Recent studies have indicated that diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can be the primary presenting symptom of pancreatic cancer. This comprehensive review assesses the existing research on the incidence of DKA as an initial symptom of pancreatic cancer, including its clinical characteristics, diagnostic challenges, and implications for treatment and prognosis. A comprehensive search was conducted across four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane), complemented by a manual search. The search criteria focused on original case reports of pancreatic cancer patients who presented with DKA. Among the 360 studies reviewed, 9 met the eligibility criteria. Among the cases, pancreatic adenocarcinoma was the most common type, followed by somatostatinoma and cystadenocarcinoma. Diagnostic modalities included computed tomography, ultrasound, biopsy, and endoscopic ultrasound. Elevated tumor markers such as CA19-9 were reported in several cases. Most patients presented with gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, with high levels of glucose and ketone bodies. This review highlights that DKA can serve as a rare but significant initial presentation of pancreatic cancer. Identifying this association is critical for facilitating early diagnosis, which may improve the otherwise poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer. Our findings suggest that clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for pancreatic malignancy in patients presenting with unexplained DKA, particularly those without traditional risk factors or precipitating events. Early imaging and multidisciplinary evaluation are essential in such cases.

Previously, we reported that transplantation of regeneration-associated cells (RACs) via the ipsilateral external carotid artery reduced stroke volume in mice with permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). However, intracarotid arterial transplantation is invasive and requires skill, and severe complications may occur, such as thromboembolism, infection, and decreased cerebral blood flow. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of intravenous injection of RACs in reducing stroke volume and increasing anti-inflammatory and angiogenic factors in mice with focal cerebral ischemia. Mice with occluded MCAs received intravenous injections of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (control), low-dose RACs, or high-dose RACs. The proximal part of the left MCA was occluded to induce permanent focal ischemia. After 3 days, we administered PBS or low-dose (1 × 10⁴/50 µL) or high-dose RACs (1 × 10⁵/50 µL) through the tail vein and assessed the infarct volume on day 7. High-dose RACs significantly decreased infarct volume compared to PBS, whereas low-dose RACs showed no effect. The number of interleukin-10 (IL-10)-positive and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-positive cells in the peri-infarct area on day 7 was significantly higher in mice treated with low-dose and high-dose RACs than in the PBS control group. Intravenous injection of RACs can reduce ischemic stroke volume; however, a higher dose of RACs is required than the dose used in intraarterial transplantation. By assessing IL-10 and VEGF expression, the study sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of RAC therapy, revealing its potential anti-inflammatory and angiogenic properties in the treatment of cerebral ischemia.

Undernutrition is a common risk after surgery or during periods when oral dietary intake is challenging. Enteral nutrients, frequently utilized in nutritional management, are drugs associated with multiple contraindications involving pathology and allergy, and they require careful attention in dispensing. However, the occurrence of nutrition-related incidents in community pharmacies remains unknown. This study aimed to identify issues regarding the safety of pharmacotherapy in patients requiring enteral nutrition using the database of Project to Collect and Analyze Pharmaceutical Near-Miss Event Information. We highlighted the critical information that pharmacists should focus on to prevent accidents and elucidated the details and prescription drugs of cases that matched the search for “Nutrition (all included)” in Japanese. There were 475 cases reported between January 2009 and September 2023. Of these, 347 cases (73%) were classified as “inquiry about prescription and provision of information to prescribing physician” (Category II) and 115 cases (24%) were classified as “drug dispensing” (Category I). In both cases, the top five drugs were enteral nutrients. Among the life-threatening Category II cases, 9 cases were for pathological contraindications including severe liver or renal dysfunction, 6 cases were for adverse reactions including diarrhea, and 5 cases were for allergies or patient constitutions. Notably, the incidence of adverse reactions was higher than in data for the latest annual reports. Therefore, pharmacists should be mindful while dealing with prescriptions involving possible contraindications in patients requiring enteral nutrition. Pharmacists should contribute to the provision of safe pharmacotherapy by remaining vigilant against dispensing errors.

