Cowden's disease diagnosed through mucocutaneous lesions and gastrointestinal polyposis with recurrent hematochezia, unrevealed by initial diagnosis

A 51-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of hematochezia and painful keratotic plaques involving both hands. He had gastrointestinal polyposis, and a history of liver hemangiomas and thyroid tumor. Numerous papules on the face and papillomatosis on the oral mucosa were present. A diagnosis was made as a typical case of Cowden's disease according to the criteria proposed by Salem and Steck (J Am Acad Dermatol 8: 686, 1983). The patient was not correctly diagnosed initially in spite of typical manifestations of Cowden's disease, mainly due to his concomitant manifestations which occurred chronologically.     

A Long-term Persistent Vascular Fluorodeoxyglucose Uptake in a Patient with Large-vessel Vasculitis

We herein report a case of large-vessel vasculitis in a 57-year-old woman who developed an intermittent fever and weight loss. While contrast-enhanced computed tomography was noncontributory, positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) revealed the diffuse, intense uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the aorta and its branches. Although she had no signs of relapse after successful oral corticosteroid therapy, PET-CT at 30 months revealed a persistent FDG uptake in the large vessels, which warranted regular follow-up imaging for vascular complications. In cases with an intense FDG uptake at the diagnosis, PET-CT follow-up after clinical remission may help predict the risk of relapse and vascular complications.     

Platelet-Derived MRP-14 Induces Monocyte Activation in Patients With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease

Background

Peripheral artery disease (PAD), a diffuse manifestation of atherothrombosis, is a major cardiovascular threat. Although platelets are primary mediators of atherothrombosis, their role in the pathogenesis of PAD remains unclear.

Comparison of Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes and Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria for assessing patients in intensive care units

Background

The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) group proposed to adopt the 48-h time window for the 0.3  mg/dL rise in serum creatinine (sCr) proposed by the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) group as a modification to the original risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage renal disease criteria, keeping the 7-day window for the 50 % increase in sCr from baseline. The present study evaluates the prevalence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and the accuracy of predicting mortality based on the KDIGO and AKIN criteria.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively studied a cohort of 2579 patients admitted to the intensive care unit of Nagoya University Hospital between 2005 and 2009.

Results

The total AKI prevalence was higher according to the KDIGO than to the AKIN criteria (38.4 versus 29.5 %). In-hospital mortality rates were higher among 238 patients classified as non-AKI by the AKIN but AKI by the KDIGO criteria than among those classified as non-AKI by both criteria (7.1 versus 2.7 %). Survival curves generated using KDIGO significantly differed among all stages, but not between AKIN stages I and II. Multivariate analysis showed that KDIGO criteria were better in a statistical model than the AKIN criteria according to the Akaike information criterion. Harrell’s C statistic was greater for the KDIGO than for the AKIN criteria.

Conclusions

The KDIGO criteria have improved sensitivity without compromising specificity for AKI and might predict mortality at least as well as the AKIN criteria.     

the role of splenomesenteric vein anastomosis after division of the splenic vein in pancreatoduodenectomy

Division of the splenic vein was performed in 29 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy to achieve lymph node dissection and neural resection around the superior mesenteric artery. The basic protocol for the splenic vein reconstruction to reduce congestion of the spleen and stomach is as follows. When the inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) drained into the splenic vein, the confluence was preserved without reconstruction of the splenic vein. When the IMV drained into the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) or the splenomesenteric angle, the division of the IMV and spleno-IMV anastomosis were performed. In postoperative venography, nine patients showed downward flow (from the splenic vein to the IMV) and three patients showed upward flow (from the IMV to the splenic vein). Postoperative computed tomography scans showed venous dilatation and splenomegaly in the upward flow group; there were no patients in the downward flow group. In selected patients, splenic vein reconstruction is necessary to reduce congestion of the spleen and stomach. When the flow is downward, spleno-IMV flow should be preserved. When the flow is upward, spleno-SMV anastomosis is necessary instead of spleno-IMV anastomosis.     

Shape of Barrett's epithelium is associated with prevalence of erosive esophagitis

AIM:To test the hypothesis that the shape and length of Barrett‘s epithelium are associated with prevalence of erosive esophagitis.METHODS:A total study population comprised 869 patients who underwent endoscopy during a health checkup at our hospital.The presence and extent of Barrett‘s epithelium were diagnosed based on the Prague C & M Criteria.We originally classified cases of Barrett‘s epithelium into two types based on its shape,namely,flamelike and lotus-like Barrett‘s epithelium,and into two groups b...     

Emetic Potentials of Newly Identified Staphylococcal Enterotoxin-Like Toxins

Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) are a common causative agent of food poisoning. Recently, many new SE-like (SEl) toxins have been reported, although the role of SEls in food poisoning remains unclear. In this study, the emetic potentials of SElK, SElL, SElM, SElN, SElO, SElP, and SElQ were assessed using a monkey-feeding assay. All the SEls that were tested induced emetic reactions in monkeys at a dose of 100 μg/kg, although the numbers of affected monkeys were significantly smaller than the numbers that were affected after consuming SEA or SEB. This result suggests that these new SEs may play some role in staphylococcal food poisoning.