An attack of Raynaud's Phenomenon (RP) is characterized by blanching of the fingers in response to cold or emotional stimuli.
We analyzed the effect of ninjinyouei-to on RP in patients with MCTD. Subjects in this study comprised 19 patients, two males and 17 females, with a mean age of 38 years, and a mean duration of disease of 57.6 months. The study was performed at a time when RP occurred frequently in our country, that is in the period from November 1992 to March 1993.
We administered 9.0g of ninjinyouei-to to each case for four weeks and measured the surface skin temperature of the hands before and after medication with a thermograph using a Thermoviewer-JTG 3300.
There was a significantly higher temperature on the left first finger-tip after medication. Our thermographic findings in this study demonstrate a quantitative efficacy of ninjinyouei-to on RP in MCTD.

We report a case in which an undernourished female patient underwent drainage for gingivitis, and subsequently suffered S. intermedius-induced subdural abscess, meningitis and transverse sinus thrombosis. A few days after drainage, she had a fever of 39°C and became lethargic with non-fluent aphasia. Cerebrospinal fluid revealed pleocytosis of 1269/μl, protein 222 mg/dl (normal 15-45mg/dl), glucose 33 mg/dl (ratio to blood glucose: 0.37). The diffusion-weighted MRI brain showed an area of abnormally high signal along the left brain surface. In the magnetic resonance venography, the left transverse sinus was not well delineated. After treatment with antibiotics (meropenem, vancomycin) and heparin, craniotomy was performed to remove the abscess. Culture of the abscess tissue detected S. intermedius. After surgery she gradually improved. To our knowledge, this is the first report of subdural abscess and transverse sinus thrombosis caused by S. intermedius occurring as a result of drainage treatment for gingivitis.

The primary aim of this study was to compare the ratios of specialized palliative care use to all cancer death using 2 methods: 1) total number of patients who received either of specialized palliative care services (unadjusted), and 2) number of patients after adjustment of potentially duplicated counts (adjusted). The research team obtained patient list from all specialized palliative care services, and counted the number of the patients who received any specialized palliative care services. The ratio of adjusted value to unadjusted value was 0.59, and had large region differences.Unadjusted values had, although overestimated, essentially similar trends in changes by year and differences in the regions. In conclusion, total number of patients who received either of specialized palliative care services could be simple and feasible indicator to roughly determine the activity of specialized palliative care services, but exact number of the patients who received specialized palliative care services should be determined on the basis of the patient lists without duplicated counts.

The primary aim of this study was to collect the views of physicians and nurses in the regions where community-based palliative care intervention trial, the OPTIM-study, was performed. A content analysis of free comments of the questionnaire survey was conducted. Questionnaires were mailed to 1,763 physicians and 3,156 nurses after the intervention, and 706 and 2,236 responses were obtained, respectively. A content analysis identified 327 free comments from physicians and 737 from nurses. As favorable effects, the categories [Multidisciplinary teams and community networks were established] [Home-based care is widespread] [Medical knowledge and skills are acquired just as those involved in palliative care] emerged. The main effects of the community palliative care program included the establishment of multidisciplinary teams and community networks, development of home-based care, and increasing knowledge, skills, and awareness about palliative care.

An 83-year-old female was referred to our hospital because of a swelling and pain of the left lower extremity. An endoaneurysmorrhaphy and bypass surgery between the left common iliac artery and the external iliac artery were performed under the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis associated with a left isolated internal iliac aneurysm. Forty patients with isolated internal iliac aneurysm were reported in Japan and deep vein thrombosis occurred only in our patient. The external growth of the aneurysm behind the external iliac artery might cause compression, congestion and phlebitis of the common iliac vein, resulting in deep vein thrombosis.

We report a case of surgical treatment for mitral valve papillary fibroelastoma which is an uncommon and rare benign tumor. The patient was a 62-year-old woman who had TIA (paralysis of left leg) and was admitted with the diagnosis of cardiac tumor. Before operation, the tumor was detected in the left atrium two-dimensional echocardiography, attached to the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. At operation, the tumor was 11×8mm in size, with a yellow jelly-like and fragile appearance, attached to the same position as indicated by echocardiography. As the tumor occupied over one third of the leaflet, it was excised including all the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve and a prosthetic valve was replaced leaving the posterior leaflet intact. The tumor was diagnosed as papillary fibroelastoma by pathological examination. The postoperative course was uneventful.

We experienced a case of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) which responded to Kampo medicine. A 53-year-old female patient first complained of stiffness and pain in the neck. Myalgia was severe and gradually eypanded to both shoulders and both upper extremities. Body weight decreased, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was greater than 100mm/hour. Because her condition tended to improve when treated with prednisolone 10mg/day, she was diagnosed as having PMR. Her condition was well controlled until the dose of prednisolone decreased. Myalgia then recurred, and the ESR increased to 83mm/hour. The patient visited our outpatient department for treatment with Kampo therapy. Two months after treatment with Sairei-to plus Yokuinin-to, all signs and symptoms disappeared other than the stiff neck. Her body weight showed a tendency to increase. Six months after she first visited us, prednisolone was decreased and then stopped. Her condition still remains well controlled with this Kampo therapy alone. She has no clinical signs and symptoms, and the ESR has improved to 16mm/hour.