BACKGROUND: In health examinations for local inhabitants in cadmium-polluted areas, only healthy people are investigated, suggesting that patients with severe cadmium nephropathy or itai-itai disease may be overlooked. Therefore, we performed hospital-based screening to detect patients with cadmium nephropathy in two core medical institutes in cadmium-polluted areas in Akita prefecture, Japan. METHODS: Subjects for this screening were selected from patients aged 60 years or older with elevated serum creatinine levels and no definite renal diseases. We enrolled 35 subjects from a hospital in Odate city and 22 from a clinic in Kosaka town. Urinary ß-microglobulin and blood and urinary cadmium levels were measured. RESULTS: The criteria for renal tubular dysfunction and the over-accumulation of cadmium were set as a urinary ß-microglobulin level higher than 10,000 μg/g cr. and a blood cadmium level higher than 6 μg/L or urinary cadmium level higher than 10 μg/g cr., respectively. Subjects who fulfilled both criteria were diagnosed with cadmium nephropathy. Six out of 57 patients (10.5% of all subjects) had cadmium nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS: This hospital-based screening is a very effective strategy for detecting patients with cadmium nephropathy in cadmium-polluted areas, playing a complementary role in health examinations for local inhabitants. REGISTRATION NUMBER No. 6, date of registration: 6 June, 2010 (Akita Rosai Hospital), and No. 1117, date of registration: 26 December, 2013 (Akita University).
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cadmium ; adverse effects ; urine ; Cadmium Poisoning ; blood ; complications ; urine ; Creatinine ; urine ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Environmental Monitoring ; Environmental Pollutants ; adverse effects ; urine ; Female ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Japan ; Kidney Diseases ; chemically induced ; urine ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sex Distribution

STUDY DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective study. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) on surgical outcomes in patients with cervical myelopathy. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: To date, few studies have investigated the influence of postoperative blood glucose or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels on surgical outcomes. METHODS: The participants were patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. The 61 cases were evaluated preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores and the JOA Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire (JOACMEQ). The study variables included fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels measured preoperatively and at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 1 year postoperatively; the F-wave conduction velocity, latency, rate of occurrence, and M-wave latency in the ulnar and tibial nerves were measured preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. The patients were divided into a group without diabetes (N group, 42 patients) and a group with diabetes (DM group, 19 patients). We then assessed the associations between the surgical outcomes and each of the study variables. RESULTS: JOA scores significantly improved in both groups; however, no significant between-group differences were found. There was no significant improvement in the JOACMEQ scores, which assessed cervical function, upper and lower limb function, and bladder function in both groups. We then subdivided the DM group into those with a good control of HbA1c after 1 year (DMG group, 12 patients) and those with HbA1c deterioration after 1 year (DMB group, seven patients), prior to comparing the surgical outcomes. The JOACMEQ scores for upper and lower limb function significantly improved in the DMG group (p<0.01). Compared with the DMB group, there were no significant increases in upper or lower limb function scores in the DMG group. CONCLUSIONS: Poor glycemic control might prevent postoperative functional recovery of the spinal cord.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Electromyography ; Fasting ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Longitudinal Ligaments ; Lower Extremity ; Neck ; Prospective Studies ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Compression ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Tibial Nerve ; Treatment Outcome ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are few prospective studies on cold forceps polypectomy (CFP) using jumbo cup forceps. Therefore, we examined patients with diminutive polyps (5 mm or smaller) treated with CFP using jumbo cup forceps to achieve an adenoma-free colon and also assessed the safety of the procedure and the recurrence rate of missed or residual polyp after CFP by performing follow-up colonoscopy 1 year later. METHODS: We included patients with up to 5 adenomas removed at initial colonoscopy and analyzed data from a total of 361 patients with 573 adenomas. One-year follow-up colonoscopy was performed in 165 patients, at which 251 lesions were confirmed. RESULTS: The one-bite resection rate with CFP was highest for lesions 3 mm or smaller and decreased significantly with increasing lesion size. Post-procedural hemorrhage was observed in 1 of 573 lesions (0.17%). No perforation was noted. The definite recurrence rate was 0.8% (2/251 lesions). The probable recurrence rate, which was defined as recurrence in the same colorectal segment, was 17%. Adenoma-free colon was achieved in 55% of patients at initial resection. Multivariate analysis revealed that achievement of an adenoma-free colon was significantly associated with number of adenomas and years of endoscopic experience. CONCLUSIONS: CFP using jumbo biopsy forceps was safe and showed a high one-bite resection rate for diminutive lesions of 3 mm or smaller. The low definite recurrence rate confirms the reliability of CFP using jumbo biopsy forceps. Number of adenomas and years of endoscopic experience were key factors in achieving an adenoma-free colon.
Adenoma ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Polyps ; Prospective Studies ; Recurrence ; Surgical Instruments

Bovine abortion, diarrhea, and respiratory disease complexes, caused by infectious agents, result in high and significant economic losses for the cattle industry. These pathogens are likely transmitted by various vectors and reservoirs including insects, birds, and rodents. However, experimental data supporting this possibility are scarce. We collected 117 samples and screened them for 44 bovine abortive, diarrheal, and respiratory disease complex pathogens by using Dembo polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which is based on TaqMan real-time PCR. Fifty-seven samples were positive for at least one pathogen, including bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine enterovirus, Salmonella enterica ser. Dublin, Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium, and Neospora caninum; some samples were positive for multiple pathogens. Bovine viral diarrhea virus and bovine enterovirus were the most frequently detected pathogens, especially in flies, suggesting an important role of flies in the transmission of these viruses. Additionally, we detected the N. caninum genome from a cockroach sample for the first time. Our data suggest that insects (particularly flies), birds, and rodents are potential vectors and reservoirs of abortion, diarrhea, and respiratory infectious agents, and that they may transmit more than one pathogen at the same time.
Animals ; Birds ; Cattle ; Cockroaches ; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral ; Diarrhea ; Diptera ; Disease Reservoirs ; Disease Vectors ; Enterovirus ; Enterovirus, Bovine ; Genome ; Insects ; Neospora ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rodentia ; Salmonella enterica ; Virulence Factors

