Lower impact of vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy on gut microbiota for Helicobacter pylori eradication.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori eradication can disrupt the gut microbiome. Here, we investigated the short-term impact of minimum antibiotic treatment-a 7-day vonoprazan and low-dose amoxicillin regimen (VA-dual therapy)-on gut microbiota and compared it with that of vonoprazan-based triple therapy (VAC-triple therapy). METHODS: Fifty-nine patients with H. pylori infection were recruited (UMIN000034140) from March to May 2019 and randomly assigned to the VAC-triple therapy or VA-dual therapy groups, according to the first-line H. pylori treatment received. Fecal samples were collected before treatment initiation and 1 and 8 weeks after eradication therapy completion. The composition ratios of the bacterial taxa and the alpha and beta diversities were evaluated in both groups via polymerase chain reaction amplification of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and sequencing using the MiSeq system. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were assigned to the VA-dual group and 24 to the VAC-triple group. Compared with baseline, the alpha diversity reduced significantly 1 and 8 weeks after VAC-triple therapy. However, for VA-dual therapy, the alpha diversities at 1 and 8 weeks after the treatment did not change significantly compared with those at baseline. Additionally, the beta diversity differed significantly between baseline and 1 and 8 weeks after VAC-triple therapy. VAC-triple therapy led to significant alteration in the relative abundance of Actinobacteria at the phylum level and Collinsella, Blautia, and Streptococcus at the genus level. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with VAC-triple therapy, VA-dual therapy induced minimal changes in the diversity and relative abundance of gut microbiota.

The Accuracy of the Serum Antibody Test for Helicobacter pylori Infection among Junior High School Students.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, screening for Helicobacter pylori infection has been performed among children in Japan as a prevention strategy for gastric cancer. However, the diagnostic accuracy of the serum antibody test, using the ELISA-kit, for screening in children has not been confirmed, and it is unknown whether the cutoff value used for adults is appropriate for children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the serum antibody test for H. pylori infection for the mass screening of junior high school students in Japan. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: H. pylori infection testing and eradication therapy in junior high schools began in the 2015 fiscal year for students in Yurihonjo and Nikaho cities, located in the Akita prefecture. The data of 410 students who underwent both stool antigen tests (SATs) and serum antibody test, between 2016 and 2018, were used for analysis. Students who had positive results on the SATs test were diagnosed with H. pylori infection. RESULTS: The rate of H. pylori infection was 3.7% (15/410). The optimal cutoff of serum antibody for children was identified to be 5.4 U/mL, with this cutoff having an area under the curve of 0.94 (95% CI 0.83-1.00), specificity of 99.5% (95% CI 98.2-99.9) and sensitivity of 93.3% (95% CI 68.1-99.8), which was wide because of the small sample size. CONCLUSION: The accuracy of the serum antibody test may be enough for practical use in children 13-14 years old.

A case of immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated gastroenteritis detected by ultrasonography.

While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have antitumor effects, they also have characteristic side effects, including colitis. However, gastritis has rarely been reported. We report a case of a patient with lung adenocarcinoma who presented with epigastric pain and diarrhea following pembrolizumab administration. Sonography of the abdomen demonstrated diffuse, although mild, gastric wall thickening (mainly in the submucosa), as well as a slight decrease in echogenicity throughout the gastric wall. While the mucosal surface was relatively smooth, color Doppler examination showed increased vascularity. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of ICI-related gastroenteritis.

The effect of scissor-type versus non-scissor-type knives on the technical outcomes in endoscopic submucosal dissection for superficial esophageal cancer: a multi-center retrospective study.

