We report a case of constrictive pericarditis with repeated hepatic encephalopathy due to hepatic cirrhosis. A 69-year-old man with exertional dyspnea and leg edema was admitted to our hospital. He had been admitted to our hospital thrice in the past 1 year owing to hepatic encephalopathy. He had hyperammonemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and renal dysfunction. Computed tomography revealed a thick pericardium with calcification and bilateral pleural effusion, and transthoracic echocardiography revealed abnormal early diastolic septal movement and right ventricular restriction. Further, cardiac catheterization identified increased central venous (36 mmHg) and a mean pulmonary arterial of 53 mmHg and a dip-and-plateau right ventricular pressure curve. We diagnosed constrictive pericarditis. Accordingly, pericardiectomy without extracorporeal circulation was performed. A hypertrophic calcified pericardium was found to be expanded throughout the right atrium to the free wall of the right ventricle. Postoperatively, the patient's exertional dyspnea and leg edema resolved, and he recovered without any complications.

A 29-year-old woman with severe chest and back pain was referred to our hospital. She exhibited the following physical symptoms of Marfan syndrome : arachnodactyly, wrist sign, thumb sign, pectus excavatum, pes planus, scoliosis, and myopia. Computed tomography revealed a Stanford type A aortic dissection with dilatation of the aortic root, therefore, emergency surgery was performed. Total arch replacement, including an elephant trunk procedure, was performed, followed by valve-sparing aortic root replacement using the reimplantation technique. Following an initially uneventful postoperative course, she was reintubated on the third postoperative day due to laryngeal edema and aspiration. On the sixth postoperative day, it was difficult to ventilate her due to severe tracheal stenosis. Although we managed to return her to spontaneous breathing under proper sedation, it was difficult to maintain stable ventilation. She developed a recurrent respiratory distress following physical irritation such as intratracheal aspiration or a postural change. We believe that during the perioperative management of patients with Marfan syndrome with thoracic deformities, such as pectus excavatum and scoliosis, the possibility of postoperative tracheal stenosis due to tracheal fragility, tracheal edema, and compression of the surrounding tissues must be considered.

Objectives: The warm-water foot bathing is widely used as a clinical method for hemiplegic limb. Recent research have reported that the artificial high concentration carbon-dioxide (CO2) water foot bathing have a potent vasodilative action. However, the definite effects of the artificial high concentration CO2 water foot bath for hemiplegic limbs remain uncertain. We examined that the effects of the artificial high concentration CO2 water foot bath for patients after stroke. Patients: Three inpatients after stroke were recruited for this study. The age and duration after onset were 58.3 ± 21.4 years and 63.0 ± 38.9 months, respectively. Of the three patients (two males and one female), two were diagnosed with cerebral hemorrhage, one with cerebral infarction. Methods: The artificial high concentration CO2 water foot bath and tap water foot bath were prepared. The concentration of CO2 water foot bath was approximately 1000-1,200 ppm, and both lower limbs (under the knee joint) were immersed in 38 °C water for 20 minutes. Foot bathing in tap water was also carried out under the same conditions in the another day. The following physiological data were measured before foot bathing and after the end of foot bathing. Not only the deep body temperature at axillary, the surface skin temperature at the front of femur, the calf of the leg and the dorsal foot, but also the muscle stiffness at triceps muscle of calf were evaluated. Results: None of the subjects experienced discomfort before and after both the high concentration CO2 water and the tap water foot bath. The physiological examination was completed safely in all subjects. The results were as follows: The deep body temperature and the surface skin temperature had increased, and the muscle stiffness had been relieved in the high concentration CO2 water foot bath compared with the tap water bathing. The deep body temperature of the high concentration CO2 water foot bath have risen from 36.4 °C to 36.9 °C, the surface-skin temperature of the front of femur (from 26.7 °C to 28.1 °C), the calf of the leg (from 29.5 °C to 31.9 °C) and the dorsal foot (from 29.9 °C to 32.3 °C) have risen, respectively. The muscle stiffness have been relieved from 55.3 to 51.8 before and after. There was no change that the tap water had increased in the deep body temperature and the surface-skin temperature, and the muscle stiffness had been relieved before and after. Conclusion: These results suggested that the use of the high concentration CO2 water foot bath was more effective in hyperthermia compared with the tap water. Furthermore, we considered that carbon dioxide had promoted to increase the skin and the muscle blood flow by vasodilative action to the arteriole, and use of the high concentration CO2 water foot bath contribute to improve the circulatory dynamics for the hemiplegic limb. These findings may suggest that the use of the high concentration CO2 water foot bath is an effective physiotherapy for circulatory dynamics treatment that might facilitate stroke rehabilitation

