Treatment and prognosis study of spontaneous rupture hemorrhage in hepatocellular carcinoma: Recommendations for adding the A1 stage to the BCLC staging system.

BACKGROUND: The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system is an internationally recognized clinical staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, this staging system does not address the staging and surgical treatment strategies for patients with spontaneous rupture hemorrhage in HCC. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognosis of patients with BCLC stage A undergoing liver resection for HCC with spontaneous rupture hemorrhage and compare it with the prognosis of patients with BCLC stage A undergoing liver resection without rupture. METHODS: Clinical data of 99 patients with HCC who underwent curative liver resection surgery were rigorously followed up and treated at Shandong Provincial Hospital from January 2013 to January 2023. A retrospective cohort study design was used to determine whether the presence of ruptured HCC (rHCC) is a risk factor for recurrence and survival after curative liver resection for HCC. Prognostic comparisons were made between patients with ruptured and non-ruptured BCLC stage A HCC (rHCC and nrHCC, respectively) who underwent curative liver resection. RESULTS: rHCC (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.974, [p] = 0.016) and tumor diameter greater than 5 cm (HR = 2.819, p = 0.022) were identified as independent risk factors for overall survival (OS) after curative resection of BCLC stage A HCC. The postoperative OS of the spontaneous rupture in the HCC group (Group I) was shorter than that in the BCLC stage A group (Group II) (p = 0.008). Tumor invasion without penetration of the capsule was determined to be an independent risk factor for recurrence-free survival (RFS) after liver resection for HCC (HR = 2.584, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: HCC with concurrent spontaneous rupture hemorrhage is an independent risk factor for postoperative OS after liver resection. The BCLC stage A1 should be added to complement the current BCLC staging system to provide further guidance for the treatment of patients with spontaneous rupture of HCC.

Puerarin protects the fatty liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) remains high, and many NAFLD patients suffer from severe ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Currently, no practical approach can be used to treat IRI. Puerarin plays a vital role in treating multiple diseases, such as NAFLD, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, its role in the IRI of the fatty liver is still unclear. We aimed to explore whether puerarin could protect the fatty liver from IRI. C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) followed by ischemia reperfusion injury. We showed that hepatic IRI was more severe in the fatty liver compared with the normal liver, and puerarin could significantly protect the fatty liver against IRI and alleviate oxidative stress. The PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was activated during IRI, while liver steatosis decreased the level of activation. Puerarin significantly protected the fatty liver from IRI by reactivating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. However, LY294002, a PI3K-AKT inhibitor, attenuated the protective effect of puerarin. In conclusion, puerarin could significantly protect the fatty liver against IRI by activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Puerarin protects the fatty liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Abstract The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) remains high, and many NAFLD patients suffer from severe ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Currently, no practical approach can be used to treat IRI. Puerarin plays a vital role in treating multiple diseases, such as NAFLD, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, its role in the IRI of the fatty liver is still unclear. We aimed to explore whether puerarin could protect the fatty liver from IRI. C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high‐fat diet (HFD) followed by ischemia reperfusion injury. We showed that hepatic IRI was more severe in the fatty liver compared with the normal liver, and puerarin could significantly protect the fatty liver against IRI and alleviate oxidative stress. The PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was activated during IRI, while liver steatosis decreased the level of activation. Puerarin significantly protected the fatty liver from IRI by reactivating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. However, LY294002, a PI3K-AKT inhibitor, attenuated the protective effect of puerarin. In conclusion, puerarin could significantly protect the fatty liver against IRI by activating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol level as an independent protective factor against aggravation of acute pancreatitis: a case-control study.

