Neodymium magnets migrated into an internal supravesical hernia: a rare case of foreign body ingestion in children.

BACKGROUND: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common event in children. The management of the ingested FB depends on the location, type, number, size of the FBs, patient age, and symptoms. Although most FBs pass spontaneously through the gastrointestinal tract without causing serious injuries, the ingestion of multiple high-powered magnetic pieces, especially neodymium magnets (NMs) increases the risks of morbidity and mortality. Supravesical hernia (SH) is rarely occurs in children, and few studies have reported SH in pediatric patients. We report an extremely rare case of ingested NMs that migrated into an internal SH in a pediatric patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 3-year-old boy who had accidentally swallowed two NMs 3 days ago presented with vomiting and lower abdominal pain. X-ray imaging and computed tomography (CT) suspected the presence of a 1.0-cm radiopaque FB located in the terminal ileum dorsal side of the bladder. Although his abdominal pain was gradually getting better after oral feeding, repeat abdominal X-ray imaging showed that the FB was in a stagnant in position. Therefore, surgical intervention was planned to remove the FB 1 week after his admission. Under general anesthesia, laparoscopic and fluoroscopic examinations were performed and the cecum was found adhered to the retroperitoneum between the right medial umbilical fold and the right wall of the urinary bladder. The FB was presumed to be located at the tip of the incarcerated cecum in the retroperitoneal space. Peritoneum incision was started near the medial inguinal fossa, and the Retzius space was opened in a manner similar to the transabdominal pre-peritoneal approach for inguinal hernia repair. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed with internal SH with FB migration. The incarcerated cecum was pulled out, which revealed intestinal wall perforation. The FB remained in the retroperitoneal space in the pelvic cavity. The FB was easily removed using intestinal forceps and identified as combined two NMs. The postoperative course was good, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 5. CONCLUSIONS: We experienced an extremely rare case of a pediatric patient who swallowed multiple NMs that migrated into an internal SH, and the laparoscopic minimally invasive removal was successful.

A 77-Year-Old Man with a Pulse Granuloma of the Descending Colon Identified by Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) Imaging 19 Months Following Surgical Resection for Rectal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Food particles may sometime lodge in the intestinal wall, resulting in a granuloma. Pulse granuloma is associated with the seed of a legume and has a characteristic appearance on histology. This report describes a case of pulse granuloma of the descending colon identified by fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging. Imaging was done 19 months after surgical resection for rectal carcinoma, and the results of imaging alone suggested a tumor metastasis. CASE REPORT A 77-year-old man underwent sigmoid colostomy for sigmoid colon perforation due to obstruction by rectal cancer affecting the upper rectum approximately 2 years ago. Two months later, after his general condition improved, he underwent laparoscopic low anterior resection. On postoperative pathological examination, the lesion was diagnosed as stage II. Nineteen months later, computed tomography showed an irregular nodule on the dorsolateral side of the descending colon. FDG-PET revealed positive results, and peritoneal dissemination was suspected. Because the lesion was localized and there was no other evidence of metastasis, resection was performed. A pathological examination revealed a pulse granuloma with a central legume seed, and no obvious malignant findings were observed. CONCLUSIONS This report has highlighted the importance of imaging and histopathology in cases in which a solitary nodule is present in the bowel in a patient with previous successful treatment for malignancy. Pulse granuloma, or other types of granuloma associated with impacted food material, may be a cause of a solitary nodule, or pseudotumor, in the bowel wall.

Laparoscopic resection of a non-communicating uterine rudimentary horn using intra-operative indigocarmine injection: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: An unicornuate uterus with a non-communicating rudimentary horn (UUNCRH) is a very rare uterine malformation which is difficult to diagnose and to decide the surgical plan. We aim to describe the case of pediatric UUNCRH patient and our operative technique of laparoscopic intra-uterus indigo carmine injection (LIUICI) to confirm that the rudimentary horn (RH) is non-communicating before the resection and review the relevant literature to ascertain the most appropriate treatment option in these patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A 11-year-old girl who developed progressive severe abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea was referred to our hospital. Uterine malformation and right hematosalpinx was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pre-operative treatment with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist enabled improvement in the symptoms. Laparoscopic exploration was scheduled. The right fallopian tube was resected laparoscopically and a 3Fr tube was inserted into its cut end. Indigo carmine injected in the RH through the tube. No leakage of indigo carmine was found from the vagina, indicating the diagnosis of the uterine malformation is an UUNCRH and we performed the resection of the RH safely. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: In pediatric patients transvaginal detailed examination is not easy to perform. Therefore, diagnostic and operative laparoscopy is critically important for the safe treatment. In addition, laparoscopic removal of a RH can be used to decrease the incidence of adhesions. CONCLUSION: We found LIUICI technique before the resection of the RH is safe, technically feasible and minimally invasive approach for pediatric UUNCRH patients.

