Stereotactic radiosurgery with an upper partial denture.

A 54-year-old male with partial denture underwent stereotactic radiosurgery with an infrared camera-guided system for a metastatic brain tumor arising from lung cancer. Although this method utilizes a biteplate mounted on the upper jaw to detect head movement, the patient only had four teeth in his upper jaw. In order to stabilize the biteplate, the maxillary denture was fixed to the biteplate with an autopolymerizing resin.

The roles of natriuretic peptides in pericardial fluid in patients with heart failure.

Background: It is well known that the plasma concentrations of atrial and brain natriuretic peptides, as cardiac hormones, are elevated in heart failure.

Hypothesis: Pericardial fluid in patients with various heart diseases contains both natriuretic peptides that are released into the pericardial fluid. However, it is unknown whether these peptides reflect cardiac function in patients with various heart diseases, more than both the peptides in blood.

Emergence of the community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300 clone in Japan.

We isolated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from a 3-month-old Indian girl who was born in the United States, moved to Japan, and suffered from subcutaneous abscesses in 2007. The MRSA (strain NN36) belonged to multilocus sequence type (ST) 8, exhibited agr1, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IVa, and coagulase type III, and was positive for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and the arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME), just like the USA300 clone, which is the predominant community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) in the United States. Strain NN36 shared an identical pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern with the USA300 clone.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for primary lung cancer at a dose of 50 Gy total in five fractions to the periphery of the planning target volume calculated using a superposition algorithm.

Purpose: To retrospectively analyze the clinical outcomes of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for patients with Stages 1A and 1B non-small-cell lung cancer.

Methods And Materials: We reviewed the records of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer treated with curative intent between Dec 2001 and May 2007. All patients had histopathologically or cytologically confirmed disease, increased levels of tumor markers, and/or positive findings on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

Controlling nosocomial infection based on structure of hospital social networks.

Nosocomial infection (i.e. infection in healthcare facilities) raises a serious public health problem, as implied by the existence of pathogens characteristic to healthcare facilities such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and hospital-mediated outbreaks of influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome.

A case of endobronchial lipoma.

Endobronchial lipomas are very rare tumors originating from the tracheo-bronchial wall. We have experienced a case of endobronchial lipoma which was found at the orifice of the left lower lobe bronchus and obstructive pneumonia distal to it. Left lower lobectomy was performed, and the patient has been well without any symptoms so far.

Acute pulmonary capillary leak syndrome during elective surgery under general anesthesia.

A 75-year-old previously healthy man presented for elective resection of rectal cancer under general anesthesia. Six days before the operation, he had a high-grade fever, and elevated leukocyte count and C-reactive protein concentration, but this was resolved by an intravenous antibiotic. His condition was well controlled before the operation.

Preventive effect of sulfamethoxasole-trimethoprim on Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in patients with interstitial pneumonia.

Background: Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) is a potentially fatal complication in interstitial pneumonia patients receiving glucocorticoid therapy. Prophylaxis of PCP during glucocorticoid therapy is an important issue in the treatment of interstitial pneumonia.

Objective: We evaluated the prophylactic effect of sulfamethoxasole-trimethoprim (TMP-SMX) in interstitial pneumonia patients receiving glucocorticoids.

[Risk factors associated with the duration of hospitalization in emergency admitted patients with aspiration pneumonia].

We retrospectively analyzed risk factors which affect the duration of hospitalization of patients who were given diagnoses of aspiration pneumonia and admitted on an emergency basis for 24 hours because of acute events in emergency. The research was conducted on 67 hospitalized patients aged 25-99. who were admitted because of aspiration pneumonia from March 2002 to May 2004.

[A case of successful bronchial artery embolization for primary racemose hemangioma with massive hemoptysis].

We encountered a case of primary racemose hemangioma treatment with successful bronchial artery embolism for massive hemoptysis. A 56-year-old woman with massive hemoptysis was transported to our hospital. The source of the massive hemoptysis was observed to be from around a non-pulsatile polyp covered by normal mucosa occluding the truncus intermedius by fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Surgical treatment of blepharoptosis caused by chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia.

Unlabelled: Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) is a neuromyopathic disorder characterized by progressive weakness of the extraocular and levator muscles, which causes blepharoptosis and impairment of ocular motility. Because of the risk of worsening of lagophthalmos and exposure keratitis due to an associated poor Bell phenomenon or weak orbicularis function, surgical treatment of the blepharoptosis caused by CPEO is problematic. We present our experience with a case of blepharoptosis in CPEO.

[Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia as a complication of glucocorticoid therapy for interstitial pneumonia].

We evaluated the clinical features of pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) as a complication of glucocorticoid therapy for interstitial pneumonia We analyzed 74 interstitial pneumonia patients receiving glucocorticoid therapy, of whom 7 patients developed PCP. At the time of PCP diagnosis, the average duration of the glucocorticoid therapy was 71 days and the average daily dose of predonisolone was 37 mg. Circulating CD4+ lymphocyte counts were 370/microl on the average and more than 200/microl in three cases.

Chordoid meningioma--case report.

A 69-year-old female presented with a de novo lesion detected incidentally. Computed tomography demonstrated an isodense mass in the left parietal convexity with peritumoral edema, with homogeneous enhancement by contrast medium. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the left parietal convexity tumor as isointense on T(1)-weighted imaging and homogeneously hyperintense on T(2)-weighted imaging, with homogeneous enhancement and dural tail sign after intravenous administration of gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid.

The prostacyclin analogue beraprost sodium prevents occlusion of bypass grafts in patients with lower extremity arterial occlusive disease: a 20-year retrospective study.

Although conventional bypass grafting is commonly used to treat ischemia in lower extremities, graft failure often occurs. This study retrospectively analyzed the factors that affect graft patency to help establish more effective treatment of obstructive arterial disease of the lower limbs. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate graft patency in 90 legs of 80 patients who underwent femoropopliteal bypass (28 vein grafts and 62 expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts) between 1984 and 2003.

[Sudden cardiac death of school-age children].

Approximately 60 to 80 cases of childhood sudden death occur under school supervision every year in Japan and about 71% of them are sudden cardiac death. The incidence of sudden death among school-age children increases with age. 0.

End-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring indicates recovery from cardiogenic shock in patients receiving percutaneous cardiopulmonary support.

The aim of this study was to examine the prognostic value of monitoring end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO(2)) levels for patients in cardiogenic shock undergoing percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS). Fifteen patients in whom PCPS was used to treat cardiogenic shock were enrolled in this study. For hemodynamic measurements, a thermodilution catheter was inserted into the pulmonary artery and an infrared absorption sensor was placed in the main stream of exhaled air between the respiration tube and the respirator to measure ETCO(2) levels.

Reversible left ventricular dysfunction (takotsubo cardiomyopathy) with deep negative T waves due to possible cardiac sympathetic denervation.

A case of characteristic left ventricular contraction disorder representing takotsubo cardiomyopathy after exercise is reported. A 58-year-old Japanese woman with no history of cardiac disease was admitted for chest oppression after exercise. A diagnosis of myocardial infarction was suspected because of her symptom, and the electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings.

Age-related changes in gap junctional protein of the rat heart.

Objective: Connexin 43 (Cx43), a membrane protein involved in the control of cell-to-cell communication, is thought to play a role in physiological processes such as tissue homeostasis, growth regulation and development. The aim of the present study was to investigate the change of Cx43 expression in aged myocardium.

Methods And Results: Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats (adult: 10 weeks old, n=8; aged: two years old, n=8) were used in the present study.

Is measurement of plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels a useful test to detect for surgical timing of valve disease?

Background: The optimal timing of valve surgery is very important. In patients who are severely symptomatic, the marked improvement in symptomatic status observed following successful valve surgery. However, in patients with no or only mild symptoms, the decision is more difficult.

[Diagnostic use of bronchoscopy and bronchial biopsies in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Studies examining the bronchial biopsy specimens taken from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) have shown that there is an inflammatory condition in which CD8+ T-lymphocytes and macrophages are predominated by using immunohistochemical staining. Although neutrophils are scanty in the airway wall, but are increased in the airway lumen. CD8+ cells exhibit a extensive distribution along the subepithelial zone of the airways.

Effect of the proteolytic enzyme serrapeptase in patients with chronic airway disease.

Objectives: The proteolytic enzyme serrapeptase (SER) is widely used in clinical practice in Japan. We investigated the effect of SER on sputum properties and symptoms in patients with chronic airway diseases.

Methods: This study was an open-labelled trial with a non-treatment control group.