Association between the three-dimensional facial shape and its color in a boundary group of young to middle-aged Asian women.

Visual cues strongly influence an individual's self-esteem and have fundamental sociopsychological functions. The color and shape of the face are important information for visual cues and are hypothesized to be correlated with each other. However, few studies have examined these relationships. Thus, this study determined the association between color and shape of the face. For this purpose, we evaluated Chinese women in their 30s and 40s (n = 166). Three-dimensional (3D) image-capture devices that provide shape morphology along with standardized photographs (color information) were used to obtain 3D images of women. The coordinates and red‒green-blue color data on the 3D images were utilized to perform principal component (PC) analysis, and shape and color PCs were generated. A canonical variate analysis was then conducted to check for significant correlations between the shape and color PCs. As a result, 6 significant correlations were found (p < 0.05). In detail, in addition to the physical correlations (i.e., steric faces or faces with protrusion of the cheek showed greater shadows, retrognathism was related to a shadow under the lower lip and vice versa), biological correlations (fatty faces showed greater redness and remarkable marionette lines; faces with age-related sagging showed greater darkness, possibly related to cumulative ultraviolet radiation exposure of the skin; and robust mandibles and supraorbital ridges were related to thick eyebrows) were found. This insight can aid both medical and cosmetic practitioners in comprehending the intricate details conveyed by facial features, thereby facilitating more comprehensive diagnosis and treatment planning, including makeup.

Surgical intervention for vertebral metastases may benefit lung cancer patients no less than other patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Spinal metastasis is considered to have a worse prognosis in lung cancer than in other cancers, but recent clinical studies report improved overall survival of lung cancer. We compared the postoperative prognoses of vertebral metastatic tumors from lung with other types of cancer. METHODS: From 2011 to 2015, 31 Japanese patients (mean age 73 years, range 55-88 years; 19 males, 12 females) underwent surgery for spinal metastasis at our center. We observed patients retrospectively in March 2016, dividing them into groups by cancer type: lung (LK group, n = 10); prostate, breast, or thyroid (PB group, n = 12); and other (OT group, n = 9). We compared survival and revised Tokuhashi score, which provides a basis for choosing a treatment course. Neurologic status was graded before and after surgery using the Frankel system. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 16.5 months (range 1-62 months). Only seven of 31 patients (22.6%) were alive at final follow-up. Frankel grade significantly improved postoperatively only in the LK (P = 0.01) and PB (P = 0.048) groups. Revised Tokuhashi score differed across groups (P < 0.0001), and was significantly lower in the LK group than in the PB group (P = 0.00) and OT group (P = 0.02). Postoperative survival was significantly shorter in the LK group than in the PB group (P = 0.01) but did not differ between the LK and OT groups. CONCLUSIONS: The revised Tokuhashi score may underestimate the survival of lung cancer patients, who may derive the same benefit from surgical intervention as those with vertebral metastasis from other cancer types.

[Anesthetic management of a patient before the onset and during the healing stages of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy].

We experienced anesthetic management of a patient undergoing surgeries for bilateral femoral trochanter fractures before the onset and during the healing stages of takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM). While performing the surgery before the onset of TCM, we administered 0.5% intrathecal isobaric bupivacaine 15 mg and the procedure was completed uneventfully. On the other hand, while performing the surgery during the healing stages of TCM, vasopressor infusion was required for treating hypotension with extrasystoles despite administrating only 14.5 mg of 0.05% intrathecal isobaric bupivacaine. It is therefore suggested that cardiac function during the healing stages of TCM was more compromised than before the onset of the disease.

[A case of suspected acute pancreatitis after general anesthesia].

We report a case of suspected acute pancreatitis after bilateral total knee arthroplasty. Airway management including jaw thrust maneuvers was performed. Postoperatively, the patient complained of nausea with vomiting. Further examination revealed high serum amylase levels (1703 IU x l(-1)), and an abdominal CT scan revealed confined inflammation near the head of the pancreas. The amylase isozyme patterns identified the salivary-type amylase. A gastroduodenoscopy procedure performed on the 21st postoperative day revealed a duodenal ulcer. We speculated that the primary cause of hyperamylasemia was accumulation of amylase in the parotid glands and the CT findings showed the inflammation of the pancreas itself or extrapancreatic exdates resulting from duodenal ulcer.