The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of lymphangiography as a treatment for various chyle leakages. Pedal lymphangiography was performed in 9 patients (6 men and 3 women; mean age, 59 years) who were unlikely to be cured only by conservative treatment - a low-fat medium-chain triglyceride diet, total parenteral nutrition and insertion of a drainage tube - and in whom chylothorax (n = 5), chylous ascites (n = 2) and lymphatic fistulae (n = 2) were refractory to conservative treatment. In 7 of these 9 patients (78%), we could detect the chyle leakage sites. In 8 of the 9 patients (89%), lymphatic leakage was stopped after lymphangiography, and surgical re-intervention was avoided. No cases had a recurrence of chyle leakage during follow-up (range, 1-54 months). Lymphangiography is effective not only for diagnosis but also as treatment for various chyle leakages. Early lymphangiography is therefore recommended for patients with chyle leakages who are unlikely to be cured by conservative treatment only.

The anti-fouling character of polymer brushes against marine organisms was investigated by performing settlement tests with barnacle cypris larvae and mussel larvae in their adhesion period, as well as a marine bacteria colonization test. The settlement behavior of the marine organisms was carefully observed during the assays to obtain insight into the anti-fouling character. Zwitterionic poly(phosphobetaine) brushes and poly(sulfobetaine) brushes exhibited excellent anti-fouling characteristics for both macro-and microorganisms , whereas poly(quaternary ammonium cation) brushes allowed mussel larvae settlement and bacteria adhesion. Regardless of the surface free energy and chain mobility, all of the hydrophobic polymer brushes showed poor anti-fouling character for the marine organisms tested. The surface charge and hydration state in saline seawater appear to be important factors in the versatile anti-fouling performance of zwitterionic polyelectrolyte brushes.

The feasibility of infusion of 50% glucose solution before balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) to occlude collateral vessels draining gastric varices other than gastrorenal shunt was evaluated. In five patients with such collateral vessels, 50% glucose solution was infused from the balloon catheter inflated within the gastrorenal shunt. The degree of collateral vessels had decreased when BRTO was carried out so that sclerotic agents sufficiently occupied the gastric varices in all patients. In three patients, embolization of collateral vessels with coils was unnecessary. There were no complications. In conclusion, retrograde infusion of 50% glucose solution assists in effectively carrying out BRTO.

3D-CRT for PVTT combined with HAIC could provide survival benefit to non-responder to HAIC.

Background: Anticoagulation is recommended as standard of care for venous thromboembolism (VTE) (pulmonary embolism [PE]/deep vein thrombosis [DVT]), for which unfractionated heparin (UFH) and warfarin are used in Japan. In the multi-regional AMPLIFY study, a fixed-dose regimen of apixaban alone was non-inferior to conventional therapy for treatment of PE/DVT and was associated with significantly fewer bleeding events. Methods and Results:Japan phase 3 study (AMPLIFY-J), randomized, active-controlled, open-label study in Japanese subjects with acute PE/DVT, was designed based on AMPLIFY. Key objectives were to investigate safety and efficacy of apixaban in symptomatic PE/DVT subjects during 24-week treatment. UFH/warfarin was used as control treatment. Apixaban was initiated at 10 mg twice daily for 7 days, followed by 5 mg twice daily for 23 weeks. All endpoints and imaging for thrombotic burden were assessed by an event adjudication committee. Eighty subjects were randomized, 33 subjects (41.3%) were aged <65 years. Proportion of major/clinically relevant non-major bleeding was lower in apixaban (7.5%) compared with well-controlled UFH/warfarin (28.2%; median TTR, 70.1%). Recurrent VTE occurred in no subjects in apixaban and in 1 subject in UFH/warfarin. Thrombotic burden results were similar in both groups. Proportions of subjects with adverse events was generally similar in both groups. Conclusions:Apixaban was well-tolerated and had a favorable safety profile. No clinically important efficacy difference compared with UFH/warfarin was observed. (Circ J 2015; 79: 1230 -1236

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Objective: The goal of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of percutaneous lung biopsy under CT-fluoroscopic guidance for ground-glass opacity (GGO) lesions.Methods: 85 percutaneous needle lung biopsies were performed in 73 patients. Specimens were obtained by core biopsy utilising an automated cutting needle and were evaluated histologically. Final diagnosis was confirmed by independent surgical pathology, independent culture results or clinical follow-up.Results: Rates of adequate specimens obtained and of precise diagnosis by needle biopsy were 92.9% (79/85) and 90.6% (77/ 85) of evaluated lung lesions, respectively. Precise diagnosis was achieved in 87.1% (27/ 31) of lesions #10 mm in diameter, 90.0% (36/40) of lesions .10 mm to #20 mm and 100.0% (14/14) of lesions .20 mm. Precision in diagnosing GGO lesions according to the GGO component was 73.9% (17/23) for pure GGO lesions and 96.8% (60/62) for part-solid GGO lesions. Obtaining a precise diagnosis did not differ significantly according to the lesion size (p50.3840), but differences were significant according to the GGO component (p50.0047). Malignancy was accurately diagnosed in 35 of 36 malignant lesions for which surgery was later performed. The

We describe a 71-year-old woman with a hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RF) with a single internally cooled electrode under computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopic guidance. Nine months after the procedure, CT images showed herniation of the large intestine into the right pleural cavity. To our knowledge this complication of RF performed with a single internally cooled electrode under CT guidance has not been previously reported.