Deposit Effects on Plate-haptic Rotationally Asymmetric Refractive Multifocal Intraocular Lens with +1.5D Addition Power.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the optical performance of plate-haptic rotationally asymmetric refractive multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) with +1.5 D addition power by reproducing calcium deposition using rabbit eyes. METHODS: Five IOLs (LS-313 MF15 [Santen/Teleon], W-60R [Santen], NS1 [KOWA], SY60WF [Alcon], and NS-60YS [NIDEK]) with varying water content were randomly implanted in rabbit eyes. Cell proliferation in the lens capsule and deposits on the IOL surface were confirmed with a slit lamp. The surface deposits were stained with alizarin red, and IOL transmittance was measured with a spectrophotometer. IOL storage solutions were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to confirm the presence of calcium. RESULTS: Slit-lamp observations revealed abundant cellular proliferation on all IOLs. Granular deposits, unlike proliferating cells, were observed on LS-313 MF15 lenses two months after surgery, increasing over time, and stained red. The transmittance of LS-313 MF15 decreased in correlation with the stained area. Calcium was detected in all IOL storage solutions; however, deposits were confirmed only on the LS-313 MF15 surface, indicating decreased transmittance. CONCLUSION: These findings can facilitate predicting deposition on IOLs in clinical settings and selecting IOL materials for long-term stability. The long-term use of LS-313 MF15 IOLs requires further verification to avoid post-surgical extraction.

Prepregnancy Hysteroscopic Image in a Patient in whom Spontaneous Uterine Rupture Occurred in the 27th Week of Pregnancy after Adenomyomectomy.

We describe a preconception hysteroscopic image of a patient with a ruptured uterus at 27 weeks' gestation. A 40-year-old gravida 2, para 1, underwent open adenomyomectomy because of infertility. Subsequently, hysteroscopy performed at our hospital revealed an endometrial deficit from the uterine fundus to the posterior wall, and an area where the endometrium was missing and composed of yellow tissue was seen. She later achieved pregnancy. Lower abdominal pain occurred on day 1 of the 27th week of pregnancy. She suddenly went into a state of shock. Emergency laparotomy was performed, and a uterine rupture wound of approximately 10 cm in the longitudinal direction was seen in the posterior wall. A 1120-g male infant was stillborn. Total blood loss was 6450 mL. The mother was saved without hysterectomy. After adenomyomectomy, a hysteroscopy should be performed to check for endometrial defects before allowing pregnancy.

Three cases of heavy menstrual bleeding with uniform thickening of the junctional zone endometrium.

Heavy menstrual bleeding is a type of abnormal uterine bleeding. Abnormal uterine bleeding includes the poorly characterized "not otherwise classified" category. Here, we report three abnormal uterine bleeding-not otherwise classified cases with uniform thickening of the junctional zone endometrium. Case 1: A 33-year-old nullipara with heavy menstrual bleeding presented with severe anemia (hemoglobin: 4.7 g/dL) and an 8.4-mm junctional zone endometrium on magnetic resonance imaging. Her condition improved with iron and low-dose estradiol-progestins. Case 2: A 36-year-old nulligravida had heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia (hemoglobin: 9.5 g/dL), and a 9.4-mm junctional zone endometrium; her anemia improved with iron supplementation. Case 3: A 39-year-old multipara had heavy menstrual bleeding, anemia (hemoglobin: 9.6 g/dL), and a 12.3-mm junctional zone endometrium, and was managed with a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system. Pelvic examination, transvaginal sonography, and uterine size on magnetic resonance imaging were normal in all cases. In those without uterine abnormalities, uniform thickening of the junctional zone endometrium (⩾8 mm) may trigger heavy menstrual bleeding; hence, magnetic resonance imaging may be warranted in abnormal uterine bleeding-not otherwise classified cases.

Evaluating the effectiveness of lateral postural management for breech presentation: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (BRLT study).

