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Biomedical subjects

H Makuuchi

Publications and source records attributed to H Makuuchi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm combined with inferior mesenteric artery aneurysm and occlusion of celiac and superior mesenteric arteries].

A 56-year-old man with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm combined with inferior mesenteric artery aneurysm and occlusion of celiac and superior mesenteric arteries is presented. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and aortography revealed thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm of 6 cm in diameter, accompanied by inferior mesenteric aneurysm of 3 cm in diameter. Severe calcification of the abdominal aorta and occlusion of the celiac and the superior mesenteric arteries were also noted, whose territories were perfused by collateral circulation of the inferior mesenteric artery. At the operation, orifice of the left renal artery was stenosed by severe calcification, which was resected. Because of severe adhesion around the origins of celiac and superior mesenteric arteries, they were left unrevascularized. The thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm was replaced with an Dacron tube graft, whose side branch was anastomosed to the inferior mesenteric artery after resection of its aneurysm. The postoperative course was uneventful, and no symptoms of intestinal ischemia were noted. As blood supply to the abdominal viscera mostly depends on the inferior mesenteric artery, careful follow-up is necessary.

Aneurysm↗

[Ball thrombus in the right atrium: report of a case].

A 63-year-old man visited our hospital because of intermittent claudication due to an embolic episode in the left femoral artery. He had a long history of arterial fibrillation but had received no anticoagulant therapy. Echocardiography showed a large floating ball-shaped shadow in the right atrium, without any sign of tricuspid stenosis. Pulmonary perfusion scintigram was normal. At the operation, the thrombus which attached to the superior atrial septum with a thin string was removed. The thrombus was 54 x 40 x 25 mm in size and 23.8 g in weight, whose cut surface was in layers. There was neither atrial septal defect nor foramen ovale to suggest possibility of paradoxical embolism. The postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on the 9th postoperative day. Although the mechanism of the thrombus formations is unknown, it is considered to be important to continue anticoagulant therapy to avoid reccurence of intracardiac thrombus.

Cardiac Surgical Procedures↗

Preoperative radio/chemo-radiotherapy in combination with intraoperative radiotherapy for T3-4Nx rectal cancer.

AIMS: To analyse the results of a single institution experience of combined preoperative radio/chemo-radiotherapy and intraoperative electron-radiation therapy (IORT) for locally advanced rectal cancer and to compare the results with surgery alone retrospectively. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 99 patients with clinical T3-4NxM0 adenocarcinoma of the rectum who had received preoperative radio/chemo-radiotherapy, radical surgery, and IORT [Group I]. Until 1998, 67 patients were treated with radiation only [Group Ia], and after 1999, 32 patients were concurrently given tegafur and uracil (UFT) [Group Ib]. 68 patients with clinical T3-4NxM0 rectal cancer were treated with surgery alone [Group II]. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 67 months in Group I and 83 months in Group II. Local recurrence rate was 2% in Group I, which was significantly lower than 16% in Group II (p=0.002) Both disease-free survival and overall survival in Group I were significantly better than those in Group II (p=0.04, p=0.02, respectively). Sphincter preservation was possible in 78% in Group Ib, which was significantly more than 42% in Group Ia (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The combined preoperative radio/chemo-radiotherapy and IORT for clinical T3-4Nx rectal cancer significantly reduces local recurrence and improves prognosis. Combination of preoperative radiotherapy and oral UFT improves the feasibility of sphincter-preservation.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Focus on the histologic diversity in primary and lymph node lesions and the outcome of gastric cancer.

According to the Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma, one predominant type should be selected to represent the histology of the carcinoma. The authors investigated the relationship among the histologic variables of primary lesions, metastatic lesions and the outcome of patients. A total of 155 patients with node-positive gastric carcinoma were examined. According to the histologic diversity, histologic grades were assigned from 1 to 4 regardless of the predominant histologic type. A larger number of histologic types composing not the primary lesions, but metastatic lymph nodes, were associated with an increasing frequency of advanced stage tumors. On the prognosis by number of histologic types composing the primary tumor and the metastatic lymph nodes, there were significant differences except between the histologic type-2 and histologic type-3 groups in the only metastatic lymph nodes. In conclusion, patients with a greater number of histologic types composing lymph node metastases had poorer prognosis than with a small number of histologic types. Histologic diversity within metastatic lymph node was thought to be important for determining the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Endoscopic mucosal resection of superficially spreading colonic neoplasms larger than 5 cm in the right colon after injection of dilute sodium hyaluronate: report of two cases.

