佐久間 康成

INTRODUCTION: In Japan, ABO-incompatible (ABO-IC) living kidney transplantation (LKT) has been performed among more than 2000 patients between 1989 and 2010 seeking to compensate for the shortage of donor organs. In addition, many patients lack a genetically living related donor (LRD); therefore, volunteer spouses (unrelated, LURD) have been considered since about 1990. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed 112 LKT between April 2003 and March 2011, including 44 (39%) spousal and two other LURD. The other 66 cases received LRD kidneys. We divided patients into two groups: 44 patients (group 1) received a kidney from a spouse (LURD) and 66 (group 2) from LRD. During the induction phase, tacrolimus or cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and methylprednisolone were prescribed for immunosuppression. Basiliximab was administered on postoperative days 0 and 4. For ABO-IC LKT, plasmapheresis was performed to remove anti-AB antibodies prior to LKT. Splenectomy was performed at the time of or before LKT. Since March 2010, rituximab administration was performed before transplantation instead of splenectomy. RESULTS: Death-censored graft survival rates were 97.7% in group 1 and 98.5% in group 2, respectively. The incidences of acute rejection episodes were 31.8% and 24.2% in groups 1 and 2, respectively. There were three cases of antibody-mediated rejection in group 1. No patient experienced a lethal infectious complication. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that spousal LKT (LURD) was equivalent to LRD. In response to the shortage of deceased donors and genetically LRD, LKT between married couples or from ABO-IC donors will spread in Japan.

2001年〜2011年に施行した大腿ヘルニア手術症例52例を検討した。全例でCT施行し、大腿ヘルニアの術前診断は41例(CT正診率80%)だった。嵌頓群は37例(71%)で、イレウス症状は20例(嵌頓群の54%)で認め、全例緊急手術を要した。ヘルニア内容は小腸27例(73%)が最も多かった。腸切除は16例(43%)で施行した。発症から手術までの経過時間は、切除群と非切除群で平均値は同等で有意差を認めなかった(P=0.621)。後壁補強はMcVay法が37例(95%)で施行され、非嵌頓群では各種メッシュ法が53%で選択されていた。術後合併症は嵌頓群で有意に多かったが、腸切除の有無では有意差を認めなかった。腸切除を避けるためには、早期診断・治療が必要であり、発症からできるだけ早いタイミングでの介入が有効と考えられた。(著者抄録)

胆膵領域の診断に用いられる画像診断装置の進歩は著しい。これら画像診断装置から得られる高精細の情報を、系統的に活用する手法の開発が必要である。われわれは、画像情報を処理することによるvirtual 3D model(仮想三次元モデル)を作成した。さらに、産業界で用いられる3次元プリンタのrapid prototyping法によりreal 3D model(実体3次元モデル)を作成する手法を開発した。本手法により患者の個人情報を直接反映した臓器モデルが作成可能である。Virtual 3D modelは、コンピューター上での加工、処理が容易である。Real 3D modelは直接の大きさの把握や曲面の理解などに寄与する。デジタルとアナログの組み合わせにより、より詳細な理解や情報共有が得られる。今後は臨床のみならず、教育や患者コミュニケーションツールとしての活用も期待される。(著者抄録)

STUDY DESIGN: Case series. OBJECTIVE: To present the difficulty of diagnosing the origin of lower leg pain in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and hip joint arthritis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Pain arising from a degenerated hip joint is sometimes localized to the lower leg. Patients with lumbar spinal disease may also show radicular pain corresponding to the lower leg area. If patients present with both conditions and only pain at the lower leg, it is difficult to determine the origin of the pain. METHODS: We reviewed 420 patients who had leg pain with lumbar spinal stenosis diagnosed by myelography, computed tomography after myelography, or magnetic resonance imaging. Pain only at the ipsilateral lateral aspect of the lower leg but slight low back pain or pain around the hip joint was shown in 4 patients who had lumbar spinal stenosis and hip osteoarthritis. The symptoms resolved after L5 spinal nerve block, but remained after lidocaine infiltration into the hip joint. We performed decompression and posterolateral fusion surgery for these 4 patients. RESULTS: Leg pain did not resolve after lumbar surgery in all patients. Conservative treatment was not effective from 6 to 12 months, so ultimately we performed ipsilateral total hip replacement for all patients and they became symptom-free. CONCLUSION: It is difficult to determine the origin of lower leg pain by spinal nerve block and hip joint block in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and hip osteoarthritis. We take this into consideration before surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective trial. OBJECTIVE: To examine the clinical efficacy of teriparatide for bone union after instrumented lumbar posterolateral fusion using local bone grafting in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) treatment increases bone mass and reduces the risk for osteoporotic vertebral fractures. Recombinant human PTH (1-34) has already been approved as a treatment for severe osteoporosis. Preclinical data support the efficacy of PTH for lumbar spinal fusion. However, clinical results of PTH for spinal fusion have not yet been reported. METHODS: Fifty-seven women with osteoporosis diagnosed with degenerative spondylolisthesis were divided into 2 treatment groups, a teriparatide group (n = 29; daily subcutaneous injection of 20 μg of teriparatide) and a bisphosphonate group (n = 28; weekly oral administration of 17.5 mg of risedronate). All patients underwent decompression and 1- or 2-level instrumented posterolateral fusion with a local bone graft. Fusion rate, duration of bone union, and pain scores were evaluated 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: Pain scores improved after surgery; however, no significant difference was noted between the groups after surgery. The rate of bone union was 82% in the teriparatide group and 68% in the bisphosphonate group. Average duration of bone union was 8 months in the teriparatide group and 10 months in the bisphosphonate group. The rate of bone union and average of duration of bone union in the teriparatide group patients were significantly superior to those in the bisphosphonate group. CONCLUSION: Daily subcutaneous injection of teriparatide for bone union using local bone grafting after instrumented lumbar posterolateral fusion in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis was more effective than oral administration of bisphosphonate.

