Hiroyuki Matsuyama

Febuxostat (Feburic tablet) in the management of hyperuricemia in a general practice cohort of Japanese patients with a high prevalence of cardiovascular problems

Abstract Hyperuricemia is increasing in prevalence and this is paralleled by an increased incidence of acute gout. In addition, there is growing evidence of an association between high serum levels of uric acid (sUA) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this preliminary report, we present 12–16 week results from a multicenter, general practice study in which we evaluated the usefulness of febuxostat in a cohort of untreated patients with hyperuricemia with a high prevalence of CVD. Febuxostat titrated from 10 mg/day up to 40 mg/day resulted in statistically significant and clinically relevant reductions in sUA after 12–16 weeks. A “responder” level of 6.0 mg/dL or lower was achieved in 95 of 100 (95%) patients. Significant reductions in sUA were achieved regardless of the presence/absence of coexisting diseases (e.g. CVD, renal insufficiency, diabetes and obesity) or the class of antihypertensive agent being used by the patient. No serious adverse reactions were noted with febuxostat. Although allopurinol has been used generally for hyperuricemia/gout, it is excreted fully via the kidneys, restricting its use in patients with reduced renal function, and its three-times-daily administration leads to poor adherence. Based on the results of this study, febuxostat may provide an easier option than allopurinol for clinicians specializing in CVDs.

Questionnaire survey on the state of routine echocardiographic examinations in Japan : second report

We mailed questionnaires to 748 registered medical sonographers [RMSs (cardiology)] to gather information for a large-scale survey of RMSs in May 2000. We wanted to evaluate the current state of routine echocardiography in Japan. Altogether, 530 (70.9%) of these sonographers responded; 18 respondents employed by equipment manufacturers were excluded from the start of the study, and 20 others later found to be employed by equipment manufacturers were also excluded. Responses from all personnel at a single institution were treated as a single response; 436 institutions were thus included in the survey. Most or all examinations were carried out by sonographers at 77.3% of the responding institutions but were performed mainly by physicians at 11.1% of the institutions. At least 80% of sonographer or physician working hours were used for echocardiographic examination at 18.9% of the surveyed institutions, whereas up to half the working hours were devoted to echocardiographic examinations at 67.0% of the institutions. The most frequently reported examination time was 30–40 min [35.6% (n = 116) of the institutions], whereas 32.8% (n = 107) of the institutions indicated durations of 10–20 min per examination. Left ventricular (LV) dimensions and wall thickness were measured on M-mode images in all patients at 14.1% (n = 59) of the institutions and mainly on M-mode images but from two-dimensional echocardiography in problematic patients at 74.2% (n = 311) of the institutions. The LV ejection fraction was calculated from LV dimensions at 55.7% (n = 205) of the institutions and from the LV cross-sectional area at 44.3% (n = 163) of the institutions. The LV ejection fraction was estimated visually at 57.0% of the institutions. Only 5.5% (n = 22) of the facilities always scored the wall motion. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used to assess LV inflow in all patients at 65.9% of the institutions; regurgitation and shunting were always assessed quantitatively at only 2% (n = 8). Comments concerning image quality were reported in all cases or in cases of poor image quality at 98% of the institutions, and the sonographer was also involved in writing the diagnostic report at 94% of institutions. Echocardiography is less expensive than other diagnostic imaging methods, and its importance is thus likely to continue to increase. Echocardiographic examinations should be carried out by skilled RMSs and physician echocardiographers; and an accurate, readily comprehensible report of the findings should be provided promptly to the referring physician. More such surveys are required to ensure that these practices are adopted.

Transthoracic Visualization of Pulmonary Thrombus that Mimicked Left Atrial Thrombus A Case Report

A forty-five-year-old woman with an unusual case of primary pulmonary hypertension is presented. She showed a progressive dilatation of the pulmonary arteries and pulmonary thrombus over twenty-one years. Transthoracic echocardiography showed the presence of pulmonary arterial thrombus that mimicked left atrial thrombus. However, when the transducer was rotated clockwise to obtain the short-axis view, a thrombus was observed in the right pulmonary artery with spontaneous echo contrast. Although the visualization of pulmonary arterial thrombus by echocardiography has been quite limited, it would be worthwhile since patients with primary pulmonary hypertension may have enlarged pulmonary arteries, as observed in the present case.

Body surface distribution of ventricular late potentila evaluated by the signal-averaged ECG mapping. (I). Studies in patients with previous myocardial infarction.

心筋梗塞症 (MI) における加算平均心電図 (SAEOG) の体表面分布を知るため, 発症後1ヵ月以上経過したMI93例 (前壁群50例: A群, 下壁群43例: I群) を対象とし, 胸背部28点よりSAECGマッピングを行い, 濾波後QRS時間 (fQRSd) の分布を検討した.各々の誘導点が有するアーチファクトや誘導部位の影響を除くため, 患者のfQRSdより健常対照11例のfQRSdの平均値を減じ, その値のばらつきの程度を標準偏差 (SD) に対する比で表し, departure ratio map (DR map) と命名した.DR mapの極大はA群, I群ともに前胸部から背部にかけて広く分布したが, A群で左胸部, I群で右胸部下部に2SD以上の極大と, 正領域に取り囲まれたように位置する負領域を有した例の心室頻拍 (VT) 合併率は有意に高かった.DR mapのかかる特定のパターンはVTの発生基盤に関係している可能性が示唆され, fQRSdの体表面分布を評価する場合, 延長領域ばかりでなくそれに囲まれた相対的短縮領域にも着目すべきことが示唆された.