Embolotherapy of Head and Neck Lesions: Basics and Clinical Tips.

Many pathological conditions involve the head and neck organs, which have complicated anatomy and functions. Recent advances in endovascular treatment have enabled clinicians to use it for treating various lesions, including hemorrhagic conditions, hypervascular tumors, and vascular malformations. Head and neck lesions may present with region-specific clinical manifestations, angioarchitecture, and complications, particularly regarding cosmetic, ingestion, respiratory, and neuronal functions.

Comparison of preemptive and non-preemptive kidney transplantation outcomes in children aged <6 years.

We aimed to compare the outcomes of pediatric kidney transplantation (KT) between preemptive KT (PEKT) and non-PEKT in children aged < 6 years. Seventy-four pediatric recipients aged < 6 years who underwent KT were divided into the PEKT and non-PEKT groups. They were retrospectively evaluated for patient and graft survival, graft function, growth, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.

Resistance exercise in combination with aerobic exercise reduces the incidence of serious events in patients with liver cirrhosis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Exercise, particularly resistance exercise, is beneficial for sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, the effects of exercise on events remain unclear. We aimed to examine the effects of exercise on serious events in patients with liver cirrhosis using a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Case of lumbar ligamentum flavum hematoma with epidural hematoma resulting in cauda equina compression.

Background: Lumbar ligamentum flavum hematomas (LFHs) are rare. However, when they occur and contribute to epidural cauda equina compression, timely surgical intervention is frequently warranted.

Case Description: A 69-year-old female presented with the left lower extremity sciatica and gait disturbance of 2 weeks' duration that ultimately evolved into a paraparesis/cauda equina syndrome.

Branch Retinal Artery Occlusions, Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy and Acute Macular Neuroretinopathy After COVID-19 Vaccinations.

Purpose: Potential retinal adverse events after COVID-19 vaccinations reported previously include paracentral acute middle maculopathy (PAMM), acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN), and central serous chorioretinopathy. We report four cases of branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO), one case of PAMM, and one case of AMN that occurred after administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of six patients who presented to Yame General Hospital or Oita University Hospital from July through October 2021.

Right Ventricular Dyssynchrony in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure resulting in right heart failure. Right ventricular (RV) dyssynchrony may be associated with early-stage RV dysfunction; however, the differences in RV dyssynchrony between CTEPH and PAH and the factors contributing to RV dyssynchrony remain unclear.

Methods and results: Forty-four patients (CTEPH, 26; PAH, 18) were enrolled in this study.

Two-year administration of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor brought about marked reduction of body fat independent of skeletal muscle amount or glycemic improvement in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Aim: To investigate long-term effects of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) on anthropometric and metabolic factors in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Patients And Methods: This is a retrospective observation study. Forty-six outpatients with T2DM (32 men and 14 women, 51 ± 13 years old, BMI 27.

Factors Associated with Rapidly Deteriorating Myelopathy in Patients with Spinal Arteriovenous Shunts.

Spinal arteriovenous (AV) shunts are rare conditions that sometimes present with myelopathy symptoms. The progression of the symptoms is usually gradual; however, some cases show rapid deterioration. We retrospectively investigated the factors that induced the rapid deterioration of myelopathy symptoms in patients with spinal AV shunts.

Enhanced liver fibrosis score as a predictive marker for hepatocellular carcinoma development after hepatitis C virus eradication.

Advanced liver fibrosis is the most important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development after achieving sustained virological response (SVR) by direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis C. agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein (M2BPGi), enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score, type IV collagen and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index have been reported as non-invasive biomarkers for liver fibrosis. In the present study, the possibility of using fibrosis biomarkers and other parameters to predict the development of HCC was evaluated.

Markerless Liver Tumor Localization Using Internal Liver Volume Delineated By Four-Dimensional Cone-Beam CT.

Markerless liver tumor localization has been proposed using an internal liver volume delineated by four-dimensional cone-beam CT (4D CBCT). Liver CT was performed under mid-ventilation breath hold, and transferred to a treatment planning system (TPS) to contour the gross target volume (GTV). Subsequently, liver 4D CBCT was performed and transferred to the TPS.

The Effects of Long-Term Nutrition Counseling According to the Behavioral Modification Stages in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease.

Background: the behavioral modification stages (BMS) are widely used; however, there are no reports on long-term nutrition counseling for cardiovascular disease (CVD) according to BMS.