BACKGROUND: Breech presentation is observed in 3-4% at term of pregnancy and is one of the leading causes of cesarean section. There is no established treatment for breech presentation before 36 weeks. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to demonstrate that the lateral position is effective for breech presentation. However, there are no randomized controlled trials evaluating lateral position management for breech presentation. Here, we described the methodology of a randomized controlled trial of a cephalic version for breech presentation in the third trimester by lateral postural management (BRLT study). METHODS: The BRLT study is an open-label, randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups allocated in a 1:1 ratio to examine the lateral position management for breech presentation, as compared with expectant management care. An academic hospital in Japan will enroll 200 patients diagnosed with a breech presentation by ultrasonography between 28 + 0 weeks and 30 + 0 weeks. Participants in the intervention group will be instructed to lie on their right sides for 15 min three times per day if the fetal back was on the left side or lie on their left sides if the fetal back was on the right side. The instruction will be given every 2 weeks after confirmation of fetal position, and the lateral position will be instructed until the cephalic version, and after the cephalic version, the reverse lateral position will be instructed until delivery. The primary outcome is cephalic presentation at term. The secondary outcomes are cesarean delivery, cephalic presentation 2, 4, and 6 weeks after the instruction, and at delivery, recurrent breech presentation after cephalic version, and adverse effects. DISCUSSION: This trial will answer whether the lateral positioning technique is effective in treating breech presentation and, depending on the results, may provide a very simple, less painful, and safe option for treating breech presentation before 36 weeks, and it may impact breech presentation treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000043613. Registered on 15 March 2021 https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000049800 .

Hysteroscopic resection of retained products of conception combined with uterine artery balloon occlusion: A novel case report.

Retained products of conception can cause massive bleeding that can be prevented by uterine artery embolization before resection; however, uterine artery balloon occlusion is less invasive. While scattered reports of its use for postpartum hemorrhage exist, no indications have been described. We report a case of hysteroscopic resection of retained products of conception using uterine artery balloon occlusion instead of uterine artery embolization. A 29-year-old woman, gravida 2 para 0, noted an intrauterine mass after an abortion at 7 weeks' gestation. Follow-up visits showed insufficient lowering of human chorionic gonadotropin levels, necessitating surgical treatment. Considering the patient's desire to conceive, we performed uterine artery balloon occlusion to reduce the risk of perinatal complications associated with uterine artery embolization. The operation was completed without complications. The patient conceived spontaneously and had a live baby 7 months after surgery, thus proving the benefits of uterine artery balloon occlusion before hysteroscopic resection.

Neonatal Respiratory Morbidity after Late Preterm, Singleton, Cesarean Delivery before Labor by Mothers Who Did Not Receive Antenatal Corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND: Some evidence suggests that administration of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) reduces neonatal respiratory complications among women at risk for late preterm birth. However, because of concerns regarding long-term outcomes of children, ACS is not recommended in Japan for pregnant women at risk in late preterm. We assessed the risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity after late preterm, singleton, cesarean delivery before labor by mothers who did not receive ACS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed data on singleton cesarean deliveries of late preterm infants. The prevalence of neonatal respiratory morbidity requiring ventilatory support, such as continuous positive airway pressure or mechanical ventilation, was analyzed in relation to gestational age in late preterm. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in neonates was also evaluated. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 100 late preterm, singleton, cesarean deliveries: 22 neonates were delivered at 34 weeks, 34 at 35 weeks, and 44 at 36 weeks. Respiratory morbidity significantly decreased in relation to gestational age (p < 0.001). Similarly, there was a significant difference in RDS, which was most frequent at 34 weeks (18.2%, p = 0.017). There were no cases of RDS at 36 weeks. CONCLUSION: Late preterm, singleton, cesarean delivery before labor in mothers who did not receive ACS was associated with a need for ventilation, especially for infants born at 34 and 35 weeks. ACS treatment might therefore be beneficial before elective cesarean section for mothers with a risk of preterm delivery before 35 weeks and 6 days.

Cephalic version by postural management in the lateral position without the knee-chest position for primiparous breech presentation: A retrospective cohort study.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of postural management in the lateral position for primiparous breech presentation. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single institution from January 2020 through December 2020. Participants were singleton primiparous pregnant women diagnosed with breech presentation between 28 + 0 and 29 + 6 weeks of gestation. The exclusion criteria were scheduled cesarean delivery, uterine malformation, transverse position, and scheduled delivery at another hospital. A doctor instructed the women in the intervention group to lie on their right sides several times a day if the fetal back was on the left side or lie on their left sides if the fetal back was on the right side. The knee-chest position and other methods were not recommended. The control group received expectant management care. The primary endpoint was the percentage of fetuses in a cephalic presentation 2 weeks later. RESULTS: Of the 56 women included in the study, 17 women were instructed to lie in the lateral position, and 39 women received expectant management care only. After 2 weeks, women who were instructed to lie in lateral position had a higher rate of fetal cephalic version than the control group (82.4% [14/17] vs. 43.6% [17/39], p = 0.017). No study participants experienced adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS: Two weeks of postural management in the lateral position without the knee-chest position significantly reduced the rate of primiparous breech presentation in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Electrophysiological Monitoring of Focal and Entire Retinal Function during Treatment with Intravitreal Methotrexate for Intraocular Lymphoma.

