We report a patient with candidemia, and remote organ infection, who underwent surgical treatment of aortic valvular stenosis. The patient was a 77-year-old man. Candida glabrata was detected in a blood culture during pharmacological treatment for pyelonephritis associated with vesicoureteral transition stenosis. A ureteral stent had been placed to preserve urine outflow, and vesicoureteral surgery had been scheduled. However, the urological surgery had to be performed first because of severe aortic valvular stenosis. After long-term (5 months) of antifungal treatment, Candida was no longer detected in the urine or blood cultures, but the serum β-D-glucan level did not fall below the reference value (21.6 pg/ml at the last measurement). It was difficult to control the infection further, and we decided to perform aortic valve replacement. There was no evidence of endocarditis at surgery, but pathological examination revealed traces of the fungus in the tissue of the aortic valve. The post-operative course was uneventful, and urological surgery was carried out 45 days later. Infection recurred when the antifungal medication was temporarily discontinued. The infection was then controlled by resumption of the antifungal medication. The patient has been free of recurrence for the past year since the aortic valve replacement. In the present case, in which a mycosis from a remote source was not readily eradicated prior to valve replacement, we were able to obtain good results by first administering long-term antifungal medication to quell the inflammation as much as possible.

We herein report a 79-year-old man who developed anaphylactoid purpura after thoracic endovascular aortic repair, which he underwent for a distal aortic arch aneurysm of saccular type. On the third postoperative day he had purpura over his lower legs and abdomen accompanied by intermittent fever. His serum C-reactive protein concentration reached a maximum of 12 mg/dl, and remained at around 4 mg/dl thereafter. A dermatologist diagnosed anaphylactoid purpura ; this gradually improved with topical steroid and the nature and dosage of the oral medication. We suspected the presence of malignancy ; however, appropriate investigations failed to identify a cause for the purpura. During 6 months of outpatient follow up he has been free of recurrence. Anaphylactoid purpura occurs most frequently in childhood, often after an upper respiratory tract infection, whereas this condition is rare in adults. Triggers for anaphylactoid purpura include surgery, infection, certain medications, chronic lung, liver, or renal failure, and malignancy. We believe that the stress of undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair was the trigger in this case. Anaphylactoid purpura may be complicated by arthritis, gastrointestinal involvement and renal manifestations. There were no such complications in this case.

Comparative studies were made mainly on malignant cases of cholelithiasis in 111 patients with gallstones detected in our regular chekup (group A) during the five-year period from 1985 to 1989 and 67 patients who had gallstones surgically removed together with malignancies (group B) during the same period.
The group A patients representing 4.2% of the total 2, 637 examinees were suspected to suffer from biliary obstruction and malignant tumors involving the digestive system. However, further examination found only one case of biliary tract cancer.
The group B patients account for 20.9% of the total 321 surgery cases. In 37 (55.2%) of the 67 patients, 45 legions were malignant-mostly cancer in the digestive organs. Cancer of the lower portion of the digestive tract was found in 11 patients (29.7%) of the 37. The occult blood test at hospitalization revealed that 8 patients (28.6%) in 28 were positive, and 9 were not clear. Follow-up examination showed the rate of false-positive reaction to blood test stood at 14.3%.
From the foregoing results, to detect cancer of the large intestine at an early stage in the regular medical checkup sponsored by the agricultural cooperative, the occult blood test using the stool of examines alone is not enough. It is high time to introduce endoscopic examinationinto the screening program. In view of the fact that most of the gallstone cases detected at the regular checkup were symptomless, careful followup examinations are deemed necessary with the possibleonset of gallbladder cancer and presence of malignancies in mind.

Objective:To determine the median effective dose (ED 50) of 0.5% ropivacaine when combined with dexmedetomidine based on femoral nerve cross-sectional area for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block. Methods:American Society of Anesthesiologists physical statusⅠor Ⅱ patients of both sexes, aged 18-64 yr, with body mass index of 20-30 kg/m 2, scheduled for elective open reduction and internal fixation for patella fracture or removal of patella fracture by internal fixation, were randomly divided into dexmedetomidine and ropivacaine group (group DR) and ropivacaine group (group R). In group DR, 0.5% ropivacaine and 0.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine were injected.In group R, 0.5% ropivacaine was injected.Ultrasonic localization of femoral nerve was performed for measurement of the femoral nerve cross-sectional area, and 0.5% ropivacaine was injected based on the area.ED 50 was determined by Dixon′ s up-and-down sequential method.The initial dose was 0.22 ml/mm 2, and the difference between the two successive doses was 0.02 ml/mm 2.The effective block was defined as complete loss of pain sensation in the areas of anterior skin of knee joint, skin on the inner side of the calf and dorsal medial skin of the foot and the degree of motor block was in stages 1-3 assessed using Brunnstrom motor function within 30 min after nerve block.Nerve block was considered ineffective if pain occurred in any nerve distribution area mentioned above.The study was terminated if 7 effective and ineffective alternating waves occurred.ED 50 and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using Probit analysis. Results:In group R, 27 patients were enrolled in the study, and ED 50 (95%CI) of 0.5% ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block was 0.106 (0.069-0.125) ml/mm 2.In group DR, 23 patients were enrolled in the study, and ED 50 (95% CI) of 0.5% ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block was 0.038 (0.011-0.059) ml/mm 2.Compared with group R, ED 50 of 0.5% ropivacaine for femoral nerve block was significantly decreased in group R. Conclusion:When combined with dexmedetomidine 0.5 μg/kg, ED 50 of 0.5% ropivacaine based on femoral nerve cross-sectional area for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block is 0.038 ml/mm 2.

Objective:To determine the median effective dose (ED 50) of 0.5% ropivacaine based on femoral nerve cross-sectional area for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block. Methods:Patients of both sexes, aged 18-64 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or Ⅱ, with body mass index of 20-30 kg/m 2, scheduled for elective open reduction and internal fixation for patella fracture or removal of patella fracture by internal fixation, were enrolled in this study.Ultrasonic localization of femoral nerve was performed for measurement of the femoral nerve cross-sectional area, and 0.5% ropivacaine was injected based on the area.ED 50 was determined by Dixon′s up-and-down sequential method.The initial dose was 0.22 ml/mm 2, and the difference between the two successive doses was 0.02 ml/mm 2.The effective block was defined as complete loss of pain sensation in the areas of anterior skin of knee joint, skin on the inner side of the calf and dorsal medial skin of the foot and the degree of motor block was in stages 1-3 assessed using Brunnstrom motor function within 30 min after nerve block.Nerve block was considered ineffective if pain occurred in any nerve distribution area mentioned above.The study was terminated if 7 effective and ineffective alternating waves occurred.ED 50 and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using Probit analysis. Results:Twenty-seven patients were enrolled in the study with the femoral nerve cross-sectional area (75±5) mm 2.ED 50 (95%CI) of 0.5% ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block was 0.106 (0.069-0.125) ml/mm 2. Conclusion:ED 50 of 0.5% ropivacaine based on femoral nerve cross-sectional area for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block is 0.106 ml/mm 2.