Hydrodistension with or without fulguration of hunner lesions for interstitial cystitis: Long-term outcomes and prognostic predictors.

Aims: Hydrodistension of the bladder, with optional fulguration of Hunner lesions, is one of the recommended therapies for interstitial cystitis (IC). The aims of this study are to evaluate long-term outcomes of hydrodistension and identify outcome predictors.

Methods: The study cohort was 191 newly diagnosed IC patients (155 women and 36 men) who underwent hydrodistension with fulguration of Hunner lesions if detected between 2007 and 2013 at our institution.

Efficacy and safety of sitagliptin for the treatment of diabetes mellitus complicated by chronic liver injury.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, sitagliptin, for treating diabetes mellitus complicated by chronic liver injury.

Methods: Sitagliptin was administered for 13.7 ± 10.

Validation of major prognostic models for metastatic urothelial carcinoma using a multi-institutional cohort of the real world.

Background: Several prognostic models predicting survival of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) have been developed; however, of them, the first model by Bajorin in 1999 is still the most representative and widely used, and validations of newer models are lacking. This study aimed to validate three major prognostic models for metastatic UC constructed based on clinical trials.

Methods: We reviewed 200 patients with metastatic UC who received first-line chemotherapy at our five affiliate institutions between 2003 and 2011.

A case of radiation-induced subclavian artery stenosis treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty.

We report on a female patient who underwent a standard radical mastectomy and radiation therapy for right breast cancer at the age of 50 years without recurrence. At the age of 76 years, she started to experience fatigue in the right upper limb. The symptom gradually worsened and she was admitted to our hospital for further investigation.

Successful Detection of Renal Involvement in Sjögren's Syndrome Secondary to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus by Renal Biopsy.

An 80-year-old man presented with a mildly decreased renal function and increased anti-double-stranded-DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody levels, and met the diagnostic criteria of the American College of Rheumatology for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the incremental increase in creatinine levels and the mild proteinuria were inconsistent with lupus nephritis. We performed a renal biopsy, which revealed interstitial nephritis and minor glomerular abnormalities.

Congenital contractural arachnodactyly complicated with aortic dilatation and dissection: Case report and review of literature.

Congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) is a connective tissue disease caused by mutations of the FBN2, which encodes fibrillin-2. CCA patients have a marfanoid habitus; however, aortic dilatation and/or dissection as observed in Marfan syndrome have been rarely documented. Here, we report on a Japanese familial case of CCA resulting from a FBN2 splicing mutation (IVS32+5g→a), which leads to exon 32 being skipped, and the patients developed aortic dilatation and type A dissection.

Pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as an independent predictor of survival in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma: A multi-institutional study.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic significance of the pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who underwent salvage chemotherapy.

Methods: We reviewed 200 metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who received salvage chemotherapy at our five affiliate institutions between 2003 and 2011. The associations of pretreatment clinicopathological factors, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, with cancer-specific survival and overall survival from the start of chemotherapy were assessed.

Impact of the distance from the stent edge to the residual plaque on edge restenosis following everolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the relation between stent edge restenosis (SER) and the distance from the stent edge to the residual plaque using quantitative intravascular ultrasound.

Background: Although percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents has improved SER rates, determining an appropriate stent edge landing zone can be challenging in cases of diffuse plaque lesions. It is known that edge vascular response can occur within 2 mm from the edge of a bare metal stent, but the distance to the adjacent plaque has not been evaluated for drug-eluting stents.

Deconvoluting the composition of low-frequency hepatitis C viral quasispecies: comparison of genotypes and NS3 resistance-associated variants between HCV/HIV coinfected hemophiliacs and HCV monoinfected patients in Japan.

Pre-existing low-frequency resistance-associated variants (RAVs) may jeopardize successful sustained virological responses (SVR) to HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, the potential impact of low-frequency (∼0.1%) mutations, concatenated mutations (haplotypes), and their association with genotypes (Gts) on the treatment outcome has not yet been elucidated, most probably owing to the difficulty in detecting pre-existing minor haplotypes with sufficient length and accuracy.

[Intrapulmonary hematoma masquerading as metastatic carcinoma of lung cancer].

We herein report a case of intrapulmonary hematoma after lobectomy for lung cancer. A 51-year-old male underwent right upper lobectomy for lung cancer in a thoracoscopic procedure. Three months after the operation, chest computed tomography showed a 16-mm well-circumscribed nodule in the right lower lobe suggesting metastatic carcinoma for lung cancer.

Incidence of febrile seizure in patients with Down syndrome.

Background: It is unclear whether the incidence of febrile seizure (FS) in children with Down syndrome (DS) is higher or lower than in the general population. In this study, we investigated the incidence of FS in DS patients using mailed questionnaires.

Methods: The questionnaires were distributed to parents or caregivers of DS patients attending Osaka Medical College Hospital and six other facilities.

A Case of Rathke's Cleft Cyst Associated with Transient Central Adrenal Insufficiency and Masked Diabetes Insipidus.

A 73-year-old woman admitted to our hospital because of headache, poor appetite, malaise, weight loss, and vomiting was found to have central adrenal insufficiency and thyrotoxicosis due to silent thyroiditis. Polyuria developed after replacement with glucocorticoid (masked diabetes insipidus), which was controlled with nasal administration of desmopressin. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a large cystic pituitary mass (18 × 18 × 12 mm) extending suprasellarly to the optic chiasm.

