Successful treatment of esophageal perforation due to black esophagus (acute esophageal necrosis): a case report.

Background: Black esophagus, or acute esophageal necrosis (AEN), is a rare disease with a poor prognosis in which the esophageal mucosa is black in color. We report a case of esophageal perforation due to AEN that was successfully treated.

Case Presentation: An 88-year-old woman presented to her local hospital with the chief complaint of abdominal pain.

Phase II Trial of Pathology-based Tripartite Treatment Stratification for Patients with CNS Germ Cell Tumors: A Long-term Follow-up Study.

Background: A previous Phase II clinical trial, conducted from 1995 to 2003, evaluated CNS germ cell tumors (GCTs) using a three-group treatment stratification based on histopathology. The primary objective of the study was to assess the long-term efficacy of standardized treatment regimens, while the secondary objective focused on identifying associated long-term complications.

Methods: Total 228 patients were classified into three groups for treatment: germinoma (n=161), intermediate prognosis (n=38), and poor prognosis (n=28), excluding one mature teratoma case.

Questionnaire survey of virtual reality experiences of digestive surgery at a rural academic institute: A pilot study for pre-surgical education.

We developed a prototype VR platform, VECTORS L&M (VLM), aiming to enhance the understanding of digestive surgery for students, interns, and young surgeons by limiting costs. Its efficacy was assessed via questionnaires before implementation in surgical education. The VLM provides nine-minute VR views of surgeries, from both 180- and 360-degree angles.

Disease-specific variant interpretation highlighted the genetic findings in 2325 Japanese patients with retinitis pigmentosa and allied diseases.

Background: As gene-specific therapy for inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD) advances, unified variant interpretation across institutes is becoming increasingly important. This study aims to update the genetic findings of 86 retinitis pigmentosa (RP)-related genes in a large number of Japanese patients with RP by applying the standardised variant interpretation guidelines for Japanese patients with IRD (J-IRD-VI guidelines) built upon the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology rules, and assess the contribution of these genes in RP-allied diseases.

Methods: We assessed 2325 probands with RP (n=2155, including n=1204 sequenced previously with the same sequencing panel) and allied diseases (n=170, newly analysed), including Usher syndrome, Leber congenital amaurosis and cone-rod dystrophy (CRD).

Effects of vasodilators on beat-to-beat and every fifteen minutes blood pressure variability induced by noradrenaline infusion in rats.

Increased blood pressure variability (BPV) was shown to be associated with cardiovascular morbidities and/or mortalities. There are various types of BPV depending on time intervals of BP measurements, ranging from beat-to-beat to visit-to-visit or year-to-year. We previously found that continuous infusion of noradrenaline (NA) for 14 days increased short-term BPV every 15 min in rats.

Distinct patterns of copy number alterations may predict poor outcome in central nervous system germ cell tumors.

We have previously reported that 12p gain may predict the presence of malignant components and poor prognosis for CNS germ cell tumor (GCT). Recently, 3p25.3 gain was identified as an independent predictor of poor prognosis for testicular GCT.

Natriuretic peptides potentiate cardiac hypertrophic response to noradrenaline in rats.

Excessive activation of the sympathetic nervous system is involved in cardiovascular damage including cardiac hypertrophy. Natriuretic peptides are assumed to exert protective actions for the heart, alleviating hypertrophy and/or fibrosis of the myocardium. In contrast to this assumption, we show in the present study that both atrial and C-type natriuretic peptides (ANP and CNP) potentiate cardiac hypertrophic response to noradrenaline (NA) in rats.

Efficacy of laparoscopic liver resection for small hepatocellular carcinoma located in the posterosuperior segments: A multi-institutional study using propensity score matching by the Kyushu Study Group of Liver Surgery.

Aim: Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) located in the posterosuperior segments (PS) have generally been considered more difficult than those for HCC in anterolateral segments (AL), but may be safe and feasible for selected patients with accumulated experience. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness of LLR for single nodular HCCs ≤3 cm located in PS.

Methods: In total, 473 patients who underwent partial liver resection for single nodular HCCs ≤3 cm at the 18 institutions belonging to the Kyusyu Study Group of Liver Surgery from January 2010 to December 2018 were enrolled.

A Preliminary Pathological Evaluation of Extracellular Volume Fraction with Contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography as a Novel Quantitative Parameter of Pancreatic Fibrosis.

Objective The extracellular volume (ECV) calculated based on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) has been reported as a novel imaging parameter reflecting the morphological change of fibrosis in several parenchymal organs. Our retrospective study assessed the validity of the ECV fraction for diagnosing pancreatic fibrosis and the appropriate imaging condition as the "equilibrium phase". Methods In 27 patients undergoing multiphasic CT and subsequent pancreaticoduodenectomy, we investigated pathological fibrotic changes related to the ECV fraction and conducted analyses using the value obtained by subtracting the equilibrium CT value of the portal vein from that of the abdominal aorta (Ao-PV) to estimate eligibility of the equilibrium phase.

Disordered testosterone transport in mice lacking the ganglioside GM2/GD2 synthase gene.

Genetic disruption of glycosyltransferases has provided clear information on the roles of their reaction products in the body. Our group has studied the function of glycosphingolipids by genetic engineering of glycosyltransferases in cell culture and in mice, which has demonstrated both expected and unexpected results. Among these findings, aspermatogenesis in ganglioside GM2/GD2 synthase knockout mice was one of the most surprising and intriguing results.

