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Yasutomo Fujii

Publications and source records attributed to Yasutomo Fujii.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Sentinel node detection in breast cancer using contrast-enhanced sonography with 25% albumin--Initial clinical experience.

PURPOSE: To determine the clinical usefulness of a sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification technique using contrast-enhanced sonography (CEUS) with 25% albumin. METHODS: The subjects were 23 women with breast cancer. Each was injected subcutaneously with 5 ml of 25% albumin solution as a negative contrast agent directly superficial to the breast tumor. The area was massaged, and the inferior axillary hairline was examined continuously using gray-scale sonography with a 7.5- or 10-MHz transducer. Any contrast-enhanced lymph node was considered a CEUS-detected SLN, was differentiated from other level I and II nodes, and was resected and pathologically assessed. RESULTS: In all 23 patients, 1 or 2 CEUS-detected SLNs (mean, 1.3 SLNs) were identified. Their sizes ranged from 5 mm to 25 mm (mean, 11.3 mm), and their depths (from the skin surface) ranged from 5mm to 20 mm (mean, 12.6 mm). Pathologic examination revealed a metastasis in 5 of the 23 patients, all in CEUS-detected SLNs. CONCLUSION: In a clinical study using CEUS with 25% albumin, contrast-enhanced nodes were identified in all subjects. The pathologic findings suggested that any metastatic nodes observed were SLNs, indicating that this technique may represent a new modality for SLN identification.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

A new system for in vivo assessment of the degree of nonlinear generation using the second harmonic component in echo signals.

To assess the feasibility of a new system that uses the finite amplitude method and makes possible the assessment of the degree of nonlinear generation in vivo we adopted a method for agar-gel phantoms, using varying lipid concentrations and human livers in vivo. Instead of calculating the nonlinearity parameter B/A value, we evaluated the h value, which is determined by plotting the measured values of the ratio of the amplitude of the second harmonic component to that of the fundamental component. The agar-gel phantoms of various lipid concentrations and 20 cases of normal and 21 cases of fatty liver were studied in this investigation. There was an almost linear agreement between the h value and the lipid concentration of the phantom. The h value (mean +/- SD) was 0.25 +/- 0.03 in normal liver and 0.35 +/- 0.05 in fatty liver. A statistically significant difference was found between them (p < 0.0001). This new system was considered to be usable for evaluating h in vivo as an indicator of the lipid content of the liver.

Fatty Liver↗
PubMed2003

Sonographic diagnosis and successful nonoperative management of sealed perforated duodenal ulcer.

We encountered a case of sealed perforated duodenal ulcer in a 75-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic renal failure. Abdominal sonography showed a bright linear echo within the thickened anterior wall of the duodenal bulb and the presence of free air at the anterior surface of the liver. We found no signs of direct communication between the duodenal lumen and the peritoneal cavity or any free fluid. On follow-up sonography performed every 2 days during the first week of the patient's hospitalization, no free fluid was found in the abdomen. The use of sonography to diagnose this patient's sealed perforated duodenal ulcer and to monitor the ulcer for the appearance of free fluid allowed us to provide successful nonsurgical management to this patient. We believe that the use of abdominal sonography in all patients suspected of having a perforated duodenal ulcer may help increase the diagnostic accuracy of this modality and may reduce the need for surgery in such patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Attenuation coefficient measurement in the thyroid.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of a novel method of measuring the attenuation coefficient in the thyroid, which offers less variability of results than the conventional method. METHODS: In our new method, the attenuation coefficient was evaluated on the basis of the following equation with sound field correction: alpha = -1/4[Fc(z)-epsilon(z)] x d/dz[log(M0(z))-tau(z)]. In our system, the attenuation coefficient was also evaluated by the spectral shift central frequency method at the same time. In this study, we used 32 cases of normal thyroid, 26 cases of Graves disease, and 11 cases of Hashimoto thyroiditis in the system. RESULTS: With this novel method, attenuation coefficient values of the thyroid (mean +/- SD) were 1.50 +/- 0.26 dB x cm(-1) x MHz(-1) in the normal group, 0.91 +/- 0.23 dB x cm(-1) x MHz(-1) in the Graves disease group, and 1.10 +/- 0.27 dB x cm(-1) x MHz(-1) in the Hashimoto thyroiditis group. The novel method recorded a statistically significant difference between normal and diseased thyroids (P < .0001) and between Graves disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis groups (P = .0035). Statistical variation of the attenuation coefficient values obtained using the novel method was much smaller than that of those obtained by the spectral shift central frequency method in every group. CONCLUSIONS: This new method is considered usable for evaluating the attenuation coefficient of the thyroid in vivo.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Effects of FK506 (tacrolimus hydrate) on chronic oxazolone-induced dermatitis in rats.

