Nihon Ika Daigaku Igakkai Zasshi
Online ISSN : 1880-2877
Print ISSN : 1349-8975
ISSN-L : 1349-8975
Volume 4, Issue 1
Displaying 1-11 of 11 articles from this issue
Photogravure
Serise: Color Atolas
Review
  • Kunihiko Yamaki
    2008Volume 4Issue 1 Pages 8-14
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: March 17, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Intraocular space is thought to be an immune privileged site. One of the most well known facts is that the corneal plantation is successful even if the donor's MHC molecules doesn't match with the recipient's. However, still this doesn't mean that the immune reaction is completely inhibited in the intraocular tissue, since the intraocular herpes infection develops fulminate immune inflammation known as acute retinal necrosis.
    For explaining these complicated intraocular immune responses, in which some immune reactions are inhibited while others develop immuneinflammation, it is required to study the antigen presenting process in the intraocular tissue. And since there isn't much reports about whether the antigen presentation process in the intraocular tissue takes place or not in this paper we show preliminary results indicating the existence of potential cells able to present antigens. We also review recent literature reporting the immune reactions in intraocular tissue and central nervous systems.
    Download PDF (755K)
Reports on Experiments and Clinical Case
  • Sakae Kumasaka, Mizue Nakajima, Yoshio Shima, Masanori Abe, Shunichi O ...
    2008Volume 4Issue 1 Pages 15-18
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: March 17, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Coarctation of the aorta without intracardiac structural anomaly is uncommon and is rarely detected during early infancy. We report here a case of simple coarctation of the aorta in a male newborn who was initially treated for postnatal transient tachypnea. A disparity in blood pressure between the upper and lower extremities prompted echocardiographic examination focused on the aortic isthmus. Heart failure due to afterload mismatch was confused with neonatal tachypnea in the first days after admission. Surgical repair was successfully performed, and the postoperative course was uneventful. Careful physical examination was the key clue to the correct diagnosis of this unusual condition in our patient.
    Download PDF (403K)
Notes for Clinical Doctors
  • Hiromitsu Hayashi
    2008Volume 4Issue 1 Pages 19-24
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: March 17, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The fast volume coverage of electrocardiogram-gated multidetector-row helical computed tomography (MDCT) allows the entire heart volume to be acquired with nearly isotropic spatial resolution (0.5×0.5×0.6mm) within a single breath-hold. The submillimeter spatial resolution enables depiction of the major and also of peripheral coronary artery segments with lumen diameter as small as 1.5mm. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of coronary arterial stenosis of at least 50% using a 64-detector-row CT scanner has been reported 0.93% and 0.96%, respectively. These results were significantly improved in comparison with that of a 4-detector-row CT scanner. In addition, several reports indicate that MDCT angiography might allow detection and evaluation of atherosclerotic plaques in different stages. The differentiation among lipid-rich, fibrous, or calcified plaques by means of coronary CT angiography correlates well with the results of intracoronary ultrasound based on measurement of the mean HU-value in the lesion. Noninvasive follow-up after percutaneus coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass surgery with electrocardiogram-gated coronary CT angiography can be an important tool for postinterventional patency confirmation or for early detection of restenosis. The development of MDCT creates exciting opportunities for noninvasive diagnostic imaging. In the future, MDCT might play more important roles in the assessment of cardiovascular disease.
