Internal medicine
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The standard treatment for submucosal esophageal cancer is esophagectomy or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). However, these treatment modalities could deteriorate the general condition and quality of life of the patients who are intolerant to invasive therapy. It is therefore important and beneficial to develop less invasive treatment protocols for these patients. ⋯ Preceding ESD is very effective for the local control of cancer, and useful for histologically confirming the high-risk factors of relapse, such as ≥submucosal layer 2 (SM2) invasion and lymphovascular involvements. ESD with additional therapy may be a promising strategy for optimizing the selection of therapy depending on the patient's general condition.
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The incidence of iliopsoas abscesses has been increasing due to advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and the increased number of elderly individuals and immunodeficient patients with co-morbidities. Our aim was to investigate the management and treatment of iliopsoas abscesses, particularly the effectiveness of computed tomography (CT)-guided drainage in the era of interventional radiology. ⋯ Based on the high success rate of CT-guided drainage in this study, this technique is expected to continue to play a major role in cases requiring drainage, even in patients with bilateral or multilocular abscesses. However, this modality cannot be used in cases of gastrointestinal perforation.
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Obesity is related to an increased prevalence of reflux esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms. This study was performed to clarify the influence of gender on time-course changes in the rate of a high BMI and incidence of reflux esophagitis in Japanese subjects. ⋯ The prevalence of reflux esophagitis in the female subjects remained constant over 10 years, different from that observed in the men. A lack of change in BMI may be an important factor accounting for the constant prevalence of reflux esophagitis in women.
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There have been many previously reported cases of adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) which were successfully treated with tocilizumab (TCZ). However, the efficacy and safety of TCZ therapy for AOSD-associated macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), and the optimal duration of TCZ therapy, remain unclear. We herein report two cases of refractory AOSD, one of which was associated with MAS. These two patients were treated with TCZ, and the withdrawal of TCZ was planned according to the serum interleukin-6 level, which resulted in TCZ-free remission.
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Hyperglycemia rarely manifests as hemichorea-hemiballism (HH), which is characterized by simple partial motor seizures. One of the difficulties in the management of hyperglycemia-induced HH is the failure to recognize this entity due to its relatively uncommon presentation. ⋯ One of our patients had ketotic hyperglycemia leading to HH, a previously unreported finding. Early recognition of this entity is crucial as prompt glycemic control leads to the resolution of symptoms and signs.