Objective We evaluated the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT) as an initial radiologic test for assessing the optimal timing of colonoscopy in patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) and investigated the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced (CE) CT for detecting colonic diverticular bleeding.
Methods This was a retrospective study of 1,604 consecutive patients who visited or were referred to St. Marianna University Hospital due to acute LGIB and underwent colonoscopy within three months after presentation between September 2004 and December 2012. The clinicopathological data of the subjects were obtained from their medical records.
Results Among the 1,604 patients presenting with LGIB, 879 (55%) underwent a CT scan. Elective colonoscopy was considered in cases in which typical colonic wall thickening was observed on CT, suggesting colonic inflammation or malignancy (239 patients; 27%). The diagnoses in the elective cases included ischemic colitis (38%), infectious colitis (8%), inflammatory bowel disease (8%) and malignancy (5%). Urgent colonoscopy was performed after the CT examination in 640 cases (73%). The most common presumptive CT diagnosis was diverticulum (402/640; 63%). Of the 638 patients who underwent CE-CT, diverticula were observed in 346 cases, including 104 cases of extravasation indicating ongoing diverticular bleeding. Among these 104 patients, the site of bleeding was identified in 71 subjects (68%) during colonoscopy. The rate of detection of the bleeding source on colonoscopy was significantly higher in the patients with extravasation on CE-CT than in those without extravasation on CE-CT (68% vs. 20%, respectively; p<0.001).
Conclusion Urgent CT is useful for determining the optimal timing of colonoscopy in cases of acute LGIB. CE-CT may be used to depict the presence and location of active hemorrhage and provides useful information for subsequent colonoscopy, especially in patients with diverticular bleeding.

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Objective Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is strongly associated with sleep disturbances. Although treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) helps to improve GERD symptoms and subjective sleep parameters, the effects of PPI therapy on objective sleep parameters are conflicting. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of esomeprazole treatment on GERD symptoms and sleep parameters assessed using actigraphs and questionnaires.
Methods Thirteen patients with GERD received 20 mg of esomeprazole once daily for two weeks. The patients wore actigraphs from three days before the initiation of PPI treatment to the end of therapy. They were also asked to answer the following self-reported questionnaires: Frequency Scale for the Symptoms of GERD (FSSG), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Objective sleep parameters were evaluated using actigraphy.
Results Treatment with esomeprazole significantly decreased the total FSSG score, including the scores for reflux and dysmotility, as well as the ESS score, although it had no effect on the PSQI score. After the second week of treatment, esomeprazole significantly decreased the wake time (from 47.5±39.6 min to 36.0±27.1 min) and sleep latency period (from 19.5±19.8 min to 9.9±10.2 min) and increased the percentage of sleep time (from 89.1±8.8% to 91.9±6.3%); however, improvements were not noted in all objective parameters.
Conclusion Esomeprazole treatment significantly improves various objective sleep parameters in Japanese patients with GERD. Further placebo-controlled randomized trials are needed to obtain detailed results.

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Objective There is little information regarding the incidence of bacterial infections as an adverse effect of telaprevir (TVR)-based triple therapy. This study was performed in order to evaluate the baseline and on-treatment predictors of bacterial infections in patients treated with TVR-based triple therapy.
Methods This multicenter study evaluated 430 patients with chronic hepatitis C who received 12 weeks of TVR in combination with 24 weeks of pegylated interferon α2b plus ribavirin. The occurrence of a bacterial infection during anti-viral treatment was defined as the onset of local or systemic inflammation as a result of pathogenic bacteria.
Results Bacterial infections occurred in 21 of the 430 (4.9%) patients during TVR-based triple therapy. Among these subjects, 71.4% (15 of 21) experienced bacterial infections during the initial eight weeks of treatment. Urinary tract infections were the most frequent infection, observed in 2.8% of cases (12 of 430). The rate of urinary tract infection among women (11 of 215, 5.1%) was significantly higher than that observed among men (1 of 215, 0.5%) (p<0.0001). According to a multivariable logistic regression analysis, the only significant independent predictor was the pretreatment serum albumin level (p=0.0008). Of the 21 patients who experienced bacterial infections, only one (4.8%) had to discontinue the treatment; however, the others were able to continue anti-viral treatment in combination with antibiotic treatment.
Conclusion Clinicians should be concerned regarding the incidence of bacterial infections among patients treated with TVR-based triple therapy, especially those with a low serum albumin level.