Correction to: Sudden fatal bleeding from a uretero-arterial fistula combined with pre-existing uretero-colic and uretero-vaginal fistulas 7 years after a cervical cancer surgery: a case report.

In the original publication of this article [1], the family name of an author is wrong.

Sudden fatal bleeding from a uretero-arterial fistula combined with pre-existing uretero-colic and uretero-vaginal fistulas 7 years after a cervical cancer surgery: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Uretero-arterial fistulas (UAFs) are a rare cause of hematuria and could be fatal often due to a diagnostic delay despite recent advances in the treatment modalities. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old woman with a history of advanced cervical cancer developed a fever and was diagnosed with a left uretero-colic fistula. She also had a uretero-vaginal fistula and suffered from repeated urinary tract infections over 6 years. While waiting for an elective colostomy, she developed sudden perineal bleeding and died 14 h after the onset. The autopsy findings revealed that bleeding from a newly developed UAF spreads out to the extracorporeal space through the pre-existing fistulas. CONCLUSIONS: Bleeding from a UAF complicated by other uretero-genital and/or uretero-enteric fistulas could proceed rapidly resulting in a fatal outcome because of a lack of a tamponade effect. Early recognition of a UAF in high-risk patients is crucial for a prompt diagnosis, which might lead to a treatment success.

Effects of ß-carotene-enriched dry carrots on ß-carotene status and colostral immunoglobulin in ß-carotene-deficient Japanese Black cows.

Data from 18 ß-carotene-deficient Japanese Black cows were collected to clarify the effects of feeding ß-carotene-enriched dry carrots on ß-carotene status and colostral immunoglobulin (Ig) in cows. Cows were assigned to control or carrot groups from 3 weeks before the expected calving date to parturition, and supplemental ß-carotene from dry carrots was 138 mg/day in the carrot group. Plasma ß-carotene concentrations in the control and carrot groups at parturition were 95 and 120 µg/dL, and feeding dry carrots slightly improved plasma ß-carotene at parturition. Feeding dry carrots increased colostral IgA concentrations in cows and tended to increase colostral IgG1 , but colostral IgM, IgG2 , ß-carotene and vitamin A were not affected by the treatment. Feeding dry carrots had no effects on plasma IgG1 , IgA and IgM concentrations in cows, but plasma IgG1 concentrations decreased rapidly from 3 weeks before the expected calving date to parturition. These results indicate that feeding ß-carotene-enriched dry carrots is effective to enhance colostral IgA and IgG1 concentrations in ß-carotene-deficient cows.

[A Case of Poorly Differentiated Adenocarcinoma of the Colon with Rapid Postoperative Progression Suggestive of Peritoneal Dissemination].

A 62-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of pain in the right lower abdomen and was diagnosed with cecal cancer and an associated abscess. The patient subsequently underwent right hemicolectomy. Histopathological examination was positive for por1, se, bd3, ly3, v0, PM0, and DM0. He was discharged from the hospital 21 days postoperatively. He was hospitalized with bloating of the right lower abdomen and inflammation 31 days postoperatively. He was later diagnosed with recurrence of the initial abscess, but his symptoms did not improve, and he was considered to have peritoneal dissemination. His general condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died approximately 1.5 months postoperatively. Histopathological and anatomical examination later confirmed multiple organ failure with peritoneal dissemination. It is reported that prognosis of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma is worse than that for well- or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma may recur immediately after curative surgery.

Performance of JT-60SA divertor Thomson scattering diagnostics.

For the satellite tokamak JT-60 Super Advanced (JT-60SA), a divertor Thomson scattering measurement system is planning to be installed. In this study, we improved the design of the collection optics based on the previous one, in which it was found that the solid angle of the collection optics became very small, mainly because of poor accessibility to the measurement region. By improvement, the solid angle was increased by up to approximately five times. To accurately assess the measurement performance, background noise was assessed using the plasma parameters in two typical discharges in JT-60SA calculated from the SONIC code. Moreover, the influence of the reflection of bremsstrahlung radiation by the wall is simulated by using a ray tracing simulation. The errors in the temperature and the density are assessed based on the simulation results for three typical field of views.

