A 62-year-old woman showed signs of liver dysfunction of unknown etiology in 1994. She was admitted to our hospital in July 1996 because the liver dysfunction, as well as general fatigue, worsened. Anti-mitochondrial antibodies were present, and a liver biopsy was performed. Pathological findings were compatible with primary biliary cirrhosis. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (600mg/day) was initiated in August 1996, and liver dysfunction improved. However, ESR and IgM did not improve, and general fatigue persisted. In December 1996, Sairei-to was combined with ursodeoxycholic acid. One month later, ESR, IgM, and general fatigue improved. In May 1997, Sairei-to was replaced by Keishibukuryo-gan because of her symptoms (Hie-sho and varix pain), and liver dysfunction and general fatigue reappeared. Keishibukuryo-gan was later discontinued because of suspected drug-induced hepatitis. Two months later, liver dysfunction remained unimproved. Sairei-to was administered again and liver dysfunction and other symptoms disappeared. These results suggest that combined therapy with Sairei-to and ursodeoxycholic acid is effective in the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis.

The authors report a case of secondary renal amyloidosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which responded well to Kampo therapy. A 68-year-old woman was diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis in April 1992. Her disease activity was not controlled well with any anti-rheumatic drugs. In September 1996, proteinuria and hematuria were found, and a renal biopsy showed secondary amyloidosis. Proteinuria and hematuria were progressive. The patient was treated with Sairei-to, and by April 1998, proteinuria and hematuria nearly disappeared. This clinical course suggests that Sairei-to is an effective treatment for secondary renal amyloidosis.

A 28-year-old woman presented with persistent diarrhea, lower abdominal pain, low-grade fever and general fatigue in 1994. She was admitted to a hospital with suspected inflammatory colitis. Aphthoid mucosal changes were founded on colonoscopy, but the etiology was unknown. Salazosulfapyridine was administered for 3 months, but it was not effective for the abdominal symptoms. In November 1995, pyrexia, lymph node swelling and polyarthralgia appeared, and the patient was admitted to our hospital. Malar rash, photosensitivity, leukopenia, antinuclear antibody and anti-DNA antibody were found. She was diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus colitis. Prednisolone (30mg/day) was administered, and pyrexia, polyarthralgia and leukopenia were improved, but the abdominal symptoms persisted for 5 weeks. Keisi-ka-syakuyaku-to was administered, and it was markedly effective for relieving persistent diarrhea and abdominal pain. Keisi-ka-syakuyaku-to was continued until February 1999 and the patient's clinical course was satisfactory.

To determine the usefulness of arterial reconstruction, we studied the outcome of 430 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans who had received either arterial reconstructive surgery or medical treatment. Of the 430, 301 patients were treated for intermittent claudication and 162 for limb-threating ischemia (rest pain or ischemic gangrene). Of the intermittent claudication patients 274 underwent arterial reconstruction and 27 were treated with anticoagulant therapy. In limb-threating ischemia, 137 patients underwent arterial reconstruction and 25 were treated with anticoagulant therapy. Among the 274 intermittent claudication patients treated by arterial reconstruction, none required major amputation within 30 days after surgery. Operative mortality was 1.1%. Five- and ten- year comulative patency rates were 95.4%, 94.3% in aortofemoral bypasses, 72.7%, 67.5% in aortofemoropopliteal bypasses, 79.7%, 77.9% in femoropopliteal bypasses and 92.3%, 92.3% in femorotibial bypasses, respectively. On long-term results, 86.4% improved and 5.9% deteriorated. Five patients (1.4%) underwent major amputation during the follow-up period due to graft occlusion. Four of 5 amputations involved patients whose initial reconstruction method was femoropopliteal bypass. In 27 patients treated medically, 77.8% did not show any change in symptoms and 22.2% deteriorated during the follow-up period. Two patients (5.6%) underwent bypass grafting in the late phase. Of 137 patients with limb-threating ischemia treated by arterial reconstruction, 3.3% required major amputation in the early postoperative period. Operative mortality was 5.1%. Five- and 10-year cumulative patency rates were 83.3%, 79.7% in aortofemoral bypasses, 65.5%, 65.5% in aortofemoropopliteal bypasses, 76.2%, 63.9% in femoropopliteal bypasses and 38.6% in femorotibial bypasses, respectively. In long-term results, 62.3% improved and 12.6% deteriorated. Thirteen patients (8.6%) underwent major amputation during the follow-up period. In 25 patients with limb-threating ischemia treated medically, 16.0% died during their hospital stay and 33.3% required major amputation during the follow-up period. Five- and 10-year cumulative survival rates in arterial reconstruction patients were 77.4%, 57.6% in intermittent claudication patients and 64.3%, 41.5% in limb-threating ischemia patients, respectively. The survival rate in limb-threating ischemia was significantly lower than that in intermittent claudication. The results of reconstructive surgery for intermittent claudication were better than those of medical treatment. However, 4 femoropopliteal bysass cases required major amputation in the late phase. This suggests that it is difficult to determine the indications for infrainguinal artery reconstruction in intermittent claudication. Arterial reconstructive surgery for limb-threating ischemia was useful for salvaging the limbs. In these patients, careful perioperative treatment was necessary. Limb salvage rate and survival rate in limb-threating ischemia patients were poorer than those in intermittent claudication patients. We recommend performing arterial reconstructive surgery for disabling claudication before the patient progresses to limb-threating ischemia.