The Clutch Cutter was invented as a scissor-type knife for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of gastrointestinal neoplasms. ESD with the scissor-type knife (ESD-S) may be considered a technically easier procedure than ESD with non-scissor-type knives (ESD-NS). Therefore, this study aimed to compare the technical outcomes of ESD-S with those of ESD-NS for superficial esophageal cancer. This was a multicenter retrospective study. Patients with superficial esophageal cancer treated with ESD between October 2015 and March 2018 at three hospitals were retrospectively reviewed. The ESD-S group had 48 patients and the ESD-NS group had 114 patients. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to compensate for the confounding bias between both groups. Multivariate analyses and propensity score matching were used to adjust for age, sex, the tumor size, tumor location, tumor depth, degree of tumor circumference, operator level, usage of the traction method, and the sedation method. The primary outcome was the procedure time of the ESD. Secondary outcomes were the rate of en-bloc/complete resection and the rate of complications including perforation, delayed bleeding, and stricture. Propensity score matching analysis provided 36 matched pairs. Median procedure time in the ESD-S group was significantly shorter than that in the ESD-NS group (44.0 min vs. 66.5 min, P = 0.020). In addition, the treatment outcomes were similar in both groups (en-bloc resection: 100% vs. 97.2%, P = 1; complete resection: 88.9% vs. 86.1%, P = 1; curative resection: 80.6% vs. 77.8%, P = 1; perforation: 0% vs. 5.6%, P = 0.49; delayed bleeding: 0% in both groups; stricture: 2.8% vs. 8.3%, P = 0.61). ESD-S was associated with a shorter procedure time than ESD-NS, without an increase in the incidence of complications. Therefore, the scissor-type knife should be considered as an endo-knife for ESD of superficial esophageal cancers.

Tricuspid regurgitation occurring in the early-diastolic phase in a case of heart failure: Insights from echocardiographic and invasive hemodynamic findings.

Although the presence and physiological significance of late-diastolic tricuspid regurgitation (TR) have been reported, those in TR occurring in early diastole have not been well known. We herein first presented a case of heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy showing functional TR occurring in the early-diastolic phase in whom the mechanism for its genesis could be precisely assessed from echocardiographic findings and intra-cardiac pressure recordings.

Novel Ultrasonographic Scoring System of Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS)/hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a well-documented complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Transabdominal ultrasonography (US) enables the visualization of blood flow abnormalities and is therefore useful for the diagnosis of SOS/VOD. We herein prospectively evaluated accuracy of a novel US diagnostic scoring system of SOS/VOD based on US findings. We carried out US in 106 patients on day 14 and when SOS/VOD was suspected after allogeneic HSCT. Among 106 patients, 10 patients (9.4%) were diagnosed as SOS/VOD by Baltimore or Seattle criteria. According to univariate analysis of 17 US findings (US-17 screening), we established a novel scoring system (HokUS-10) consisting of 10 parameters, such as gallbladder wall thickening, ascites, and blood flow signal in the paraumbilical vein. The sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 95.8%, respectively. Diagnostic performance of the HokUS-10 was significantly better than US-17 screening. In 4 of 10 patients US detection of SOS/VOD preceded to clinical diagnosis. The HokUS-10 scoring system is useful in the diagnosis of SOS/VOD; however, our results should be validated in other cohorts.

Treatment of biliary strictures with fully covered self-expandable metal stents after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background and study aims Anastomotic stricture is a late complication after biliary reconstructive surgery, but standard treatments are currently lacking. We selected patients who had undergone pancreaticoduodenectomy and Child's procedure, and aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of temporary placement of fully covered self-expandable metal stents (FCSEMSs) to treat postoperative anastomotic stricture. Patients and methods This study retrospectively analyzed 13 patients who underwent treatment with FCSEMSs for anastomotic stricture between June 2011 and March 2016. We evaluated technical and clinical success, complications, duration of patency after FCSEMS removal, and re-stenosis. Results All of the anastomotic strictures were improved by FCSEMS placement and luminal patency was maintained throughout the follow-up period, with no complications. After 2 months, the FCSEMSs were removed endoscopically in nine patients, and in four patients the stent had been expelled spontaneously per rectum. Median duration of follow-up was 225 days (range 30 - 935 days). No re-stenosis occurred in any of the 13 cases following stent removal. Conclusion Deployment of FCSEMSs for anastomotic stricture offers a safe and promising treatment that may replace percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and deployment of multiple plastic stents as the first-line treatment.