We describe the electroretinographic findings of a case of primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) wherein the patient received intravitreal injections of methotrexate (ivMTX). A 62-year-old man developed blurred vision and complained of decreased visual acuity (VA) in his right eye. Fundus examination showed vitreous opacity and multiple subretinal yellowish lesions. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed subretinal and intraretinal infiltrations. The full-field electroretinogram (ffERG) showed subnormal combined rod-cone response and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) recorded using skin electrodes showed severe attenuation of the response compared with the other eye. Pars prana vitrectomy, phacoemulsification, and lens implantation were performed to remove the opacity, and vitreous biopsy revealed a high ratio of interleukin 10-6 (76.0). There was no systemic malignant lesion, and the patient was diagnosed with PIOL. Treatment with ivMTX (400 µg/0.1 mL) was started. One month later, the intraretinal infiltration had disappeared, and mfERG revealed recovery of the response density from the central area. Two months later, OCT showed recovery of the foveal ellipsoid and interdigitation zones, and VA recovered to 20/17; mfERG showed maintenance of macular function. However, the amplitude of a- and b-waves in the ffERG gradually decreased. Macular function recovered, but there was also a decrease in total retinal function. mfERG and ffERG recorded using skin electrodes were useful in monitoring macular and entire retinal function with repeated examinations and showed recovery and maintenance of macular function in a case of PIOL treated with ivMTX.

Use of tumor markers to distinguish endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms from ovarian endometrioma.

OBJECTIVE: Only few studies have focused on tumor markers used in the preoperative diagnosis of endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms, and previous studies have only assessed serum CA125 levels. This study investigated the significance of preoperative tumor markers and clinical characteristics in distinguishing endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms from ovarian endometrioma. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted on 283 women who were diagnosed with confirmed pathology with endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms (n=21) and ovarian endometrioma (n=262) at a single institution from April 2008 to April 2018. The serum CA125, CA19-9, carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA), sialyl Lewis-x antigen (SLX), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, age, tumor size, and the presence of mural nodule of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Patients with endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms were more likely to be older (48 (range, 26-81) vs 39 (range, 22-68) years, P<0.001), have higher levels of CA19-9 (42 vs 19 U/mL, P=0.013), CEA (1.3 vs 0.84 ng/mL, P=0.007), SLX (41 vs 33 U/mL, P=0.050), and LDH (189 vs 166 U/mL, P<0.001) and larger tumor size (79 vs 55 mm, P=0.001), and present with mural nodule (85.7 vs 4.5 %, P<0.001) than those with ovarian endometrioma. The CA125 levels did not significantly differ between the two groups. The area under the curve for each factor was as follows: CA19-9 level, 0.672 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.83; P=0.013); CEA level, 0.725 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.87; P=0.007); SLX level, 0.670 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.84; P=0.050); LDH level, 0.800 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.90; P<0.001); age, 0.775 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.90; P<0.001); and tumor size, 0.709 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.86; P=0.001). Age was a better marker than CA19-9, CEA, and SLX levels according to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The optimal cut-off values for age and tumor size were 47 years and 80 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of serum CA19-9, CEA, SLX, and LDH levels may be a useful tool in the preoperative evaluation to differentiate between endometriosis-related ovarian neoplasms and ovarian endometrioma.

Recurrence of uterine adenomyosis after administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and the efficacy of dienogest.

