Greetings
Rheumatology treats connective tissue diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, related disorders, and other autoimmune diseases. Many of these diseases are considered "intractable" and are eligible for medical assistance. Our hospital also serves as Intractable Disease Research Center commissioned by Kanagawa Prefecture. Rheumatoid arthritis treatment has made great strides in recent years, enabling many patients to achieve remission. Our department has achieved high remission rates by actively combining methotrexate, the anchor drug for rheumatoid arthritis treatment, with other antirheumatic drugs and biologics. We also treat intractable conditions of other connective tissue diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory myopathies, and vasculitis syndromes, with cutting-edge treatments such as corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, blood purification therapy, and high-dose immunoglobulin therapy, striving to improve symptoms and prevent recurrence. Our practice area is centered in western Kanagawa Prefecture, extending from Yokohama and Kawasaki to Shizuoka Prefecture. The government is also working to reform measures for intractable diseases, and new systems are currently being established, such as expanding the scope of diseases eligible for medical expense subsidies based on the Act on Medical Care for Patients with Intractable Diseases, and establishing core hospitals for intractable disease treatment in each tertiary medical area. Our department also works in cooperation with local hospitals, and is committed to working hard every day to be of service to the local community as a core hospital for the treatment of intractable diseases.
Chief of the Rheumatology
Takeshi Oku
Treatment details
We treat connective tissue diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disease-related diseases, and other autoimmune diseases. Many of these diseases are designated as "intractable diseases," and our hospital also functions as Intractable Disease Research Center commissioned by Kanagawa Prefecture. In outpatient care, we aim to achieve remission for rheumatoid arthritis through aggressive treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologics. We also strive to control other diseases and prevent recurrence. In inpatient care, we primarily treat intractable conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus accompanied by severe organ damage, including interstitial lung disease, glomerulonephritis, and central nervous system disorders, as well as polymyositis/dermatomyositis and vasculitis, with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants. We also strive to improve patients' conditions through the use of cutting-edge treatments, including biologics, blood purification therapy (plasma exchange), and high-dose immunoglobulin therapy.
Main target diseases
In addition to classic collagen diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, systemic sclerosis, and vasculitis, these also include collagen diseases and related diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, adult Still's disease, antiphospholipid syndrome, Behcet's disease, and other autoimmune diseases (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, autoimmune hemolytic anemia).
Main medical achievements
The number of outpatients is approximately 4,500, and the number of inpatients per year is approximately 200.
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We treat approximately 3,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis on an outpatient basis. In addition to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs such as methotrexate, we proactively introduce biological agents to control rheumatoid inflammation early on, resulting in a high remission rate.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus often accompanies severe organ damage, so we work with other departments to make early diagnoses and improve the condition by using a combination of corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, biological agents, blood purification therapy, etc. We also work with obstetrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology to provide medical care regarding pregnancy and childbirth in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome.
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Systemic sclerosis and mixed connective tissue disease are known to be complicated by pulmonary hypertension, which is difficult to treat and affects the prognosis, so we work in collaboration with Cardiology to proactively introduce new medications such as prostacyclin preparations, endothelin receptor antagonists, and PDE5 inhibitors.
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For difficult-to-treat cases of polymyositis/dermatomyositis, such as those resistant to corticosteroids or those complicated by interstitial pneumonia, we have achieved good results by attempting early diagnosis using laboratory-level autoantibody measurements and cutting-edge treatments such as multiple immunosuppressants, high-dose immunoglobulin therapy, and plasma exchange therapy.
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For refractory vasculitis, in addition to treatment with corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, plasma exchange therapy is performed in particularly severe cases.
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In addition, we also diagnose and treat other rheumatic diseases besides those mentioned above. In particular, good results have been obtained with biological agents in intractable cases of ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis.
Other important points
The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and collagen diseases requires strong treatment, including corticosteroids. Therefore, side effects of drugs can be problematic. In addition to treating the underlying disease, our department actively works to prevent side effects such as steroid-induced osteoporosis and infections associated with immunosuppressive therapy, and strives to provide patients with as much information as possible about diseases and treatments. Although there are many areas in which treatment methods have not yet been established, we are always striving to provide patients with the best treatment, including the latest drug therapies.
Doctor List
Department Head: Takeshi Oku
Assistant Chief Physician of Ward 12A: Yuichiro Ota
Clinical department URL: https://www.fuzoku-hosp.tokai.ac.jp/service/riumati-naika/
http://trheum.med.u-tokai.ac.jp/
Outpatient: 0463 (93) 1121 extension 6021, 6022
Professor Kenji Oku
| Specialization | Rheumatology and Collagen Diseases |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Certified physician, instructor, and specialist General Internal Medicine from the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine / Specialist and instructor of the Japanese Rheumatology Association / Specialist in the Japanese Society of Allergology / Geriatrics specialist and instructor from the Japan Geriatrics Society / Certified immunotherapy physician from the Japanese Society of Clinical Immunology / Certified physician from the Japanese Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis / Balneotherapy specialist from the Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology, and Physical Medicine |
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus, antiphospholipid syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis |
| Outpatient medical day | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday |
Lecturer: Chiho Yamada
| Specialization | Rheumatology and Collagen Diseases |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Certified Internal Medicine Physician and Instructor of the Japan Society of Internal Medicine / Instructor and Specialist of the Japan Rheumatism Association |
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus |
| Outpatient medical day | Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday |
Assistant Professor Ayumi Ishii
| Specialization | Rheumatology and Collagen Diseases |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Certified internist and General Internal Medicine specialist by the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine / Instructor and specialist of the Japanese College of Rheumatology |
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis |
| Outpatient medical day | Friday |
Assistant Professor Yuichiro Ota
| Specialization | Rheumatology and Collagen Diseases |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Certified internist, instructor, and General Internal Medicine specialist of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine / instructor and specialist of the Japanese College of Rheumatology |
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis |
| Outpatient medical day | Mondays and Thursdays |
Mai Sugiyama Clinical Assistant
| Specialist | Specialist in Internal Medicine, Japanese Society of Internal Medicine |
|---|---|
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases |
| Outpatient medical day | Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday |
Azusa Kojima, Clinical Assistant
| Specialization | Rheumatology and Collagen Diseases |
|---|---|
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases |
| Outpatient medical day | Wednesday |
Yasushi Kondo (Part-time doctor)
| Specialist | Certified internist by the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine / Instructor and specialist of the Japanese College of Rheumatology |
|---|---|
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis |
Kazuki Hirano (Part-time doctor)
| Specialist | Certified Internal Medicine Physician of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine/Specialist of the Japanese College of Rheumatology |
|---|---|
| Outpatient medical day | Thursday |
Assistant Professor Keigo Shimura
| Specialist | Specialist in Internal Medicine, Japanese Society of Internal Medicine/Specialist in the Japanese College of Rheumatology |
|---|---|
| Outpatient medical day | Friday |
Sawako Abe (Part-time doctor)
| Specialization | Rheumatology and Collagen Diseases |
|---|---|
| Specialist | Certified physician by the Japan Society of Internal Medicine |
| Specialized Areas | Diagnosis and treatment of rheumatism and collagen diseases |
| Outpatient medical day | Saturday (1st and 3rd) |