A 67-year-old man with ascending aortic aneurysm was referred to our hospital. Transthoracic echocardiography showed severe aortic regurgitation with annuloaortic ectasia and transesophageal echocardiography revealed a quadricuspid aortic valve. This patient underwent aortic root replacement with a valve sparing technique. Under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with retrograde cerebral perfusion, replacement of the ascending aorta was successfully performed. The postoperative course was uneventful. This patient is doing well 6 months after surgery without recurrence of aortic regurgitation.

A 74-year-old man was admitted to our hospital to undergo an operation for distal aortic arch aneurysm with chronic aortic dissection. The first operation was attempted through left lateral thoracotomy. Since the aorta had a severely calcified false lumen, conventional aortic replacement was considered to entail greater risk and graft replacement was given up. As an another option, endovascular stent grafting via the aortic arch through median sternotomy was selected as a second operation. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with selective cerebral perfusion was used during delivery and deployment of the stented graft through the aortotomy site. The distal stented graft was deployed into the true lumen at the ninth thoracic vertebral level. Neither endoleaks nor complications were observed. Postoperative computed tomography showed complete thrombosis of the distal aortic arch aneurysm and the false lumen. The postoperative course was uneventful. Transaortic endovascular stent grafting is an effective and less invasive treatment for aortic arch aneurysms with severely calcified aorta.

Left-sided gallbladder is a rare finding that is mostly discovered incidentally during surgery and is often associated with anatomic anomalies. We herein report a case in which laparoscopic cholecystectomy and common bile duct exploration were achieved for an 89-year-old female patient with left-sided gallbladder. Surgery was carried out using our usual trocar position.Calot triangle was covered by the body of the gallbladder and could not be detected. We dissected the gallbladder from the fundus towards the neck. The cystic duct joined the common bile duct from the right side, and common bile duct exploration was performed routinely without perioperative comorbidities. Although the preoperative diagnosis rate is low and the risk of intraoperative bile duct injuries in patients with left-sided gallbladder is high, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and common bile duct exploration can be safely performed by understanding the location and bifurcation of the cystic duct.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between plasma free amino acid (PFAA) levels and the clinical stages of mammary gland tumors (MGT) in dogs. PFAA levels in canines with malignant mammary tumors were decreased compared to those of healthy animals. The levels of aspartate and ornithine, in the dogs with tumor metastasis were significantly decreased when compared to those of dogs that did not have metastases. Results of this study indicate that PFAA levels could be a risk factor or biomarker for canine MGT metastasis.
Animals ; Aspartic Acid ; Dogs ; Mammary Glands, Human ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ornithine ; Plasma ; Risk Factors

Purpose: We assessed the efficacy of a palliative care team (PCT) in improving quality of life (QOL) among Japanese cancer patients. Patients and methods: This prospective study involved adult patients treated in the Division of Respiratory Medicine and Medical Oncology/Hematology at Kobe University Hospital between November 1, 2009 and March 30, 2010. Every patient had requested intervention by the PCT. Patients were asked to complete the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL questionnaire at baseline and 1 and 4 weeks after initiation of the PCT intervention. Result: Of the 35 patients enrolled, 26 patients and 15 patients completed the assessments at 1 and 4 weeks after starting the intervention, respectively. Pain subscale (PA) was improved at 1 week after starting the intervention (p<0.05). Dyspnea subscale (DY) and PA were improved at 4 weeks after starting the intervention (p<0.05). Conclusion: We prospectively showed that QOL of cancer patients was improved with the intervention of the PCT, using the Japanese version of the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL. Even if the PCT can only provide short-term care for cancer patients, this intervention appears worthwhile to improve QOL of cancer patients.

Gender differences in the trace elements of monkey sino-atrial (SA) node were investigated in a process of age-dependent alterations. Sixty hearts from Japanese and rhesus monkeys (30 male and 30 female) used were aged ranging from 1-day- to 30-year-old. The elements were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). Advancing age decreased all the trace elements. Ca, P, S and Mg significantly decreased. The correlation coefficients of Ca and P were -0.178+/-0.081 (p<0.05) and -0.088+/-0.022 (p<0.05) in male (n=30), and -0.095+/-0.026 (p<0.05) and -0.069+/-0.017 (p<0.05) in female (n=30), respectively. The age-dependent coefficients for Fe/Ca, Zn/Ca, Fe/P, Fe/S, Zn/S, Fe/Mg and Zn/Mg were exhibited markedly in male, but all was less in female. In gender-related differences, only a ratio of P/Ca (p<0.05) was significantly observed with ageing. The trace elements such as Cu, Se and Sn were less detected in the SA nodes. These results indicate that the age-dependent changes in the ratios of elements are appeared more rapidly in male monkey SA node, and the gender difference is observed in ratio of P/Ca. The different attenuations may be involved with the age- and gender-related SA nodal functions.
Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Haplorhini ; Heart ; Humans ; Macaca mulatta ; Male ; Sinoatrial Node ; Trace Elements

