Oculomotor disorder and diplopia cause a decline in quality of life and activities of daily living. The usefulness of orthoptic exercise for oculomotor disorder has been proven. However, there are few reports about orthoptic therapy with diplopia after a cerebrovascular accident in a convalescent rehabilitation ward which usually has no certified orthoptist. A previous study reported that diplopia caused by traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage was improved after binocular gaze training. On the other hand, it was also reported that binocular training alone did not lead to complete recovery of diplopia, as no improvement was seen after the sixth day. We experienced a case of abducens nerve palsy and diplopia due to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Orthoptic treatment without special equipment restores disordered eye movement and improves double vision. Notably, binocular gazing training, devised to move the gazing target farther away or to the side, improved over a long period, unlike in a previous report. We report this case because it showed the availability of our attempted treatment for oculomotor disorder in a convalescent rehabilitation ward.

Oculomotor disorder and diplopia cause a decline in quality of life and activities of daily living. The usefulness of orthoptic exercise for oculomotor disorder has been proven. However, there are few reports about orthoptic therapy with diplopia after a cerebrovascular accident in a convalescent rehabilitation ward which usually has no certified orthoptist. A previous study reported that diplopia caused by traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage was improved after binocular gaze training. On the other hand, it was also reported that binocular training alone did not lead to complete recovery of diplopia, as no improvement was seen after the sixth day. We experienced a case of abducens nerve palsy and diplopia due to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Orthoptic treatment without special equipment restores disordered eye movement and improves double vision. Notably, binocular gazing training, devised to move the gazing target farther away or to the side, improved over a long period, unlike in a previous report. We report this case because it showed the availability of our attempted treatment for oculomotor disorder in a convalescent rehabilitation ward.

Although visual examination and palpation are used to assess shoulder motion in clinical practice, there is no consensus on shoulder motion under dynamic and static conditions. This study aimed to compare shoulder joint motion under dynamic and static conditions. Methods: The dominant arm of 14 healthy adult males was investigated. Electromagnetic sensors attached to the scapular, thorax, and humerus were used to measure three-dimensional shoulder joint motion under dynamic and static elevation conditions and compare scapular upward rotation and glenohumeral joint elevation in different elevation planes and angles. Results: At 120° of elevation in the scapular and coronal planes, the scapular upward rotation angle was higher in the static condition and the glenohumeral joint elevation angle was higher in the dynamic condition (P<0.05). In scapular plane and coronal plane elevation 90°– 120°, the angular change in scapular upward rotation was higher in the static condition and the angular change in scapulohumeral joint elevation was higher in the dynamic condition (P<0.05). No differences were found in shoulder joint motion in the sagittal plane elevation between the dynamic and static conditions. No interaction effects were found between elevation condition and elevation angle in all elevation planes. Conclusions: Differences in shoulder joint motion should be noted when assessing shoulder joint motion in different dynamic and static conditions. Level of evidence: Level III, diagnostic cross-sectional study.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for diverticulum-associated colorectal lesions is generally contraindicated because of the high risk of perforation. Several studies on patients with such lesions treated with ESD have been reported recently. However, the feasibility and safety of ESD for lesions in proximity to a colonic diverticulum (D-ESD) have not been fully clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of D-ESD. Methods: D-ESD was defined as ESD for lesions within approximately 3 mm of a diverticulum. Twenty-six consecutive patients who underwent D-ESD were included. Two strategic approaches were used depending on whether submucosal dissection of the diverticulum-related part was required (strategy B) or not (strategy A). Treatment outcomes and adverse events associated with each strategy were analyzed. Results: The en bloc resection rate was 96.2%. The rates of R0 and curative resection in strategies A and B were 80.8%, 73.1%, 84.6%, and 70.6%, respectively. Two cases of intraoperative perforation and one case of delayed perforation occurred. The delayed perforation case required emergency surgery, but the other cases were managed conservatively. Conclusions D-ESD may be a feasible treatment option. However, it should be performed in a high-volume center by expert hands because it requires highly skilled endoscopic techniques.

