Late Wall Thickening and Calcification in Patients After Kawasaki Disease.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between the initial diameters of the coronary arteries immediately after the onset of Kawasaki disease (KD) and late increased coronary wall thickening/coronary artery calcification (CAC). STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-five patients (50 males and 15 females) who had undergone selective coronary angiography (CAG) <100 days after the onset of KD were studied late in disease by dual-source computed tomography (DSCT). The maximum diameters of each segment were measured in the initial CAGs, and the relationship between the maximum diameters and the appearance of increased wall thickening/CAC was analyzed. The study cohort was divided into 2 groups: the branches group (BG) and bifurcation at the left coronary artery (LCA) group. The cutoff point of acute coronary artery dilatation for increased wall thickening/CAC was calculated for each group. Risk factors for the appearance of CAC in each group were investigated, as was the sex difference related to the prevalence of CAC in coronary artery lesions (CALs) of the initial CAGs. RESULTS: The cutoff points of acute coronary dilatation for increased wall thickening were 4.8 mm in the BG (n = 344; area under the curve [AUC], 0.89; P < .001) and 5.3 mm in the LCA group (n = 65; AUC, 0.87; P < .001). The interval from the onset of KD (P < .0001) and sex (P = .0084) were also related to the appearance of CAC in the BG. CONCLUSION: Acute coronary dilatation of exceeding ~5.0 mm can lead to late abnormalities of the coronary artery wall. The prevalence of CAC increases with age. There was a sex-based difference in the late incidence of CAC in the CALs.

[A case of primary epiploic appendagitis of the sigmoid colon diagnosed by abdominal CT and managed conservatively].

A 40-year-old man presented to our department with left lower abdominal pain. Laboratory test showed slight leukocytosis and moderately elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed a typical fat density lesion adjacent to the sigmoid colon. The diagnosis of primary epiploic appendagitis of the sigmoid colon was established, and the patient was managed conservatively. Primary epiploic appendagitis is a self-limiting illness, and diagnosed by characteristic radiographic findings. Inaccurate diagnosis can lead to unnecessary treatments including surgical intervention. When we encounter a case of acute abdomen, we should consider the possibility of this disease to make accurate diagnosis and give proper treatment.

Monitoring the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio may be useful for predicting the anticancer effect of nivolumab in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: Predicting the response to treatment with nivolumab and the survival in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains a challenge. We investigated whether or not the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) kinetics could be used to predict the anticancer effect of nivolumab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC who had been treated with nivolumab were retrospectively analyzed. The NLR was calculated using pretreatment blood test results until the end of the treatment. RESULTS: The posttreatment NLR was higher than the pretreatment value in 13 of 17 patients (76%) patients with progressive disease within the first 3 months, whereas the posttreatment NLR was lower than the pretreatment value in 10 of 11 patients (91%) with stable disease or partial response during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that monitoring the NLR may aid in the earlier confirmation of treatment failure in patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC during nivolumab monotherapy.