Submucosal injection is the most important procedure for the safe performance of endoscopic mucosal resection in the large intestine while avoiding the risk of perforation. We used dilute sodium hyaluronate containing Bosmin and achieved safe piecemeal resection of large superficial tumors in the right colon in two patients. Piecemeal snare resection is considered to be acceptable if all the tissue pieces can be collected for histopathological diagnosis.

Colonic Neoplasms↗

Mitral stenosis due to fibrous tissue overgrowth after mitral valve repair.

We report an extremely rare case of fibrous tissue overgrowth 3 years after mitral valve repair using a mitral annuloplasty ring in a 53-year-old woman who underwent mitral valve replacement for mitral stenosis. Whitish fibrous tissue had overgrown from the ring on the atrial side of the annulus, and had severely reduced the valvular area. However, the motion of the mitral leaflets was not restricted. Considering the presence of concomitant aortitis syndrome, it is strongly suggested that the overgrowth of fibrous tissue was promoted as a reaction to chronic inflammation.

Cardiac Catheterization↗

Esophageal hernia in dementia: surgeon's role for mixed-type esophageal hernia in an elderly woman with dementia.

The mixed-type esophageal hernia is an indication for operation to prevent stomach volvulus and perforation. However, preventive operation is meaningful depending on the physical status. We encountered an 84-year-old, demented, bed-ridden woman of mixed-type esophageal hernia complicated with severe reflux esophagitis. First, the patient was conservatively treated by intravenous hyperalimentation and H2 blocker but, with onset of delirium, she removed the venous route twice. Subsequently, she was tightly restrained to the bed to avoid removing the line. Ethical deliberation for the patient tightly fixed to the bed and intravenous alimentation for her life prompted us to reconsider hernia operation after discussion with surrogate decision makers. The patient recovered uneventfully after operation, and movement without intravenous route or without any restraints was maintained by oral feeding assisted by gastrostomy feeding. In the coming decade, when senior patients are expected to increase, such operations can be forwarded to respect the patients' quality of life.

Aged↗

Novel three-channel and three-slit stiffening tube for total colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Because of the recent marked reduction in the diameter of colonoscopes, existing stiffening tubes require modification of their tips and hardness. The aim of this study was to develop a new stiffening device with a flexible soft tip which closely fitted the colonoscope. It was also designed with three slits, to improve the fit of the stiffening tube itself to the colonoscope and to extend the effective colonoscope length, and equipped with three channels for endoscopic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The standard stiffening tube which has been used routinely and a novel three-channel, three-slit (TCTS) stiffening tube were employed alternately (in 160 and 161 patients, respectively). The two tubes were compared for severity of pain experienced by patients, ease of intubation, and complications. RESULTS: Among the 160 patients examined with the standard stiffening tube, one (0.63 %) complained of mild anal pain on intubation and intubation was incomplete in two (1.25 %), because of resistance in the rectum and sigmoid colon. Among the 161 patients examined with the TCTS stiffening tube, three patients who presented early in the series (1.86 %) developed mild proctal redness and erosions, but incomplete intubation or serious complications were not recorded. CONCLUSION: The TCTS stiffening tube was as easy to use as the standard stiffening tube, and is considered to be both safe and useful.