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Objective Thiazide diuretics are reported to have antioxidant effects and reduce pulse pressure (PP). The aim of this study was to elucidate whether hydrochlorothiazide additionally exerts such effects in stroke patients under treatment with losartan.
Methods This study was an open-label, randomized, multicenter study. Patients with a history of chronic stroke and treatment with angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for essential hypertension were enrolled. Fifty-five hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to two groups: those further treated with hydrochlorothiazide and those further treated with non-diuretic antihypertensive drugs.
Results Both groups showed a significant decrease in PP over six months (hydrochlorothiazide group: 67±12 mmHg to 58±12, p<0.001; non-diuretic group: 72±12 to 61±12, p<0.001), although no significant differences were observed between the two groups. The malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein levels did not change significantly after treatment in either group.
Conclusion In this study, hydrochlorothiazide treatment did not provide any additional benefits over non-diuretic antihypertensive drugs in terms of antioxidant effects or reducing PP.

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Objective The patient's clinical features at hemodialysis initiation can affect their prognosis in the subsequent dialysis period; however, these features have not been fully elucidated in very elderly subjects. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical characteristics associated with cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease at hemodialysis initiation.
Methods Twenty consecutive very elderly patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (≥80 years; VE group) and 35 consecutive control patients with ESRD (<60 years; control group) were included in this study. All patients had started maintenance hemodialysis therapy at our institution. We evaluated the clinical characteristics, laboratory data, thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) and echocardiographic parameters, including aortic valve calcification (AVC), mitral valve calcification and mitral annular calcification (MAC).
Results The diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower and pulse pressure values were significantly higher in the VE group than in the control group, whereas the estimated glomerular filtration rate and cardiac function were comparable between the two groups. Despite having lower serum phosphate and calcium-phosphate product levels, the VE group exhibited more severe TAC, AVC and MAC than the control group. Furthermore, the duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the very elderly patients followed by nephrologists than in those who were not.
Conclusion Our findings suggest that atherosclerotic lesions are more severe in very elderly patients at hemodialysis initiation.

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Obtaining a better understanding of the mechanisms associated with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) loss in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is important for treating patients with chronic hepatitis B. We herein describe the case of a patient with HBV and human immunodeficiency virus whose chronic hepatitis was stabilized due to HBe and HBs seroconversion with the emergence of lamivudine-associated and core mutations after CD4 elevation. A full-length HBV DNA analysis indicated that HBsAg had been lost after the development of the rtS143T mutation, which corresponded to the emergence of the sF134L and core mutations. The details of this case shed some light on the mechanisms associated with HBsAg and HBeAg clearance.

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Treating latent tuberculosis infection is a strategy for eliminating tuberculosis, and isoniazid is recommended as preventive therapy. However, concerns have been raised regarding the application of isoniazid due to its toxicity, particularly hepatotoxicity; however, biochemical monitoring is not routinely performed during treatment. We herein present a case of fatal isoniazid-induced acute liver failure. The patient's liver function was not periodically examined and isoniazid therapy was continued for 10 days despite the onset of symptoms associated with hepatitis. The patient died four months after hospitalization. It is essential to consider the potential toxicities of isoniazid and establish strategies to prevent acute liver failure.

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Sorafenib is the standard treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), although it is known to cause a variety of dermatologic adverse events. Subcorneal pustular dermatosis (SCPD), also known as Sneddon-Wilkinson disease, is a rare skin eruption that accompanies various systemic disorders and may become chronically progressive. We herein describe the case of a patient who developed SCPD after sorafenib administration. The dermatologic reaction was improved by the cessation of sorafenib and worsened by its readministration. Clinicians treating HCC patients with sorafenib should be aware of the possibility of SCPD.