[A case of myasthenia gravis with invasive thymoma associated with diffuse panbronchiolitis, alopecia, dysgeusia, cholangitis and myositis].

A 43-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of diplopia, ptosis, and dysphagia that had begun three years previously. He was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) and invasive thymoma and treated with corticosteroid, thymectomy, and radiation therapy. Ten years after the thymectomy, computed tomography (CT) showed metastasis of the thymoma in the left lower lobe of the lung.

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms of the glottis, renal pelvis, urinary bladder, oral floor, prostate, and esophagus in a Japanese male patient: a case report.

Owing to recent advances in diagnostic and surgical techniques for cancer, a patient diagnosed with two or more neoplasms is not rare. We report on the case of a 58-year-old male with multiple primary malignant neoplasms, who suffered from three histological types of malignant neoplasm in six organs, namely the glottis, renal pelvis, urinary bladder, oral floor, prostate, and esophagus in chronological order. The first neoplasm was a squamous cell carcinoma of the glottis diagnosed in 2006.

A case of proliferative diabetic retinopathy that regressed on human immunodeficiency virus treatment.

We report the case of a patient with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, who was later found to have human immunodeficiency virus infection that progressed rapidly. However, we could not determine the clinical course after the onset of human immunodeficiency virus because the patient died shortly after it was detected. In this patient, the activity of proliferative diabetic retinopathy showed regression after treatment for human immunodeficiency virus was initiated.

[Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor causing hemothorax; report of a case].

We herein report a case of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor that caused a hemothorax. A 39-year-old male was found to have an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray. Chest computed tomography showed a 60-mm tumor in the right posterior mediastinum.

Effect of purified eicosapentaenoic acid on red cell distribution width in patients with ischemic heart disease.

A recent study showed eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a promising treatment for prevention of coronary events in hypercholesterolemic patients. Meanwhile, a high red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events. However, few studies have addressed the association between EPA levels and RDW.

Telmisartan activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase via Ser1177 phosphorylation in vascular endothelial cells.

Because endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) has anti-inflammatory and anti-arteriosclerotic functions, it has been recognized as one of the key molecules essential for the homeostatic control of blood vessels other than relaxation of vascular tone. Here, we examined whether telmisartan modulates eNOS function through its pleiotropic effect. Administration of telmisartan to mice significantly increased the phosphorylation level of eNOS (Ser1177) in the aortic endothelium, but administration of valsartan had no effect.

Periodontitis in cardiovascular disease patients with or without Marfan syndrome--a possible role of Prevotella intermedia.

Background: Although periodontitis is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the influence of periodontitis on Marfan syndrome (MFS) with CVD is unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between periodontal bacterial burden and MSF with CVD.

Methods And Results: The subjects were patients with MFS with CVD (n = 47); age and gender matched non-MFS CVD patients (n = 48) were employed as controls.

Travoprost with sofZia® preservative system lowered intraocular pressure of Japanese normal tension glaucoma with minimal side effects.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of travoprost with sofZia® preservative system for lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) of Japanese normal tension glaucoma (NTG) patients.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, open-label study, Japanese NTG patients with baseline IOPs <20 mmHg were enrolled after three consecutive time measurements taken at screening and baseline visits. Travoprost with sofZia® was instilled once daily.

Safe stapling technique for pulmonary vessels with the shortened introducers and curved tips in thoracoscopic surgery.

Endo GIA(™) curved tips with Tri-Stapler(™) is more useful for the approach for pulmonary vessels than conventional straight staplers. Unless adequate space is maintained below the vessels, there is a risk of causing damage to the back of vessels with the curved tip without optional introducers. The recommended method involves passing silk thread through the back of the pulmonary vessels and ligating the thread to the introducer.

The effects of partial use of formula diet on weight reduction and metabolic variables in obese type 2 diabetic patients--multicenter trial.

Aims: To clarify the usefulness of protein-sparing modified formula diet in obese type 2 diabetic patients, the effects of partial use of formula diet on weight reduction and changes in related metabolic variables, and the improving rates of risk factors per 1% body weight reduction, were compared with those of conventional subcaloric diet.

Subjects And Methods: Obese patients [BMI >25 kg/m²] with diabetic mellitus were randomly assigned to a low-caloric diet with partial use of formula diet group (FD, n = 119) and a conventional low-caloric diet group (CD, n = 110). Subjects in FD took one pack of formula diet (MicroDiet®, 240 kcal/pack) in place of one of three daily low-caloric meals for 24 weeks.

High incidence and severity of periodontitis in patients with Marfan syndrome in Japan.

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a systemic connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in the extracellular matrix protein fibrillin-1. While it is known that patients with MFS are at high risk of dental disorders and cardiovascular diseases, little information has been provided to date. To clarify the prevalence of periodontitis in patients with MFS, their oral condition and cardiovascular complications were evaluated.

Silicate Urolithiasis during Long-Term Treatment with Zonisamide.

Silicate urinary calculi are rare in humans, with an incidence of 0.2% of all urinary calculi. Most cases were related to excess ingestion of silicate, typically by taking magnesium trisilicate as an antacid for peptic ulcers over a long period of time; however, there also existed unrelated cases, whose mechanism of development remains unclear.