Endoscopic appearance of the colon and small intestine of a patient with hemorrhagic enteric graft-vs.-host disease

Endoscopic appearance of the gastrointestinal tract of a patient with severe hemorrhagic enteric graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) is presented. A 29-year-old man with chronic myelogenous leukemia suffered from severe enteric GVHD after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Endoscopy showed hemorrhagic ulceration of the upper jejunum, terminal ileum, and colon at the onset of melena. Sections of biopsies were compatible with acute GVHD. Repeat endoscopy showed gradual healing of the lesions after steroid pulse and antilymphocyte globulin therapy, but the patient died of cytomegalovirus pneumonitis 14 months later. Autopsy revealed submucosal fibrosis of the small intestine and colon.     

First-trimester serum folate levels and subsequent risk of abortion and preterm birth among Japanese women with singleton pregnancies

Objectives

To determine whether a low serum folate level during the first trimester predicts subsequent late abortion, preterm birth, or fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Study design

A prospective cohort study involving 5,075 women whose serum folate levels were measured during the first trimester. The participants were informed of their serum folate levels.

Results

The pregnancy duration, birthweight, rate of late abortion/preterm birth, and the rate of FGR did not differ significantly among the four groups classified according to folate status. The mean serum folate levels did not differ among quartiles classified according to the gestational week at the time of delivery. Nineteen of the 20 women with folate deficiency gave birth at term to infants with a birthweight of 3.132 ± 321 g; only one infant had FGR.

Conclusion

Low serum folate levels during the first trimester were not associated with the risk of late abortion, preterm birth, or FGR.     

Survey of Japanese infertile couples' attitudes toward surrogacy

Aim. To clarify Japanese infertile couples' attitudes toward surrogacy, and analyse the results according to the contextual factors: ethical, social and medical aspects.

Methods. We performed a questionnaire survey anonymously on the attitude toward gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy in Japanese infertile couples (103 women and 60 men) between June and August 2000. We examined the relation between the acceptability of surrogacy and the background factors (age, type of procedure, the number of clinics visited, etc.), and also analysed the woman required as each type of surrogate mother whether the presence or absence of siblings in any of the infertile couple.

Results. The rates of using gestational and traditional surrogacy if they were necessary were 17% and 7% of women, 23% and 8% of men, respectively. ART group, ≥35 years of age group and ≤2 clinics visited group as a contextual factor influenced their affirmative determinants. Approximately 70% of the infertile couples preferred anonymity as a surrogate gestational mother. Regardless of whether each partner had a full sister, these tendencies were observed.

Conclusions. We found the contextual factors related to the acceptability of surrogacy. The ongoing deliberations toward surrogacy considering certain conditions of a concerned couple would be highly desirable.     

Status of treatment for the overall population of patients with stage IVb endometrial cancer,and evaluation of the role of preoperative chemotherapy: A retrospective multi-institutional study of 426 patients in Japan

Objective

We previously reported on the role of cytoreduction in 248 patients with surgical stage IVb endometrial cancer (EMCA). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, prognosis according to initial treatment, and impact of preoperative chemotherapy in the overall population of patients with clinical and surgical stage IVb EMCA.

Methods

A multi-institutional retrospective analysis was performed in 426 patients diagnosed with clinical and surgical stage IVb EMCA from 1996 to 2005. Factors associated with overall survival (OS) were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

The median OS for all 426 patients was 14 months. Patients were divided into three groups according to their initial treatment: primary surgery group (n = 279), primary chemotherapy group (n = 125), and palliative care group (n = 22). The median OS times for these groups were 21, 12, and 1 month, respectively (p < 0.0001). Patients in the primary surgery group had better performance status (PS) and lower numbers of extra-abdominal metastases than those in the primary chemotherapy group. Multivariate analysis identified good PS, endometrioid histology, absence of clinical intra-abdominal stage IVb metastasis, hysterectomy, and chemotherapy as independent predictors of OS. In the primary chemotherapy group, 59 patients subsequently underwent surgery, and these patients had similar OS to those in the primary surgery group.

Conclusions

Hysterectomy and chemotherapy may prolong OS in selected patients with stage IVb EMCA. Our data suggest that primary chemotherapy followed by surgery may be a useful treatment choice in patients not suitable for primary surgery.     

Adequacy of control of preoperative hypertension can affect landiolol-induced hemodynamic changes in elderly patients during emergence from anesthesia

We examined the dose-related effects of landiolol on hemodynamics during emergence from anesthesia of elderly patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Thirty-three normotensive, 34 controlled hypertensive, and 31 uncontrolled hypertensive elderly patients were divided into three groups: control (saline infusion), 0.125 landiolol group, and 0.25 landiolol group. Landiolol or saline infusion was administered at 0.125 (0.125 landiolol group) or 0.25 (0.25 landiolol group) mg/kg/min for 1 min and thereafter decreased to 0.04 or 0.08 mg/kg/min, respectively, until extubation, under regular heart rate and blood pressure monitoring. In normotensive patients, the 0.125 mg/kg/min landiolol infusion was suitable for stabilization of systolic blood pressure and heart rate during tracheal extubation. Controlled hypertensive patients required a 0.25 mg/kg/min landiolol infusion for stabilization of systolic blood pressure and heart rate during tracheal extubation. In uncontrolled hypertensive patients the 0.25 mg/kg/min landiolol infusion could stabilize heart rate, but not systolic blood pressure. In conclusion, the adequacy of preoperative hypertensive control could affect landiolol infusion-induced hemodynamic stability during emergence of elderly patients from anesthesia.     