    Download PDF (603K)
Lessons from Basic Research
Case Record from Nippon Medical School
  • Kazuhiko Yokoshima, Munenaga Nakamizo, Toshiaki Yagi
    2008Volume 4Issue 1 Pages 32-35
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: March 17, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    A neck mass is one of the most common complaints. General physicians and general surgeons often examine patients complaining of a neck mass; however, they tend to ignore the possibility of metastasis of the head and neck cancer. We report on two patients with oropharyngeal cancer who complained of only a neck mass, and we show how to diagnose a neck mass effectively. Patient 1 was a 71-year-old woman with advanced oropharyngeal cancer who had complained of a neck mass for 6 months. Although primary oropharyngeal tumor can be diagnosed easily by examining the oropharynx, the mass was misdiagnosed. After a correct diagnosis was made, neck dissection was performed, and this was followed by chemoradiotherapy. Patient 2 was a 48-year-old man with advanced oropharyngeal cancer. The neck mass was thought to be caused by a malignancy, but no primary lesion was detected with computed tomography, magnetic resonance,or endoscopic examination of the esophagus. However, the correct diagnosis was made after the oropharynx was examined. This patient was then successfully treated with en-bloc resection.The most important point for general physicians when examining patients with a neck mass is to consider the possibility of metastasis of the head and neck cancers.
    Download PDF (485K)
  • Shigeki Toda, Takayuki Kitamura, Akira Teramoto
    2008Volume 4Issue 1 Pages 36-40
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: March 17, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    We present a case of bilateral chronic subdural hematoma due to spontaneous intracranial hypotension. This patient complained of postural headache. Computed tomography of the brain showed bilateral chronic subdural hematomas, and radioisotope cisternography showed leakage of cerebrospinal fluid at the lumbar level. We placed an epidural blood patch at the lumbar level and a few days later performed irrigation of the bilateral hematomas. The patient recovered completely and was discharged.
    Download PDF (455K)
Case Reports
  • Masato Yoshioka, Yoshihiro Mamada, Noritake Tanaka, Kiyonori Furukawa, ...
    2008Volume 4Issue 1 Pages 41-44
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: March 17, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    A 41-year-old man was referred to our hospital for treatment of a large pancreatic pseudocyst. On admission an abdominal computed tomography scan showed an 8-cm pseudocyst in the tail of the pancreas. On the 28th hospital day hypotension suddenly developed, and the patient became unconscious. An enhanced computed tomography scan showed hemorrhage in the pseudocyst. Celiac angiography confirmed bleeding from the splenic artery to the cyst. Transcatheter arterial emobilization was performed. We inserted a catheter in the splenic artery, which was then packed with metallic coils. The hemorrhage of the pseudocyst was stopped, but the pseudocyst did not decrease in size during the next 6 weeks. Therefore, we considered the presence of a communication between the cysts and the main pancreatic duct. A pancreatic duct stent was then placed via the papilla of Vater, and the pancreatic pseudocyst was eliminated.
    Download PDF (582K)
  • Yoshiya Yamamoto, Ai Ichimaru, Asami Okamoto, Takayuki Nakagawa, Daigo ...
    2008Volume 4Issue 1 Pages 45-49
    Published: 2008
    Released on J-STAGE: March 17, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Case: A 33-year-old female.
    Present history: She delivered a child of 40 weeks' gestational age following an uncomplicated pregnancy and labor. Four days later, she complained of severe epigastralgia, back pain, and pain in the left lower extremity. She was immediately transferred to our Critical Care Unit on suspicion of aortic dissection.
    Clinical course: On admission, her blood pressure was 202/94mmHg (left arm), and her ankle-brachial index was 0.74 (right) and 0.81 (left). Emergency computed tomography examination revealed that the dissection extended from the descending aorta to both common iliac arteries (Stanford B, DeBakey IIIb). In addition, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) starting at the true lumen of the descending aorta was observed. We started antihypertensive therapy with nicardipine, which gradually controlled her blood pressure and alleviated the ischemia of both lower extremities.
    Discussion: Most patients with aortic dissection during pregnancy also have Marfan's syndrome, but no pathognomonic findings indicating this syndrome were present in this case. The possibility of a muscle myosin heavy chain genetic mutation was suggested as the reason for the PDA complication in our patient. We need to be aware of the danger of acute aortic dissection during pregnancy or delivery not only in patients with Marfan's syndrome but also in patients with PDA.
    Download PDF (455K)
Talking Point
feedback
Top