Background
Infantile hemangioma (IH), formerly termed strawberry hemangioma, is a benign vascular tumor caused by capillary endothelial cell proliferation. The tumor regresses after 1 year of age, ...but sequelae occur in approximately half of the patients without systemic treatment. Propranolol (PPL) is currently the first‐line therapeutic agent in Japan as well as in Western countries. It is not commonly known that PPL may induce severe hypoglycemia, in addition to cardiovascular and respiratory side effects.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed patients with severe PPL‐induced hypoglycemia in the 3 years since the launch of Hemangiol®, a PPL preparation specific for IH, in Japan in 2016.
Results
The incidence of severe hypoglycemia and of hypoglycemic convulsions following PPL treatment was estimated to be 0.54% and 0.35%, respectively. The incidence of hypoglycemic convulsions appeared to be higher in Japan than in Western countries. Severe hypoglycemia was common in infants aged >1 year, when PPL was used for ≥6 months. Severe hypoglycemia often develops from 05:00 a.m. to 09:00 a.m. and is frequently associated with prolonged periods of fasting, poor feeding, or poor physical conditions.
Conclusion
To avoid the risk of hypoglycemia, the treatment should be initiated by 6 months of age during the proliferative phase at the latest, and should not be extended indiscriminately beyond 1 year of age. Guardians should be advised not to administer PPL on an empty stomach, in the presence of poor feeding, or who are in poor physical condition, not to prolong fasting after PPL administration, and to monitor the child's condition immediately after he or she wakes up.
Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare slow-flow combined vascular malformation with limb hypertrophy. KTS is thought to lie on the PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum, but reports are limited. ...PIK3CA encodes p110alpha, a catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) that plays an essential role in the PI3K/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. We aimed to demonstrate the clinical utility of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) in identifying PIK3CA mosaicism in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from patients with KTS. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in mesenchymal tissues was activated in patients with KTS. Amplicon-based targeted NGS could identify low-level mosaicism from low-input DNA extracted from FFPE tissues, potentially providing a diagnostic option for personalized medicine with inhibitors of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.
Key Clinical Message
We present a case of spontaneous cervical chyle leak that showed as left‐sided neck swelling. Spontaneous chyle leak is extremely rare. Lymphangiography with lipiodol is useful ...as a diagnostic and therapeutic approach for chyle leak.
Intranodal lymphangiography with lipiodol showed lymphatic leakage from near the venous angle to the left side of the neck (white arrow).
Background: Fractional flow reserve-computed tomography (FFRCT) has not been validated in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for ...coronary artery disease due to theoretical difficulties in using nitroglycerin for such patients.Methods and Results: In this single-center study, we prospectively enrolled 21 patients (34 vessels) and performed pre-TAVR FFRCTwithout nitroglycerin, pre-TAVR invasive instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) measurements, and post-TAVR FFR measurements using a pressure wire. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of pre-TAVR FFRCT≤0.80 to predict post-TAVR invasive FFR ≤0.80 were 82%, 83%, 82%, 71%, and 90%, respectively. A receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated an optimal cutoff of 0.78 for pre-TAVR FFRCTto indicate post-TAVR FFR ≤0.80, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.84, and the counterpart cutoff of pre-TAVR iFR was 0.89 with an AUC of 0.86.Conclusions: FFRCTwithout nitroglycerin could be a useful non-invasive imaging modality for assessing the severity of coronary artery lesions in patients with severe AS.
In the 3/4-filled band system θ-(BEDT-TTF)2X with a two-dimensional triangular lattice, charge ordering (CO) often occurs due to strong inter-site Coulomb repulsion. However, the strong geometrical ...frustration of the triangular lattice can prohibit long-range CO, resulting in a charge-glass state in which the charge configurations are randomly distributed. Here, we investigate the charge-glass states of orthorhombic and monoclinic θ-type BEDT-TTF salts by measuring the electrical resistivity and optical conductivity spectra. We find a substantial difference between the charge-glass states of the orthorhombic and monoclinic systems. The charge-glass state in the orthorhombic system with an isotropic triangular lattice exhibits larger low-energy excitations than that in the monoclinic one with an anisotropic triangular lattice and becomes more metallic as the isotropy of the triangular lattice increases. These results can be understood by the different charge-glass formation mechanisms in the two systems: in the orthorhombic system, the charge-glass state originates from geometric frustration due to the equilateral triangular lattice, leading to metallic 3-fold COs, whereas in the monoclinic system, the charge-glass formation originates from geometric frustration of the isosceles triangular lattice, in which the charge-glass state is described by the superposition of insulating 2-fold stripe COs.
An open-label, non-randomized prospective study.
Teriparatide (TPTD) is known to be an antiosteoporotic agent that may accelerate the healing of fractures. This study was designed to investigate the ...effect of once-weekly TPTD administration on vertebral stability and bony union after acute osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF).
Once-weekly TPTD administration can lead to early vertebral stability and promote bony union of fractured vertebrae in patients with severe osteoporosis.
Forty-eight subjects with acute OVF were assigned to receive activated vitamin D3 and calcium supplementation or onceweekly subcutaneous injection of TPTD (56.5 μg) in combination with activated vitamin D3 and calcium supplementation for 12 weeks. Vertebral stability was assessed using lateral plain radiography. Vertebral height at the anterior location (VHa) and the difference in VHa {ΔVHa=VHa (supine position)-VHa (weight-bearing position)} were measured at baseline and 12 weeks after starting treatment. Bony union was defined as the absence of a vertebral cleft or abnormal motion (ΔVHa >2 mm).