We describe a case of meningeal carcinomatosis of the internal auditory meatus presenting as sudden deafness accompanied by dizziness. A 54-year-old woman complained of acute right-side hearing loss in October 2014. The pure tone audiometry test revealed right-side hearing loss of 47.5 dB. She was treated with oral steroids. Her hearing as well as her symptoms of dizziness worsened and she was admitted for further examination. Her right and left-side hearing had worsened to 105.0 dB and 47.5 dB, respectively. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the head revealed bilateral enhancement of the internal auditory canal and multiple brain metastases. The chest radiograph revealed a mass in the left lung. Adenocarcinoma of the lung was diagnosed. Lumbar puncture yielded no evidence of carcinoma cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, but an increased number of lymphocytes was confirmed. A diagnosis of multiple brain metastases and leptomeningeal metastasis from the adenocarcinoma of the lung was considered. Whole-brain radiation therapy (30 Gr/10 fractions) was administered. Progressive bilateral hearing loss is a rare first manifestation of meningeal carcinomatosis. It is quite important to consider the possibility of this condition when patients present with sudden deafness.
Adenocarcinoma ; Audiometry ; Brain ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Diagnosis ; Dizziness ; Ear, Inner ; Female ; Head ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymphocytes ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningeal Carcinomatosis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Spinal Puncture ; Steroids ; Temporal Bone

PURPOSE: Since a patient's obesity can affect the mortality and morbidity of the surgery, less drastic surgeries may have a major benefit for obese individuals. This study evaluated the feasibility of performing a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, with intracorporeal anastomosis, in obese patients suffering from gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of the 138 patients, who underwent a totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy from April 2005 to March 2009, at the National Kyushu Cancer Center. The body mass index of 20 patients was > or =25, and in 118 patients, it was <25 kg/m2. RESULTS: The mean values of body mass index in the 2 groups were 27.3+/-2.2 and 21.4+/-2.3. Hypertension was significantly more frequent in the obese patients than in the non-obese patients. The intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, post-operative complication rate, post-operative hospital stay, and a number of retrieved lymph nodes were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intracorporeal anastomosis seemed to have a benefit for obese individuals. Totally laparoscopic gastrectomy is, therefore, considered to be a safe and an effective modality for obese patients.
Body Mass Index ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Nodes ; Obesity ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stress, Psychological

Sixteen cases of malignant soft tissue sarcoma (STS; 10 canines and six felines) were treated with a novel triple therapy that combined photodynamic therapy, hyperthermia using indocyanine green with a broadband light source, and local chemotherapy after surgical tumor resection. This triple therapy was called photodynamic hyperthermal chemotherapy (PHCT). In all cases, the surgical margin was insufficient. In one feline case, PHCT was performed without surgical resection. PHCT was performed over an interval of 1 to 2 weeks and was repeated three to 21 times. No severe side effects, including severe skin burns, necrosis, or skin suture rupture, were observed in any of the animals. No disease recurrence was observed in seven out of 10 (70.0%) dogs and three out of six (50.0%) cats over the follow-up periods ranging from 238 to 1901 days. These results suggest that PHCT decreases the risk of STS recurrence. PHCT should therefore be considered an adjuvant therapy for treating companion animals with STS in veterinary medicine.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents/*therapeutic use ; Cat Diseases/drug therapy/surgery/*therapy ; Cats ; Combined Modality Therapy/veterinary ; Dog Diseases/drug therapy/surgery/*therapy ; Dogs ; Hyperthermia, Induced/veterinary ; Indocyanine Green/*therapeutic use ; Photochemotherapy/veterinary ; Photosensitizing Agents/*therapeutic use ; Sarcoma/drug therapy/surgery/therapy/*veterinary

Case 1 was a 72-year-old man with a generalized pain after 6 months of heavy physical work. Kakkonto was prescribed based on his symptoms of severe shoulder stiffness and pain, and keishibukuryoganryo was added to treatoketsu. It caused dysuria because of ephedra herb, so the dosage was reduced. Atractylodes lancea rhizome and processed aconite root were added to enhance the effect of treatment. And then, his pain was alleviated. Case 2 was a 53-year-old man with a generalized pain. He had a previous history of whiplash and two surgical operations. Daisaikoto was prescribed based on his symptom of bilateral costal arch pain, and keishibukuryoganryo was added because of oketsu. It caused an increased frequency of bowel movement due to crude drug of rhuharb, so the dosage was reduced. Pueraria root was added for the purpose of relieving severe shoulder stiffness. And then, his pain went away. It is often difficult to treat fibromyalgia. The decoction can be effective with increase or decrease and deleting or adding of the dosage of crude drug. Decoctions become handy as it allows dosage adjustment of crude drug to minimize the side effects and improve the efficacy.