Detection of multivessel disease in patients with myocardial infarct using exercise myocardial scintigraphy--usefulness of SPECT with qualitative and quantitative analysis

The detection of multivessel disease (MVD) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) was performed using exercise myocardial scintigraphy with qualitative and quantitative analysis, to compare the diagnostic ability of planar (PL), planar + washout rate (PL + WR), SPECT, Bull's eye + WR (BE + WR) and SPECT + BE + WR. Forty seven patients of anterior MI (SVD: DVD: TVD = 29: 8: 10) and thirty four patients of infero-posterior MI (SVD: DVD: TVD = 16: 8: 10) were reviewed. SPECT was superior to PL to detect ischemia of RCA in patients with anterior MI (50% vs. 100%) and to detect ischemia of diagonal branch in patients with infero-posterior MI (0% vs. 83%). The detection of ischemia of LCX in patients with anterior MI revealed low sensitivity in both PL and SPECT. SPECT + BE + WR showed the highest diagnostic ability to detect MVD in patients with both anterior (87%) and infero-posterior MI (82%). We conclude that SPECT with qualitative and quantitative analysis is the most useful to detect MVD in patients with MI.     

Validation of cardiac 123I-MIBG scintigraphy in patients with Parkinson’s disease who were diagnosed with dopamine PET

Purpose  

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of cardiac ¹²³I-labelled metaiodobenzylguanidine (¹²³I-MIBG) scintigraphy in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD). The diagnosis was confirmed by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with ¹¹C-labelled 2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-fluorophenyl)-tropane (¹¹C-CFT) and ¹¹C-raclopride (together designated as dopamine PET).     

Opening wedge high tibial osteotomy affects both the lateral patellar tilt and patellar height

In the current study, we evaluated changes in the patellofemoral joint indices in 49 knees from 39 patients (11 men and 28 women with a median age of 64 years; range 53–79) who had undergone an opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO). Osteoarthritis had been diagnosed in 39 knees and osteonecrosis in the other 10 knees in this patient cohort. Radiographs showing anteroposterior and true lateral views of the knee joints while standing, and also skyline views while standing with a 30° flexion, were taken both pre- and postoperatively. Radiographic assessments were then performed using the following five parameters: femorotibial angle (FTA), modified Blackburne-Peel ratio (mBP), tibial slope (TS), lateral patellar tilt (LPT), and lateral patellar shift (LPS). The average LPT decreased significantly from 7.4° ± 3.7° to 5.2° ± 3.6° (P < 0.01). Patients treated with a greater than 15° correction showed a significantly bigger change in their LPT than those with corrections of 15° or less. No statistical differences were found between the preoperative (10.2 ± 4.5%) and postoperative (10.2 ± 4.7%) LPS measurements. Changes in the radiographic parameters were also observed in the patellofemoral joint after OWHTO. It is unclear to what extent the postoperative patellar shift and tilt affects the long-term clinical outcomes but our current results suggest that OWHTO negatively affects the congruency of the patellofemoral joint and should not exceed a correction of 15°.     

Renal failure caused by plasma cell infiltration in multiple myeloma

We report on a case of severe renal failure in a 61-year-old female with multiple myeloma (MM). Two months prior to admission, the patient was diagnosed to have anemia and progressive renal failure associated with urinary Bence Jones protein and was referred to our hospital. A bone marrow biopsy revealed 40% plasma cells with κ light chain restriction. Thus, she was considered to have MM. A renal biopsy revealed neoplastic plasma cell infiltration within the kidney, moderate interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and punctate, electron-dense material along the peripheral capillary walls, tubular basement membrane, and in the interstitium of the kidney. This suggested that a combination of compression of the tubules and the microvasculature by the infiltrative process, and local light chain deposition-mediated tissue damage might be implicated in the development of renal failure in this patient. Despite a remission of bone marrow plasmacytosis with a bortezomib-based regimen, her renal function gradually deteriorated and a periodic hemodialysis program was finally required. Although the clinical impact of the direct kidney infiltration of neoplastic plasma cells on the longitudinal changes in renal function remains to be delineated, it is reasonable to consider that the infiltration of neoplastic plasma cells associated with local light chain depositions may result in irreversible renal injuries. Obviously, further studies and accumulation of additional experience with renal biopsy are required to better determine the precise and prognostic relationship between renal outcome and morphological alterations among MM patients with varying degrees of renal impairment.