Purpose and Methods: Based on the medical records of 56 cases of death from hematologic malignancy, we investigated who decided end-of-life care in the terminal phase and at the end of life, what factor discourages patients from making self-decisions and whether an advance directive about end-of-life care is present. We then extracted the story of the family in decision-making for end-of-life care. Results: In 45 cases, the patient decided end-of-life care at the terminal phase. In 11 cases, the family made the decision on behalf of the patient. In the terminal phase, the factor that most discouraged patients from making a self-decision was dementia, but at the end of life the factor was symptomatic worsening in all cases. In 49 cases, the family decided end-of-life care at the end of life on behalf of the patient. Regarding end-of-life care policy, 49 cases hoped for "do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR)" and 7 cases hoped for life-support treatment. Advance directives were confirmed in 7 cases. Mental conflict about end-of-life care policy was perceived from the family's story. Despite small number of cases, it was suggested that an advance directive reduced psychological burden on the family. Conclusion: It is difficult for the patient to make self-decisions about end-of-care life at the end of life as compared to end-of-care life in the terminal phase. Further studies are required to assess the efficacy of an advance directive.

Erythema gyratum repens (EGR) is characterized by peculiar clinical features of a wood-grain or zebra-like appearance and rapid migration of concentric erythematous bands as a skin manifestation.
Since Gammel reported in 1952 the first case of this condition as a complication in a 60-year-old man with breast carcinoma, a large number of cases with underlying malignancies have been recorded in medical literature throughout the world. Therefore, ERG has been considered an absolute form of the paraneoplastic skin syndrome.However, Barber et al. reported a case of EGR resulting from pulmonary tuberculosis and unassociated with visceral neoplasm in 1978. Many recent studies also suggests that not all the EGR cases are definitely linked to underlying malignancies.
In this article, we describe a case of a 51-year-old man with EGR in whom no internal malignancies could be detected. We also discuss distinctions between EGR and erythema annulare centrifugum (EAC) and more complex clinical and immunopatholigic aspects of EGR, which have come to the attention of medical researchers recently.

Background: On receiving chemotherapy, extravasation of drugs is a severe problem. The extravasations occur more commonly in patients who are elderly, have a poor performance status, have diabetes mellitus complications or have repeatedly received chemotherapy. Also, cancer patients usually require repeated venous punctures for this treatment. Purpose and methods: For the purpose of evaluating the efficacy and safety of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) for intravenous chemotherapy, we retrospectively reviewed all the cancer patients for whom PICC were inserted for chemotherapy from April 2008 to December 2010. Patients' background, duration of PICC insertion and complications were evaluated in this study. Results: Ten patients (male 4, female 6) were reviewed in this study. The median age was 59 years (17∼69). A total of 13 PICCs were inserted in 10 patients. The most common underlying disease was abdominal rhabdomyosarcoma (n=3, 30%) followed by lung cancer (n=2, 20%) and hematologic tumor (n=2, 20%). The average catheter span was 46 days. Catheter-related infections were seen in 2 cases (15.4%). No phlebitis or thrombosis usually associated with venous route was detected in PICC used for chemotherapy. Conclusions: PICC might reduce patients' discomfort such as repeated venous punctures or complications associated with chemotherapy. We suggest that PICC would be one of the effective tools in chemotherapy. Palliat Care Res 2011; 6(2): 233-236

Surveys on the snail intermediate hosts were undertaken in the paddy fields in Yatomi-cho, Aichi Prefecture, once a year over a 5-year period (1983-1987).
And the cercariae of two different avian schistosomes were detected from snails in paddy fields.
The cercariae from Polyplis haemisphaerula were identified as species beloning to the genus Gigantobilharzia and the cercariae from austropeplea ollula as species belonging to the genus Trichobilharzia.
It was concluded that the paddy field dermatitis occurring in Yatomi-cho was proved to be caused by the invasion of these cercariae.

OBJECTIVESThe effect of dampness on sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms has not been fully investigated in Japan. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the possible effects of dampness on SBS symptoms among residents in Japanese public apartment houses.

METHODSA questionnaire was used to investigate the degree of dampness in public apartment houses in Asahikawa, Japan, and its effect on SBS symptoms, involving 480 residents in 64 buildings. Dampness indicators were as follows: condensation on the windowpanes, condensation on the walls and/or closets, visible mold in the bathrooms, visible mold on the walls, window frames, and/or closet, moldy odor, slow drying of the wet towels in bathrooms, water leakage, and bad drainage in bathrooms.