The need for palliative care for heart failure patients has been attracting attention, but the system for providing such care is not yet fully established in Japan. Iizuka Hospital is a 1048-bed acute care hospital located in Fukuoka, Japan. The Heart Support Team (HST) was established to provide palliative care for heart failure at the hospital. After the HST was launched in May 2017, 168 referrals for palliative care intervention for heart failure patients by March 2022. Twenty-five (14.8%) met the intervention cases’ additional palliative care treatment criteria. The Integrated Palliative Outcome Scale was administered to 11 consecutive patients from April 1 to 30, 2021. In establishing and operating the HST, the challenge was recruiting, training, and creating a system to sustain the system. Creating the HST in collaboration with staff specializing in palliative care, psychiatric care, and cardiovascular specialists was the first step in establishing a method for palliative care to heart failure patients in an acute care hospital.

We report a rare case of a hemodialysis patient with calcified amorphous tumor (CAT) originating from aortic valve cusp that continues to tricuspid valve, which may be related to aortic annular calcification and aortic valve stenosis. A 79-year-old female with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis for 16 years was transferred to our hospital with loss of consciousness. Echocardiography revealed aortic valve stenosis and presence of tumor on the aortic valve and tricuspid valve. We suspected the presence of a cardiac tumor or vegetation. We underwent tumor resection of tricuspid valve and aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting (SVG-RCA). Pathological findings of the tumor was CAT.

Background: Several systematic reviews have reported on the conservative treatment of full-thickness rotator cuff tears; however, clinical results of this treatment still remain determined. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, PEDro, and CINAHL databases were systematically searched for randomized clinical trials and observational studies. Two independent researchers reviewed a total of 2,981 articles, 28 of which met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Clinical outcome measures included Constant score, visual analog scale score for pain, range of motion, and short-form 36. The meta-analysis used a linear mixed model weighted with the variance of the estimate. Results: The meta-analysis showed a significant improvement after surgery. Pain score is 26.2 mm (1 month) to 26.4 mm (3 months) and 24.8 mm (12 months) (P<0.05); active abduction: 153.2º (2 months), 159.0º (6 months), 168.1º (12 months) (P<0.05); Constant score: 67.8 points (2 months) to 77.2 points (12 months) (P<0.05); short-form 36 “vitality” section: 57.0 points (6 months) and 70.0 points (12 months) (P<0.05). Conclusions Our data confirmed the effectiveness of conservative treatment in patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears 12 months post-intervention. The results suggest that conservative treatment for patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears should be the first line of treatment before considering surgery.

We report two cases of spastic cerebral palsy classified as diplegia-type complicated cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Under the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), both were classified as Level IV, defined as standing with support, but with difficultly, after the diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Paralysis in both the upper and lower limbs deteriorated and became a form of quadriplegia. In one case, there was no appeal from the patient even after the manifestation of symptoms；diagnosis and surgery were both time consuming, with no improvements in post-operative symptoms including urinary incontinence. In the other case, early diagnosis was possible and operation was scheduled early. The post-operative response was positive, and the patient was able to recover to pre-cervical spondylotic myelopathy conditions. Complications of cervical spondylotic myelopathy is well-known in the athetosis type；however, reports on the spastic type are limited. Here, we report complications of cervical spondylotic myelopathy in spastic cerebral palsy and show that early detection and surgery are important factors in mitigating long-term recovery.

We report two cases of spastic cerebral palsy classified as diplegia-type complicated cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Under the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), both were classified as Level IV, defined as standing with support, but with difficultly, after the diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Paralysis in both the upper and lower limbs deteriorated and became a form of quadriplegia. In one case, there was no appeal from the patient even after the manifestation of symptoms；diagnosis and surgery were both time consuming, with no improvements in post-operative symptoms including urinary incontinence. In the other case, early diagnosis was possible and operation was scheduled early. The post-operative response was positive, and the patient was able to recover to pre-cervical spondylotic myelopathy conditions. Complications of cervical spondylotic myelopathy is well-known in the athetosis type；however, reports on the spastic type are limited. Here, we report complications of cervical spondylotic myelopathy in spastic cerebral palsy and show that early detection and surgery are important factors in mitigating long-term recovery.