Internal medicine
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Objective In Japan, both medical oncologists and pulmonologists treat lung cancer patients; however, the difference in their attitude toward palliative care referral is unknown. Thus, we retrospectively investigated the difference in attitudes toward palliative care referral between medical oncologists and pulmonologists in Japan. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with thoracic malignancy who died at Shimane University Hospital between June 2011 and October 2015. ⋯ The median survival time after admission to PCU was 21 (95% CI: 13-32) and 9 (95% CI: 5-15) days among the patients treated by medical oncologists and pulmonologists, respectively (p=0.128). Conclusion Medical oncologists are more likely to refer their patients to palliative care in the outpatient setting, thus enabling patients to receive longer end of life care in the PCU. Bridging the research gap regarding differences between the physicians' attitudes toward palliative care referral may lead to patients receiving more quality palliative care.
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Case Reports
Small-bowel Capsule Endoscopic Features in Patients with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis: Three Case Reports.
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is an uncommon disease characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract in the absence of secondary causes and presents with a variety of gastrointestinal manifestations. Important diagnostic evidence for EGE can be provided by endoscopy; however, the specific small-bowel capsule endoscopic (SBCE) findings remain unknown. We herein report the SBCE findings of three cases of EGE as well as those of the previous cases. The most common findings in patients with EGE were multiple erythema and erosions with surrounding redness on SBCE; these findings should be considered for the diagnostic evaluation for EGE.
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A 29-year-old man presented with a high-grade fever, headache, and urinary retention, in addition to meningeal irritation and myoclonus in his upper extremities. A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed pleocytosis and high adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels with no evidence of bacterial infection, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ⋯ He was diagnosed with autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy. The present case shows that the combination of an elevated ADA level in the CSF and reversible T2-weighted hyper-intensity on the SCC supports the diagnosis of autoimmune GFAP encephalopathy.
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Objective It has been established that stroke occurrence is influenced by seasonality. Stroke is divided into three subtypes: cerebral hemorrhage (CH), cerebral infarction (CI), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The purpose of this paper was to analyze stroke events by subtype and month, in order to clarify the biggest factors that affect seasonal differences and thereby gain insight into stroke prevention. ⋯ Conclusion Our findings suggest that lowering BP would be the best strategy for CH prevention. Simple daily actions may be affected by cold stress. As physicians, we must strive to help patients lower their BP throughout the year not only with medication but with lifestyle guidance, especially in winter.
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The risk of carcinogenesis increases after 20 years old in patients with Fanconi anemia (FA). We herein report three rare cases of FA combined with esophageal cancer in women; all patients were diagnosed with FA in early childhood. ⋯ Patient 3 was diagnosed with superficial esophageal cancer, underwent curative surgery at 26 years old, and survived for over 5 years without recurrence. Therefore, establishing a protocol for the early detection of esophageal cancer in FA patients over 20 years old is important.