RESULTSAll dampness indicators except for visible mold in bathrooms had significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) for all or any SBS symptoms after adjustment. The dampness index, the number of positive dampness indicators, was significantly related to all SBS symptoms after adjustment.

CONCLUSIONSThere are serious problems relating to dampness in Japanese public housing, which affects the health of residents. There is a need to educate the residents about the relationship between dampness and SBS, and building problems should be rectified.

OBJECTIVETwo simple, commercially available and semiquantitative dust mite allergen tests, namely, the Acarex test(®) and Mitey Checker(®), were compared using 2 and 10 μg of Der 1 allergen per gram of dust, as evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to clarify which method is better suited for practical use.

METHODSMite allergen exposure levels of 106 floor, bed and sofa surfaces were evaluated by the Acarex test(®), Mitey Checker(®), and ELISA. A template of 100 cm×100cm was placed on the same surfaces to identify the examined areas. A dust collection filter was attached to a vacuum cleaner, and the area in the template (1 m(2)) was vacuumed. Then, to evaluate the other two tests, samples from the two other areas in the template (1 m(2)) that neighbored each other and did not overlap were vacuumed.

RESULTSTo predict Der 1 levels of 2 μg/g dust or higher, the sensitivity and specificity of the Acarex test(®) were 100% and 13.3%, and those, of Mitey Checker(®) were 91.8% and 71.1%, respectively. To predict Der 1 levels of 10 μg/g dust or higher, the sensitivity and specificity of the Acarex test(®) were 50.0% and 96.2%, and those of Mitey Checker(®) were 85.7% and 79.5%, respectively. Compared with Der 1<2.0, 2.0-9.9.≥10.0 (μg/g dust), the percent agreement and kappa of the Acarex test(®) were 47.2% and 0.234, and those of Mitey Checker(®) were 70.0% and 0.505, respectively.

CONCLUSIONTo evaluate mite allergen exposure level for practical use in Japanese living environments, Mitey Checker(®) is better than the Acarex test(®) because of its higher sensitivity and specificity.

A 70-year-old man receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (5FU+CDDP) for esophageal cancer was transferred to our hospital for the treatment of asymptomatic thrombus in the ascending aorta. Enhanced computed tomography revealed a low-density mass of 34×16 mm in diameter on the posterior surface of the ascending aorta. We performed thrombectomy and suture plication of the aortic intima under hypothermic circulatory arrest. Intraoperative epiaortic echo showed the mass was floating in the aorta. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the 18th postoperative day. Most patients with aortic thrombus are diagnosed under conditions of peripheral embolism. Asymptomatic thrombus in the ascending aorta is extremely rare. We herein report a case of thrombectomy for asymptomatic thrombus in the ascending aorta.

In Korea, mass mortality of Quercus mongolica trees has become obvious since 2004. Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae is believed to be a causal fungus contributing the mortality. To evaluate the pathogenicity of the fungus to the trees, the fungus was multiple- and single-inoculated to the seedlings and twigs of the mature trees, respectively. In both the inoculations, the fungus was reisolated from more than 50% of inoculated twigs and seedlings. In the single inoculations, proportions of the transverse area of non-conductive sapwood at inoculation points and vertical lengths of discoloration expanded from the points were significantly different between the inoculation treatment and the control. In the multiple inoculations, no mortality was confirmed among the seedlings examined. These results showed that R. quercus-mongolicae can colonize sapwood, contribute to sapwood discoloration and disrupt sap flows around inoculation sites of Q. mongolica, although the pathogenicity of the fungus was not proven.
Colon ; Fungi ; Korea ; Mortality ; Quercus* ; Seedlings ; Trees ; Virulence

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mortality by age, sex, and cause of death is the foun­dation of public health both globally and domestically. Comparable mortality statistics over time and investi­gations of mortality were used to develop the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). In the ICD, the WHO states that morbidity statistics are also an essential foundation of public health, but they are much less widely applied. The 10th revision of the ICD (ICD-10) is now in use, but further revisions must be made in the development of the 11th revision (ICD-11) to capture advances in health science and medical practice, to make better use of the digital revolution, and to evaluate traditional medicine (TM). Revision of ICD-10 began in 2007, and an ICD-11 version for preparing implementation was released on July 18, 2018. ICD-11 features a new TM chapter on Japanese traditional medicine, known as Kampo medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and Korean medicine. ICD-11 will be approved at the next World Health Assembly in May 2019 and will come into effect. This means that the WHO does not currently recognize the effects of TM, but that we as well as the WHO will have hard time to prepare and study the effects of TM on morbidity statistics. It is very important to the study of Kampo medicine that we will be able to properly evaluate the terms and classifications contained in ICD-11.