We describe a case of sarcoidosis in a previously healthy 39-year-old man with the development of an acute kidney injury, requiring renal replacement therapy, as the first manifestation of the disease. The course of the disease was complicated by a сatheter-associated bloodstream infection. According to the histological examination of kidney biopsy samples, granulomatous interstitial nephritis was diagnosed. Extensive examination of the patient revealed persistent hypercalcemia, elevated transaminase levels, intrathoracic lymphadenopathy, and infiltrates in the lungs. Other diseases, such as anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, tuberculosis, autoimmune liver diseases, and systemic lupus erythematosus, were ruled out. The patient was treated with pulse therapy of methylprednisolone, which then switched to oral glucocorticoids (prednisolone 60 mg/day followed by a gradual decrease in the dose). The 9-month follow-up revealed a regression of lung lesions and improvement of the impaired renal function. The prednisolone dose was reduced to 7.5 mg/day, and renal replacement therapy was discontinued.

Frosted branch angiitis (FBA) is a rare and aggressive form of retinal vasculitis that can cause vision loss. This condition is typically idiopathic and can be associated with various infections or malignancies. Recently, FBA has been linked to COVID-19 in some reports. This report describes a rare association between COVID-19 and FBA and presents characteristic findings from multimodal imaging. We describe the case of a 30-year-old man, otherwise healthy, who experienced acute vision loss in his left eye 1 week after testing positive for COVID-19. His initial visual acuity was 20/20 in the right eye and counting fingers at 2 feet in the left eye. A fundus examination disclosed extensive vascular sheathing affecting the arteries and veins, accompanied by widespread intraretinal, preretinal, and subretinal hemorrhages indicative of FBA. Fundus fluorescein angiography revealed notably delayed filling in both arterial and venous systems. Optical coherence tomography of the left eye displayed inner retinal layer hyperreflectivity, suggesting ischemia coupled with substantial subretinal fluid. The systemic evaluation of the patient was unremarkable. The treatment included systemic corticosteroids, azathioprine, intravitreal bevacizumab, and panretinal photocoagulation. After 6 months of treatment, the left eye examination showed resolution of vascular sheathing, retinal hemorrhages, and subretinal fluid, although the final visual acuity in the left eye remained unchanged. In conclusion, FBA may manifest in otherwise healthy and immunocompetent individuals following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Coinfection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis presenting with acquired perforating dermatosis is a rare occurrence and remains poorly described in the literature. A man in his 40s, a farmer and chronic smoker, who was partially treated for tuberculosis, presented with a history of fever, weight loss, cough, generalized lymphadenopathy, severe pruritus, and skin lesions. Imaging findings suggested tuberculosis, which was confirmed by sputum examination. Histopathological examinations confirmed CMV lymphadenitis associated with acquired perforating dermatosis. Treatment included antitubercular therapy and a multidrug regimen for severe pruritus, leading to symptomatic improvement. Despite initial progress, the patient was lost to follow-up and later succumbed at home, emphasizing the importance of timely intervention for coinfected tuberculosis and cytomegalovirus diseases. This case highlights the rarity of cytomegalovirus and tuberculosis coinfection, the diagnostic complexities, the challenges associated with the treatment of intractable pruritus, and the necessity of ensuring proper follow-up.

Invasive urothelial carcinoma (UC) has diverse morphological presentations. Here, we describe the case of a Japanese woman aged in her early 60s with UC with unclear differentiation. The patient presented with distinct glandular differentiation and concurrent cystitis glandularis (CG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) without a conventional UC component. Up to 2% of patients with bladder cancer develop adenocarcinoma. However, differentiating UC with glandular differentiation (UCg) from adenocarcinoma can be challenging. Although CG and IM are associated with adenocarcinoma, their presence does not necessarily imply that the comorbid cancer is adenocarcinoma. In this case, cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and CK5/6 positivity was assessed to establish the diagnosis of poorly differentiated UCg. A poorly differentiated pure UCg without conventional UC components has not yet been reported, which makes diagnosis extremely difficult. Moreover, because of the highly differentiated glandular structures within poorly differentiated UCs, the mechanism of tumorigenesis remains unclear. Further studies involving a larger case series should be conducted to elucidate the association between CG and IM and investigate the genetic background of these tumors, all of which would improve the accuracy of differentiation between poorly differentiated UC and adenocarcinoma.