Inhibitory effects of amniotic fluid on the activated protein C anticoagulation system in maternal plasma

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. We previously reported that possible contamination of amniotic fluid...     

Double Early Rectal Cancer Arising from Multiple Inflammatory Cloacogenic Polyps Resected by Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection

A 45-year-old man visited our institution due to the onset of hematochezia. He had a previous episode nine years earlier and colonoscopy at that time revealed multiple polyps, which were consistent with inflammatory cloacogenic polyps (ICPs) on the dentate line. Colonoscopy was performed again and two of the ICPs had grown. Both lesions were pathologically diagnosed as adenocarcinomas based on biopsies. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was performed and the two lesions were diagnosed as double well-differentiated adenocarcinomas arising from ICPs. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of double early rectal cancer in ICPs, which were followed endoscopically and successfully resected with ESD.     

Correction to: Detection of acute rib fractures on CT images with convolutional neural networks: effect of location and type of fracture and reader’s experience

Emergency Radiology -     

The relationship between gallbladder disease and smoking and drinking habits in middle-aged Japanese

Background: Background: Few studies have investigated the association between smoking and ultrasonographically diagnosed gallbladder (GB) disease, and their results were uncertain. This study was conducted to examine the association between smoking and drinking and GB diseases. Methods: A total of 9947 subjects (age, 30–69 years; 4953 men and 4994 women) voluntarily received a paid medical check-up at our center in Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan. All of the subjects underwent abdominal ultrasonographic (US) examination, a demographic check, and a biochemical test, and answered a self-administered questionnaire asking about smoking habits and alcohol consumption. Of the 9947 subjects, 483 had gallstones, 819 had gallbladder polyps, and 169 were in a state of postcholecystectomy. We compared the findings in this group with the findings in 8417 people (4144 males and 4273 females) with normal gallbladder. Results: Multiple regression analysis among males showed that cigarette smoking was inversely related to GB polyps (odds ratio, [OR], 0.76; 95% confidence internal [CI], 0.59–0.98 and OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56–0.98, respectively, for current and ex-smokers). Ex-smokers a showed positive association with the postcholecystectomy state (OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.18–5.52). Light drinkers showed an inverse relation to GB stones (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49–0.99), and heavy drinkers showed an inverse relation to GB polyps (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51–0.90). Current drinkers showed an inverse relation to the postcholecystectomy state (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.28–0.83). Conclusions: Cigarette smoking was inversely related to gallbladder polyps in males and was positively related to the postcholecystectomy state. Drinking was inversely related to gallstones, GB polyps, and the postcholecystectomy state in males. Received: July 19, 2001 / Accepted: November 2, 2001     

A tomato-rich diet is related to depressive symptoms among an elderly population aged 70 years and over: A population-based,cross-sectional analysis

BackgroundEnhanced oxidative stress or defective anti-oxidant defenses are related to the pathogenesis of depressive symptoms. Lycopene is the most powerful antioxidant amongst the carotenoids. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between different vegetables, including tomatoes/tomato products (a major source of lycopene), and depressive symptoms in a community-based elderly population.MethodsWe analyzed a cross-sectional survey including 986 community-dwelling elderly Japanese individuals aged 70 years and older. Dietary intake was assessed using a valid self-administered diet-history questionnaire, and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale with 2 cut-off points: 11 (mild and severe) and 14 (severe) or use of anti-depressive agents.ResultsThe prevalence of mild and severe and severe depressive symptoms was 34.9% and 20.2%, respectively. After adjustments for potentially confounding factors, the odds ratios of having mild and severe depressive symptoms by increasing levels of tomatoes/tomato products were 1.00, 0.54, and 0.48 (p for trend <0.01). Similar relationships were also observed in the case of severe depressive symptoms. In contrast, no relationship was observed between intake of other kinds of vegetables and depressive symptoms.LimitationsThis is a cross-sectional study, and not for making a clinical diagnosis of depressive episodes.ConclusionsThis study demonstrated that a tomato-rich diet is independently related to lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. These results suggest that a tomato-rich diet may have a beneficial effect on the prevention of depressive symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.     

Evaluation of Malignant Breast Lesions Using High-resolution Readout-segmented Diffusion-weighted Echo-planar Imaging: Comparison with Pathology

Purpose:We aimed to investigate the performance of high resolution-diffusion-weighted imaging (HR-DWI) using readout-segmented echo-planar imaging in visualizing malignant breast lesions and evaluating their extent, using pathology as a reference.Methods:This retrospective study included patients who underwent HR-DWI with surgically confirmed malignant breast lesions. Two radiologists blinded to the final diagnosis evaluated HR-DWI independently and identified the lesions, measuring their maximum diameters. Another radiologist confirmed if those lesions were identical to the pathology. The maximum diameters of the lesions between HR-DWI and pathology were compared, and their correlations were calculated using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the lesions were measured.Results:Ninety-five mass/64 non-mass lesions were pathologically confirmed in 104 females. Both radiologists detected the same 93 mass lesions (97.9%). Spearman’s correlation coefficient for mass lesions were 0.89 and 0.90 (P < 0.0001 and 0001) for the two radiologists, respectively. The size differences within 10 mm were 90.3% (84/93) and 94.6% (88/93) respectively. One radiologist detected 35 non-mass lesions (54.7%) and another radiologist detected 32 non-mass lesions (50.0%), of which 28 lesions were confirmed as identical. Spearman’s correlation coefficient for non-mass lesions were 0.59 and 0.22 (P = 0.0002 and 0.22), respectively. The mean ADC value of mass lesions and non-mass lesions were 0.80 and 0.89 × 10⁻³ mm²/s, respectively.Conclusion:Using HR-DWI, malignant mass lesions were depicted with excellent agreement with the pathological evaluation. Approximately half of the non-mass lesions could not be identified, suggesting a current limitation of HR-DWI.     

A case of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis caused by Schizophyllum commune identified in both patient's nasal sputum and veranda's soil samples

This is a case report of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis caused by Schizophyllum commune (S. commune) identified in a patient's nasal mucus and environmental soil sample using (r)DNA sequencing. Although filamentous basidiomycetes, including S. commune, are known as environmental pathogens causing allergic respiratory diseases worldwide, many patients with infections caused by S. commune have not been correctly diagnosed. Repeated exposures to environmental floating fungi supposedly make an easy sensitization and colonization of fungi in the nasal passages, resulting in the onset of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis due to S. commune in our living environments. This report indicates the importance of reconsidering allergic respiratory diseases associated with our living environments.