This multicenter study was designed to clarify the positive effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO; epoetin alfa) by subcutaneous administration on anemia after autologous blood donation in cardiac surgery. A total of 55 patients undergoing elective heart surgery were enrolled in this study and subcutaneously given EPO at a dose of 200IU/kg (200IU group, n=23), 400IU/kg (400IU group, n=16) or 600IU/kg (600IU group, n=16) once a week for 3 weeks prior to surgery. Autologous blood (400g) was drawn twice from each patient, at 14 days and 7 days before surgery. Oral iron was given daily throughout this study. The mean reticulocyte counts increased significantly 2 weeks after the first administration of EPO in the 200IU group or 1 week after the first administration in the 400IU and 600IU groups. There was an increase in mean hemoglobin (Hb) levels 1 week after the initiation of EPO by 1.7, 2.8 and 2.1% in the 200IU, 400IU and 600IU groups, respectively. After the first drawing of autologous blood, the Hb levels decreased gradually in all groups despite the second administration of EPO. The change in Hb level immediately before surgery however, was a 4.2% decrease (p<0.05) in the 200IU group and 0.8% decrease (N. S.) in the 400IU group and 0.7% increase (N. S.) in the 600IU group in comparison with the initial Hb level. In conclusion, subcutaneous administration of EPO was effective in improving anemia after autologous blood donation in cardiac surgery.

During the period of two years from 2001 to 2003, we treated nine cases of takotsubo-type myocardiopathy. In this paper, the clinical characteristics and patients' conditions are described, and the mechanisms leading to dyskinesia of the muscular walls of the heart are discussed. All the cases were female. The mean age was 73 years. Physiological as well as psychological stress was implicated as a major cause of the disease, with onset occurring when some members of their family were suddenly taken ill or when they started quarreling with others. Echocardiograms revealed sigmoid septa in almost half of the nine patients. The prognosis was good. Only one patient had cardiac insufficiency as a sequela, but her condition improved. No one died.Eight patients got over dyskinesia of the left ventricular walls in two weeks. From our experience and studies of literature, we ruled out the possibility of the involvement of circulatory disorder and myocarditis in the onset of the disease. Women of advanced age are apt to have sigmoid septa and left ventricular walls thinning. When the old patient in this condition suffer psychosomatic stress, catecholamines will be released, causing the hypercontraction of the left ventricle, the pressure difference in the chamber, and the collapse of the apical of the heart. We concluded that these physiopathological states may be responsible for the abnormal movements of the muscular walls of the heart peculiar to the disease taken up in this study.
Heart ; Patients ; Dyskinetic syndrome ; Age, NOS ; Heart insufficiency

We report two cases of farm chemical poisoning which were treated successfully. Two elderly men separately swallowed down paraquat/diquat solutions in an attempt to kill themselves, and resultantly developed pulmonary fibrosis. After steroid therapy, clinical symptoms desappeared, although a slight degree of abnormality remained on chest X-rays. Case 1: a 57-year-old man; the amount of ingestion, 100 ml; hospitalized 2 hours after ingestion; shock, (-); urinary PQ reactoin, (2); serum PQ level, 1.14 ug/ml; pulmonary injury at first examinatoin, (-); pulmonary manifestation of symptoms, at day 3 after hospitalization; minimum Pao₂, 67.6 mmHg. Case 2: a 65-year-old man; the amount of ingestion, one gulp; hospitalized 27 minutes after ingestion ; shock, (-); urinary PQ reactoin, (3+); serum PQ level, 6.6ug/mg; pulmonary injury at first examination, (-); pulmonary manifestation of symptoms, at day 5 after hospitalization; minimum Pao₂, 58.3mmHg. For treatment, gastrointestinal lavage, forced diuresis and direct hemoperfusion were performed in both cases. Steroid pulse therapy was followed by repeated oral administration of large doses of steroid.
Hepatic and renal disorders were transient. Pao₂ was normal when the patients were discharged. The primary reasons we could save their lives are probably that the amount of PQ ingestion was relatively small, hemodialysis was performed repeatedly at early stages, and that large amounts of steroid were used immediately after the onset of pulmonary fibrosis.

