Decreased Basophil Activation against House Dust Mite after Japanese Cedar Pollen Subcutaneous Immunotherapy: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT), an established treatment for allergic diseases, prevents the development of other allergic manifestations. Although the mechanisms remain unclear, AIT has been shown to reduce basophil activation (BA) against nontarget allergens.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess immunological changes in Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f) after Japanese cedar pollen (JCP)-based subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) monotherapy.

3-Fr microcatheter-assisted endoscopic ultrasound-guided rendezvous technique with a 22-gauge needle and a 0.018-inch guidewire for difficult biliary cannulation.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided rendezvous with a 22-gauge needle and a 0.018-inch guidewire, assisted by a 3-Fr microcatheter, effectively addresses challenges in biliary cannulation, improving guidewire manipulation and reducing risks of injury and leakage. Natsume and colleagues describe the successful extraction of common bile duct stones to demonstrate the efficacy of this technique.

Assessing white matter microstructural changes in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus using voxel-based R2* relaxometry analysis.

Background: R2* relaxometry and quantitative susceptibility mapping can be combined to distinguish between microstructural changes and iron deposition in white matter. Here, we aimed to explore microstructural changes in the white matter associated with clinical presentations such as cognitive impairment in patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) using R2* relaxometry analysis in combination with quantitative susceptibility mapping.

Methods: We evaluated 16 patients clinically diagnosed with possible or probable iNPH and 18 matched healthy controls (HC) who were chosen based on similarity in age and sex.

Importance of the Number and Location of Lymph Node Metastasis in Oropharyngeal Cancer.

Background/aim: The 8 edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system classifies oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) by the expression of p16. The discrepancy observed in this system between pathological and clinical N-stages in p16-positive OPC has provoked controversy. Therefore, this study investigated prognostic factors not included in the new staging system for p16-positive OPC patients.

Relationship between brain iron dynamics and blood-brain barrier function during childhood: a quantitative magnetic resonance imaging study.

Background: Mounting evidence suggests that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role in the regulation of brain iron homeostasis in normal brain development, but these imaging profiles remain to be elucidated. We aimed to establish a relationship between brain iron dynamics and BBB function during childhood using a combined quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to depict both physiological systems along developmental trajectories.

Methods: In this single-center prospective study, consecutive outpatients, 2-180 months of age, who underwent brain MRI (3.

A Simple Method for Creating Medical Illustrations Using Tablets.

Medical illustrations are defined as illustrations that contain and convey medical information. Illustrations in surgical records play a pivotal role not only in recording medical information but also in sharing surgical information, improving own surgical skills, and teaching young doctors. However, we believe that creating a medical illustration from a blank sheet of paper is challenging for beginners.

A Case of Autism Spectrum Disorder with Perforated Keratomalacia due to Vitamin A Deficiency.

We report a case of a patient with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and perforated keratomalacia secondary to vitamin A deficiency. A 6-year-old boy complained of difficulty in opening the eyelids. The ocular conjunctiva was hyperemic and keratinized with purulent ocular (eye) discharge.

The Efficacy of Drug-Coated Balloon for Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention using a drug-eluting stent (DES) is a common therapeutic option for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, stent-associated complications, such as bleeding associated with dual antiplatelet therapy, in-stent restenosis, stent thrombosis, and neoatherosclerosis, remain. Drug-coated balloons (DCBs) are expected to reduce stent-associated complications.

Elevated Preoperative Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Does Not Predict Poor Outcomes in Curatively Resected Non-metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated Without Neoadjuvant Therapy.

Background/aim: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) influences colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and is a key target in the treatment for metastatic CRC. However, the oncological impact of preoperative circulating VEGF in non-metastatic CRC (non-mCRC) has not been clearly elucidated. Herein, we have investigated the prognostic significance of elevated preoperative serum VEGF concentration in curatively resected non-mCRC without neoadjuvant therapy.

MACULAR MORPHOLOGY AFTER MACULAR HOLE SURGERY USING THE INVERTED INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE FLAP TECHNIQUE.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of an excess inverted internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap that covers the fovea in idiopathic macular hole surgery on postoperative visual acuity and macular morphology.

Methods: This retrospective study included 66 patients with an idiopathic macular hole who underwent vitrectomy using the inverted ILM flap technique. They were divided into three groups: normal morphology (N), detached ILM (D), or ILM proliferation (P) in the parafoveal area.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio at the start of the second course during atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy predicts therapeutic efficacy in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter analysis.