Background and aims: At present, evidence on the association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and aggravation of acute pancreatitis (AP) is limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the lowest HDL-C level during intensive care units (ICU) stay and AP aggravation and to determine the optimum cutoff lowest HDL-C level. Methods: Patients admitted to the ICU of the Shandong Provincial Hospital for AP from 2015 to 2021 were included. The lowest HDL-C level during ICU stay was set as the independent variable, and the progression or non-progression to severe AP (SAP) was set as the dependent variable. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the relationship between the two variables, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to analyze the predictive ability of the lowest HDL-C level for progression to SAP. Results: This study included 115 patients. The difference in the lowest HDL-C level between the SAP and moderately SAP groups was significant (P < 0.05). After adjusting for covariates, the lowest HDL-C level showed a negative correlation with the occurrence of SAP, with a relative risk of 0.897 (95% confidence interval: 0.827-0.973). The area under the ROC curve for prediction of AP aggravation by the lowest HDL-C level was 0.707, and the optimum cutoff lowest HDL-C level was 0.545 mmol/L. Conclusion: No less than 0.545 mmol/L of the HDL-C level during ICU stay may be an independent protective factor for the aggravation of AP.

Distal pancreatectomy with partial preservation of the spleen: a new surgical technique.

Presently, spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy is predominantly utilized for benign or low-grade malignant tumors of the pancreatic body and tail. The splenic blood vessel-preserving Kimura technique and non-splenic blood vessel-preserving Warshaw technique represent the two primary procedures. In prior reports, total splenectomy was most frequently performed when splenic blood vessels could not be preserved, and severe splenic congestion and ischemia were identified following the dissection of splenic blood vessels. This paper introduces a new method of spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy, entailing a distal pancreatectomy with partial spleen preservation, illustrated through the presentation of two surgical cases. During physical examination, two patients were identified to have benign or low-grade malignant masses in the pancreatic tail. Preoperative examination indicated that the lesion was closely associated with the splenic blood vessels or splenic hilum. During surgery, neither the Kimura technique nor the Warshaw technique could be executed. After resecting the pancreatic body and tail, and a portion of the spleen, the superior pole of the spleen was successfully preserved by maintaining the short gastric blood vessels therein. This technical report demonstrates the viability of this novel spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy, a distal pancreatectomy with partial spleen preservation, for benign and low-grade malignant pancreatic body and tail lesions. The innovative technique achieves partial spleen preservation by effectively preserving the short gastric blood vessels in the superior pole of the spleen.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the biliary tract in the caudate lobe of the liver: a case report and literature review.

An intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the biliary tract (BT-IPMN) in the caudate lobe of the liver is a rare tumor originating from the bile duct. Approximately 40% of the intraductal papillary neoplasms of the biliary tract (IPNB) secrete mucus and can grow in the intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts. A 65-year-old woman presented with recurrent episodes of right upper pain. She developed her first episode 8 years ago, which resolved spontaneously. The frequency of symptoms has increased in the last 2 years. She underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy and choledochal exploration and was pathologically diagnosed with a rare BT-IPMN of the caudate lobe after admission. Here, we review studies on IPNB cases and systematically describe the pathological type, diagnosis, and treatment of IPNB to provide a valuable reference for hepatobiliary surgeons in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

Prognostic analysis of radical resection for iCCAphl and iCCApps: A retrospective cohort study.

Backgroud: At present, there is no definitive conclusion about the relative prognostic factors on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma perihilar large duct type (iCCAphl) and iCCA peripheral small duct type (iCCApps). Aim of the study: To compare the prognoses of two different types of iCCA, and identify the independent risk factors affecting the long-term survival of patients undergoing radical resection for iCCA. Methods: This study included 89 patients with iCCA who underwent radical resection at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of the East Yard of the Shandong Provincial Hospital between January 2013 and March 2022. According to the tumor origin, these patients were divided into the iCCAphl group (n = 37) and iCCApps group (n = 52). The prognoses of the two groups were compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis, whereas the independent risk factors of their prognoses were identified using Cox univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Results: In the iCCApps group, the independent risk factors for overall survival included diabetes history (p = 0.006), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.040), and preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (p = 0.035). In the iCCAphl group, the independent risk factors for overall survival included multiple tumors (p = 0.010), tumor differentiation grade (p = 0.008), and preoperative jaundice (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Among the iCCA patients who underwent radical resection, the long-term prognosis of iCCApps maybe better than that of iCCAphl. The prognoses of these two types of iCCA were affected by different independent risk factors.