A case of API2-MALT1-positive gastric MALT lymphoma with concomitant diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

API2-MALT1 translocation-positive gastric marginal zone lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is thought to transform to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) rarely. A 69-year-old man presented with epigastralgia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed multiple ulcerations in the stomach. Endoscopic biopsies revealed MALT lymphoma, with Helicobacter pylori infection. The patient underwent eradication therapy with no improvement, and was thereafter followed without additional therapy at his request. Twelve years after initial diagnosis, follow-up computed tomography (CT) showed multiple nodules in bilateral lungs, and a needle biopsy revealed MALT lymphoma, the same as in the stomach and API2-MALT1 translocation was found. Because he again refused additional therapy, follow-up was continued. 15 years after initial diagnosis, CT showed lymphadenopathy at the splenic hilum. At first we suspected disease progression of gastric MALT lymphoma, however a needle biopsy revealed DLBCL without API2-MALT1. Thus, the tumor at the splenic hilum was finally diagnosed as a de novo DLBCL as a second malignancy. Although treatment with rituximab given his age and his wishes was attempted, he died of DLBCL 15 years after the initial diagnosis. We experienced an API2-MALT1-positive gastric MALT lymphoma with concomitant DLBCL, not transformed to DLBCL over a 15-year clinical course.

Acanthamoeba containing endosymbiotic chlamydia isolated from hospital environments and its potential role in inflammatory exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: Environmental chlamydiae belonging to the Parachlamydiaceae are obligate intracellular bacteria that infect Acanthamoeba, a free-living amoeba, and are a risk for hospital-acquired pneumonia. However, whether amoebae harboring environmental chlamydiae actually survive in hospital environments is unknown. We therefore isolated living amoebae with symbiotic chlamydiae from hospital environments. RESULTS: One hundred smear samples were collected from Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan; 50 in winter (February to March, 2012) and 50 in summer (August, 2012), and used for the study. Acanthamoebae were isolated from the smear samples, and endosymbiotic chlamydial traits were assessed by infectivity, cytokine induction, and draft genomic analysis. From these, 23 amoebae were enriched on agar plates spread with heat-killed Escherichia coli. Amoeba prevalence was greater in the summer-collected samples (15/30, 50%) than those of the winter season (8/30, 26.7%), possibly indicating a seasonal variation (p = 0.096). Morphological assessment of cysts revealed 21 amoebae (21/23, 91%) to be Acanthamoeba, and cultures in PYG medium were established for 11 of these amoebae. Three amoebae contained environmental chlamydiae; however, only one amoeba (Acanthamoeba T4) with an environmental chlamydia (Protochlamydia W-9) was shown the infectious ability to Acanthamoeba C3 (reference amoebae). While Protochlamydia W-9 could infect C3 amoeba, it failed to replicate in immortal human epithelial, although exposure of HEp-2 cells to living bacteria induced the proinflammatory cytokine, IL-8. Comparative genome analysis with KEGG revealed similar genomic features compared with other Protochlamydia genomes (UWE25 and R18), except for a lack of genes encoding the type IV secretion system. Interestingly, resistance genes associated with several antibiotics and toxic compounds were identified. CONCLUSION: These findings are the first demonstration of the distribution in a hospital of a living Acanthamoeba carrying an endosymbiotic chlamydial pathogen.

Open-label, randomized, comparative, phase III study on effects of reducing steroid use in combination with Palonosetron.