Although not significant, ΔVHa, indicating vertebral stability, tended to be lower in the TPTD group at 12 weeks (p =0.17). As for subjects with severe osteoporosis, ΔVHa at 12 weeks was significantly lower in the TPTD group than in the control group (mean ΔVHa: control group, 3.1 mm (n=15); TPTD group, 1.4 mm (n=16); p =0.02). The rate of bony union was significantly higher in the TPTD group than in the control group (control group, 40%; TPTD group, 81%; p =0.03).
Once-weekly TPTD administration may facilitate early bony union after acute OVF accompanied by severe osteoporosis.
Treatment of oropharyngolaryngeal venous malformations (VMs) remains challenging. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of fluoroscopy- and endoscopy-guided transoral sclerotherapy for ...oropharyngolaryngeal VMs in a hybrid operation room (OR).
Patients with oropharyngolaryngeal VMs who underwent transoral sclerotherapy in a hybrid OR were enrolled.
Fourteen patients (six females, eight males; median age of 26 years; range, 4-71 years) were analyzed. The symptoms observed were breathing difficulties (n = 3), snoring (n = 2), sleep apnea (n = 1), and swallowing difficulties (n = 1). Lesions were extensive in the face and neck (n = 9) and limited in the oropharyngolarynx (n = 5). A permanent tracheostomy was performed on two patients, while a temporary tracheostomy was performed on five patients. The treated regions were the soft palate (n = 8), pharynx (n = 7), base of the tongue (n = 4), and epiglottis (n = 1). The median number of sclerotherapy sessions was 2.5 (range, 1-9). The median follow-up duration was 81 months (range, 6-141). Treatment outcomes were graded as excellent (n = 2), good (n = 7), or fair (n = 5). The post-treatment complication was bleeding (n = 1), resulting in an urgent tracheostomy.
Fluoroscopy- and endoscopy-guided transoral sclerotherapy in a hybrid OR can be effective and safe for oropharyngolaryngeal VMs.
Background
There have been few reports on the efficacy and safety of oral propranolol at 3 mg/kg/day for infantile hemangioma (IH) in Japanese patients.
Methods
A multicenter, open‐label phase III ...study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral propranolol solution in Japanese infants aged 35–150 days with proliferating IH. Thirty‐two patients were enrolled in the study, received propranolol solution for 24 weeks at 3 mg/kg/day, and completed the study.
Results
The success rate (complete or nearly complete resolution) at week 24 (primary endpoint) was 78% (95%CI: 60–91%). The improvement rate since the previous visit was 100% (32/32) after week 5. Overall, the IH surface area, maximum diameter, and color intensity all decreased over time. Consistency in assessment between the centralized and the investigator on‐site assessments was observed in 26 patients. Of the 32 patients, 11 needed further treatment other than the study drug. The incidence of adverse events (AE) and drug‐related AE was 97% and 31%, respectively. AE that occurred in ≥two patients were either typical of propranolol use (such as blood pressure decrease) or common events in infants. AE that resulted in dose reduction were observed in two patients, but no serious AE or AE that led to study drug discontinuation were observed.
Conclusion
Oral propranolol solution at 3 mg/kg/day is effective and safe in Japanese IH patients.
Perivascular inflammation contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and microcirculatory dysfunction. Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation, measured by coronary computed tomography ...angiography, is a potential indicator of coronary inflammation. However, the relationship between PCAT attenuation, microcirculatory dysfunction, and periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) remains unclear.
Patients with chronic coronary syndrome who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography before percutaneous coronary intervention were retrospectively identified. PCAT attenuation and adverse plaque characteristics were assessed using coronary computed tomography angiography. The extent of microcirculatory dysfunction was evaluated using the angio-based index of microcirculatory resistance before and after percutaneous coronary intervention. Overall, 125 consecutive patients were included, with 50 experiencing PMI (PMI group) and 75 without PMI (non-PMI group). Multivariable analysis showed that older age, higher angio-based index of microcirculatory resistance, presence of adverse plaque characteristics, and higher lesion-based PCAT attenuation were independently associated with PMI occurrence (odds ratio OR, 1.07 95% CI, 1.01-1.13;
=0.02; OR, 1.06 95% CI, 1.00-1.12;
=0.04; OR, 6.62 95% CI, 2.13-20.6;
=0.001; and OR, 2.89 95% CI, 1.63-5.11;
<0.001, respectively). High PCAT attenuation was correlated with microcirculatory dysfunction before and after percutaneous coronary intervention and its exacerbation during percutaneous coronary intervention. Adding lesion-based PCAT attenuation to the presence of adverse plaque characteristics improved the discriminatory and reclassification ability in predicting PMI.
Adding PCAT attenuation at the culprit lesion level to coronary computed tomography angiography-derived adverse plaque characteristics may provide incremental benefit in identifying patients at risk of PMI. Our results highlight the importance of microcirculatory dysfunction in PMI development, particularly in the presence of lesions with high PCAT attenuation.
URL: https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000057722; Unique identifier: UMIN000050662.