We studied 494 patients with lung cancer who had been treated in our hospital from January 1985 through December 1994. Of the total number of cases, 20.4% were stage I; 4.5%, stage II; 12.1%, stage IIIA; 23.8%, stage IIIB; and 34.3%, stage IV. The 5-year-survival rate of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was 61.0% in stage I, 43.4% in stage II, 21.2% in stage IIIA, 0% in stage IIIB and 0.9% in stage IV. The 3-year-survival rate and median survival time (MST) of patients with small cell lung cancer was 10.3% and 13.7 months in limited disease, and 0% and 4.8 months in extensive disease.
By histologic type, the 5-year-survival rate of patients with NSCLC was 19.7% in squamous cell carcinoma, 19.5% in adenocarcinoma and 5.3% in large cell carcinoma. The 5-year-survival rate of patients who were discovered by health screening was 39.4%; by subjective symptoms, 9.8%; and during the observation of other diseases, 14.7%. The 5-year-survival rate and MST of the patients with NSCLC treated in the Department of Internal Medicine of our hospital (stage III or IV) from 1985 through 1989, and from 1990 through 1994, were 1.9% and 7.4 months in the former period, and 3.7% and 9.9 months in the latter. Approximately 75% of the cases of lung cancer treated in our hospital were stage III or IV disease, and prognosis was very poor. Therefore, prevention and detection in the early stage of lung cancer are important.

Constrictive pericarditis after open heart surgery is a rare entity that is difficult to diagnose. There are various approaches in the surgical treatment of pericarditis. We performed a pericardiectomy on cardiopulmonary bypass via a median approach with good results. A 67-year-old man underwent mitral valve repair in 2005. He began to experience easy fatigability as well as leg edema beginning in January 2010 for which he was treated medically. The fatigability worsened in July 2012. Echocardiography at that time was unremarkable. However, CT and MRI showed pericardial thickening adjacent to the anterior, posterior, inferior, and left lateral wall of the left ventricle. Bilateral heart catheterization revealed dip and plateau and deep X, Y waves as well as end-diastolic pressure of both chambers approximately equal to the respiratory time. He was diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis and taken to surgery. The chest was entered via median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass was initiated to facilitate complete resection of the pericardium. The left phrenic nerve was visualized and care was taken to avoid damage to the structure. A part of the pericardium was strongly adherent to the epicardium. We elected to perform the waffle procedure. After pericardial resection, cardiac index improved from 1.5 l/min/m² to 2.7 l/min/m², and central venous pressure improved from 17 to 10 mmHg. Postoperatively, dip and plateau disappeared as measured via bilateral heart catheterization and diastolic failure improved. In the treatment of constrictive pericarditis, we should resect as much of the pericardium as possible. Depending on the case, this can be facilitated by median sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass.

  During the period of two years from 2001 to 2003, we treated nine cases of takotsubo-type myocardiopathy. In this paper, the clinical characteristics and patients' conditions are described, and the mechanisms leading to dyskinesia of the muscular walls of the heart are discussed. All the cases were female. The mean age was 73 years. Physiological as well as psychological stress was implicated as a major cause of the disease, with onset occurring when some members of their family were suddenly taken ill or when they started quarreling with others. Echocardiograms revealed sigmoid septa in almost half of the nine patients. The prognosis was good. Only one patient had cardiac insufficiency as a sequela, but her condition improved. No one died.Eight patients got over dyskinesia of the left ventricular walls in two weeks. From our experience and studies of literature, we ruled out the possibility of the involvement of circulatory disorder and myocarditis in the onset of the disease. Women of advanced age are apt to have sigmoid septa and left ventricular walls thinning. When the old patient in this condition suffer psychosomatic stress, catecholamines will be released, causing the hypercontraction of the left ventricle, the pressure difference in the chamber, and the collapse of the apical of the heart. We concluded that these physiopathological states may be responsible for the abnormal movements of the muscular walls of the heart peculiar to the disease taken up in this study.