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of a single administration of dexamethasone (DEX) on day 1 against DEX administration on days 1-3 in combination with palonosetron (PALO), a second-generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in non-anthracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC) moderately-emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC). This phase III trial was conducted with a multi-center, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority design. Patients who received non-AC MEC as an initial chemotherapy were randomly assigned to either a group administered PALO (0.75 mg, i.v.) and DEX (9.9 mg, i.v.) prior to chemotherapy (study treatment group), or a group administered additional DEX (8 mg, i.v. or p.o.) on days 2-3 (control group). The primary endpoint was complete response (CR) rate. The CR rate difference was estimated by logistic regression with allocation factors as covariates. The non-inferiority margin was set at -15% (study treatment group - control group). From April 2011 to March 2013, 305 patients who received non-AC MEC were randomly allocated to one of two study groups. Overall, the CR rate was 66.2% in the study treatment group (N = 151) and 63.6% in the control group (N = 154). PALO plus DEX day 1 was non-inferior to PALO plus DEX days 1-3 (difference, 2.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -7.8%-12.8%; P-value for non-inferiority test = 0.0004). There were no differences between the two groups in terms of complete control rate (64.9 vs 61.7%) and total control rate (49.7% vs 47.4%). Anti-emetic DEX administration on days 2-3 may be eliminated when used in combination with PALO in patients receiving non-AC MEC.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GI-GVHD) is a major and life-threatening complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This study evaluated the efficacy of ultrasonography (US) for assessing and monitoring GI-GVHD. GI tract was evaluated by US in 81 patients. US findings were positive in 43 patients, including 11 false positive, and negative in 38 patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of US for the diagnosis of GI-GVHD were 100%, 78%, 74%, 100%, and 86%, respectively. Diffuse wall thickening of the ileum was the most frequent finding in patients with GI-GVHD. Severity of GI-GVHD was correlated with the thickness of internal low echoic layer of the wall, the echogenicity of mesenteric fat tissue, and the intensity of Doppler signaling. We classified US findings of GI-GVHD into four US grades. There was a significant correlation between clinical stage of GI-GVHD and the US grade. These ultrasonographic abnormalities were improved with clinical improvement of GI-GVHD upon treatment. Thus, US is an effective and efficient non-invasive means of identifying the extent and severity of GI-GVHD and monitoring response to treatment.

Diffusion-tensor MRI and tractography of the esophageal wall ex vivo.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the feasibility of diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tractography as a means of evaluating the individual layers of the normal esophageal wall by using esophageal specimens containing carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve esophageal specimens each containing a carcinoma that were preserved in formalin were studied with a 7.0-T small-bore MR system equipped with a four-channel phased-array surface coil. Diffusion-tensor MR images were obtained with a field of view of 50-60 × 25-30 mm, matrix of 256 × 128, section thickness of 1 mm, b value of 1000 sec/mm(2) , and motion-probing gradient in seven noncollinear directions. The diffusion-weighted images, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, fractional anisotropy (FA) maps, direction-encoded color FA maps, and tractographic images in the 12 esophageal specimens were compared with the histopathologic findings, which served as the gold standard. RESULTS: The diffusion-weighted images, ADC maps, FA maps, and direction-encoded color FA maps depicted the normal esophageal wall in all 12 specimens (100%) as consisting of eight layers, which clearly corresponded to the tissue layers of the esophageal wall. The ADC, FA, λ1 , λ2 , and λ3 values of each layer of the normal esophageal wall were significantly different from the corresponding values of the adjacent layer or layers of the esophageal wall. Diffusion-tensor tractographic images were able to selectively display the layers of the normal esophageal wall. CONCLUSION: By looking at the normal part of esophageal specimens containing carcinoma, we have demonstrated that diffusion-tensor MRI and tractography are capable of depicting the individual tissue layers of the normal esophageal wall.

Chronological shifts and changing causes of death after radiotherapy for early-stage oral cancer.

BACKGROUND: Following recent improvements in the curability of oral cancer, chronological shifts and changes in the causes of death after treatment have been observed. We conducted a review of the post-treatment causes of death following radiotherapy for oral cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 966 patients with early-stage (stage I and II) oral cancer treated at our institute between 1980 and 2001 were reviewed, and the chronological shifts and changes in the causes of death after radiotherapy were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 966 patients enrolled in this study, 365 have died to date. Two hundred and eleven patients died of their primary malignancy; 193 of these deaths occurred within 5 years of treatment for the primary oral cancer. The second most frequent cause of death was second primary cancer (n = 90). Twenty-three patients with head and neck cancers and 18 patients with esophageal cancers died within 10 years of radiotherapy, and six patients with lung cancers died after more than 10 years. CONCLUSION: Within the first 5 years following treatment, the major cause of death was the primary oral cancer. After 5-10 years, a second primary cancer, such as head and neck cancer or esophageal cancer, became the leading cause of death. Over a 10-year period, the proportion of deaths from a second primary cancer in the lung was significant. We have demonstrated that there are chronological shifts and changes in the causes of death following treatment for early-stage oral cancer.

