Delayed perforation occurring on the 24th day after endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer.

Delayed perforation occurs after 0.5% of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) procedures for early gastric cancer (EGC). This complication can occur within a few hours or days after ESD. There are few reports in the English literature concerning patients who developed delayed perforation after ESD for EGC. An 81-year-old woman was referred to the emergency department of our hospital on the 24th day after ESD because of abdominal pain. We diagnosed her with delayed perforation with peritonitis after ESD for EGC using computed tomography (CT) and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). We performed primary closure with interrupted sutures covered via pedicled omentoplasty. The patient was discharged 13 days after surgery without any postoperative complications. Delayed perforation is generally treated with conservative, surgical, or endoscopic methods. Several benefits of endoscopic clipping have been reported. However, in the present case, we performed emergency surgery while considering possible fatal complications, such as severe peritonitis. It is important to recognize delayed perforation in the differential diagnosis. The decision to perform surgery should be made after carefully considering the degree of perforation based on EGD, CT findings, and patient conditions

Hydrochlorothiazide increases risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer in an elderly Japanese cohort with hypertension: The Shizuoka studyCapsule Summary

Background: Hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), a widely used hypertensive drug, has photocarcinogenic potential, leading to concerns about the development of nonmelanoma skin cancers (SCs) after intake. Despite substantial numbers of observational studies, the results remain inconsistent especially among Asian countries. Objective: To assess the incidence of nonmelanoma SCs in hypertensive Japanese HCT users compared with nonusers. Methods: A population-based, cohort nested, propensity score-matched study was conducted using the Shizuoka Kokuho database. All participants were patients aged ≥60 years. Hazard ratios for SC incidence were calculated in the matched cohorts using the propensity scores of potential confounders, sex, age category, comorbidities, and administration of methotrexate, cyclosporin, and statins. Results: The risk of SC was higher in HCT users than in nonusers (hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.40), with preferential sun-exposed location and a tendency to develop squamous cell carcinoma, but not basal cell carcinoma or Bowen disease. Limitations: No additional information was available from other than medical records. The data were confined to a Japanese population. Conclusion: HCT use increases the risk of SC in Japanese patients with hypertension and a dark skin type, highlighting the increased risk of SC among HCT users in the aging society worldwide

An enriched environment prevents cognitive impairment in an Alzheimer’s disease model by enhancing the secretion of exosomal microRNA-146a from the choroid plexus

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the extensive deposition of amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. We previously found that preserved function of astrocytes is associated with cognitively normal subjects with AD pathology. Here we show that an enriched environment (EE) can prevent cognitive impairment in AD model mice by ameliorating astrocytic inflammation and increasing synaptic density in the subiculum area of the hippocampus. In AD model mice treated with an EE, increased levels of microRNA (miR)-146a and down-regulation of NF-κB were observed in the hippocampus. In addition, increased levels of interferon (IFN)-γ were seen in serum from mice exposed to an EE. In vitro, enhanced miR-146a expression was observed in exosomes derived from the choroid plexus (CP) after IFN-γ treatment. In further in vitro experiments, we transfected miR-146a into Aβ/lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory astrocytes and showed that miR-146a ameliorated astrocytic inflammation by down-regulating tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 and NF-κB. The present study indicates that following an EE, exosomal miR-146a derived from the CP cells is a key factor in ameliorating astrocytic inflammation, leading to synaptogenesis and correction of cognitive impairment

Cytomegalovirus DNA Loads in Organs of Congenitally Infected Fetus

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection poses significant risks to fetal development, particularly affecting the nervous system. This study reports a fetal autopsy case, examining cCMV infection and focusing on CMV DNA measurements in various fetal organs before formalin fixation, a novel approach for comprehensive CMV DNA evaluations in fetal organs affected by cCMV. A 20-week-old male fetus was diagnosed with cCMV following the detection of CMV DNA in ascites obtained via abdominocentesis in utero. After the termination of pregnancy, multiple organs of the fetus, including the cerebrum, thyroid gland, heart, lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, and adrenal glands, were extracted and examined for CMV DNA loads using a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Histopathological examination involved hematoxylin–eosin and CMV-specific immunostaining. A correlation was found between CMV DNA loads and pathology, with higher CMV-infected cell numbers observed in organs positively identified with both staining methods, exhibiting CMV DNA levels of ≥1.0 × 104 copies/mL, compared to those detected solely by CMV-specific immunostaining, where CMV DNA levels ranged from 1.0 × 103 to 1.0 × 104 copies/mL. These results highlight a quantifiable relationship between the organ infection extent and CMV DNA concentration, providing insights into cCMV pathogenesis and potentially informing future diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cCMV infection

Risk factors and drugs that trigger the onset of Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis: A population-based cohort study using the Shizuoka Kokuho databaseCapsule Summary

Background: Evidence of factors associated with Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) from population-based studies is scarce. Objective: We aimed to identify the incidence, risk factors, and drugs that trigger the development of SJS/TEN in the general population. Methods: A regional, population-based, longitudinal cohort with 2,398,393 Japanese individuals was analyzed using the Shizuoka Kokuho Database from 2012 to 2020. Results: Among 1,909,570 individuals, 223 (0.01%, 2.3 cases/100,000 person-years) patients were diagnosed with SJS/TEN during the observational period of a maximum of 7.5 years. In a multivariable analysis, the risks of SJS/TEN were an older age, and the presence of type 2 diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and systemic autoimmune diseases. The administration of drugs, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, insulin, and type 2 diabetes agents, triggered the onset of SJS/TEN. Limitations: The results may apply only to the Japanese population. Conclusion: In this cohort population from a database representing the general population, the risks of developing SJS/TEN were old age and a history of type 2 diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and systemic autoimmune disease. Furthermore, in addition to previously reported drugs, the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors, insulin, and type 2 diabetes agents, may trigger the development of SJS/TEN

Modified simultaneous integrated boost radiotherapy for an unresectable huge refractory pelvic tumor diagnosed as a rectal adenocarcinoma.

A clinical trial of radiotherapy with modified simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) technique against huge tumors was conducted. A 58-year-old male patient who had a huge pelvic tumor diagnosed as a rectal adenocarcinoma due to familial adenomatous polyposis was enrolled in this trial. The total dose of 77 Gy (equivalent dose in 2 Gy/fraction) and 64.5 Gy was delivered to the center of the tumor and the surrounding area respectively, and approximately 20% dose escalation was achieved with the modified SIB technique. The tumor with an initial maximum size of 15 cm disappeared 120 d after the start of the radiotherapy. Performance status of the patient improved from 4 to 0. Radiotherapy with modified SIB may be effective for patients with a huge tumor in terms of tumor shrinkage/disappearance, improvement of QOL, and prolongation of survival