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A 72-year-old man with non-valvular atrial fibrillation and metastatic liver and lung cancer after surgery for colon cancer developed thrombosis in the right atrium one month after decreasing the dose of warfarin due to the introduction of double anti-platelet therapy for coronary stent implantation. Restoring the warfarin dose with ordinary control for two months did not result in any changes in the size of the thrombus; however, the subsequent substitution of rivaroxaban (oral treatment with a direct Factor Xa inhibitor) for warfarin ultimately resolved the thrombosis.

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Catheter ablation is a widely used treatment for atrial fibrillation. Gastric hypomotility due to periesophageal vagal plexus injury is a consequence of the extracardiac penetration of ablative energy. Some affected patients develop severe gastric dilatation requiring hospitalization. However, most previous reports have stated the cause of the subject's condition to be "unknown" or described the symptoms using obscure terms, such as "paralytic" or "gastroparesis." For example, one report stated that a few sites of severe gastric dilatation were secondary to "pyloric spasms;" however, no illustrations were provided in the paper. "Superior mesenteric artery syndrome" is a suspected cause of such dilatation.

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Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a rare disease, and cases associated with eosinophilia are even rarer. We herein report a case of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma accompanied by remarkable and uncontrollable eosinophilia. A 71-year-old man was diagnosed with end-stage anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Throughout the aggressive clinical course of the cancer, eosinophilia dramatically progressed and became extremely refractory to steroid treatment. We measured the serum levels of hematopoietic cytokines potentially involved in eosinophilia, including granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin (IL)-3 and IL-5. Although the GM-CSF level was moderately elevated, both the IL-3 and IL-5 levels were within the normal ranges. In this case, the patient's eosinophilia may have been related to his severe dyspnea and was likely responsible for the allergic reaction to the anticancer drug. Therefore, it is essential to elucidate the etiology of eosinophilia in patients with thyroid cancer in order to improve the treatment for patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

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A 48-year-old woman diagnosed with acromegaly 21 years earlier presented at our hospital with a left adrenal tumor. Her medical history included breast cancer, thyroid cancer and an incompletely resected growth hormone (GH)-producing pituitary adenoma. Endocrinological and radiological examinations revealed subclinical adrenal Cushing's syndrome. She subsequently underwent left adrenalectomy, followed by glucocorticoid replacement therapy. Her GH and insulin-like growth factor-1 levels were insufficiently controlled, and pegvisomant was administered in addition to octreotide acetate. Following adrenalectomy, a giant hepatic hemangioma and papillary thyroid carcinoma in the residual right lobe developed, indicating the high risk of tumor development in patients with acromegaly.

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A 63-year-old man was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus at 42 years of age. He subsequently exhibited poor blood glucose control for a prolonged period, and his renal failure worsened. He therefore underwent hemodialysis and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed a mass in the pancreatic tail. The immunoreactive insulin and C-peptide immunoreactivity levels were significantly elevated, and the results of a fasting test led to a diagnosis of insulinoma. The patient received treatment with oral diazoxide and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), which resulted in the resolution of the hypoglycemia. This is a rare case of renal failure in which the CGM findings showed improvements in the blood glucose level after diazoxide administration.

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A 50-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis was admitted with abdominal pain, fever and cloudy peritoneal fluid. The diagnosis was peritonitis, and the causative bacteria were Cellulosimicrobium cellulans and Enterobacter cloacae. She was subsequently treated with the administration of intraperitoneal antibiotics and removal of the infected indwelling catheter. We herein report a case of Cellulosimicrobium cellulans and Enterobacter cloacae co-infection in a patient with peritonitis and review the relevant literature.