This study elucidated the degree of adenomyosis recurrence following gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) discontinuation and dienogest efficiency for recurrent adenomyosis. This retrospective cohort study included 30 patients, divided into a group of patients whose progress was observed without providing additional therapy following GnRHa administration for six months (Group G) and a group of patients administered dienogest for six months following six months of GnRHa administration (Group D). Menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal fullness, and uterine volume were recorded prior to treatment, six months after the start of therapy (6 M), and 12 months after the start of therapy (12 M). In Group G (n = 15), although all subjective symptoms disappeared at 6 M, nearly all symptoms recurred at 12 M. Uterine volume significantly decreased from 341.0 cm3 to 156.0 cm3 at 6 M (p = .001) and significantly increased again to 282.3 cm3 at 12 M (p = .003). In Group D (n = 15), all subjective symptoms disappeared at 6 M, and only abdominal fullness returned in a significant number of patients (5 of 5; p = .021) at 12 M. Uterine volume decreased significantly at 6 M (p = .003) and significantly increased again from 162.5 cm3 to 205.6 cm3 at 12 M (p = .006). Subjective symptoms, except for abdominal fullness, did not recur when dienogest was administered after GnRHa.

Evaluation and visualization of facial massage effects by using ultraviolet stereo-image correlation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: This study proposes a technique for visualizing the effect of facial massage using stereo-image correlation with melanin pigment. METHOD: In this method, the melanin pigment of a subject's face is made visible by using an ultraviolet light and utilized as a random pattern for stereo-image correlation. Stereo-pair images of the face with the melanin pigment before and after facial massage are recorded using a desk-sized measurement equipment. Then, the deformation of the face by the massage can be obtained based on the principle of stereovision. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by applying it to the massage effect evaluation of eight subjects (females in their 40s). RESULTS: The results show that the massage effect can be visualized from the displacement and strain distributions across the face obtained by the proposed method. In addition, it is observed that the face is displaced significantly by the massage and individual differences between the subjects can be captured. CONCLUSION: The proposed method is effective for evaluating the effect of a facial massage when the painted pattern disappears due to the applied cream during the massage.

Efficacy of Hormonal Therapies for Decreasing Uterine Volume in Patients with Adenomyosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of hormonal therapies for inhibiting an increase in uterine volume in patients with adenomyosis. DESIGN: This was retrospective cohort study. SETTING: This study was conducted at Nippon Medical School Musashikosugi Hospital. PATIENTS: A total of 28 women diagnosed with adenomyosis using magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: After providing informed consent, patients were treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa group), a low-dose estrogen and progestin combination (LEP group), or dienogest (DNG group) for ≥16 weeks. Uterine volume was assessed using the formula for an ovoid; uterine volumes before and after 16 weeks of treatment were compared. A <5% increase in uterine volume at 16 weeks was considered to reflect inhibition of uterine volume increase and efficacy of the medication. We compared the efficacy rate among the groups. RESULTS: In the GnRHa group, a significant reduction in uterine volume was noted, from 307.4 ± 230.1 to 177.9 ± 142.1 cm3 (P < 0.001). In the LEP and the DNG groups, there was no significant change (LEP: 226.7 ± 116.6 cm3 pre-treatment and 230.5 ± 128.6 cm3 post-treatment, P = 0.85; DNG: 232.6 ± 117.8 cm3 pre-treatment and 262.1 ± 136.8 cm3 post-treatment, P = 0.37). The number of responders (efficacy rate) in the GnRHa group, LEP group, and DNG group was 25/26 (96.2%), 7/15 (46.7%), and 6/11 (54.5%), respectively. The efficacy rate of GnRHa therapy was significantly higher than that of LEP or DNG therapy (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the efficacy of GnRHa in reducing uterine volume should be considered when prescribing hormone therapy for adenomyosis.

Functional Reconstruction of Severely Burned Hand With Osseous Blood Flow Deficiency With Immediate Surgery Using an Abdominal Bipediceled Flap: A Case Report.

Objective: When hands suffer burns, the tendons and digital bones are rarely injured because of the quick withdrawal reflex away from the heat source. Hence, a consensus of opinion regarding the treatment of severe hand burns with osseous blood flow deficiency has not been reached among clinicians. Methods: The patient was a 28-year-old woman whose fingers were accidentally soaked in heated cooking oil (160°C-170°C) for approximately 1 minute. The result was fourth-degree (extending to the tendon) digital burns of the distal end of the proximal interphalangeal joint with blood flow deficiency to the skin, tendon, and bone. Results: We performed immediate reconstructive surgery using an abdominal bipediceled flap. Two weeks later, after the flap was separated, all fingers showed complete range of motion, restoration of the metacarpophalangeal joint, and a high range (0°-75°) of proximal interphalangeal joint mobility with an acceptable digital length. Conclusions: Our experience shows that immediate surgery is highly preferable for deep burns of the hand to avoid delayed intractable complications and to achieve better and faster results.