Chronic allergic contact dermatitis was induced in rat ear by repeated application of oxazolone. This dermatitis was accompanied by sustained ear swelling and marked epidermal hyperplasia. In the induced ear, there was marked inflammatory cell infiltration into the dermis site and the interferon-gamma amount increased in both protein and mRNA, while the interleukin-4 amount changed minimally. Topical administration of FK506 (tacrolimus hydrate) dramatically suppressed ear swelling and epidermal hyperplasia as well as the increase in interferon-gamma expression. Betamethasone valerate also showed suppressive effects, but 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (calcitriol) had no effect. These results suggest that interferon-gamma plays an important role in dermatitis and this model could be a useful pharmacological model for chronic dermatitis featuring epidermal hyperplasia in which interferon-gamma plays a crucial role, such as psoriasis. FK506 demonstrating suppressive effects as potent as those of betamethasone valerate shows potential as a topically usable drug for such skin disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Intussusception induced by villous tumor of the colon: sonographic findings.

We report a case of intussusception caused by a villous tumor of the ascending colon in an 82-year-old man. Abdominal sonography showed intussusception in the ascending colon, with a transverse scan demonstrating a multiple concentric ring sign. Color Doppler sonography showed blood flow signals in a mass, which was considered to be the lead point of the intussusception. A spontaneous reduction of the intussusception occurred during the examination; sonography then showed a mildly echogenic, mass. The graded compression method revealed that the mass was soft and immobile. Colonoscopy confirmed the diagnosis of villous tumor. Sonography helped to make an early diagnosis, allowing successful conservative management of the tumor and the intussusception.

Adenoma, Villous↗
PubMed2002

A new method for attenuation coefficient measurement in the liver: comparison with the spectral shift central frequency method.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of a new method of measuring the attenuation coefficient in the liver, which offers less variability of results than the conventional method. METHODS: The attenuation coefficient was evaluated on the basis of the following equation with sound field correction: [log(M0 (z)) - tau(z)]. In our system, the attenuation coefficient was also evaluated by the spectral shift central frequency method at the same time. We used 44 cases of normal liver, 40 cases of fatty liver, and 20 cases of cirrhotic liver in the system. RESULTS: With this new method, attenuation coefficient values were 0.59+/-0.10 dB x cm(-1) x MHz(-1) in normal livers, 0.80+/-0.12 dB x cm(-1) x MHz(-1) in fatty livers, and 0.62+/-0.09 dB x cm(-1) x MHz(-1) in cirrhotic livers. In both methods we recorded a statistically significant difference between normal and fatty livers and between fatty and cirrhotic livers (P < .0001). Only in the fatty liver was any significant difference (P < .0001) found between attenuation coefficients in the new method and those in the spectral shift central frequency method (0.70+/-0.05 dB x cm(-1) x MHz(-1)). CONCLUSIONS: This new method, which was more sensitive in detecting fatty infiltration than the spectral shift central frequency method, was considered usable for evaluating the attenuation coefficient of the liver in vivo.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Primary linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon accompanied by peritoneal abscess.

We describe the case of a 75-year-old woman with linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon, accompanied by a peritoneal abscess, in which the use of transabdominal sonography enabled prompt detection and diagnosis. Sonographic examinations revealed diffuse wall thickening with blurred layer stratification in the ascending colon. The irregular outer margin of the affected area was surrounded by thickened pericolic fat. A peritoneal abscess covered by the omentum was also found. CT confirmed these findings. We extensively resected the right half of the colon. Histopathologic examination of the excised segment of the colon revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with fibrotic infiltration. The patient was discharged 6 weeks postoperatively, and chemotherapy was begun, but she was lost to our follow-up. Although linitis plastica carcinoma of the colon is rare, it must be considered when patients have extensive colonic wall thickening with blurred layer stratification and an irregular outer margin surrounded by thickened pericolic fat. Transabdominal sonography should be considered the imaging modality of choice for the detection and diagnosis of this disease entity.

Abscess↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A case of primary intestinal Burkitt-like lymphoma: usefulness of sonographic diagnosis.

A 55-year-old Japanese man presented with a fist-sized, nonremovable mass in the right lower abdomen. Transabdominal sonographic examination revealed extensive wall thickening without stratification in the distal ileum and cecum, whose echogenicity was homogeneous and extremely low. Some compressibility of the affected bowel was retained. Diagnostic findings obtained with other conventional modalities were consistent with intestinal malignant lymphoma. At surgery, 3 tumors were found in the ileocecal region and the ileum. Histopathological, immunophenotypic, and molecular cytogenetic analysis of resected specimens showed a diffuse Burkitt-like type of B-cell lymphoma.

Burkitt Lymphoma↗