Background and Objectives: COVID-19 can be serious not only in the acute phase but also after the acute phase and some patients develop ME/CFS. There have been few studies on patients with long COVID in whom ME/CFS was diagnosed by physicians based on standardized criteria after examinations and exclusion diagnosis and not based on only subjective symptoms. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the detailed characteristics of ME/CFS in patients with long COVID. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was performed for patients who visited a COVID-19 aftercare clinic established in Okayama University Hospital during the period was from February 2021 to April 2022. Results: Clinical data were obtained from medical records for 281 patients, and 279 patients who met the definition of long COVID were included. The overall prevalence rate of ME/CFS diagnosed by three sets of ME/CFS criteria (Fukuda, Canadian and IOM criteria) was 16.8% (48.9% in male and 51.1% in females). The most frequent symptoms in ME/CFS patients were general fatigue and post-exertional malaise (89.4% of the patients), headache (34.0%), insomnia (23.4%), dysosmia (21.3%) and dysgeusia (19.1%). Dizziness, chest pain, insomnia and headache were characteristic symptoms related to ME/CFS. The male to female ratio in ME/CFS patients was equal in the present study, although ME/CFS was generally more common in women in previous studies. Given that patients with ME/CFS had more severe conditions in the acute phase of COVID-19, the severity of the acute infectious state might be involved in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS. Conclusions: The prevalence rate of ME/CFS and the characteristic sequelae in the long COVID condition were revealed in this study.

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is diagnosed when thyroid function tests show that the serum thyrotropin (TSH) level is elevated and the serum free thyroxine (FT4) level is normal. SCH is mainly caused by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, the prevalence of which increases with aging. Recently, it has been revealed that SCH is associated with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia and hypertension, leading to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, there are still controversies regarding the diagnosis and treatment of SCH in elderly patients. In this review, we present recent evidence regarding the relationship between SCH and CVD and treatment recommendations for SCH, especially in elderly patients. Studies have shown that SCH is associated with CVD and all-cause mortality. Patients aged less than 65 years showed significant associations of SCH with CVD risk and all-cause mortality, whereas patients aged 65 or older did not show such associations. It was shown that levothyroxine therapy was associated with lower all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in younger SCH patients (<65–70 years) but not in SCH patients aged 65–70 years or older. In elderly SCH patients, levothyroxine treatment should be considered individually according to the patient’s age, serum TSH level, hypothyroid symptoms, CVD risk and other comorbidities. To further elucidate the impact of SCH on CVD in elderly patients, studies should be conducted using age-specific reference ranges of results of thyroid function tests, focusing on elderly patients, specific serum TSH levels, thyroid antibody status and cardiovascular risk factors.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as nivolumab and ipilimumab are emerging agents for the treatment of cancers including melanoma. ICIs are known to cause immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including the development of enterocolitis, dermatitis, and nephritis. However, ICI-induced pancreatitis has seldom been reported, and its pathophysiology and clinical importance remain largely unknown. We describe a 76-year-old man with melanoma who developed acute pancreatitis without abdominal pain after immunotherapy with nivolumab and ipilimumab. The patient was referred due to 2-week-long general fatigue, anorexia, and dermatitis after his second immunotherapy. Laboratory examinations in serum showed high inflammation and renal dysfunction. Plain computed tomography (CT) on admission showed no new lesions including colitis or pancreatitis. On the 4th day of hospitalisation, serum pancreatic enzymes were extremely elevated. Amylase was increased to 683 U/L (normal range: 44–132) and lipase was increased to 1520 U/L (13–55), but he had no abdominal tenderness. Contrast-enhanced CT showed enlarged pancreatic parenchyma and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed peripancreatic fat stranding, suggesting pancreatitis. Blood culture tests and empirical antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone indicated no active infectious diseases. We diagnosed ICI-induced pancreatitis and treated him with 0.5 mg/kg/day of prednisolone, which improved his general fatigue, anorexia, dermatitis, and pancreatitis. The potential significance of asymptomatic elevations of pancreatic enzymes has been unclear; however, this case suggested that ICI-induced pancreatitis without abdominal tenderness could be clinically significant. Clinicians should pay attention to the development of latent pancreatitis in patients receiving ICIs, even those without abdominal pain.

Background: Although many adverse reactions after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination have been reported, there have been few comprehensive studies on persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics of patients with various persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was performed for patients who visited a specialized clinic established at Okayama University Hospital to evaluate adverse events after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination during the period from April 2021 to March 2023. Results: Descriptive analysis was performed for 121 of 127 patients who visited the clinic during the study period, and separate analysis was performed for the other 6 patients who had serious complications, who required treatment with prednisolone, and who had persistent symptoms. The median [interquartile range] age of the patients was 48 years [31–64 years], and the patients included 44 males (36.4%) and 77 females (63.6%). The most frequent symptoms were sensory impairment (34 patients, 28.1%), general fatigue (30 patients, 24.8%), fever/low-grade fever (21 patients, 17.4%), and headache (21 patients, 17.4%). Serious complications included myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), sarcoidosis, aseptic meningitis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs), tendon adhesions, and idiopathic thrombocytopenia. Conclusions: Although causal relationships were not determined, 15 persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination were characterized. All of the symptoms had onset from 12 hours to one week after vaccination, with 10 symptoms persisting for 6 months or longer. The most frequent symptom was sensory impairment.