An alternative option of the retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach for limited hepatectomy for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma at the transected edge after previous hepatectomy.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy is safely performed with minimal invasiveness on patients with recurrent liver tumors after previous hepatectomy. However, it is still difficult to dissect and expose the operative field at the transected edge or plane after open right hepatectomy, even for limited resection by a laparoscopic approach, due to severe adhesion to the surrounding peritoneum or organs. We herein applied the retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach to limited resection of the dorsal surface at the transected edge of Couinaud's segment 6 after previous repeated hepatectomies in a patient with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by avoiding severe intra-abdominal adhesion.

Liver hanging maneuver is suitable in major hepatectomy for liver malignancies over 5 cm.

Objectives: Hepatic transection through an anterior approach is required to successfully complete anatomical hepatectomy for large liver malignancies. The liver hanging maneuver (LHM) is an alternative procedure for transection on an adequate cut plane and may reduce intraoperative bleeding and transection times.

Material And Methods: We examined the medical records of 24 patients with large liver malignancies (>5 cm) who had undergone anatomical hepatic resection with LHM (n= 9) or without LHM (n= 15) between 2015 and 2020.

Prognostic analysis of smoldering ATLL with skin eruptions based on genomic aberrations.

Background: Patients with smoldering ATLL often present with a skin eruption due to skin infiltration of ATLL cells. Although skin eruption type is known to be associated with prognosis based on its pattern, it is unknown why different types of skin eruptions are associated with different prognoses.

Objective: Genomic analysis of patients with skin eruptions of smoldering ATLL will be performed to determine the mechanism of ATLL development and its association with prognosis.

Conjoined nerve root in a patient with lumbar disc herniation accompanied by a lumbosacral spine anomaly: a case report.

Background: A nerve root anomaly, typified by a conjoined nerve root, is a rare finding. Conjoined nerve root anomalies are easily missed even in preoperative advanced imaging modalities, which can be potentially troublesome during and after surgery. In this report, we present a case of conjoined right L5-S1 nerve root in a patient with lumbar disc herniation, accompanied by spina bifida occulta, which was undiagnosed on preoperative imaging studies.

Analysis of Mechanisms for Increased Blood Pressure Variability in Rats Continuously Infused with Angiotensin II.

Objective: We reported that rats infused with angiotensin II (Ang II) are not only a model of hypertension but also of augmented 24 h blood pressure variability (BPV). In this study, we examined the mechanisms for Ang II-induced BPV, focusing on BP, heart rate (HR), baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS), and medial area of the aortic arch.

Methods: Nine-week-old male Wistar rats were infused with subcutaneous 5.

Comparison of Safety and Efficacy in Endoscopic Combined Intrarenal Surgery Performed in the Lateral Decubitus and Galdakao-modified Supine Valdivia Positions.

Objective: To examine the safety and efficacy of Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (ECIRS) between the lateral decubitus (LD) and Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia (GMSV) position.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 226 patients with renal stones who underwent ECIRS in the LD and GMSV positions between 2018 and 2022. Surgeries early in the study period were mainly performed in the GMSV position, while later surgeries were mainly performed in the LD position.

Novel Mathematical Diagnostic Analysis of Malignant Biliary Stenosis Using Magnetic Resonance Cholangiography in Patients Undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background/aim: A novel mathematical diagnostic analysis using Fourier transform (FT) algorithm of the extrahepatic bile duct (BD) using magnetic resonance-cholangiography (MRC) was performed to evaluate irregularities of the bile duct lumen indicating BD cancer (BDC) extension compared to pancreatic head malignancies controls.

Patients And Methods: BD lumen was automatically traced, and a 2D-diagram cross-section was measured and a FT-based integrated-power-spectral-density-function value (FTV) of both diameter and area (mm  and mm /Hz) was calculated for cancerous and non-cancerous parts utilizing a computer workstation.

Results: FT analysis that was achieved in 59 patients consisted of BDC in 31, pancreatic cancer with biliary stenosis (PC) in 10 and pancreatic neoplasm without stenosis (PN) in 18.

Dynamic changes in the three-dimensional mitral complex geometry in a case of takotsubo cardiomyopathy with transient systolic anterior movement of the mitral valve.

Unlabelled: A 57-year-old female presented to us with takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Echocardiogram revealed systolic anterior movement of the mitral valve (SAM) and severe mitral regurgitation (MR) with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. After intensive medical treatment, SAM and MR almost disappeared along with the restoration of LV wall motion abnormality.

Prognostic Value of Repeat Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients.

Background/aim: The potential for repeat hepatectomy has been increasing in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Patients And Methods: To assess its significance, we examined the clinical features, surgical records, and survival of 279 HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy as primary treatment. Patients were divided into three groups: single hepatectomy without HCC relapse in 97 patients (Group 1), single hepatectomy with HCC relapse in 133 patients (Group 2) and repeat hepatectomy for HCC relapse in 49 patients (Group 3).

Relationship of immunonutritional factor with changes in liver volume after portal vein embolization.

Background: To identify predictors of changes in hepatic volumes after portal vein embolization, we examined the relationship with preoperative nutritional and immunological parameters.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-three patients who underwent portal vein embolization were included. The control group comprised 13 patients who underwent right hepatectomy without portal vein embolization.