[Bacteria isolated from surgical infections and its susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents--special references to bacteria isolated between April 2010 and March 2011].

Bacteria isolated from surgical infections during the period from April 2010 to March 2011 were investigated in a multicenter study in Japan, and the following results were obtained. In this series, 631 strains including 25 strains of Candida spp. were isolated from 170 (81.7%) of 208 patients with surgical infections. Four hundred and twenty two strains were isolated from primary infections, and 184 strains were isolated from surgical site infection. From primary infections, anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria were predominant, followed by aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, while from surgical site infection aerobic Gram-positive bacteria were predominant, followed by anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria. Among aerobic Gram-positive bacteria, the isolation rate of Enterococcus spp. such as Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterococcus avium was highest, followed by Streptococcus spp. such as Streptococcus anginosus and Staphylococcus spp. such as Staphylococcus aureus, in this order, from primary infections, while Enterococcus spp. such as E. faecalis and E. faecium was highest, followed by Staphylococcus spp. such as S. aureus from surgical site infection. Among aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli was the most predominantly isolated from primary infections, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter cloacae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in this order, and from surgical site infection, E. coli and R aeruginosa were most predominantly isolated, followed by E. cloacae and K. pneumoniae. Among anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria, the isolation rates of Parvimonas micra, Eggerthella lenta, Streptococcus constellatus, Gemella morbillorum, and Collinsella aerofaciens were the highest from primary infections, and the isolation rate from surgical site infection was generally low. Among anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria, the isolation rate of Bilophila wadsworthia was the highest from primary infections, followed by, Bacteroides fragilis and Bacteroides ovatus, and from surgical site infection, B. fragilis was most predominantly isolated, followed by Bacteroides thetaiotaomnicron, in this order. In this series, vancomycin-resistant MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. and multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa were not observed.

[Bacteria isolated from surgical infections and its susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents - Special references to bacteria isolated between April 2011 and March 2012].

Bacteria isolated from surgical infections during the period from April 2011 to March 2012 were investigated in a multicenter study in Japan, and the following results were obtained. In this series, 785 strains including 31 strains of Candida spp. were isolated from 204 (78.8%) of 259 patients with surgical infections. Five hundred and twenty three strains were isolated from primary infections, and 231 strains were isolated from surgical site infection. From primary infections, anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria were predominant, followed by aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, while from surgical site infection aerobic Gram-positive bacteria were predominant, followed by anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria. Among aerobic Gram-positive bacteria, the isolation rate of Enterococcus spp. was highest, followed by Streptococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp., in this order, from primary infections, while Enterococcus spp. was highest, followed by Staphylococcus spp. from surgical site infection. Among aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli was the most predominantly isolated from primary infections, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacae, in this order, and from surgical site infection, E. coli was most predominantly isolated, followed by P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and E. cloacae. Among anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria, the isolation rate of Eggerthella lenta was the highest from primary infections, followed by Parvimonas micra, Collinsella aerofaciens, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Finegoldia magna, and from surgical site infection, E. lenta was most predominantly isolated, followed by P micra and L. acidophilus, in this order. Among anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria, the isolation rate of Bacteroidesfragilis was the highest from primary infections, followed by Bilophila wadsworthia, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides uniformis and Bacteroides vulgatus, and from surgical site infection, B. fragilis was most predominantly isolated, followed by Bacteroides caccae, B. thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides ovatus and B. wadsworthia, in this order. In this series, vancomycin-resistant MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. and multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa were not observed. We should carefully follow up B. wadsworthia which was resistant to various antimicrobial agents, and also Bacteroides spp. which was resistant to many ß-lactams.