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is characterized by vascular findings (aortic aneurysms and dissections) and skeletal manifestations. Since aortic dissection occurs at smaller aortic diameters than observed in Marfan syndrome, early and aggressive surgery is recommended for patients with LDS. A 45-year-old man who underwent aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation at the age of 33 was transferred to our hospital with the diagnosis of acute aortic dissection. We performed emergeny ascending aortic replacement, and suspected LDS because of his specific physical characteristics after surgery. His postoperative course was uneventful, however, computed tomography (CT) performed at 2 weeks after operation showed the new entry at the distal anastomotic site, patent false lumen of the descending aorta and rapid enlargement of the distal aortic arch. Therefore, we performed total arch replacement with the elephant trunk method at 3 weeks after the emergency operation. Mutation of the TGFBR2 gene was found and we finally diagnosed LDS. One year after, complete thrombosis of the false lumen of the descending aorta and decrease in size of the distal aortic arch was observed by CT.

We report a case of aortic valve replacement using a bioprosthesis after coronary artery stenting in the left coronary main trunk of a 76-year-old man with symptoms of heart failure. Pre-operation studies revealed severe aortic valve regurgitation and that the left main coronary stent protruded into the aorta. Cardiac arrest was obtained with retrograde cardioplegia. Careful observation was made to avoid injury to the aortic bioprosthesis. The postoperative course was uneventful and cardiac echo graphy showed good function of the aortic valve.

We report a case of a caseous calcification lesion originating from a calcified anterior mitral annulus. A 59-year-old woman on chronic hemodialysis was referred to our hospital due to an elevated brain natriuretic peptide value. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated moderate aortic valve stenosis with regurgitation and a pendulous mass in the left ventricular outflow tract, and therefore we perfomed. The patient underwent resection of the mass with aortic valve replacement. Pathological examination of the mass revealed interstitial calcium deposits but without tumors or inflammatory cells. We speculated that the cardiac mass was caseous calcification which originated from a severely calcified mitral annulus based on its echocardiographic and pathological features.

Septic pulmonary embolization (SPE) is an uncommon pulmonary disorder. The diagnosis of SPE is frequently delayed because of its nonspecific chest roentgenological features. A 76-year-old woman who underwent pacemaker implantation one year previously received antibiotic therapy under a diagnosis of infectious colitis. She suffered septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and was admitted to our hospital. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was cultured from her blood and echocardiography demonstrated 13×16 mm vegetation originating from the tricuspid valve. Multiple peripheral nodules with cavitation were found on chest computed tomography and she was given a diagnosis of SPE. She rapidly presented acute respiratory failure and mechanical ventilation was inevitable for 23 days before surgery. She underwent removal of the entire pacing system, resection and repair of the tricuspid valve and epicardial pacemaker lead implantation. Tracheostomy and long-term mechanical ventilation (16 days) was required after surgery, however, she was discharged from our hospital without any complication.

Bacterial endopthalmitis is associated with risk for poor visual prognosis, however, it is rarely combined with infective endocarditis. A 66-year-old man underwent pacemaker implantation and received antibiotic therapy due to persistent fever. A month after the pacemaker implantation, he was admitted to our hospital because of disturbance of vision and consciousness. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) with decrease of platelet count was also present. His eyes were reddish and swelled, and the conjunctiva were turbid and edematous in both sides. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated 18×13mm pendulous verruca originating from the tricuspid annulus. The patient underwent concomitant resection and repair of the tricuspid valve and removal of both infected eyes after DIC treatment. The postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged from the hospital 43 days after the operation. We conclude that careful observation of the eyes may be needed for patients with infective endocarditis when they have some visual symptoms.

Primary malignant tumors of the heart are rare and are associated with very poor survival. We retrospectively analyzed early and late results for five primary malignant tumors of the heart. There were two operative deaths and two late deaths, and the mean survival of patients who survived operation was 18.3 months. No operative survivors had symptoms of congestive heart failure during follow up period. One patient who underwent histologic biopsy received postoperative chemotherapy and is alive without recurrence 36 months after operation. The operative mortality of primary malignant tumors of the heart was high and unsatisfactory, however, surgical treatment prevented congestive heart failure during follow up and contributed to the selection of postopeative therapeutic options, with or without complete resection of the tumors.

A 31-year old woman with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris was treated by Kampo-medicine. At our outpatient clinic, her skin lesions were especially prominent on her calcaneal and plantal regions of both feet, although noticed also on her palmar regions of both hands.
Decoctions of Keishi-ka-Ôgi-Tô was prescribed according to her Shô (signs and symptoms on whole body). Pustules apparently increased in 2 weeks after this therapy, but afterwards decreased. After 4 months, the skin regions almost disappeared. Although a slight, transient recurrence was noticed at the 10 months of this therapy, the disease was almost completely healed after 12 months.
The therapeutic mechanism of the skin lesions was briefly discussed from both the stand point of “Cell pathology” and that of “Whole body pathology”.