  An inquiry was made into the health of 10 one-time asbestos workers now living in the southern part of Akita Prefecture who had taken screening tests for asbestosis on a regular basis. The purpose of this study was to provide pertinent information and better health support to these people at high risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. The average number of years they served as asbestos workers was 11.1±2.12 years and 29.8±4.64 years had passed sincefirst exposure. All the subjects were found to have had no idea about guarding against exposure to asbestos while at work. Neither had they been told to protect themselves from this fibrous mineral by their employers. What motivated them to take examinations for asbestosis was news reports provided by newspapers and other mass media about pulmonary disorders caused by earlier contact with asbestos fibers. Half of the subjects did not know anything about qualifications for receiving the health card for retired asbestos workers. They expressed apprehensions about their health. One subject said, “I may be taken ill anytime,” another said, “The psychological burden of always taking meticulous care of my health is overwhelming,” and still another said, “There is no way of knowing whether I am suffering from asbestosis because there is no symptom.” The latest statistics showed that the number of officially acknowledged victims of asbestos-related pulmonary diseases is increasing across the nation together with the incidence of mesothelioma. To allay the anxiety of former asbestos workers about their health, this study suggested that as the responsibilities of the medical profession, we should (1) get acquainted with the relief system and related laws, (2) help the patients maintain their quality of life by following up the their problems over a long period of time, and (3) continue research activities and make the results public so as to contribute to the relief of the patients.

Four patients with fulminant myocarditis (two males and two females, age 21-67 years old) were examined during 1995-2001. Fulminant myocarditis was diagnosed based on clinical features, abnormal electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings, and increased serum enzyme levels. In three of four cases, the diagnoses were confirmed histologically in autopsy. All four patients had flu-like symptoms and fever at the start. One patient died suddenly next day. Other three patients went into cardiogenic shock five and seven days after the onset of symptoms and hospitalized, and treated with temporary pacing, steroid pulse therapy, catecholamine (in all three patients) and percutaneous cardiopulmonary support : PCPS (in one patient), but they died within ten days. Electrocardigrams showed ventricular escape rhythm, ST elevation associated with Q wave, and low voltage of the QRS complex. Markedly increased serum enzyme levels, severe metabolic acidosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation were thought to be indicative of poor prognosis. Early recognition of cardiac involvement and using of PCPS without hesitation in an acute phase could improve the outcome of fulminant myocarditis.
Myocarditis ; Clinical ; Therapeutic brand of coal tar ; symptoms <1> ; Serum

From January 1979 through May 1982, 36 premature infants less than 2.5kg and less than 35 weeks of gestation, including 24 patients with respiratory distress syndrome, underwent ligation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) due to being unresponsive to medical treatment. Ten patients died postoperatively mainly from intracranial hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis. Surviving 26 patients were examined for developmental sequelae based on questionnaire survey. One infant died of respiratory failure secondary to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia 28th month after operation. We found no evidence of recurrent ductal patency following ligation during the follow-up period. Twenty four patients exhibited normal motor and mental development to attend the ordinary elementary school everyday, but one patient shows mental retardation. Most of patients suffered from the frequent upper respiratory infection in childhood to require rehospitalization. There are no patients with hoarseness, but 2 patients developed funnel chest and one required the operation. One third of the patients had ophthalmological handicap (myopia or strabismus). Surgical ligation of PDA in premature infants seems to reduce the duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation and the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Analyzing long-term follow-up indicates that infants who undergo PDA ligation grow almost normally and do not appear to be at increased risk for sensorineural handicaps. Therefore we emphasize that surgical ligation of PDA is an effective and appropriate treatment of choice for significant PDA in premature infants.

Clinical course and outcome of 34 patients with peripheral and visceral artery aneuryms, operated during 1975-1990, were analysed. There were 24 males and 10 females. Ages ranged from 14 to 87, with an average of 55 years. Peripheral aneurysms located most frequently in the lower extremity, and the incidence of various origin of the aneurysms were as follows: 14 in femoral, 5 in popliteal, 4 in internal iliac, 3 in subclavian, 2 in common iliac arteries, and 1 in each of vertebral, radial, splenic, renal and anterior tibial artery. Most common cause of aneurysm was arteriosclerosis. Multiple aneurysms were found in 59% of sclerotic type and in most of these with bilateral aneurysms in the iliac, femoral and popliteal. Ruptured aneurysms were seen in 26% of this series. Most of the aneurysms in the extremities were totally excised without difficulty, while the aneurysms in common iliac and internal iliac were opened with partial excision or obliterated with endoaneurysmorrhaphy. Arterial reconstruction was performed using saphenous vein graft or synthetic vascular graft, excepting that the internal iliac artery itself was not reconstructed. The early operative results were satisfactory, but late results showed two death and three complications of cardiovascular system. Therefore, careful follow up of the postoperative patients was recommended.