Patients with chronic type B aortic dissection usually require surgical repair due to aortic dissection-related complications, whereas those with uncomplicated type B acute aortic dissection can usually be managed with medical therapy. Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), as well as aortic enlargement, visceral or limb ischemia and recurrent dissection, has been reported as one of the rare complications of type B aortic dissection which require surgical treatment in the chronic phase. DIC is a severe complication which can result in catastrophic events such as gastrointestinal and cerebral bleeding. The management of DIC as a complication of chronic aortic dissection is still controversial, as medical treatment involving anticoagulants and the supplementation of coagulation factors via a transfusion of fresh frozen plasma is not completely reliable. Surgical treatment to close a false lumen can be corrective, but carries the risk of excessive bleeding due to DIC. We report a patient with chronic type B dissection with a patent false lumen complicated by overt DIC. This patient had frequent occurrences of purpura on the upper and lower extremities. Contrast computed tomography in the late phase showed stagnation of contrast medium in the thoracic false lumen, which strongly idicated this false lumen to be the origin of the DIC. We gave the patient a continuous drip infusion of heparin (12,000 U/day) for 1 week before the operation, after which we performed total aortic replacement in order to thrombose the false lumen. His coagulation profile, including platelet count, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio and clinical symptoms improved immediately after the operation. Computed tomography (CT) performed 3 months after the operation showed complete thrombosis and obstruction of the false lumen in the thoracic aorta. The patient is currently well and has resumed routine activities. The continuous infusion of heparin for 1 week was highly effective to improve the coagulopathy in the present case. This case underscores the importance of conducting follow-up to evaluate coagulation-fibrinolysis system function and to measure the aortic diameter by CT in patients with chronic type B aortic dissection with a patent false lumen. Comparison of the early and late phases of contrast-enhanced CT was extremely useful to determine the cause of coagulopathy in this case. Furthermore, the coagulopathy was successfully treated by total aortic arch replacement to close the entry of the false lumen.

Caseous calcification of mitral annulus is a rare disease characterized by tumors of the mitral cusps. Operative case reports, however, are rare because this lesion seldom negatively affects hemodynamics. We encountered a 67-year-old female case of mitral regurgitation with caseous calcification of mitral posterior annulus due to ischemic heart disease and performed mitral valve replacement and CABG. The excision of the mitral thickened lesion resulted in a defect of the mitral annulus, which needed to be repaired with an autologous pericardial patch. We mainly report the intraoperative findings of this case.

We evaluated risk factors for prolonged pleural effusion after surgery in 35 children who underwent total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC). Duration of their chest tube drainage was 5.4±7.0 days (1-41, median 3). In univariate analysis, significant risk factors for prolonged pleural drainage over 7 days were preoperative body weight (p=0.03), preoperative cardiothoracic ratio (p=0.03), cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time (p=0.02), homologous blood transfusion (p=0.03), serum protein concentration at CPB weaning (p=0.04), central venous pressure (CVP) averaged during 3 postoperative days (p=0.01) and body weight change during 3 postoperative days (p=0.01). However multivariate analysis showed only CVP averaged during 3 postoperative days was a significant risk factor for prolonged chest tube drainage (p=0.03, odd's ratio 3.3). In conclusion, to keep the central venous pressure as low as possible during the early postoperative period might decrease the duration of pleural drainage.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive rehabilitation for depression, cognitive function, ADL, and QOL in patients with post-stroke depression (PSD). In addition, we evaluated the effects of cognitive rehabilitation on customer satisfaction with long-term care facilities and rehabilitation.Methods: This study included 8 participants with PSD who were residents of a long-term care facility located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. In addition to their ordinary rehabilitation (2 sessions per week, 20 minutes per session), participants underwent 36 sessions of cognitive rehabilitation (3 sessions per week, 20 minutes per session, for 12 weeks). Primary outcome measures: Depression severity was measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Zung Self Depression Scale (SDS), and the Depression Scale of the Japan Stroke Scale (JSS-D). Frontal lobe function was assessed using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). Secondary outcome measures: QOL was assessed using SF-8. Customer Satisfaction with the rehabilitation was measured using the Customer Satisfaction Scale based on Need Satisfaction (CSSNS). Assessments were performed before and after the rehabilitation.Results: The severity scores of depression, frontal lobe function, and customer satisfaction with the rehabilitation all significantly improved after the cognitive rehabilitation sessions.Conclusions: The results obtained in this trial indicate that, for patients with PSD depressive symptoms, frontal lobe function, QOL, and rehabilitation customer satisfaction may be improved by the inclusion of cognitive rehabilitation sessions alongside regular rehabilitation.