Fundamental structural characteristics of planar granular assemblies: Self-organization and scaling away friction and initial state.

The microstructural organization of a granular system is the most important determinant of its macroscopic behavior. Here we identify the fundamental factors that determine the statistics of such microstructures, using numerical experiments to gain a general understanding. The experiments consist of preparing and compacting isotropically two-dimensional granular assemblies of polydisperse frictional disks and analyzing the emergent statistical properties of quadrons-the basic structural elements of granular solids. The focus on quadrons is because the statistics of their volumes have been found to display intriguing universal-like features [T. Matsushima and R. Blumenfeld, Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 098003 (2014)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.112.098003]. The dependence of the structures and of the packing fraction on the intergranular friction and the initial state is analyzed, and a number of significant results are found. (i) An analytical formula is derived for the mean quadron volume in terms of three macroscopic quantities: the mean coordination number, the packing fraction, and the rattlers fraction. (ii) We derive a unique, initial-state-independent relation between the mean coordination number and the rattler-free packing fraction. The relation is supported numerically for a range of different systems. (iii) We collapse the quadron volume distributions from all systems onto one curve, and we verify that they all have an exponential tail. (iv) The nature of the quadron volume distribution is investigated by decomposition into conditional distributions of volumes given the cell order, and we find that each of these also collapses onto a single curve. (v) We find that the mean quadron volume decreases with increasing intergranular friction coefficients, an effect that is prominent in high-order cells. We argue that this phenomenon is due to an increased probability of stable irregularly shaped cells, and we test this using a herewith developed free cell analytical model. We conclude that, in principle, the microstructural characteristics are governed mainly by the packing procedure, while the effects of intergranular friction and initial states are details that can be scaled away. However, mechanical stability constraints suppress slightly the occurrence of small quadron volumes in cells of order ≥6, and the magnitude of this effect does depend on friction. We quantify in detail this dependence and the deviation it causes from an exact collapse for these cells. (vi) We argue that our results support strongly the view that ensemble granular statistical mechanics does not satisfy the uniform measure assumption of conventional statistical mechanics. Results (i)-(iv) have been reported in the aforementioned reference, and they are reviewed and elaborated on here.

High prevalence of anti-TSH receptor antibody in fibromyalgia syndrome.

AIM: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is defined as chronic widespread pain that cannot be accounted for by any other medical disorder. Our aim was to explore the prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity in patients with FMS. METHODS: For determining thyroid function in 207 FMS patients, we tested for the titers of free tri-iodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) and anti-TSH receptor antibody (TRAb). RESULTS: Twenty-five patients who had either subclinical hyper- or hypothyroidism, or overt hypothyroidism were excluded. Sixty-nine FMS patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) (37.9%, 69/182) were identified. The prevalence of positivity for TRAb, TgAb and TPOAb was 20.3% (n = 37), 16.5% (n = 30) and 13.2% (n = 24), respectively. Compared to control populations in previous studies, the prevalence of TRAb positivity was high, and titers of TRAb were low (1.0-1.5 IU/L). The prevalence of TPOAb and TgAb positivity was not significantly higher than that reported in FMS patients in previous studies. Clinical symptom profiles were identical for FMS patients with and without AITD. CONCLUSION: We found a high prevalence of AITD among 207 patients with clinically defined FMS, with TRAb being especially prominent among these patients. Further study is needed to evaluate changes in thyroid function among FMS patients with AITD.

Genotype-phenotype correlations of cysteine replacement in CADASIL.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is characterized by cerebral infarction related to mutations in the notch homolog protein 3 (NOTCH3). We enrolled 10 patients whose brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images showed hyperintensities (HIs) in the deep white matter and the external capsule. We then investigated the mutations in NOTCH3 using direct sequencing within the region of intron-exon boundaries in exons 2-24 of NOTCH3. Eight patients harboring NOTCH3 mutations (8 of 10) were identified, including a novel mutation, p.C162Y, and 3 cases with a sporadic form. Seven patients with cysteine replacement showed HI in the anterior part of the temporal lobes (ATLs), whereas these changes were not detected in 1 patient without cysteine replacement, p.R75P. Reviewing previous reports, we conclude that the patients can clearly be divided in 2 groups: those with cysteine replacement who showed HI in the ATL and those without cysteine replacement who showed no HI in the ATL. Our findings expand the understanding of genotype-phenotype correlations in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy.