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Jun Aoki,1 Kazuhiro Sakamoto,1 Rina Takahashi,1 Koichiro Niwa,1 Shun Ishiyama,1 Kiichi Sugimoto,1 Hirohiko Kamiyama,1 Makoto Takahashi,1 Yutaka Kojima,1 Michitoshi Goto,1 Yuichi Tomiki,1 Toshiaki Iba21Department of Coloproctological Surgery, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Juntendo University, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, JapanBackground: There is a high incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during the perioperative period for cancer. Therefore, there is an urgent need to elucidate the perioperative onset and appropriate prophylaxis for VTE.Purpose: VTE during the perioperative period for colorectal cancer was evaluated by lower limb venous ultrasonic examinations (lower limb echo) under enoxaparin prophylaxis. We also examined the relationship between hemorrhagic adverse events and anti-Xa factor activity.Patients and methods: Eighty-three subjects who underwent lower limb echo during the perioperative period for colorectal cancer were prospectively included. Enoxaparin was administered for 5 days, from day 1 to day 5 after surgery. Lower limb echo was performed before surgery and on day 5 after surgery. The activated partial thromboplastin time, D-dimer levels, and anti-Xa factor activity were measured before surgery and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 after surgery.Results: VTEs before surgery were observed on lower limb echo for 16 patients (19.2%). Three patients (3.6%) had a new thrombus during the perioperative period. The preoperative D-dimer level was an independent prognostic factor for newly formed postoperative VTEs (p=0.0036; odds ratio, 19.37). Three patients (3.6%) had hemorrhagic events; however, there was no significant trend for anti-Xa factor activity.Conclusion: VTE prevention using enoxaparin was relatively safe, and D-dimer measurements before surgery were useful for predicting perioperative VTE.Keywords: postoperative complications, pulmonary thromboembolism, deep vein thrombosis, D-dimer, anti-Xa factor activity

Shunta Hori, Tatsuki Miyamoto, Keiichi Sakamoto, Takuto Shimizu, Kazuki Ichikawa, Yosuke Morizawa, Daisuke Gotoh, Yasushi Nakai, Makito Miyake, Tatsuo Yoneda, Nobumichi Tanaka, Katsunori Yoshida, Kiyohide Fujimoto Department of Urology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan Background: Transplant renal vein thrombosis (TRVT) is a severe vascular complication and is caused by various factors, including recipient factors, donor factors, immunosuppression regimens, and surgical techniques. Despite adequate interventions, including thrombolytic therapy or surgical thrombectomy, successful salvage of the allograft is often difficult. We observed a case of TRVT induced by compression of the renal vein immediately after intraoperative abdominal closure.Case presentation: A 41-year-old male underwent ABO-compatible living kidney transplantation. The donor was his 45-year-old sister, and her right kidney was donated. The allograft had a single artery and vein. One of the preoperative recipient problems was obesity (body mass index, 33.4 kg/m2). Intraoperative Doppler ultrasonography (US) revealed sufficient blood flow throughout the allograft, and urine output was also observed. After surgery, hematuria was observed; the urine output decreased and serum creatinine levels increased to 7.0 mg/dL. Doppler US showed a decrease in diastolic flow and an elevated resistive index, which were similar findings to those noted in acute rejection. Although steroid pulse therapy was initiated, allograft dysfunction was worsening. On postoperative day 4, surgical exploration revealed TRVT; consequently, thrombectomy was performed. The urine output increased, and serum creatinine levels decreased to 1.8 mg/dL. The cause of TRVT development may be that the transplant renal vein was relatively short, due to the right kidney being compressed by surrounding tissues after abdominal closure, and that TRVT was gradually developing due to stagnant blood flow.Conclusion: Although TRVT is induced by multiple factors, an accurate diagnosis is often difficult. Understanding these factors, including obesity, and considering TRVT as a cause of allograft dysfunction are important during the pre-, peri-, and postoperative periods. Knowledge of TRVT can lead to early and accurate diagnosis and intervention, resulting in better outcomes for the patients with allograft dysfunction. Keywords: kidney transplantation, surgical exploration, transplant renal vein thrombosis, thrombectomy