Aim : Since it was reported that acupuncture at Danchu (CV17) was critical when the needle penetrated through the congenital sternal foramen, we decided to study the incidence of the congenital sternal foramen, as well as the distance between the body surface and the back side of the sternum at Danchu, in order to know the safe depth of acupuncture penetration.
Method : 1) We selected 51 cadavers to examine the incidence of congenital sternal foramen and, if any, to study its structure. We also selected 21 cadavers to measure the cadaveric thickness of the sternum. 2) We selected 31 people to measure the incidence of the congenital sternal foramen and the distancebetween the body surface and the back side of the sternum at the point of Danchu.
Results : 1) We found one out of 51 cadavers which had congenital sternal foramen. The location of the foramen was at the height of the fourth intercostal space. It was round-shaped, 9mm in diameter, and filled with hard connective tissue. The thickness of the sternum ranged from 9 to 15mm with an average of 11.5 ± 2mm. 2) There was no one who had the congenital sternal foramen among the 32 people. The distance between the body surface and the back side of the sternum ranged from 11 to 31mm with an average of 18.8 ± 5mm.
Conclusion; 1) The incidence of the congenital sternal foramen in this study was one in 51 cadavers and zero in 32 people. 2) We concluded that acupuncture at Danchu within a depth of 10mm is sufficiently, even if congenital sternal foramen exists.

In the postoperative treatment of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery, the relationship between intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and the clinical course is not been clearly understood. From April 2000 to January 2003, we treated 109 cases of abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery (non-rupture 71 cases, rupture 38 cases) and measured intra-abdominal pressure in 30 of the ruptured cases which we analyzed in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups. The H-group included 12 patients with maximum IAP equal to or higher than 20mmHg, and the L-group included 18 patients with a maximum IAP less than 20mmHg. Clinical characteristics were compared between the 2 groups. The mean age was 79.3±7.6yr in the H-group and 70.7±10.1yr in the L-group (p=0.019). Preoperative shock was diagnosed in 83.3% of the H-group patients, and 61.1% of the L-group patients the (p=0.26). Postoperative maximum values of intra-abdominal pressure were 22.3±2.0mmHg in the H-group, and 15.4±2.4mmHg in the L-group. Duration of intubation was 87.7±110.0h in the H-group, and 25.1±29.2h in the L-group (p=0.04). Food intake was started 14.4±11.2d after surgery in the H-group, and 8.5±4.8d after surgery in the L-group (p=0.094). The length of ICU stay was 6.7±6.5d in the H-group, and 2.9±2.1d in the L-group (p=0.033). Length of hospital stay after surgery was 54.1±25.8d in the H-group, and 25.2±6.8d in the L-group (p=0.001). Complications occurred in 8 cases out of 11 surviving cases (73%) in the H-group, and in 3 cases out of 17 surviving cases (18%) in the L-group (p=0.0024). Complication in the H-group included acute renal failure, paralytic ileus, respiratory failure, abdominal wall dehiscence, and acute arterial occlusion, and that in the L-group included acute renal failure, upper limb paresis, and lower limb paresis. Monitoring of intra-abdominal pressure was considered beneficial to recognize complication and decide therapeutic strategy after ruptured aortic aneurysm surgery.

