Objectives: Hepatectomy is used to treat several liver diseases, although perioperative mortality and postoperative complication rates remain high. Given the lack of relevant studies to date, the present study aimed to investigate potential predictive factors for postoperative complications in patients undergoing hepatectomies lasting 12 or more hours (termed “extremely long hepatectomies”).

Methods: Adult patients undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) after extremely long hepatectomies at Fujita Health University Hospital between 2014 and 2017 were enrolled in the study. Postoperative complications were classified as “major complications” and “non-major complications” according to the Clavien–Dindo Classification grading system. We also divided our study population into “simple hepatectomy” and “non-simple hepatectomy” subgroups for further analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test, chi-squared test, and multiple logistic regression analysis.

Results: In total, 114 patients (Major Complications Group, n=44; Non-Major Complications Group, n=70) were enrolled. In the Simple Hepatectomy Group, there were no significant variables. In the Non-Simple Hepatectomy Group, female sex (odds ratio [OR], 13.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00–1.81×10²; p=0.04) and lactate levels at ICU admission (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.99–2.59; p=0.05) were independent factors associated with major postoperative complications.

Conclusions: In the Simple Hepatectomy Group, there were no significant variables. In the Non-Simple Hepatectomy Group, female sex and lactate levels at ICU admission of patients who underwent extremely long hepatectomies may be independent factors associated with major postoperative complications.

Objectives: We conducted a multicenter study using the same questionnaire in 1999 and 2014 to investigate changes in the characteristics of patients with latex allergy.

Methods: We mailed questionnaires on latex allergy to hospitals in Japan that were members of the Japanese Latex Allergy Society.

Results: We compared the 25 responses received in 2014 and the 81 responses received in 1999. With regard to the age distribution, the number of patients with latex allergy in their 20s declined significantly from 1999 to 2014 (P=0.004). The largest proportion of latex allergy cases was observed among those aged <10 years. The incidence of cases caused by medical rubber gloves decreased significantly (P=0.004). Moreover, latex-fruit syndrome increased from 15% to 40% (P=0.006).

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the frequency of occurrence of latex allergy in people in their 20s decreased from 1999 to 2014. The largest proportion of latex allergy cases was observed among those aged <10 years. Future measures to protect children are required.

Objectives: Renal scintigraphy is widely used to evaluate residual function of a transplanted kidney from the donor. Dynamic computed tomography (CT) imaging can evaluate both kidney morphology and regional renal function. The aim of this study was to develop an imaging protocol and a calculation method using dynamic CT for assessing the effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) by model analysis, and to evaluate the validity of the obtained ERPF values.

Methods: Preoperative dynamic CT examination with a low radiation dose exposure system was performed for 25 renal transplant donors, and ERPF was calculated from the obtained images (CT-ERPF). To calculate CT-ERPF, we set the region of interest (ROI) in the renal cortex using automatic ROI-setting software developed in our laboratory. We compared the processing time with automatic and manual ROI settings. To evaluate the validity of CT-ERPF, we examined the correlation of age with CT-ERPF and compared with reported ERPF values. We also compared the uptake rates of technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid and CT-ERPF in terms of the right-to-left ratio.

Results: There was good agreement of CT-ERPF assessed using automatic and manual ROIs. CT-ERPF was negatively correlated with age and showed values below the reference ERPF range in 21 cases. The right-to-left ratio of CT-ERPF showed a significant correlation with that of technetium-99m-dimercaptosuccinic acid.

Conclusions: Using our method, CT-ERPF was a useful indicator for preoperative evaluation of donor’s renal function.

Objectives: The ability to transfer between surfaces is essential for wheelchair users’ independence. We hypothesized that transfer of hemiparetic stroke patients would be improved by using surfaces at the same height with no gap or obstacle between them.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the difficulty of two transfer methods as a pilot study. Thirteen hemiparetic stroke patients were transferred from a platform table to a chair (wheelchair or flat chair) and from the chair to the table using the regular and lateral transfer methods. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) transfer score in both transfer methods and Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS) score were measured.

Results: The FIM transfer score significantly increased in the lateral transfer condition compared with the regular transfer condition, indicating that the former method reduced the transfer difficulty, regardless of the SIAS scores.

Conclusions: The transfer difficulty of patients with hemiparetic stroke decreases when using the lateral transfer method. The lateral transfer method is easy, potentially helping prevent care-related injuries among caregivers.

Calcification in a lung tumor suggests that it is a benign tumor such as a hamartoma or a sclerosing lung cell tumor. In contrast, carcinoid, lung cancer, carcinosarcoma, and sarcoma rarely harbor calcification. Primary lung adenocarcinomas with gross calcification that is suggestive of bone formation are very rare. It is difficult to distinguish between calcification and bone formation purely on the basis of image definitive diagnosis of bone formation being difficult in the absence of a large surgical specimen. Lung cancers with bone formation are exceedingly rare: to the best of our knowledge, only 13 cases have been reported. Careful attention is needed when differentiating between benign and malignant tumors. Here, we report a case of primary lung adenocarcinoma with gross calcification that was suggestive of bone formation.