Total number of lymph node metastases is a more significant risk factor for poor prognosis than positive lateral lymph node metastasis.

PURPOSE: Lateral lymph nodes (LLNs) along the iliac vessels are an important indicator of local recurrence; however, we are unaware of any study that investigates whether the number of LLN metastases influences the prognosis of patients with lower rectal cancer. METHOD: We analyzed retrospectively the records of 154 patients who underwent radical resection of T1-4 lower rectal adenocarcinoma at a single institution. RESULTS: Among the 88.3 % of patients who underwent LLN dissection, 13 (8.4 %) had LLN metastasis. The Cox proportional hazard model indicated that sex, histological grade, lymphatic or venous invasion, and LLN metastasis were not significantly associated with tumor recurrence, whereas tumor depth and more than three lymph node metastases were risk factors for recurrence (p = 0.002 and p = 0.02, respectively). Of the 13 patients with LLN metastasis, 6 whose mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) had been well dissected and examined did not have MLN metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of one or two LLN metastases in patients who have undergone LLN dissection with surgery for lower rectal cancer is not associated with poor prognosis. The number of LLN metastases is a more significant risk factor for poor prognosis.

Positive peritoneal washing cytology is a potential risk factor for the recurrence of curatively resected colorectal cancer.

PURPOSES: Whether free peritoneal cancer cells should be considered peritoneal dissemination in colorectal cancer patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of positive peritoneal washing cytology (PWC) in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 771 sequential patients diagnosed with stage 0-III colorectal cancer who underwent R0 resection and had no distant metastases or peritoneal dissemination. RESULTS: PWC was performed on all 771 patients. Sixty-eight patients experienced metastasis recurrence, 10 of whom experienced peritoneal recurrence. Of the 10 patients with peritoneal recurrence, 6 had positive PWC. Out of the 771 patients, 21 had positive PWC. Of these 21 patients, 6 had peritoneal recurrence, while 4 had distant metastasis and no peritoneal recurrence during the observation period. The 5-year disease-free survival was 89.0 % in the patients with negative PWC vs. 46.8 % in the patients with positive PWC (p < 0.0001, log-rank test). A Cox proportional hazards model revealed that positive PWC was the strongest independent risk factor for cancer-specific recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights PWC as a useful prognostic tool in patients undergoing curative surgery for colorectal cancer, since positive PWC was shown to be a potential risk factor for recurrence.

Biological activity of recombinant bovine interferon τ produced by a silkworm-baculovirus gene expression system.

Bovine interferon (bIFN) τ plays a crucial role in maternal-fetal recognition and was expressed using a Bombyx mori (Bm) nuclear polyhedrosis virus (silkworm baculovirus) gene expression system. The biological effects of Bm-recombinant bIFNτ (rbIFNτ) on prostaglandin (PG) F2α synthesis were investigated in cultured bovine endometrial epithelial cells with oxytocin (OT, 100 nM) and on the in vitro development of bovine embryos. Bm-rbIFNτ and OT were shown to suppress PGF2α production in a dose-dependent manner. When in vitro produced morula stage embryos were cultured for 72 hr in modified CR1aa medium supplemented with or without rbIFNτ, Bm-rbIFNτ (10 ng/ml) significantly promoted development to the expanded blastocyst stage. In conclusion, Bm-rbIFNτ was suggested to have the same bioactivity as native IFNτ.

Severe tumor budding is a risk factor for lateral lymph node metastasis in early rectal cancers.

BACKGROUND: Lateral lymph node (LLN) metastasis sometimes occurs in patients with early rectal cancer that has invaded the submucosa (SM) and muscularis propria (MP). This study aims to identify the risk factor(s) for LLN metastasis in such patients. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed 65 patients with pathological SM or MP lower rectal adenocarcinoma, for whom radical resection had been performed at a single institution. RESULTS: We performed LLN dissection in 52 (80%) patients. The LLN dissection rates in the case of pathological SM and MP tumors were 65.6% and 94.4%, respectively, and the corresponding LLN metastasis rates were 6.9% and 11.1%. Severe tumor budding was found to be a risk factor for LLN metastasis (P = 0.002). Further, of six patients with LLN metastasis, four did not have coincident mesenteric lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: In rectal cancer that has pathologically invaded SM and MP, LLN metastasis is not negligible. LLN dissection could lower the local recurrence rate of SM and MP rectal cancer. In case LLN dissection is not performed, patients with a high tumor budding grade should be administered adjuvant therapy.