Aim: Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) therapy is expected to have good therapeutic efficacy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the clinical indicators that predict therapeutic efficacy have not been established. We retrospectively investigated whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) during Atez/Bev therapy could predict therapeutic efficacy.

3M microfoam™ surgical tape prevents nasal pressure injury associated with nasotracheal intubation: A randomized double-blind trial.

Background: 3M microfoam™ surgical tape (3ST: 3M Japan Limited) is used for pressure wound control of medical equipment. It is cushioned and can be fitted to any body part. Here we investigated whether 3ST prevents nasal pressure injury associated with nasotracheal intubation (NTI).

Outcome of nucleos(t)ide analog cessation in patients with treatment for prevention of or against hepatitis B virus reactivation.

Aim: We retrospectively investigated patients with administration of nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) for prevention of or against hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation, and their clinical outcomes after cessation of the NA.

Methods: We enrolled 180 patients who were positive for HBsAg when they started immunosuppressive therapy or chemotherapy and an NA was administered to prevent HBV reactivation (HBV carrier group), and 82 patients with resolved HBV infection who started administration of an NA after HBV reactivation (de novo HBV group). Cessation of the NA depended on each physician's judgment without definite criteria.

Effect of a multimodal non-pharmacological intervention on older people with dementia: a single-case experimental design study.

Background: Older people with dementia (PWD) in nursing homes (NHs) tend to have decreased cognitive function, which may cause behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) and hinder activities of daily living (ADLs). Therefore, taking measures against the cognitive decline of PWD in NH and, in turn, the decline of BPSDs and ADLs is crucial. The purpose of this study was to test whether a multimodal non-pharmacological intervention (MNPI) is effective in maintaining and improving global cognitive function, BPSDs, and ADLs in PWD in NHs.

Modified inverted internal limiting membrane flap technique for macular hole closure.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of modified internal limiting membrane (ILM) flap technique combined with vitreous surgery for treating macular holes and examine the outcomes in visual function and anatomic macular hole closure.

Study Design: Retrospective, observational.

Methods: Between July 1, 2015, and October 1, 2019, the modified inverted ILM flap technique combined with vitreous surgery was used to treat idiopathic macular holes, postoperative progression was then followed for at least 6 months in 96 participants (98 eyes).

A Case of Cat Scratch Disease with Neuroretinitis in a 16-Month-Old Boy.

Purpose: We report a case of neuroretinitis associated with cat scratch disease (CSD) in young children.

Method: Case report.

Results: A 16-month-old boy was admitted for a detailed examination and treatment of a fever of unknown origin.

Clinical impact of bile-derived exosomal microRNAs as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for biliary tract cancers.

Sampling of bile juice during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has potential benefit of being amenable to the identification of novel biomarkers in liquid biopsy. This study reports the results of a global investigation of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) in bile to identify potential biomarkers for biliary tract cancers (BTCs). Eighty-eight bile samples collected during ERCP (45 BTC and 43 noncancer control samples) were enrolled in this study.

A Case of Fabry Disease with Central Retinal Artery Occlusion.

We report a case of Fabry disease diagnosed after recurrent cerebral infarction in a patient with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). A 23-year-old man presented with vision loss in his right eye (20/2000), showing CRAO. There was no identified cause for the loss of vision; however, corneal verticillata was detected in both eyes on the recurrence of the cerebral infarction.

Plasmacytoid Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder That Manifests Disseminated Carcinomatosis of the Bone Marrow: A Case Report of Extremely Rapid Progression.

Plasmacytoid urothelial carcinoma (PUC) of the bladder is a rare variant of invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) with aggressive behavior. Despite its prognosis being poorer than that of conventional UC, a median overall survival of approximately 2 years is ensured when it is treated with radical cystectomy (RC), and few patients die within a few months of RC. In this paper, we report the case of a patient with PUC who developed widespread bone metastasis only 6 weeks after RC, which resulted in death within 2 months postoperatively.

Comparison of Emergence Agitation Scale Scores and Creatine Kinase Levels After General Anesthesia in Children: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Introduction A simple indicator of muscle damage is creatine kinase (CK). Although CK elevation is informative for malignant hyperthermia, no study has examined the relationship between the anesthetically awake state and CK in children. We aimed to prospectively examine the relationship between the awakening state and CK on the day after surgery in children who have undergone anesthesia with volatile inhalation anesthetics.