT scans showed no specific findings except a right ventricular (RV) mass. Echocardiogram revealed that the large cardiac mass was compressing the right ventricular outflow tract, and the patient thus underwent an emergency operation.

Clinical Features of Fibrosing Mediastinitis in Japanese Patients: Two Case Reports and a Literature Review.

Fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) is a rare fibroinflammatory disease of the mediastinum with an etiology and clinical features that vary by world region. The characteristics of FM in Japan are still unknown. We herein report two Japanese patients with FM who were treated with corticosteroids and responded well.

Comparative study of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification method and the QIAGEN PCR kit for the detection of EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor () mutations are important biomarkers in the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic diseases. The EGFR Rotor-Gene Q (RGQ) PCR Kit (Qiagen, Inc.) is an approved diagnostic test for EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

A retrospective analysis of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy versus pembrolizumab monotherapy for advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Although clinical trials have investigated the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer, none have investigated the addition of chemotherapy to pembrolizumab.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 71 NSCLC patients including 33 treated with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy (combination therapy group) and 38 treated with pembrolizumab monotherapy (monotherapy group) from 1 May 2016 to 31 August 2020.

Results: Eleven of 33 (33.

Triangular resection versus folding repair for simple posterior mitral leaflet lesions: case-control study.

Background: A triangular resection (TR)/suture of the posterior leaflet lesion is the most common technique in mitral valve repair procedures. However, posterior leaflet motion is restricted after surgical resection in echocardiogram analyses. Although several reports have compared the resection/suture technique and the artificial chorda technique, few reports have compared TR with folding repair (FR).

Specific pathogens as predictors of poor long-term prognosis after hospital discharge for community-acquired pneumonia.

Background: Some studies have reported that long-term prognosis after pneumonia is poor. Our aim was to determine predictors of long-term outcomes with special attention to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) etiology.

Methods: We studied 1930 patients who were hospitalized with CAP from January 2002 through November 2017 at Saitama Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center and were discharged alive.

An unusual case of eosinophilic lung disease with multiple cyst formation.

We report here an unusual case of eosinophilic necrotizing inflammation of the lung that mimicked chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. A 71-year-old man who lived in an unsanitary environment and was referred to our hospital with suspected pneumonia. Peripheral blood eosinophilia was observed, and computed tomography indicated extensive consolidation with multiple cystic lesions, mainly in the left lung.

Outcome and risk factor of immune-related adverse events and pneumonitis in patients with advanced or postoperative recurrent non-small cell lung cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with pre-existing respiratory diseases have been excluded in clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, and it is unknown whether the same degree of response can be expected as that in patients without pre-existing respiratory diseases and if they are associated with increased risk for various immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and ICI pneumonitis. This study aimed to evaluate predictive factors of clinical response, prognostic factors, risk factors of irAEs, and ICI pneumonitis in NSCLC patients with or without pre-existing respiratory diseases.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 180 NSCLC patients who received ICI monotherapy of nivolumab, pembrolizumab, or atezolizumab from 1 January 2016 to 31 March 2019.

Left upper lobectomy for cancer of the left lung with a rare mediastinal left basal pulmonary artery.

We report a rare case wherein a mediastinal left basal pulmonary artery was detected during surgery. Intraoperative findings revealed mediastinal left lingular and basal segments of the pulmonary artery (A + A) just dorsal to the superior pulmonary vein. The mediastinal left basal pulmonary artery is classified by its branching type, (1) complete type-wherein the entire that all basal pulmonary artery flow lies between the superior pulmonary vein and the left upper bronchus, as in like this case, (2) incomplete type-wherein that a part of the left basal pulmonary artery segment is on the flow mediastinal side.

Screening and diagnosis of acute and chronic bird-related hypersensitivity pneumonitis by serum IgG and IgA antibodies to bird antigens with ImmunoCAP®.

Background: Bird antigens are some of the most relevant antigens in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). Possible sources of bird antigens are bird breeding, feather products and fertilizer with fowl droppings. For the screening and diagnosis of HP, the measurement of bird-specific antibodies should be standardized.

Management of acute pulmonary embolism after acute aortic dissection surgery.

Acute aortic dissection (AAD) continues to be associated with high mortality and morbidity. Pulmonary embolism is also a life-threatening disease. The treatment of these life-threatening diseases remains controversial in case complications arise.

[Multicenter Follow-up Survey on Radiation Dose Levels in Cardiovascular X-ray Apparatus under Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Conditions].

It is important to optimize the exposure dose when conducting interventional radiology, but optimization is difficult for medical centers to achieve independently. In 2005, we administered a questionnaire on the measurement of dose rates and awareness of exposure reduction when performing percutaneous coronary intervention. Ten years later, we conducted a follow-up survey of the same 31 centers to determine the current situation and identify trends.

Use of flexible endoscopic aspiration for an intraventricular small floating clot with hemorrhage: a technical note.

Background: Although flexible endoscopy is effective for intraventricular lesions, it is less frequently used for hemorrhagic cases. In some hemorrhagic strokes, blood clots may plunge into the cerebral aqueduct and cause acute obstructive hydrocephalus. A flexible endoscope can aspirate clots and prevent acute hydrocephalus.

New clinical diagnostic criteria for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis/mycosis and its validation.

Background: There are several clinical diagnostic criteria for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). However, these criteria have not been validated in detail, and no criteria for allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis (ABPM) are currently available.

Objective: This study proposes new diagnostic criteria for ABPA/ABPM, consisting of 10 components, and compares its sensitivity and specificity to existing methods.

Association of coronary revascularisation after physician-referred non-invasive diagnostic imaging tests with outcomes in patients with suspected coronary artery disease: a post hoc subgroup analysis.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association of the prognostic impact of coronary revascularisation with physician-referred non-invasive diagnostic imaging tests (single photon emission CT (SPECT) vs coronary CT angiography) for coronary artery disease.

Design: A post hoc analysis of a subgroup from the patient cohort recruited for the Japanese Coronary-Angiography or Myocardial Imaging for Angina Pectoris Study.

Setting: Multiple centres in Japan.

Clinical course and findings of 14 patients with COVID-19 compared with 5 patients with conventional human coronavirus pneumonia.

Objective: To clarify what future problems must be resolved and how clinical findings of SARS-CoV-2 infection differ from those of cHCoV infection.

Methods: Patients and Methods Clinical characteristics of 14 patients with laboratory-confirmed Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 5 patients with cHCoV pneumonia admitted to our institution and treated up to March 8, 2020, were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: On admission, 10 patients had pneumonia, 5 of whom had pulmonary shadows detectable only via computed tomography (CT).

Two Cases of Primary Rhinovirus Pneumonia with Multiple Pulmonary Nodules.

Two patients, a 60-year-old man and 43-year-old woman, presented to our hospital with symptoms of respiratory tract infection. These patients showed imaging findings of multiple small nodules, ground-glass opacities, and consolidations. In case 1, although antibiotics were started, bilateral shadows spread widely, which made us suspect interstitial pneumonia.

Amyloidosis of the respiratory system: 16 patients with amyloidosis initially diagnosed by pulmonologists.

Background: diagnosis of amyloidosis of the respiratory system is rare. Few data are available regarding clinical presentation, precursor proteins, diagnostic procedures, comorbidities, complications, and outcome. We assessed clinical features of a series of patients with amyloidosis of the respiratory system in two Japanese centres.