[A case of rupture of the right femoral artery pseudo aneurysm occurring in the site of a port for hepatic arterial infusion].

A 77-year-old man diagnosed with rectal cancer and multiple liver metastases underwent transverse colostomy in June 2008, and subsequently underwent radiotherapy of the whole pelvis; chemotherapy was started with 5-FU+l-LV and then switched to mFOLFOX6+bevacizumab. In February 2009, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy was carried out because of the exacerbation of appetite loss with chemotherapy and importance of the control of liver metastases. In March 2009, he had redness and swelling of the site of a port and was admitted to our hospital. The port was removed, but a CT scan showed a pseudo aneurysm with impending rupture in the right femoral artery necessitating emergency surgery. The right femoral artery was closed and a bypass between right external iliac artery and popliteal artery through the obturator foramen was constructed. This case is a rare complication, but rapid diagnosis and treatment are required when a pseudo aneurysm is suspected.

Effect of internal lubricating agents of disposable soft contact lenses on higher-order aberrations after blinking.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the polymer composition of disposable soft contact lenses affects sequential changes in higher-order aberrations (HOAs). METHODS: Fifteen subjects who wore disposable soft contact lenses with dryness-related symptoms and 15 non-contact lens wearers were enrolled in this study. Ocular HOAs were measured for 60 seconds in each subject wearing a disposable etafilcon A lens (conventional lens) or a disposable etafilcon A lens with polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) (lens with PVP) after 1 hour of contact lens wear. During the measurement, subjects were forced to blink every 10 seconds. The aberration data were analyzed in the central 4-mm diameter up to the sixth-order Zernike polynomials. Total HOAs, the fluctuation index (FI), and the stability index (SI) of the total HOAs over time were compared between the two groups. The subjective ocular dryness also was scored. RESULTS: In symptomatic wearers of disposable soft contact lenses, the total HOAs, the FI, and the SI with the lens with PVP were significantly (P=0.013, P=0.014, P=0.019, respectively) lower than with the conventional lens, whereas a significant (P=0.018) difference between the two lenses was observed only in the FI in non-contact lens wearers. Subjective ocular dryness with the lens with PVP significantly decreased compared with the conventional lens in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential measurement of HOAs may be a useful objective method to evaluate the effect of internal lubricating agents of disposable soft contact lenses on optical quality.

Corneal thickness change induced by dozing while wearing hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses.

PURPOSE: The physiologic effects on the cornea of dozing while wearing contact lenses were assessed by using central corneal swelling as an index in relation with lens oxygen transmissibility (Dk/t). METHODS: Two hydrogel lens materials (nelfilcon A and etafilcon A) with a power of -0.50 diopters (D) and three silicone hydrogel lens materials (galyfilcon A, senofilcon A, and lotrafilcon A) with a power of -0.50 D were studied on 16 eyes of eight subjects with no previous experience of contact lens wear and no ocular disease. The subjects wore the lenses for seven continuous hours with their eyelids closed for 1 hour after the first 3 hours of lens wear to simulate a dozing condition. Corneal thickness was measured with a specular microscope with a built-in pachometer (Topcon SP-2000P). The same measurement was performed for the non-lens-wearing eyes as the control. RESULTS: Swelling rates immediately after dozing were 4.8%+/-1.4% for nelfilcon A, 5.2%+/-1.7% for etafilcon A, 2.8%+/-1.2% for galyfilcon A, 1.9%+/-0.8% for senofilcon A, and 1.5%+/-1.6% for lotrafilcon A. The swelling rates for the two hydrogel lenses were significantly higher (P<0.001) than that for the control (1.8%+/-1.5%), and the differences remained significant after 3 hours. Conversely, none of the three silicone hydrogel lenses showed a significant difference (P>0.05) compared to the control at any measurement. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that dozing with silicone hydrogel lens wear causes clearly fewer intense physiologic effects in oxygen performance than dozing with hydrogel lens wear.

Lacrimal duct occlusion for the treatment of dry eye.

The most widespread treatment for dry eyes in clinical practice is an instillation containing artificial tear fluid. When an instillation does not ameliorate dry eye, we use punctal plugs. The insertion of punctal plugs is an eminent curative that positively improves the corneal and conjunctival epithelial disorders and the amount of lacrimal fluid accumulated in the conjunctival sac. We shall introduce the lacrimal duct occlusion utilizing atelocollagen solutions, which solves many of the issues induced by conventional methods.

Therapeutic effect of cevimeline on dry eye in patients with Sjögren's syndrome: a randomized, double-blind clinical study.