Colonic Diseases↗

Detection of tumor cells in the portal and peripheral blood of patients with colorectal carcinoma using competitive reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

BACKGROUND: In spite of many reports, it remains unclear whether the presence of tumor cells in circulating blood flow predicts a poor prognosis. METHODS: Competitive seminested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a technique for the quantitative detection of tumor cells, was applied to detect the presence of tumor cells in portal and peripheral blood samples from 121 patients with colorectal carcinoma and to clarify their clinical significance. This technique can detect one carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA-expressing tumor cell in 1 x 10(5) normal lymphocytes. RESULTS: Six of 33 healthy volunteers (18%) demonstrated a positive reaction to this technique. CEA mRNA expression was detected in the portal blood in 51% of patients and in the peripheral blood in 42% of patients. The results from the two blood samples were consistent in 91% of patients. The positive expression rates for portal blood in patients with T1 tumors and those with TNM Stage I disease were 38% and 45%, respectively. The positive rate was significantly higher in patients with colon carcinoma and those with Stage III or IV disease. CEA mRNA expression, quantitatively measured (x 10(-8)/beta-actin), was 22.9 +/- 35.1 in the portal blood and 19.9 +/- 40.0 in the peripheral blood, with no statistically significant difference. A significant positive correlation was noted between portal and peripheral CEA mRNA expression levels according to Spearman correlation analysis (correlation coefficient = 0.78; P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that the positive rate and level of CEA mRNA expression in the portal and peripheral blood did not appear to be influenced by the established prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of circulating tumor cells might be of less value as a prognostic factor because they also can be detected in patients with early-stage colorectal carcinoma and appeared to be independent of the conventional prognostic factors.

Blood Specimen Collection↗

Intraoperative radiation therapy for curatively resected rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Intraoperative radiotherapy has been used for local control of locally advanced rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of intraoperative radiotherapy for curatively resected rectal cancer. METHODS: Between 1982 and 1998, intraoperative radiotherapy was administered in combination with curative resection in 78 patients with adenocarcinoma of the middle or lower third of the rectum (intraoperative radiotherapy group). Sixty-two of the patients had received preoperative radiotherapy with 20 Gy. Intraoperative radiotherapy was performed by a new strategy in which an electron beam was administered as uniformly as possible to the entire dissected surface of the pelvis. Retrospective comparisons were made with 248 patients treated by surgery alone during the same period (non-intraoperative radiotherapy group). RESULTS: The differences in tumor stage or surgical procedures between the two groups were not statistically significant. Survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence-free survival in the intraoperative radiotherapy group were significantly more favorable than in the non-intraoperative radiotherapy group (P = 0.01, P = 0.04, and P = 0.02). Differences in survival were observed in Stage II patients but not in Stage I or Stage III patients. The local failure rate was 2.6 percent in the intraoperative radiotherapy group and 11.3 percent in the non-intraoperative radiotherapy group, and the difference was significant (P = 0.02). The distant metastasis rate was 18.0 percent in the intraoperative radiotherapy group and 19.5 percent in the non-intraoperative radiotherapy group, and the difference was not significant. There was a significantly higher rate of wound infection in the intraoperative radiotherapy group, but no infections were serious. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with adenocarcinoma of the middle or lower third of the rectum, intraoperative radiotherapy to the entire dissected surface of the pelvis reduced local recurrence in Stage II and Stage III patients and improved survival in Stage II patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Quantitative analysis of infantile ureteropelvic junction obstruction by diuretic renography.

Infantile hydronephrosis detected by ultrasonography poses a clinical dilemma on how to treat the condition. This article reports a retrospective study to evaluate infantile hydronephrosis due to suspected ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction by means of standardized diuretic renography and to speculate its usefulness for quantitative assessment and management of this condition. Between November 1992 and July 1999, 43 patients who had the disease detected in their fetal or infantile period were submitted to this study. Standardized diuretic renograms were obtained with 99mTc-labeled diethylene-triaminepenta-acetate (Tc-99m-DTPA) or 99mTc-labeled mercaptoacetyl triglycine (Tc-99m-MAG3) as radiopharmaceuticals. Drainage half-time clearance (T 1/2) of the activity at each region of interest set to encompass the entire kidney and the dilated pelvis was used as an index of quantitative analysis of UPJ obstruction. Initial T 1/2s of 32 kidneys with suspected UPJ obstruction were significantly longer than those of 37 without obstruction. T 1/2s of kidneys which had undergone pyeloplasty decreased promptly after surgery whereas those of units followed up without surgery decreased more sluggishly. These findings demonstrate that a standardized diuretic renographic analysis with T 1/2 can reliably assess infantile hydronephrosis with UPJ obstruction and be helpful in making a decision on surgical intervention.