Can dual-time-point 18F-FDG PET/CT differentiate malignant salivary gland tumors from benign tumors?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of dual-time-point 18F-FDG PET/CT for discriminating between benign and malignant salivary gland tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dual-time-point FDG PET/CT images of 40 salivary gland tumors (20 benign and 20 malignant) were evaluated retrospectively. The maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) in the early and delayed phases and the retention index of each tumor were calculated and compared between benign and malignant tumors by the Mann-Whitney U test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy for malignant salivary gland tumors. The correlation between the delayed SUVmax and retention index was analyzed by calculation of the Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the mean early phase SUVmax or mean delayed phase SUVmax between benign and malignant tumors. The mean (±SD) retention index of the malignant tumors was significantly higher than that of the benign tumors (20.1%±10.2% vs 8.5%±12.3%; p=0.006). When the cutoff value of retention index (15.0%) was used, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy each was determined to be 75.0%. ROC analysis did not reveal a significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy between the delayed phase SUVmax and retention index (p=0.139). A significant correlation between the delayed phase SUVmax and retention index was observed for the benign salivary gland tumors (r=0.839; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Dual-time-point FDG PET/CT is not useful for discriminating between benign and malignant salivary gland tumors, because benign tumors also show high FDG uptake, which increases in the delayed phase.

Brain perfusion asymmetry in patients with oral somatic delusions.

Oral cenesthopathy is a somatic delusion or hallucination involving the oral area and is categorized as a delusional disorder, somatic type. The pathophysiology of this intractable condition remains obscure. In this study, we clarified the pathophysiology of oral cenesthopathy by evaluating regional brain perfusion. We performed single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using (99m)Tc-ethylcysteinate dimer in 16 subjects (cenesthopathy:control = 8:8). The SPECT images were visually assessed qualitatively, and quantitative analyses were also performed using a three-dimensional stereotactic region-of-interest template. The visual assessment revealed a right > left perfusion asymmetry in broad areas of the brain among the patients. The quantitative analysis confirmed that the regional cerebral blood flow values on the right side were significantly larger than those on the left side for most areas of the brain in the patients. A comparison of the R/(R + L) ratios in both groups confirmed the significant brain perfusion asymmetry between the two sides in the callosomarginal, precentral, and temporal regions in the patients. Qualitative evaluation of the SPECT images revealed right > left brain perfusion asymmetry in broad regions of the brain. Moreover, the quantitative analyses confirmed the perfusion asymmetry between the two sides in the frontal and temporal areas. Those may provide the key for elucidation of the pathophysiology of oral cenesthopathy.

Prevalence of esophageal cancer during the pretreatment of hypopharyngeal cancer patients: routinely performed esophagogastroduodenoscopy and FDG-PET/CT findings.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of esophageal cancer accompanied by hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) is high and increasing rapidly in Asia. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of esophageal cancer during the pretreatment of HPC patients who were routinely examined using esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and to discuss the utility of these examinations. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between September 2005 and September 2010, 33 patients with newly diagnosed HPC (all with squamous cell carcinoma) underwent EGD (after a conventional endoscopy, iodine staining was performed) and FDG-PET/CT examinations. We evaluated the prevalence of esophageal cancer among HPC patients according to the EGD findings and determined the sensitivity of FDG-PET/CT for the detection of esophageal primary tumors for each clinical T classification. RESULTS: In 17 of the 33 patients (51.5%), 29 biopsy-proven esophageal squamous cell carcinomas were diagnosed using EGD. In eight of the 17 (47.1%) patients, two or more esophageal cancer lesions were diagnosed. Twenty-four of the 29 (82.8%) lesions were superficial esophageal cancers, and the remaining five (17.2%) lesions were advanced esophageal cancers. In six of the 29 (20.7%) esophageal cancer lesions that were detected using FDG-PET/CT, only one of the 29 (3.4%) lesions was evaluated as being equivocal; the remaining 22 (75.9%) lesions were not detected. The distribution of the clinical T classifications detected using FDG-PET/CT was as follows: T1a, 0/21 (0%); T1b, 1/3 (33%); and T3, 5/5 (100%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of esophageal cancer during the pretreatment of HPC patients was 51.5%; this prevalence was higher than that in previous reports. We believe that the increasing proportion of superficial lesions (82.8%) detected using iodine staining and EGD may have led to the relatively high prevalence. FDG-PET/CT detected only 20.7% of the esophageal cancers, although FDG-PET/CT is capable of detecting unexpected primary malignant tumors other than esophageal cancer.