A 60-year-old woman was admitted because of dyspnea and a cough. Computed tomography and transthoracic echocardiography showed a tumor in the left atrium. However, transesophageal echocardiography alone could show the tumor and its extension in the interior wall of the left atrium. Peripheral blood chemistry showed a high CA125 level. The first operation was carried out in order to perform a complete resection of the tumor which was 3.5×4.0×2.0cm, but the interior wall of the left atrium seemed normal. The CA125 level returned to within a normal range 80 days after the first operation. Histopathology showed the tumor had myxomatous changes and ring structure formations, but malignancy was also suspected. Transthoracic echocardiography performed 14 months after the first surgery showed a recurrence of the tumor, and subsequent transesophageal echocardiography showed the tumor and its invasion in the interior wall of the left atrium. A second operation was performed to resect the tumor, which had invaded a part of the left atrial interior wall. The histopathology showed the tumor was myxoid but had mitoses and foci of necroses. This tumor was consistent with a myxosarcoma. The patient died as a result of a recurrent tumor blocking the left atrium 20 months after the first surgery.

In 2013, we prescribed daiuzusen for 3 patients with intractable pain; pain from complex regional pain syndrome, colic pain of unknown origin after an abdominal operation, and colic pain from advanced colon cancer and ileus. A dose of daiuzusen (containing uzu 0.5-2 g) quickly relieved their pain in several minutes. Another common symptom was “cold” in their bowel or extremities when they were feeling pain. Aconite levels in drugs and patients' serum after taking daiuzusen were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Daiuzusen per 1 g of uzu contained aconitine 1.28 μg, mesaconitine 2.31 μg, and hypaconitine 92.89 μg, while jesaconitine was not detected; this was about 5 to 35 times the level of tsumyakushigyakuto per 1 g of uzu. Serum concentrations of hypaconitine peaked in the study at 1.11 ng/mL after about an hour of taking daiuzusen (1 g of uzu). We posit that the immediate effect after taking daiuzusen was due to transmucosal absorption of uzu components. However serum hypaconitine, which we are now able to monitor, is at least one practical way of indicating the use of uzu or bushi containing prescriptions.

We experienced a case that right massive pleural effusion was successfully controlled with Denver shunt from the right chest cavity to right femoral vein. A 80-years-old woman had received hemodialysis due to chronic renal failure twice in a week. She was diagnosed as right breast cancer and underwent right breast conserving surgery at December, 2008. In postoperative follow-up duration, she had difficulty in breathing and visited to the emergency room in our hospital. She was diagnosed as respiratory failure due to right massive pleural effusion from the X-ray result and the blood gas analysis. There was no pleural effusion within the left chest space. No malignant cell was detected in the effusion. We thought that diuretics and shunt tube from the right chest cavity to the abdominal cavity would be ineffective because of her chronic renal failure, and for that reason, we placed the shunt tuve from the chest cavity to the right femoral vein. Respiratory failure and the quality of life were successfully improved for about 7 months by using it. Palliat Care Res 2011; 6(1): 301-307

Twenty-two patients with chronic glomerulonephritis were treated with Sairei-to (7.5g/day), either alone or in combination with camostat mesilate (600mg/day), to determine the efficacy and adverse effects of these regimens. Although there was significant improvement in proteinuria (p<0.05) after 8 weeks of treatment with Sairei-to alone, this was not longlasting. Combination therapy resulted in sustained significant improvement (p<0.03; there were two dropouts). No adverse effects were seen with either regimen. The results suggest that combination therapy using Sairei-to and camostat mesilate may be a safe and efficacious method of treatment for patients with chronic glomerulonephritis.