Child, Preschool↗

A pharmacological study of the weekday-on/weekend-off oral UFT schedule in colorectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE: The new weekday-on/weekend-off schedule for oral UFT administration consists of its administration for 5 consecutive days followed by 2 days off the drug. The intratumor 5-FU (5-fluorouracil) concentration has been reported to be correlated to the tumor response in patients treated with intravenous 5-FU. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics during the 2 days off the drug in cancer patients treated with the weekday-on/weekend-off schedule for oral UFT. METHODS: The subjects were 24 colorectal cancer patients. They were divided into three groups, and were all given UFT, 600 mg/day, for 5 days before surgery. Surgery was performed 2, 24, or 48 h after the final dose of UFT. The 5-FU concentrations in the serum, tumor, and in the normal mucosa were measured. RESULTS: The serum 5-FU concentrations after the final dose of UFT were: 23 +/- 12 ng/ml (mean +/- SD) at 2 h, 7 +/- 3 ng/ml at 24 h, and 6 +/- 3 ng/ml at 48 h. The intratumor 5-FU concentrations were: 113 +/- 45 ng/g at 2 h, 54 +/- 20 ng/ml at 24 h, and 54 +/- 35 ng/ml at 48 h, and the concentrations in the normal mucosa were: 36 +/- 15 ng/g (mean +/- SD) at 2 h, 17 +/- 6 ng/ml at 24 h, and 18 +/- 6 ng/ml at 48 h after the final dose. While the serum 5-FU concentration decreased to very low levels by 24 h after the final dose of UFT, the intratumor 5-FU concentrations were maintained at more than 50 ng/g at least until 48 h after the final dose. The 5-FU concentrations in the normal mucosa were maintained at about one third of the intratumor concentrations at all time points. CONCLUSION: Although the weekday-on/weekend-off schedule for UFT administration included intermittent 2-day drug-off periods, this pharmacokinetic study revealed that the 5-FU concentrations in the tumor were maintained at much higher levels than in the serum throughout these periods.

Administration, Oral↗

Ischemic heart disease associated with protein C deficiency.

Three patients of ischemic heart disease associated with protein C deficiency are reported. Although delayed diagnosis of protein C deficiency resulted in the failure of repeated interventions, coronary artery bypass grafting performed after making the correct diagnosis has led to satisfactory mid-term results under strict anticoagulation therapy. The level of protein C should be measured more frequently in the field of ischemic heart disease and earlier diagnosis of its deficiency should be made, because measurement of protein C does not cost much.

Aged↗

A novel approach to endoscopic colorectal mucosal resection using a three-channel outer tube and multiple forceps: an experimental assessment.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Colorectal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has limitations both anatomically and technically when it is done using the conventional snare wire method. The aim of this study was to develop a new method and instrument for colorectal EMR. METHODS: A total of 21 EMR procedures were done using ten surgical specimens. Saline was injected into the normal submucosa of freshly resected colorectal specimens to prepare a pseudotumor. EMR was performed experimentally by employing a three-channel outer tube with three forceps and a colonoscope with a needle-type precutting knife. This method was assessed in terms of safety and the size of the resected specimens. RESULTS: Perforation occurred only twice in the initial stage of this study. The size of the specimens resected by EMR was 28-39 mm (long diameter 34.8+/-3.11), by 22-28 mm (short diameter 25.8+/-2.07). CONCLUSION: This method can achieve safety and en bloc mucosal resection to the submucosal layer. This novel approach may be promising for clinical application as a new form of endoscopic surgery.

Colonoscopes↗

Idiopathic submucosal hematoma of esophagus complicated by dissecting aneurysm, followed-up endoscopically during conservative treatment.

Submucosal hematoma of the esophagus is encountered as a rare complication of endoscopic treatment for esophageal varices, but is seen more often with the increasing frequency of endoscopic applications. Idiopathic submucosal hematoma is a rarer event and in most cases sudden intense vomiting has been postulated as its cause. We report here the case of such a patient whose condition was complicated by a dissecting aneurysm. During conservative treatment, careful follow-up was required to differentiate the submucosal hematoma from an aorto-esophageal fistula.

Aged↗