PURPOSE: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by salivary and lacrimal glandular destruction leading to symptoms of dry mouth and dry eye. Dryness can also occur in the absence of glandular destruction. Patients with SS have autoantibodies that bind to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the exocrine glands. Recently, a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, cevimeline, has been approved for use against symptoms of dry mouth in patients with SS. In this study, the efficacy of cevimeline in improving symptoms of dry eye was examined. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, multi-center clinical study. METHODS: Sixty patients were randomly assigned to three groups-placebo; cevimeline, 20 mg three times daily; or cevimeline, 30 mg three times daily-and received treatment for 4 weeks. Patients were evaluated before treatment, at week 2, at the end of treatment, and at the end of a 2- to 4-week follow-up period. RESULTS: Compared with the placebo, statistically significant differences were seen with cevimeline, 20 mg three times daily, in subjective symptoms, tear dynamics, condition of the corneoconjunctival epithelium, and global improvement rating. No difference was found among the three groups regarding the safe use of the drug. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that cevimeline, 20 mg three times daily, is safe and effective in improving symptoms of dry eye in patients with SS. Additional studies, with larger patient populations, are needed to further assess the effectiveness of cevimeline for dry eye.

Use of segment-based microarray in the analysis of global gene expression in response to various environmental stresses in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.

We prepared microarrays that contain genomic sequences of a heterocyst-forming filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. The complete genome of this cyanobacterium codes for about 5,368 protein-coding genes in the main chromosome of 6.4 Mbp. In total, 2,407 DNA segments were selected from the sequencing clones, and amplified by PCR, then spotted on glass slides in duplicate. These microarrays differ from the widely used commercial or custom-made ones for other microorganisms in that each DNA segment was 3-4 kbp long, and contained about 3-4 predicted genes on average. This feature, however, did not decrease the usefulness of the microarrays, since we were able to detect a number of potentially novel genes that are induced in response to nitrogen deprivation, low temperature and drought. In addition, we found some genomic regions in which dozens of contiguous genes are simultaneously regulated. These results suggest that these segment-based microarrays are useful especially for such large genomes as Anabaena, for which the number of genes exceeds either technical or practical limitations.

Conserved temperature-dependent expression of RNA-binding proteins in cyanobacteria with different temperature optima.

The expression of the rbp genes, which encode small RNA-binding proteins with a single RNA-recognition motif, is known to increase at low temperature in Anabaena variabilis M3. The 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of the rbpA1 gene is involved in the cold-regulation. We compared the regulation of the rbp genes in three strains of cyanobacteria having different temperature optima, namely, a mesophilic strain Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, a thermophilic strain Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1, and a psychrophilic Antarctic strain Oscillatoria sp. SU1. In Anabaena 7120 and T. elongatus, all the rbp gene sequences are known, and the 5'-UTR sequences of some rbp genes have a high similarity to the 5'-UTR of rbpA1. We found that transcripts as well as protein products of these rbp genes accumulated at low temperature. In addition, the expression of rbp genes increased at low temperature in the Oscillatoria sp. SU1. This suggests that a mechanism of cold-regulation of rbp genes is common among various species of cyanobacteria that belong to different taxa and have different temperature optima.

Differences in contact lens-induced responses in the corneas of Asian and non-Asian subjects.

PURPOSE: To investigate ethnic differences in corneal endothelia bleb formation and corneal swelling during contact lens wear under closed-eye conditions, with the use of lenses of varying oxygen transmissibilities (Dk/L) in Asian and non-Asian subjects METHODS: Asian and non-Asian contact-lens naive subjects were fitted with one of four different types of contact lenses at each 20-minute session. During lens wear, the eyelid was closed Endothelial bleb formation was determined by specular microscopy or confocal microscopy immediately on eye opening. Some Asian contact-lens naive subjects were asked to wear one of two types of lenses (Dk/L values of 24 and 175) on each eye for 1 hour Corneal swelling was determined immediately after opening of the eyes. RESULTS: Asian subjects had a significantly higher degree of endothelial bleb formation than the non-Asian population for all closed eye conditions, p=0.0001. There was no significant difference in endothelial bleb formation between closed eves with or without lenses in the non-Asian population. There was a significantly higher degree of bleb formation with low Dk/L lenses, < or = 40, compared to high Dk/L lenses, > or = 110, in Asian subjects, p=0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant difference between Asian and non-Asian subjects in the corneal response to stress. Under a closed eyelid only contact lenses with very high levels of Dk/L do not cause cornea stress in Asian patients.