ABSTRACT
An oropharyngeal cancer patient often suffers from dysphagia either due to their disease or as a consequence of their treatment. Here we report a case of a 61-year-old female with the oropharyngeal cancer-related dysphagia, which was effectively treated with Kampo medicine. After four weeks of treatment with hangekobokuto, her swallowing function was improving. Concomitant use of bakumondoto reduced a feeling of xerostomia. She could return to work. The treatment with Kampo medicine might be effective to reduce the cancer-related symptoms and to improve the quality of life of the cancer patients.
ABSTRACT
Diagnosis is difficult in patients who complain of slight fever without objective abnormalities. It is not rare that patients without signs of typical <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> (TB) infection have a delayed TB diagnosis. It has been reported that the QuantiFERON TB-2G test is useful for diagnosing latent TB infection. We report a patient who suffered from sweating, body weight loss, and a fever of less than 37.5C without abnormalities in routine tests. Except for his complaints, only QuantiFERON TB-2G testing suggested his illness, after which he was successfully treated with isoniazid administration. QuantiFERON TB-2G testing might be useful to diagnose patients with slight fever when TB is suspected but a conventional workup is not diagnostic.
ABSTRACT
A prospective randomized open-labeled study was performed to compare the renoprotective effects of enarapril and losartan on the development of microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients with hypertension. Diabetic patients who have hypertension and microalbuminuria at base line [n=19] were recruited. Enarapril [n=11] or losartan [n=8] was randomly chosen by envelope methods and was prescribed for one year. At the end of this study, the blood pressure of patients in these two groups decreased significantly. Urine albumin-creatinine ratio [U-ACR] also decreased in these two groups, however, U-ACR of enarapril group was not significantly different from that of losartan group at any time of this study. Body mass index, HbA1c, blood pressure, and serum lipid profiles were not significantly different between the two groups. From these results, we conclude that the effects of enarapril and losartan on the development of microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients along with hypertension seem to be equivalent in terms of clinical renoprotection
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Enalapril , Losartan , Albuminuria , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors , Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor BlockersABSTRACT
In order to elucidate risk factors in arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO), histories and physical and laboratory findings were reviewed in 163 patients with ASO, and the results were compared with ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients. Patients with ASO were much older and smoked more than patients with IHD. Such complications as hypertension, cerebrovascular disease were significantly more frequent in ASO patients than in IHD patients. On the other hand, the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, Apo A-II and Apo B were significantly lower in ASO patients than in IHD patients, although lipoprotein(a) tended to be higher in ASO. In ASO, remnant-like particles cholesterol tended to be higher when other presumable atherosclerotic risk factors were absent. The present results indicate that male gender, aging, smoking habit, hypertension and cerebrovascular disease are major risk factors in ASO patients. Although abnormal lipid metabolism may contribute to the development of ASO, we postulate that it plays a less significant role in IHD.