Internal medicine
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We evaluated the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT) as an initial radiologic test for assessing the optimal timing of colonoscopy in patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) and investigated the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced (CE) CT for detecting colonic diverticular bleeding. ⋯ Urgent CT is useful for determining the optimal timing of colonoscopy in cases of acute LGIB. CE-CT may be used to depict the presence and location of active hemorrhage and provides useful information for subsequent colonoscopy, especially in patients with diverticular bleeding.
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We herein report the first case of a nonfunctioning islet cell tumor that transformed into a proinsulinoma during the process of metastasis to the lungs. This phenomenon was confirmed in a 69-year-old woman with an advanced pancreatic islet cell tumor and multiple liver metastases who later developed multiple lung metastases. ⋯ Although the patient initially had hyperglycemia due to diabetes mellitus, she conversely began to manifest hypoglycemic attacks 63 months postoperatively with the concomitant development of multiple lung metastases. An autopsy revealed that only the tumor in the lungs produced proinsulin; no other hormones were detected.
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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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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.