The effect of the artificial CO₂-bathing on the blood pressure in patients with Parkinson's disease with autonomic disorder was investigated and the conclusions were obtained as follows;
1. Regardless of the extent of the autonomic disorder and the contents in the bath, the slight increase in the blood pressure was observed immediatly after the bathing.
2. Systolic blood pressure within 100-150mmHg before the bathing decreased gradually during the bathing and the degree of the decrease was proportional to the extent of the autonomic disorder. The variation of the blood pressere during the bathing was within 30mmHg.
3. Furthermore, when the artificial CO₂-bathing liquid was used, the decrease in the blood pressure after the bathing was salient in proportion to the extent of the autonomic disorder and it was observed that the restoration of the blood pressure to the level before the bathing was remarkably delayed compared with the tap water bathing. This phenomenon was similar in patient with Shy-Drager syndrome characterized by severe autonomic disorder.
4. From the above results, it was suggested that the close management of the blood pressure and the attention to the change of position are necessary during and after the artificial CO₂-bathing in patient with Parkinson's disease with severe autonomic disorders and patients with Shy-Drager syndrome.

Purpose
To investigate the effect of CO₂-inhalation on the cerebral circulation of CVA patients during artificial CO₂-bathing, controlled examinations were made with ^99mTc-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime SPECT (hereinafter abbreviated as HM-PAO-SPELT).
Subject and Methods
HM-PAO-SPECT was conducted on four CVA patients without CO₂-inhalation as a control. 0.5g of artificial CO₂-bath tablet (Kao Bub^®) was them added to 2l of hot tapwater at 40°C to provide an ordinary bathing concentration. The patients inhaled the CO₂ generated for 3min at a height of 20cm above the water level, which was immediately followed by HM-PAO-SPECT. Similar examinations were performed at a higher bathing concentration provided by adding 50g of artificial CO₂-bath tablet (Kao Bub^®) to 2l of water. To compare results with systemic circulation, blood pressure and blood gas were measured before and after the CO₂-inhalation.
Results
HM-PAO-SPECT showed a remarkable increase in blood flow in two of the four patients when 0.5g of artificial CO₂-bath tablet was used to provide an ordinary bathing concentration. At a concentration 100 times higher than ordinary concentration using 50g of artificial CO₂-bath tablet, obvious increase in blood flow was found in three of the patients. At both concentrations, the remaining patient showed a decrease on blood flow, with no change in blood pressure or blood gas.
Discussion
CO₂ is considered as one of the most potent factors involved in cerebral blood flow. In these examinations, the effect of CO₂-inhalation from artificial CO₂-bath tablet in increasing blood flow was confirmed by means of HM-PAO-SPECT. Its usefulness was thus proven. The subject who showed a decrease in blood flow may have been in a period of steal phenomenon, or luxury perfusion, when he underwent the examination. Future studies must be performed on the relationship between the increase in blood flow and the improvement of symptom, timing of artificial CO₂ bathing, and between the effect of artificial bathing and the CO₂ concentration.

A 74-year-old man had a right common iliac aneurysm perforating into his inferior vena cava. He showed a pulsating abdominal mass, claudication of the right leg and swelling of both legs. The fistula was preoperatively diagnosed by aortography. The fistula was closed with two interrupted 3-0 monofilament sutures with pledgets within the aneurysm, by clamping all vessels communicating to it. The aneurysm was replaced with a Y-shaped Dacron graft. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on the 17th postoperative day without any leg claudication or swelling of the legs. This complication is rare, with only 7 such reports in Japan. It should be surgically managed as soon as the diagnosis is confirmed. Clamping all vessels communicating to the fistula in closing it is a safe and reliable approach.

A 32-year-old woman was referred to our hospital during the 35th week of pregnancy because of chest pain and dyspnea. The cesarean section was performed and a healthy infant was delivered. On the 16th hospital day, she developed heart failure. Echocardiograms revealed protrusion of the mitral valve into the left atrium in systole, vegetation and worsening of mitral regurgitation. CT showed splenic infarction. Mitral valve replacement was performed after inflammatory findings were improved by antibiotics. We reported here a case of infective endocarditis during the perinatal period.

Background : The effects of rehabilitation on hemodialysis patients are unknown. We assessed the effects and investigated the association between rehabilitation treatment effects and all-cause mortality. Methods : This prospective cohort study included 120 patients on maintenance hemodialysis. ADL was assessed using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score (total points, 126), which comprises 13 motor items (total points, 91) and five cognitive items (total points, 35). A survival curve was constructed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and stratified into an increase or no-increase of the FIM score. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with the effects of rehabilitation. Discriminative sensitivity of FIM cognitive items for an increase in total FIM was estimated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AuROC) curve. Results : The average total FIM score increased from 64.2±3.6 to 75.8±3.0, and the increase in FIM motor and cognitive items was 11.0±1.3 and 0.5±0.6, respectively. The cumulative survival rate within 2.5 years was significantly higher in the FIM increase group than that in the FIM no-increase group. FIM cognitive items and anemia were significantly associated with rehabilitation effects, and AuROC showed that a cutoff of 34 points in cognitive FIM had moderate discriminative sensitivity for a total FIM increase (AuC, 0.719 ; p<0.0008). Conclusions : Rehabilitating hemodialysis patients improved their FIM score (particularly the motor items), and a higher FIM score resulted in a better prognosis. The effectiveness of rehabilitation depends on maintaining a perfect FIM cognitive score.

　　In recent years, favorable therapeutic outcomes have been reported for arterial injection chemoradiotherapy for tongue cancer. The present case involves an 80-year-old woman in our palliative care department who had high-grade, advanced tongue cancer. Because there was a request for surgery to prevent airway occlusion due to growth of the tumor, she was referred to our department in April 2009. As a treatment policy for controlling tumor growth in high-grade, advanced tongue cancer, arterial injection chemoradiotherapy was carried out through the superficial temporal artery, with a tongue artery catheter in place on both sides. Therapeutic effect was obtained, and it was possible to avoid airway occlusion through tumor regression. Dysphagia and dysphemia were improved, which in turn improved quality of life. In this case, there was an opportunity to carry out multidisciplinary team medicine, including support from the oral care and palliative care teams as part of the process of cancer therapy. Here, we present our findings in this case.