Neurophysiological assessment of sensory gating in psychiatric inpatients: comparison between schizophrenia and other diagnoses

Gating of auditory sensory responsiveness was examined in 75 psychiatric inpatients using a conditioning-testing paradigm with the P50 wave of the auditory evoked response, in which pairs of stimuli are presented to the subject. In previous studies, most schizophrenics did not decrement the second response to the extent seen in normals. Acutely ill patients, who were representative of patients admitted to a public university teaching service and a proprietary hospital, were used to examine the extent to which diminished sensory gating is found in diagnoses other than schizophrenia. About half of these patients showed diminished sensory gating that correlated with measures of severity of illness. The data, taken together with that from other studies using this paradigm, suggest that diminished sensory gating, like several other psychophysiological abnormalities, is a trait deficit in schizophrenia, but a state deficit in many other mental illnesses.     

Surgical treatment of pathological stage III and IV lung cancer less than 3 cm in diameter

We analyzed stage III and IV lung cancer with tumor size smaller than 3.0 cm. The percentage of adenocarcinoma among the patients with stage III A lung cancer was high. In survival rate, there was no observable difference between the patients with tumor size smaller than 3.0 cm and the patients with tumor size larger than 3.1 cm. But the ratio of the people who had a long survival was high in the latter group. Among the stage IV patients, the pm 1 group with N0 or N1 had a good prognosis (52%, 50% at 5 years).     

The loss of BAP1 protein expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with nonmetastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombosis

Objectives

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is characterized by a propensity for extension into the renal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC) and is associated with poor prognosis. BAP1 mutation, which occurs in about 15% of patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC), also predicts poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to elucidate the association between BAP1 protein expression and clinicopathological outcomes in patients with nonmetastatic ccRCC with an IVC tumor thrombus (IVCTT).

Cytologic assessment of peroperative pleural effusion and prognosis in lung cancer patients who underwent resection.

Twenty-five of 108 lung cancer patients who underwent resection had cytologically positive pleural effusions. The rate at which cancer cells were detected was not related to the amount of the effusion. Almost one third of patients with cancer cells in effusion were alive at the end of the third postoperative year, provided that the pleura itself was free of metastasis at the time of operation. Correlation of the cytologically positive rate of pleural effusion (Y) with the degree of pleural metastasis (X1), the degree of pleural involvement (X2), or the degree of nodal involvement (X3) was analyzed using the Hayashi's quantification method type I. The multiple correlation coefficient was 0.843. Partial correlation coefficients of X1, X2, and X3 were 0.733, 0.446, and 0.653, respectively. Pleural metastasis had the strongest effect on the cytologically positive rate of pleural effusion.     

Evaluation of the changes in signals from the spleen using ferucarbotran

Purpose Because superparamagnetic iron oxide is actively taken into the reticuloendothelial system, the signal intensity observed on T2-weighted images is reduced not only in the liver but also in the spleen. There is no difference in the reduction in signal intensity in the liver after contrast between the ferumoxides and ferucarbotran, but the reduction in signal intensity in the spleen is considerable. In the present study, we examined the efficacy of T2*-weighted imaging to compensate for the reduction in signal intensity in the spleen by administering ferucarbotran. Materials and methods We examined the images obtained from 35 patients who underwent MRI with ferucarbotran. T2-weighted images and T2*-weighted images were obtained before and after administration of ferucarbotran, and the changes in signal intensity in the liver and spleen were then analyzed. Results A reduction in signal intensity was observed in the liver by both T2- and T2*-weighted imaging. In the spleen, the signal intensity was reduced on T2-weighted images but was not reduced on T2*-weighted images. Conclusion The reduction in signal intensity due to administration of ferucarbotran is low in the spleen. Thus, it was considered necessary to approach the problem of diagnosing ectopic splenic tissue using ferucarbotran with caution.     

Revisit image control for pediatric chest radiography

Purpose The aim of this study was to analyze the fraction defectiveness and efficacy of the patient immobilization device (PID) for pediatric chest radiography. Materials and methods We examined 840 plain chest radiographs in six hospitals, including four children's hospitals and two general hospitals. The mean age of the patients was 1.9 years (range 0–5 years). Two board-qualified pediatric radiologists rated (into three grades, by consensus) the degree of inspiration, rotation, lordosis, scoliosis, and cutoff or coning as well as the quality of the chest radiographs. Results The incidence of “poor” and “very poor” quality examinations was 2/140 and 3/140 in each of two children's hospitals using PID. The corresponding figures were 9/139 and 17/140 in the two children's hospitals that did not use PID. The general hospital using PID had 14/140 “poor” and “very poor” examinations. The general hospital that did not use PID had 28/140 “poor” and “very poor” examinations. Thus, statistically better quality chest radiography was obtained with the use of PID (P < 0.001). Likewise, rotation, lordosis, and scoliosis were less frequently diagnosed as present when PID was used (P < 0.001, 0.001, 0.05). Cutoff or coning had no relation to the use of PID (P = 0.13). No significant difference was found between the degree of inspiration and the use of PID (P = 0.56). Conclusion Fraction defectiveness in the general hospital that did not use PID was as much as 14 times higher than that of the children's hospitals that used PID. The patient immobilization device is recommended for hospitals with technologists not specifically trained for pediatric examination.     

Weekly paclitaxel therapy is curative for patients with retroperitoneal liposarcoma

In March 2004, we resected a giant retroperitoneal liposarcoma and the transverse colon, spleen and left kidney in a 58-year-old woman. In July, recurrence was detected in the right pelvis and left upper abdomen; therefore, we resected the tumor. In September 2004, computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple recurrences in the right lower abdomen, left upper abdomen, front of the left lobe of the liver, and at the back of the stomach. In October 2004, we started mesna, doxorubicin, ifosfamide, and dacarbazine therapy (MAID); however, after 1 course, the disease progressed, and the patient developed edema in the bilateral legs due to inferior vena cava (IVC) compression. In November 2004, we started weekly paclitaxel therapy (100 mg/m(2), once a week for 3 weeks followed by 1 drug-free week). CT revealed no change as a result of chemotherapy; however, IVC compression had improved, and leg edema had decreased. In August 2005, chemotherapy was stopped; therefore,the patient's condition worsened. She died in September 2005. We performed weekly paclitaxel therapy for the patient with recurrent liposarcoma. This improved her symptoms and quality of life (QOL). Therefore,we consider weekly paclitaxel therapy to be effective for liposarcoma treatment.