1.Clinical Study on the Use of Seki-gan-ryo
Hideo KIMURA ; Atsushi YAMAMOTO ; Tatsuya NOGAMI ; Tadamichi MITSUMA
Kampo Medicine 2004;55(5):639-643
We administered Seki-gan-ryo to 24 patients with severe asthenia and cold syndrome as judging by Japanese traditional Kampo medicine. The patients were separated into responder, and non-responder groups. There were 12 patients in the non-responding group. We investigated the clinical indicators of Seki-gan-ryo with special reference to the type of cold and pulse diagnosis. The type of cold wass divided into three groups; heat in the upper and cold in the lower, and limbs type. Pulses superficialis-profundus and excess-efficiency were graded from the diagram.
Seven of the 11 patients in the non-responder group appeared to have a general type of cold. There was, however, no statistical difference between the responders and the non-responders, in their type of cold. All patients in the responder group presented with relatively strong pulses (excess: 1, relative excess: 4, and balance: 5). On the other hand, the strength of pulses in the non-responder group appeared to vary.
If patients with severe asthenia and cold syndrome present with a relatively strong pulse, Seki-gan-ryo may be thought of as discriminating formula.
2.A Case Report of Juxtarenal Aortic Occlusion due to Takayasu's Arteritis.
Ichiro Morita ; Hisao Masaki ; Hiroshi Inada ; Daiki Kikugawa ; Atsushi Nogami ; Takashi Fujiwara
Japanese Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 1999;28(6):385-388
A rare case of juxtarenal aortic occlusion due to Takayasu's arteritis is reported. A 46-year-old man who had been suffering from intermittent claudication from the age of 44 when Buerger's disease was suspected at another hospital because of exacerbation of the symptom. Occlusion of the abdominal aorta and severe aortic wall thickness were identified by the abdominal CT scan. After the improvement of inflammation, under the diagnosis of juxtarenal aortic occlusion due to inflammatory disease, we performed an aortobifemoral bypass grafting using a Y-shaped prosthesis (proximal anastomosis was end-to-end) found a tight inflammatory adhesion around the abdominal aorta. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen revealed an infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells in aortic media and adventitia, severe fibrosis in the aortic adventitia, and a diagnosis of Takayasu's arteritis was made. The postoperative course was uneventful but we should periodically check for inflammatory signs, and anastomotic aneurysms.
3.Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease as a Systemic Disease and the Need for Multidisciplinary Care
Masato YONEDA ; Takashi KOBAYASHI ; Michihiro IWAKI ; Asako NOGAMI ; Satoru SAITO ; Atsushi NAKAJIMA
Gut and Liver 2023;17(6):843-852
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disease, and there has been a rapid increase in cases worldwide. NAFLD is rapidly becoming the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma and is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease or exacerbation of other organ diseases, thus posing a significant health problem from both a medical and a socioeconomic perspective. NAFLD is a systemic disease and requires the involvement of numerous medical professionals. Multidisciplinary collaboration, in which different professionals within different specialties come together and work together toward a common goal, supports better patient care by integrating perspectives of multiple experts and facilitating the exchange of opinions. Due to the large number of potential patients, gastroenterologists and hepatologists cannot manage the patients alone, and collaboration between specialists in various fields, including family doctors, dentists, nutritionists, and pharmacists is required for treatment of NAFLD. This review will discuss NAFLD from the perspective of various specialties and introduce multidisciplinary collaboration.
4.Non-invasive imaging biomarkers for liver steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: present and future
Asako NOGAMI ; Masato YONEDA ; Michihiro IWAKI ; Takashi KOBAYASHI ; Yasushi HONDA ; Yuji OGAWA ; Kento IMAJO ; Satoru SAITO ; Atsushi NAKAJIMA
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2023;29(Suppl):S123-S135
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is currently the most common chronic liver disease, affecting up to 25% of the global population. Simple fatty liver, in which fat is deposited in the liver without fibrosis, has been regarded as a benign disease in the past, but it is now known to be prognostic. In the future, more emphasis should be placed on the quantification of liver fat. Traditionally, fatty liver has been assessed by histological evaluation, which requires an invasive examination; however, technological innovations have made it possible to evaluate fatty liver by non-invasive imaging methods, such as ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, quantitative as well as qualitative measurements for the detection of fatty liver have become available. In this review, we summarize the currently used qualitative evaluations of fatty liver and discuss quantitative evaluations that are expected to further develop in the future.