Norihito Omote, Naozumi Hashimoto, Masahiro Morise, Koji Sakamoto, Shinichi Miyazaki, Akira Ando, Yoshio Nakahara, Yoshinori Hasegawa Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the predominant cause of death in patients with COPD, and the severity of COPD in NSCLC patients is classified mainly as mild to moderate. Most advanced NSCLC patients with mild to moderate COPD are treated with chemotherapy; however, the feasibility for and prognosis after chemotherapy of these patients are not well understood. The aim of this study was to elucidate the impact of mild to moderate COPD on the feasibility for and prognosis after chemotherapy in NSCLC patients.Patients and methods: A retrospective review was performed on 268 NSCLC patients who received first-line chemotherapy from 2009 to 2014 in our institution. Finally, 85 evaluable patients were included in this study. The clinical characteristics, toxicity profile, objective response rate, and prognosis were analyzed and compared between patients with mild to moderate COPD and those without COPD (non-COPD).Results: Forty-three patients were classified as COPD (27 cases mild and 16 cases moderate) and 42 patients as non-COPD. The COPD group were older and had fewer never-smokers than the non-COPD group. The objective response rate did not differ between groups (p=0.14). There was no significant difference in overall survival between COPD and non-COPD groups (15.0 and 17.0 months, log-rank test p=0.57). In the multivariate Cox’s proportional hazard model, the adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj) was statistically significant for male sex (HRadj =5.382, 95% CI: 1.496–19.359; p=0.010), pathological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma (HRadj =0.460, 95% CI: 0.223–0.948; p=0.035), and epithelial growth factor receptor negative mutation (HRadj =6.040, 95% CI: 1.158–31.497; p=0.033), but not for the presence of COPD (HRadj =0.661, 95% CI: 0.330–1.325; p=0.24). Toxicity profile in COPD group was favorable, as in the non-COPD group.Conclusion: Mild to moderate COPD did not have a significant deleterious impact on toxicity and prognosis in NSCLC patients. Keywords: toxicity, survival, prognostic factors

Kazuo Sakamoto, Masatsugu Nozoe, Yoshitomo Tsutsui, Nobuhiro Suematsu, Toru Kubota, Masanori Okabe, Yusuke Yamamoto Division of Cardiology, Cardiovascular and Aortic Center, Saiseikai Fukuoka General Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan Abstract: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful tool for detecting the arrhythmogenic substrate in cardiac sarcoidosis. We herein present a case of bipolar radiofrequency catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT) complicated with cardiac sarcoidosis, guided by pre-procedural cardiac MRI. Neither echocardiography nor endocardial voltage mapping suggested a septal VT substrate. However, MRI alone detected intramural lesions in the septum. Although application of endocardial energy failed to treat the VT, bipolar ablation targeting the potential substrate identified by MRI successfully eliminated the VT. Even when no abnormalities are depicted on echocardiography and endocardial voltage mapping, intramural scar tissue identified by cardiac MRI could be critical for VT. Keywords: cardiac sarcoidosis, VT, MRI, bipolar ablation

Koji Ishikawa,1 Takashi Nagai,1 Keizo Sakamoto,1 Kenji Ohara,2 Takeshi Eguro,1,2 Hiroshi Ito,1 Yoichi Toyoshima,1 Akatsuki Kokaze,3 Tomoaki Toyone,1 Katsunori Inagaki1 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamanashi Red Cross Hospital, Yamanashi, 3Department of Public Health, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan Abstract: Hypocalcemia is the most common major adverse event in patients with osteoporosis receiving the bone resorption inhibitor denosumab; however, limited information is available regarding risk factors of hypocalcemia. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the risk factors of hypocalcemia induced by denosumab treatment for osteoporosis. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who had received initial denosumab supplemented with activated vitamin D for osteoporosis. Serum levels of the following bone turnover markers (BTMs) were measured at baseline: bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), total N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen (P1NP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b), and urinary cross-linked N-telopeptide of type 1 collagen (NTX). Of the 85 denosumab-treated patients with osteoporosis studied, 22 (25.9%) developed hypocalcemia. Baseline serum total P1NP, TRACP-5b, and urinary NTX were significantly higher in patients with hypocalcemia than in those with normocalcemia following denosumab administration (all P76.5 µg/L, TRACP-5b >474 mU/dL, or urinary NTX >49.5 nmol bone collagen equivalent/mmol creatinine had a higher risk of hypocalcemia (P