　　Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation examination is now performed in most medical institutions in order to select the molecular targeted medicine for lung cancer. It became clear that the positive rate of the biopsy material was lower than that of the surgical sample in this hospital. The cause was attributed to false negatives due to low tumor cell content in biopsy specimens. We investigated the presence of the mutation using surgical samples and preoperative biopsy specimens from the same patients in 13 cases. Furthermore, we investigated the tumor cell content of the biopsy specimens by cell counting. Results showed that 3 of 6 biopsy specimens that were associated with positive surgical samples were judged to be negative. The tumor cell content was less than 5% in all negative cases. Regarding EGFR gene mutation examination, we should carefully determine tumor cell content when using biopsy specimens.

A 66-year-old man was given a diagnosis of urinary-tract infection and hospitalized for 2 weeks in another hospital in late August 2009. In late October of that year he was transferred to our hospital by ambulance because he was unable to ingest anything orally. Echocardiography showed that a vegetation of about 10 mm in maximum dimension was attached to the aortic valve, causing severe aortic stenosis and regurgitation. The patient's general condition was poor, and sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome developed. The next day, an urgent operation was performed, and an abscess was observed occupying one-third of the aortic valve annulus. The abscess was completely excised and the abscess cavity was covered with an equine pericardium patch. We then performed aortic valve replacement using a bioprosthetic valve followed by tricuspid valve annuloplasty. Peptostreptococcus spp. was detected in a culture of the abscess. Infective endocarditis due to Peptostreptococcus spp. is rare. There has been no recurrence of infection for 7 months postoperatively.

A 78-year-old woman who had had chest pain since 3 days previously, was given a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Emergency coronary angiography revealed mid-left anterior descending artery and proximal right coronary artery lesions. Percutaneous coronary intervention was performed, and re-perfusion was successful. Cardiac tamponade was then diagnosed. Despite pericardial drainage, she remained in shock. After an intra-aortic balloon pump was established, an emergency operation was performed. On the operating table, her pulse disappeared. When thoracotomy was performed, a viscous hematoma was found in the pericardium. We found 3 ruptures in the left ventricular free wall, and hemorrhage. The diagnosis was a blow-out type left ventricular free wall rupture of the heart (LVFWR). We have used the patches-and-glue sutureless technique without cardiopulmonary support. This treatment for blow-type of LVFWR is rare.

The patient was a 58-year-old woman with untreated diabetes. She consulted a local doctor in May 2006 complaining of constipation that had persisted for 2 weeks, under gradually worsening abdominal pain. She was transferred to our hospital with a diagnosis of aortic aneurysm. Blood tests indicated high inflammatory response, and CT showed hematoma around the aorta from directly under the diaphragm to the level of superior mesenteric artery and influx of contrast medium into the hematoma. Control of the infection was first attempted with antibiotics, but eventually surgery was performed because the hematoma increased. The hematoma and aortic wall were completely excised from the local of the diaphragm to the level beneath the renal artery, with partial cardiopulmonary bypass and selective perfusion to abdominal branches, and anatomic reconstruction was performed with a synthetic graft and omental implantation. The hematoma was fetid and Citrobacter koseri was detected in culture. The patient was discharged after 4 weeks of antibiotic treatment, without complications and with satisfactory progress. At present, there has been no recurrence of infection in the 22 months since her discharge.

The purpose of this study was to resolve the confusion existing in the terminology for describing foot motion, particularly the definitions of inversion and eversion. First, the definitions of foot motion used by the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Japanese Orthopedic Association were compared with those used by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and with those used by the International Society of Biomechanics (ISB), to identify agreements and differences. Next, the terminology utilized in the literature was explored by examining several major textbooks and related academic papers retrieved through a search of the PubMed medical literature database. In the definitions of AOFAS and ISB, inversion and eversion, which correspond to triplane motions in the definition used in Japan, were regarded as motions in the coronal plane. Terminology in the textbooks was very diverse. Of the 141 academic papers explored, 92 papers (66%) regarded inversion/eversion as coronal plane motion, and 4 papers (3%) regarded it as a triplane motion. In the remaining 43 papers (31%), the definition was unspecified. In academic articles addressing foot motions, to avoid confusion in terminology, the definitions of inversion and eversion need to be specified.

A 33-year-old man presented with respiratory distress and lower leg edema in April 2006. Atrial septal defect (ASD), complicated with moderate mitral regurgitation (MR), advanced tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and pulmonary hypertension (95/32mmHg), was diagnosed. Qp/Qs was 6.3 and L-R shunt ratio was 84.4%. An “edge-to-edge” mitral valve plasty for MR complication as well as closure of the septal defect and tricuspid annuloplasty was performed, and a good result was obtained. It is known that ASD has a tendency to be accompanied by MR, and the strategy for treatment course for MR is debatable. The mitral lesions of MR complicating ASD are often seen in the posteromedial side of the anterior mitral leaflet, and usually many of the tendinous cords and valve leaflets are in the normal range in length. There have been reports on the mid-term results of edge-to-edge repair of mitral regurgitation due to degenerative lesions but the mid- and long-term results for MR complicating ASD, such as this case are unknown. We need to carefully observe the time course of this case.