PURPOSE: Pain from osteoarthritis (OA) is generally classified as nociceptive (inflammatory). Animal models of knee OA have shown that sensory nerve fibers innervating the knee are significantly damaged with destruction of subchondral bone junction, and induce neuropathic pain (NP). Our objective was to examine NP in the knees of OA patients using painDETECT (an NP questionnaire) and to evaluate the relationship between NP, pain intensity, and stage of OA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-two knee OA patients were evaluated in this study. Pain scores using Visual Analogue Scales (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), painDETECT, duration of symptoms, severity of OA using the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) system, and amount of joint fluid were evaluated and compared using a Spearman's correlation coefficient by rank test. RESULTS: Our study identified at least 5.4% of our knee OA patients as likely to have NP and 15.2% as possibly having NP. The painDETECT score was significantly correlated with the VAS and WOMAC pain severity. Compared with the painDETECT score, there was a tendency for positive correlation with the KL grade, and tendency for negative correlation with the existence and amount of joint fluid, but these correlations were not significant. CONCLUSION: PainDETECT scores classified 5.4% of pain from knee OA as NP. NP tended to be seen in patients with less joint fluid and increased KL grade, both of which corresponded to late stages of OA. It is important to consider the existence of NP in the treatment of knee OA pain.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic splenectomy using pneumoperitoneum has been performed since 1992. The gasless abdominal wall-lifting method for laparoscopic splenectomy was introduced as an alternative. This retrospective study was undertaken to compare results using the two techniques. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2010, 54 patients underwent laparoscopic splenectomy at a single institution; 30 underwent the procedure using the gasless technique and 24 using pneumoperitoneum. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age, sex or BMI, but more patients underwent concurrent operations in the pneumoperitoneum group. The abdominal wall-lift system with subcutaneous K-wires was used for the gasless method. RESULTS: Intraoperative blood loss was similar in the two groups (193.0 ± 196.7 mL gasless, 217.3 ± 296.6 mL pneumoperitoneum; P > 0.05), but operative time (182.1 ± 92.1 min, 135.1 ± 46.1 min; P < 0.05), and resected spleen weight (306.1 ± 297.7 g, 138 ± 81.0 g; P < 0.05) were significantly different. In the gasless group, additional procedures included conversion (n = 1), mini-laparotomy (n = 2), and CO(2) insufflation (n = 2). Excluding the concurrent living-related kidney donor patients, hospital stay was similar (6.9 ± 2.5 days, 6.3 ± 2.0 days, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although gasless laparoscopic splenectomy is feasible, there are disadvantages, particularly the restricted operative working space in some patients. These results suggest that either technique may be used on an individual basis in patients undergoing laparoscopic splenectomy.

STUDY DESIGN: Immunohistological analysis of dichotomizing sensory nerve fibers projecting to the lumbar multifidus muscles and intervertebral disc (IVD), facet joint (FJ), or sacroiliac joint (SIJ) in rats. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate dichotomizing sensory nerve fibers projecting to the lumbar multifidus muscles and to IVDs, FJs, or SIJs. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Clinically, the origin of low back pain remains unknown. Multiple studies have identified lumbar muscles, IVDs, FJs, and SIJs as sources of low back pain. Pain may originate directly from lumbar muscles or be referred from the spine, or both. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons with dichotomizing axons have been reported in several species and are thought to be related to referred pain. METHODS: We used 2 neurotracers, 1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethyl-indocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) and fluorogold (FG), in this double-labeling study involving 30 Sprague Dawley rats. DiI was applied to lumbar multifidus muscles in all rats. Simultaneously, FG was applied to the anterior left portion of L5-L6 IVDs in the IVD group (n = 10), to the left L5-L6 FJs in the FJ group (n = 10), and to the left SIJs in the SIJ group (n = 10). Fourteen days after surgery, left DRGs from L1 to L6 were harvested, sectioned, and observed under a fluorescence microscope. RESULTS: We verified the existence of double-labeled DRG neurons (i.e., dichotomizing sensory nerve fibers) projecting to lumbar multifidus muscles and to IVDs, FJs, or SIJs, depending on the group. The proportion of double-labeled cells in all DiI-labeled DRG neurons was higher in the FJ group (6.8%) and SIJ group (7.1%) than in the IVD group (3.1%) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results document the presence of dichotomizing sensory nerve fibers projecting to lumbar multifidus muscles and to IVDs, FJs, and SIJs. Referred low back muscle pain may reflect disorders of lumbar posterior structures, such as FJs and SIJs, rather than disorders of lumbar anterior structures, such as IVDs.

ドレナージが必要な膵嚢胞は径の大きな有症状膵仮性嚢胞に限られる.急性膵炎後の膵仮性嚢胞に対する経皮的ドレナージは根治的治療とはなり難いが,全身状態不良例,嚢胞壁の脆弱例に対する感染コントロールのために行う適応はある.慢性膵炎の急性増悪による膵仮性嚢胞は内視鏡的ドレナージ,外科的内瘻造設術の良い適応であり,経皮的ドレナージの適応はごく限られる.経皮的ドレナージはUSガイド下,CTガイド下に行われ,もっとも問題となる合併症は難治性の膵液瘻形成で,追加治療の可能性を常に念頭におく必要がある.膵嚢胞に対する経皮的ドレナージの適応になる症例は限られているが,その手技について習熟することは重要である.(著者抄録)