Aim: to study the effects of long-term nutrition counseling based on the BMS in patients with CVD.

Methods: fifteen patients with CVD who participated in nutrition counseling were enrolled between June 2012 and December 2016.

Effects of In-Hospital Exercise on Frailty in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Frailty including physical inactivity is associated with the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to investigate the effects of in-hospital exercise on frailty in patients with HCC. This was a multi-center observational study.

Effects of In-Hospital Physical Therapy on Activities of Daily Living in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Activities of daily living (ADL) are frequently impaired in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this retrospective study, we aimed to investigate the effects of physical therapy on ADLs in patients with HCC during hospitalization for cancer treatment. Nineteen patients with HCC were enrolled.

Clinical and molecular basis of hepatocerebral mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome in Japan: evaluation of outcomes after liver transplantation.

Background: Hepatocerebral mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome (MTDPS) is a disease caused by defects in mitochondrial DNA maintenance and leads to liver failure and neurological complications during infancy. Liver transplantation (LT) remains controversial due to poor outcomes associated with extrahepatic symptoms. The purposes of this study were to clarify the current clinical and molecular features of hepatocerebral MTDPS and to evaluate the outcomes of LT in MTDPS patients in Japan.

Temporary airway stenting for giant anterior mediastinal tumor biopsy: Two case reports.

Introduction: When the management of an anterior mediastinal tumor requires general anesthesia, airway narrowing and obstruction may occur secondary to muscle relaxation.

Presentation Of Cases: Two men (ages, 15 and 36 years) presented with a giant anterior mediastinal tumor and central airway obstruction. We used Dumon stents to effectively secure the airway in both patients.

Primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the liver with CRTC1-MAML2 fusion: a case report.

Background: CRTC1-MAML2 fusion is often detected in low- or intermediate-grade salivary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), and it is associated with a favorable clinical course. Primary MEC of the liver is an extremely rare, aggressive tumor, and no study has investigated CRTC1-MAML2 fusion.

Case Presentation: A 79-year-old Japanese female presented with an approx.

Slow walking speed overlapped with low handgrip strength in chronic liver disease patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: Walking speed and grip strength are parameters of muscle function; however, evaluating walking speed is not always available in clinical practice. We aimed to investigate the impact of walking speed on the evaluation of muscle dysfunction in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We enrolled 107 consecutive CLD patients with HCC in this study (age 76 years [range 60-92 years]; female/male 39/68; body mass index 22.

Immune-mediated Drug-induced Liver Injury Caused by Laninamivir Octanoate Hydrate.

We herein report the first case of immune-mediated drug-induced liver injury that may have been caused by laninamivir. A 15-year-old girl was diagnosed with influenza and prescribed 40 mg laninamivir. Six weeks later, she was admitted to our hospital because of jaundice and fatigue.

Characterization of changes in HbA1c in patients with and without secondary failure after metformin treatments by a population pharmacodynamic analysis using mixture models.

The objective of the present study was to develop a population pharmacodynamic (PPD) model to describe the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)-lowering effects of metformin in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with and without secondary failure and to characterize changes in HbA1c levels in the two subpopulations using a mixture model. Information on patients was collected retrospectively from electronic medical records. In this study, the mixture model was used to characterize the bimodal effects of metformin.

Feasibility of International Proposed Standardized Enteral Connector for Semi-Solid Formula Feeding.

Background/aims: The current study was undertaken to assess if the semi-solid formulas could be used with a new ENFit connector with similar force to current percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tubes.

Methods: Experiment 1: We measured the applied pressure (force) needed to compress the syringe containing 7 viscous semi-solid formulas with a 20 Fr PEG tube and low-profile tube through the ENFit connector or the current connector. Experiment 2: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the compression force through 2 connectors in 3 infusion velocity, 7 PEG tube types with 2 semi-solid formulas.

Prognostic stratification of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on tumor immune microenvironment.

Background: Little is known about immune-related prognostic factors in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 66 patients with NPC. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) densities were analyzed, and a prognostic evaluation of these immune-related parameters was performed.

Baseline prostate-specific antigen levels following treatment with abiraterone acetate as a prognostic factor in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) who received treatment with abiraterone acetate (AA) in routine clinical settings. A total of 93 patients treated with AA between September 2014 and February 2017 were selected and their medical records were analyzed retrospectively. The median PFS time of docetaxel (DTX)-naïve patients was 171 days, and that of post-DTX patients was 56 days.