Hiroko Sugawara,1,2 Kaoru Sakamoto,1 Tsuyoto Harada,3 Satoru Shimizu,4 Jun Ishigooka1 1Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, 2Support Center for Women Health Care Professionals and Researchers, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, 3Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Women’s Medical University Medical Center East, Arakawa-ku, 4Department of Research, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan Background: Several studies have evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of aripiprazole for augmentation of antidepressant therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Here, we investigated the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation for TRD including both major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder and the clinical predictors of treatment efficacy in a Japanese population. Methods: Eighty-five depressed Japanese patients who underwent aripiprazole augmentation therapy after failing to respond satisfactorily to antidepressant monotherapy were included in the study. Treatment responses were evaluated based on Clinical Global Impression Improvement scores assessed 8 weeks after initiation of aripiprazole administration. We compared demographic and diagnostic variables, psychiatric medication variables, and clinical variables between remission and nonremission groups. Results: The aripiprazole augmentation remission rate was 36.5%. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that aripiprazole augmentation was significantly more effective for bipolar depression than for major depressive disorder, and both absence of comorbid anxiety disorders and current episode duration >3 months were significantly associated with the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation. Conclusion: Polarity of depression, comorbidity of anxiety disorders, and current episode duration may predict the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation for TRD including both major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Among them, comorbidity of anxiety disorders was significantly related to the efficacy for TRD including only major depressive disorder. Additional studies are needed to examine the association between the efficacy of aripiprazole augmentation and bipolarity, and these findings should be validated further in a prospective study. Keywords: TRD, aripiprazole, predictor, bipolar depression, anxiety disorder

Masushi Kohta,1 Kazumi Sakamoto,2 Yasuhiro Kawachi,3 Tsunao Oh-i4 1Medical Engineering Laboratory, ALCARE Co, Ltd, Tokyo, 2Department of Nursing, 3Department of Dermatology, Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center, Ibaraki, 4Department of Dermatology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan Purpose: There have been previous clinical studies regarding the impact of dressings on the prevention of pressure ulcer development. However, it remains unclear whether one type of dressing is better than any other type for preventing ulcer development during surgery. Therefore, we compared the effects of ceramide 2-containing hydrocolloid dressing with film dressings in high-risk patients with regard to reducing the incidence of pressure ulcer development during surgery. Patients and methods: A prospective, randomized, open-label, clinical trial was conducted involving patients who were at a high risk of developing pressure ulcers at a Japanese hospital. The intervention group received ceramide 2-containing hydrocolloid dressings (n=66), and the control group received film dressings (n=64). The primary end point was the incidence rate of pressure ulcer development in both groups; skin damage, such as blanchable erythema, skin discoloration, contact dermatitis, and stripped skin, was recorded as the secondary end point. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were assessed to compare the probability ratios of pressure ulcer development between the groups. Results: There were significantly fewer patients who developed pressure ulcers in the intervention group than in the control group (RR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.05–0.99; P=0.04). In the post hoc subgroup analysis, the superiority of the intervention group was more marked when patients had a lower body mass index (P=0.02), lower albumin values (P=0.07), and operation time of 3 hours or more and less than 6 hours (P=0.03). There was no evidence of any statistically significant differences in the types of skin damage reported. Conclusion: Application of ceramide 2-containing hydrocolloid dressing reduced the risk of pressure ulcer development in patients who were at a high risk during surgery compared with film dressings. Keywords: operating room, wound dressing, friction, skin protection, shear