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Uromodulin-associated kidney disease (UAKD) is an autosomal dominant disease caused by a mutation in the uromodulin (UMOD) gene, leading to end-stage renal disease. We herein report the case of a family with UAKD caused by a novel mutation (C135G) in the UMOD gene. A 31-year-old woman had a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (59.7 mL/min per 1.73 m²). Her father, grandfather and paternal aunt had received maintenance hemodialysis therapy since their 40's. This case underscores the importance of performing genetic testing in young patients even in cases involving only moderate abnormalities in the kidney function.

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Obtaining a precise characterization of eosinophilia is crucial, as successful treatment relies on the underlying etiology of the disease. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha-related disorders were first specified in 2008 as a distinct group of clonal eosinophilic disorders with exceptional responsiveness to imatinib. We herein present the case of a man with myeloid neoplasm and eosinophilia in whom a definitive diagnosis could not be adequately made based on histopathological features who was ultimately diagnosed only after extensive molecular analyses and successfully treated with imatinib. In addition, we discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to treating patients presenting with eosinophilia.

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Bone marrow metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma has been reported to be difficult to distinguish from acute leukemia. We herein describe a case of rhabdomyosarcoma with bone marrow metastasis mimicking acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A 29-year-old woman was admitted with thrombocytopenia, blast-like cells in the peripheral blood and a coagulation disorder. Bone marrow aspirates showed 94.8% blast-like cell infiltration (CD45^-, myeloperoxidase^-, and CD56⁺), and CT scan revealed the presence of an infiltrating mass in the nasal cavity. Based on a biopsy of the nasal cavity, the patient was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma exhibiting bone marrow metastasis. She received chemotherapy, followed by radiation therapy, and has since remained alive for 26 months, as of the last follow-up.

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A 40-year-old woman developed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) with inv(16)(p13.1q22) and a rare type D form of core-binding factor β-subunit gene-myosin heavy chain 11 gene (CBFB-MYH11) fusion transcript approximately 2.5 years after receiving chemoradiotherapy for uterine cervical cancer. t-AML with inv(16)(p13.1q22) and rare non-type A CBFB-MYH11 typically develops after exposure to a topoisomerase II inhibitor, with a short period of latency of one to five years. As the patient had no history of exposure to topoisomerase II inhibitors, among her previously used chemotherapeutics, the topoisomerase I inhibitor, irinotecan, was speculated to be the most plausible cause of t-AML in this case. The present case suggests that irinotecan may cause t-AML resembling that associated with topoisomerase II inhibitors.

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We herein report the case of a leukemia patient who developed hepatitis E seven months after undergoing a transfusion with contaminated blood products. The latency period in this case was significantly longer than that of typical hepatitis E. Recently, chronic infection with hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 3 has been reported in immunocompromised patients. There is a possibility that our patient was unable to eliminate the virus due to immunosuppression following chemotherapy and the administration of steroids. The prevalence of HEV in healthy Japanese individuals is relatively high and constitutes a critical source of infection via transfusion. Hepatitis E is an important post-transfusion infection, and immunocompromised patients may exhibit a long latency period before developing the disease.

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A 62-year-old Japanese woman was hospitalized at the Department of Senology for positive signals on two sets of blood cultures obtained in the Emergency Department. The initial physical examination with enhanced computed tomography of the chest and abdomen did not identify the infectious source. Dialister pneumosintes was identified on 16S rRNA sequencing, and dental caries with sinusitis were subsequently diagnosed based on a dental examination and magnetic resonance imaging. History taking with respect to dental hygiene and oral examinations should be performed in daily clinical practice, especially in immunosuppressed patients.

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A 70-year-old man on hemodialysis for end-stage kidney disease due to polycystic kidney disease presented with hip pain on extension and a high C-reactive protein level. Further examinations revealed an iliopsoas abscess and femoral head osteomyelitis caused by Enterococcus avium (E. avium) detected in blood and pus cultures. Complete resolution of the infection with ampicillin-resistant E. avium required six months of vancomycin therapy and two surgical drainage procedures. There have been no previous case reports in which both blood and abscess cultures confirmed E. avium infection. Careful attention should be paid to the detection of non-specific symptoms in patients on hemodialysis, with blood cultures being essential in such cases.

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