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BACKGROUND: Inferior vena cava thrombosis is a rare blunt abdominal trauma complication often associated with severe liver injury. We present two cases of inferior vena cava thrombosis due to mild liver injuries. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1 was a 25-year-old woman taking oral contraceptives for dysmenorrhea who was injured in a motorcycle accident. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed hepatic contusion of the sixth segment. At 1 week after the accident, inferior vena cava thrombosis was detected. Case 2 was a 58-year-old man injured in a motorcycle accident. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, right hemothorax, and liver injury with hepatic contusion of the sixth segment. At 1 week after the accident, inferior vena cava thrombosis was observed. CONCLUSION: Inferior vena cava thrombosis can occur following liver injury, regardless of damage severity. When there are thrombogenic factors and damage near the inferior vena cava, follow-up examinations should be carried out.
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BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pneumonia has lesions with a decreased blood flow. Dual-energy computed tomography is suitable to elucidate the pathogenesis of COVID-19 pneumonia because it highlights the blood flow changes in organs. We report the dual-energy computed tomography findings of a successfully treated case of COVID-19 pneumonia. CASE PRESENTATION: An obese 49-year-old man with COVID-19 pneumonia was transferred from another hospital on day 11 after onset of illness. Although he was hypoxemic (PaO2/FiO2 = 100), tracheal intubation was not performed after anticipating difficulty in weaning from mechanical ventilation. Prone position therapy and nasal high flow therapy were administered, and the patient was discharged after his condition improved. Dual-energy computed tomography was performed three times during hospitalization, and it revealed improvement in the blood flow defect, unlike plain computed tomography that did not show much improvement. CONCLUSION: Dual-energy computed tomography can assess perfusion in COVID-19 pneumonia in real time and may be able to predict its severity.
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BACKGROUND: Increased oxidative stress is supposed to be involved in the etiology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). It was reported that oxidative stress values measured by a spectrophotometric technique (d-ROMs test) were significantly higher in IPF patients than in controls, and were negatively correlated with Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and Carbon Monoxide Diffusing Capacity (DLCO). However, the relationship between progression of IPF over time and change in serum oxidative stress marker remains unclarified. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the change in serum oxidative stress marker during progression of IPF. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The levels of oxidative stress in blood samples of 43 treatment-naïve IPF patients were measured by the d-ROMs test. FVC and DLCO were measured concurrently. The changes in oxidative stress and pulmonary function were evaluated in 27 untreated patients 6 months later. Oxidative stress levels of 13 patients with acute exacerbation of IPF (AE-IPF) and 30 healthy controls were also evaluated. RESULTS: Oxidative stress values [median, interquartile range (IQR); Carratelli units (U.CARR)] were significantly higher in 43 IPF patients than in controls (366, 339-443 vs. 289, 257-329, p < 0.01) and were significantly increased 6 months later in 27 untreated patients (353, 311-398 at baseline to 385, 345-417 at follow-up, p < 0.01). The increase in oxidative stress values (24.0, 6.0-49.0 U.CARR/6 months) was negatively correlated with baseline DLCO (rs = -0.44, p < 0.05) and FVC changes after 6 months (rs = -0.54, p < 0.01). Oxidative stress values were significantly higher in IPF patients with acute exacerbation than in those with stable disease (587, 523-667 vs. 366, 339-443 U.CARR, respectively; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Serum oxidative stress values increased with disease progression in IPF patients.