BACKGROUND: To improve postoperative outcomes associated with interstitial pneumonia (IP) in patients with lung cancer, the management of the postoperative a cute exacerbation of IP (PAEIP) was investigated. METHODS: Patients with primary lung cancer were considered to be at risk for PAEIP (possible PAEIP) based on a preoperative evaluation. The early phase of this study was from January 2001 to December 2008, and the late phase was from January 2009 to December 2014. In the early phase, chest computed tomography (CT) was performed for patients for whom PAEIP was suspected based on their symptoms, whereas in the late phase, chest CT was routinely performed within a few days postoperatively. The numbers of possible PAEIP cases, actual PAEIP cases, and deaths within 90 days due to PAEIP were compared between both phases. RESULTS: In the early and late phases, surgery was performed in 712 and 617 patients, 31 and 72 possible PAEIP cases were observed, nine and 12 actual PAEIP cases occurred, and the mean interval from the detection of PAEIP to starting treatment was 7.3±2.3 and 5.0±1.8 days, respectively. Five patients died in the early phase, and one patient died in the late phase. Significantly fewer PAEIP-related deaths were observed in the late phase (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Identifying patients at risk for PAEIP by routine postoperative CT examinations led to the early diagnosis and treatment of PAEIP, resulting in the reduction of PAEIP-related mortality.
Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial* ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Mortality ; Thorax* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The combined method of antegrade and retrograde administration of cardioplegic solution has been established for coronary bypass surgery. We applied this technique in patients undergoing aortic and mitral valve surgery. Between January 1989 and December 1990, 28 patients underwent both aortic and mitral valve replacements. To compare the myocardial protective effect according to the method of cardioplegic administration, they were divided into two groups; Ante group (antegrade, n=15) and Retro group (combined method of antegrade and retrograde, n=13). Aortic occlusion time and cardiopulmonary bypass time were shorter in Retro group. The mean interval of each cardioplegic administration was significantly shorter in Retro group (Ante group, 29.2±4.8min vs Retro group, 24.0±3.8min; p<0.01). These results suggest that retrograde cardioplegia method never disturbs ongoing operation during each delivery while antegrade method often does. Serum CPK-MB at 6hr of reperfusion tended to be less in Retro group (Ante group, 120±80IU/l vs Retro group, 78±50IU/l; p=0.09). The results of postoperative cardiac functions were the same in both groups. We therefore believe that this method is an optimal strategy even in patients with valvular heart disease.

In Akita Prefecture, there are nine hospitals established by the Akita Prefectural Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives for Health and Welfare (Koseiren). Half of the stroke patients in the prefecture were treated in these Koseiren hospitals, and half of the mass screening projects for the prevention of cardio vascular diseases were undertaken by these hospitals. A retrospective cohort study was done using mass-screening data (age, sex, past history of diabetes mellitus, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking and drinking habits) of 175,033 cases stored at these hospitals from 1988 to 1999, and the prefecture-wide stroke data of 2,520 initial stroke events registered from 1988 to 2003. The number of stroke cases was broken down into 1,428 cases of cerebral infarction (57%, CI), 693 cases of cerebral hemorrhage (27%, CH) and 399 cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage (16%, SAH). The subjects were also divided into five age groups:30-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80-89. Blood pressure (BP) was classified into six categories according to the JNC 6 criteria. Risk factors were determined using the Cox analysis. The hazard ratio for CI and CH was increasing with advancing age. CI showed a higher hazard ratio in men than women (hazard ratio for men was 1.8). The hazard ratio was increasing as BP became higher in any of three stroke subtypes, and especially CH showed the strongest correlation with BP. Uncontrollable risk factors were very closely associated with the attack of CI. On the other hand, BP (controllable risk) was closely linked with the attack of CH. Our results showed the prevention of CI was not easy. Controlling BP may be the most effective strategy for preventing hemorrhagic stroke (CH and SAH).
Cerebrovascular accident ; Cephalic index ; Blood pressure determination ; hazard ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are few reports on the correlation between chewing gum and the gastrointestinal functions. But previous report showed use of chewing gum to be an effective method for controlling gastrointestinal symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between chewing gum and gastric emptying using the continuous real time 13C breath test (BreathID system). METHODS: Ten healthy male volunteers participated in this randomized, 2-way crossover study. The subjects fasted overnight and were randomly assigned to chewing gum (Xylish, 2-3/1 tablet) for an hour following intake of a test meal (200 kcal/200 mL) or intake of the test meal alone. Gastric emptying was monitored for 4 hours after administration of the test meal by the 13C-acetic acid breath test performed continually using the BreathID system. RESULTS: No significant differences in the calculated parameters, namely, T1/2 (median, 111.82 vs 109.26 minutes; P = 0.575), Tlag (median, 53.28 vs 56.53 minutes; P = 0.333), gastric emptying coefficient (median, 3.58 vs 3.65; P = 0.285), regression-estimated constant beta (median, 1.85 vs 1.80; P = 0.575) and regression-estimated constant kappa (median, 0.61 vs 0.62; P = 0.959) were observed between the test meal alone group and the test meal and chewing gum group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that chewing gum had no effect on the rate of gastric emptying. Therefore, since chewing gum did not enhance the speed of gastric emptying, it may ameliorate gastrointestinal symptoms through other mechanisms, such as saliva and autonomic nervous system.
Autonomic Nervous System ; Breath Tests ; Chewing Gum ; Cross-Over Studies ; Gastric Emptying ; Humans ; Male ; Mastication ; Meals ; Saliva