Investigation of methods for more accurate estimation of kidney function in people with high muscle mass
.

Serum creatinine (SCr) levels depend on muscle mass and are therefore elevated in people with high muscle mass, potentially leading to underestimation of kidney function in this population. Although recent therapeutic guidelines have shown measurement of serum cystatin C (ScysC) to be useful, this method has not been validated in people with high muscle mass. We conducted this study to investigate methods for more accurately estimating kidney function in people with high muscle mass. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the correlation of endogenous creatinine clearance (24-hour CLcr) and 24-hour CLcr × 0.715 (i.e., modified glomerular filtration rate (GFR)); with estimated kidney function from SCr and ScysC in 15 healthy young adult men with high muscle mass. A significant but weak positive correlation was observed between 24-hour CLcr and estimated CLcr by the Cockcroft and Gault formula (CG CLcr; R2 = 0.371, p = 0.016). The estimated GFR calculated from ScysC (eGFRcys) was significantly higher than CLcr × 0.715, but the two were not correlated (R2 = 0.125, p = 0.197). However, when CG CLcr and eGFRcr were adjusted by muscle mass parameters, the correlation between measured and estimated values improved. Further improvement was seen when participants with a fat mass greater than 25% were excluded (R2 = 0.623, p = 0.004; R2 = 0.510, p = 0.014; n = 11 for both). The results of our study suggest that currently used formulas for estimating kidney function, including eGFRcys, may not be appropriate for people with high muscle mass, but use of muscle mass parameters may improve predictivity.
.

Correlation Between Recurrent Subconjunctival Hemorrhages and Conjunctivochalasis by Clinical Profile and Successful Surgical Outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the clinical profile of patients with recurrent subconjunctival hemorrhages (SCHs) and evaluate the effect of conjunctivochalasis (CCh) surgery on disease recurrences. METHODS: Three hundred and sixty-two patients with SCHs (mean age, 56.4±16.0 years) were enrolled in this multicenter epidemiologic study. The severity of CCh, lifestyle at the time of SCH onset, and the frequency of previous SCHs were compared. Thirty-eight patients with 2 or more episodes of SCHs (mean age, 68.2±8.9 years) underwent surgery for CCh. The effectiveness of surgery was evaluated by comparing the frequency of SCH preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: Patients with three or more recurrent SCHs showed a significantly (P=0.003) higher grade of CCh and tended to be engaged in activities that require visual concentration, such as watching a visual display terminal, knitting, reading, and driving. More than 80% of eyes that underwent surgery to CCh showed no recurrence of the hemorrhages, and the frequency of SCH significantly (P<0.0001) decreased postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate or severe CCh and activities that may cause dry eye can be considered to be risk factors for recurrent SCHs. Surgery to treat CCh is a useful option for patients with frequent recurrences of SCHs.

Dysostosis in mucopolysaccharidosis type 2: A case of longitudinal follow up and literature review.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type 2 is a congenital lysosomal disease characterized by iduronate-2-sulfatase deficiency, which leads to excessive accumulation of glycosaminoglycans in tissue. Dysostosis, which primarily involves decreased bone mineralization with morphological changes in the bone, is a major skeletal condition in mucopolysaccharidosis, but its pathophysiology is not well known. Here, we report a case of mucopolysaccharidosis type 2 diagnosed at the age of 2 years with longitudinal follow-up data for more than 15 years. Although the patient underwent bone marrow transplantation, the developmental quotient did not improve, and cranial hyperostosis progressed prominently with a faintly dilated perivascular space. Other dysostoses and contraction of the joints were observed but did not improve either.

Severe liver injury with traumatic cardiac arrest successfully treated by damage control surgery and transcatheter arterial embolization in the hybrid operating room: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The damage control approach is known to reduce the mortality rate in severely injured patients and has now become a common practice. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has been shown to be useful with combining with damage control laparotomy in identifying and controlling active arterial hemorrhage. Hybrid operating room (OR) allows both damaged control surgery and TAE in the same location in minimal time. We report a case of a patient with three cardiac arrests who was saved by early intervention using damage control surgery (DCS) with interventional radiology (IVR) in the hybrid OR. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old woman was injured in a collision with a tree while snowboarding. She was eventually transported to hybrid operating room in our hospital with the diagnosis of significant liver laceration and hemorrhagic shock. Damage control surgery was performed with perihepatic packing (PHP) and TAE was conducted to stop active bleeding from right hepatic artery. She experienced 3 times of cardiopulmonary arrest, which was successfully resuscitated on each occasion. Although she had total of 3 times of laparotomy but tolerated well. She was discharged on day 82 of hospitalization and showed no neurological sequelae. CONCLUSION: Saving the life of a patient with severe trauma requires a multidisciplinary approach with cooperation and early information sharing among trauma team members. Sharing treatment strategy with the trauma team and early intervention using DCS with IVR in the hybrid operating room could save the patient's life.

Therapeutic Effect of 0.1% Topical Tacrolimus for Childhood Interstitial Keratitis Refractory to Cyclosporine.

PURPOSE: To report our findings in a case of childhood refractory interstitial keratitis successfully treated with 0.1% topical tacrolimus. METHODS: A 12-year-old boy presented with a 3-year history of interstitial keratitis. For the recurrent interstitial keratitis he had been treated with topical and systemic acyclovir, steroids, and topical cyclosporine for 3 years. Our examinations revealed severe stromal infiltrates and neovascularization. Treatment was changed from topical 0.5% cyclosporine to topical 0.1% tacrolimus combined with topical acyclovir and betamethasone. RESULTS: After 2 weeks of treatment with topical tacrolimus, the degree of stromal infiltrates decreased. Although the improvements were slow, the stromal infiltrates resolved somewhat, and neovascularization and topical acyclovir and betamethasone were tapered and stopped in 18 months. Since then, the patient has not shown any recurrence for 9 months without medication. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that topical tacrolimus should be considered for treating refractory interstitial keratitis in children.