Analysis of the network pharmacology and the structure-activity relationship of glycyrrhizic acid and glycyrrhetinic acid.

Licorice, a herbal product derived from the root of Glycyrrhiza species, has been used as a sweetening agent and traditional herbal medicine for hundreds of years. Glycyrrhizic acid (GL) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) are the most important active ingredients in licorice. Both GL and GA have pharmacological effects against tumors, inflammation, viral infection, liver diseases, neurological diseases, and metabolic diseases. However, they also exhibit differences. KEGG analysis indicated that licorice is involved in neuroactive ligand‒receptor interactions, while 18ß-GA is mostly involved in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. In this article, we comprehensively review the therapeutic potential of GL and GA by focusing on their pharmacological effects and working mechanisms. We systemically examine the structure-activity relationship of GL, GA and their isomers. Based on the various pharmacological activities of GL, GA and their isomers, we propose further development of structural derivatives of GA after chemical structure modification, with less cytotoxicity but higher targeting specificity. More research is needed on the clinical applications of licorice and its active ingredients.

Clinical utility of the pancreatitis activity scoring system in severe acute pancreatitis.

Objective: To analyze clinical utility of pancreatitis activity scoring system (PASS) in prediction of persistent organ failure, poor prognosis, and in-hospital mortality in patients with moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) or severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: The study included a total of 140 patients with MSAP and SAP admitted to the ICU of Shandong Provincial Hospital from 2015 to 2021. The general information, biochemical indexes and PASS scores of patients at ICU admission time were collected. Independent risk factors of persistent organ failure, poor prognosis and in-hospital mortality were analyzed by binary logistic regression. Through receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), the predictive ability of lactic acid, procalcitonin, urea nitrogen, PASS, and PASS in combination with urea nitrogen for the three outcomes was compared. The best cut-off value was determined. Results: Binary logistic regression showed that PASS might be an independent risk factor for patients with persistent organ failure (odds ratio [OR]: 1.027, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.014-1.039), poor prognosis (OR: 1.008, 95% CI: 1.001-1.014), and in-hospital mortality (OR: 1.009, 95% CI: 1.000-1.019). PASS also had a good predictive ability for persistent organ failure (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.839, 95% CI: 0.769-0.910) and in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.780, 95% CI: 0.669-0.891), which was significantly superior to lactic acid, procalcitonin, urea nitrogen and Ranson score. PASS (AUC = 0.756, 95% CI: 0.675-0.837) was second only to urea nitrogen (AUC = 0.768, 95% CI: 0.686-0.850) in the prediction of poor prognosis. Furthermore, the predictive power of urea nitrogen in combination with PASS was better than that of each factor for persistent organ failure (AUC = 0.849, 95% CI: 0.779-0.920), poor prognosis (AUC = 0.801, 95% CI: 0.726-0.876), and in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.796, 95% CI: 0.697-0.894). Conclusion: PASS was closely correlated with the prognosis of patients with MSAP and SAP. This scoring system may be used as a common clinical index to measure the activity of acute pancreatitis and evaluate disease prognosis.

Potential prognosis index for m6A-related mRNA in cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) is a malignant tumor that originates in the extrahepatic bile duct and can extend from the hilar region to the lower end of the common bile duct. The prognosis of CHOL patients is particularly poor; therefore, in this study, we screened mRNAs correlated with N6-methyladenosine (m6A) to construct a risk model for prognosis in CHOL. METHODS: The TCGA-CHOL dataset was applied to obtain and analyze the coexpression of 1281 m6A-related mRNAs, from which 14 were selected for further analysis through univariate proportional hazards (cox) regression analysis. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPB), syndecan1 (SDC1), vacuolar protein sorting 25 homolog (VPS25) and syntaxin binding protein 2 (STXBP2) were then screened out through the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis to develop a precise m6A-related mRNA prognosis risk model (MRMRPM) with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.908 and 0.923 after 1 and 2 years, respectively. We divided the samples into high-risk and low-risk groups using the m6A-related mRNA prognosis risk model. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated poor overall survival (OS) for the high-risk group. Two Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE89748 and GSE107943) were used to validate the risk model. The results of drug sensitivity and immune cell infiltration analysis showed that the risk model could serve as a prognosis index of potential immunotherapeutic characteristics and drug sensitivity. Furthermore, the proportion of resting dendritic cells and regulatory T cells was positively associated with an increased expression of four m6A-related mRNAs - AIP, CEBPB, SDC1, and VPS25 - in the high-risk CHOL group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that this model can be a prognostic indicator for CHOL patients.

MCT4 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Upregulating TRAPPC5 Gene.

Purpose: Monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) is an important component of cancer cell glycolytic metabolism. It has been confirmed that MCT4 is highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and tissues and is significantly associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. However, research on its downstream molecules that affect HCC is still insufficient. The aim of current research was to investigate the MCT downstream molecule and its role of in HCC development. Patients and Methods: After MCT4 expression was knocked down by RNA interference, RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR were used to screen for differentially expressed genes in an HCC cell line (HCCLM3). Immunohistochemistry in HCC tissue microarray was carried out to evaluate the Trafficking Protein Particle Complex Subunit 5 (TRAPPC5) expression. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, transwell and wound-healing test, respectively. Xenograft experiment was employed to investigate the function of TRAPPC5 on tumor growth in vivo. Related signaling pathway proteins were evaluated by Western blot. Results: TRAPPC5 expression was significantly downregulated after knocking down of MCT4 in HCCLM3. TRAPPC5 was highly expressed in HCC tissues, and it could enhance the proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of HCC cells. In vivo experiment showed that TRAPPC5 could promote HCC tumorigenesis. Conclusion: In the process of MCT4 affecting the progression of HCC, TRAPPC5 is one of the most important related molecules. TRAPPC5 suppression could significantly reduce HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion and could serve as a therapeutic target in HCC.

The links between gut microbiota and obesity and obesity related diseases.

The obesity epidemic has become a global public health crisis in recent years and is continuing to worsen at an alarming rate. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the development of obesity and obesity-related diseases are still being unraveled. In the past ten years, the gut microbiota has been identified as a crucial player affecting the onset and progression of obesity and obesity-related diseases, especially with respect to changes in its composition and metabolites during obesity progression. Herein, we summarize the roles and mechanisms of gut microbiota's composition and metabolite changes in the gut play in obesity and obesity related diseases. Furthermore, we discuss potential therapeutic treatments that can be used to modulate the gut microbiome composition and target the relevant metabolic pathways of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases.

Prognostic efficacy and prognostic factors of TACE plus TKI with ICIs for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a global challenge due to its high morbidity and mortality rates as well as poor response to treatment. Local combined systemic therapy is widely used in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular cancer (uHCC). This retrospective study was to investigate the prognostic effect and prognostic factors of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in the treatment of uHCC. A retrospective analysis of 171 patients with uHCC was performed in our hospital from April 27, 2015 to October 18, 2021. According to different treatment options, patients were divided into TACE group (n=45), TACE+TKI group (n=76) and TACE+TKI+ICIs group (n=50). In this study, we found that, the median overall survival (mOS) of TACE+TKI+ICIs group was significantly better than TACE+TKI group and TACE group [24.1 (95% CI 15.1-33.1) months vs 14.9 (95% CI 10.7-19.1) months vs 11.4 (95% CI 8.4-14.5) months, hazard ratio (HR) 0.62; 95% CI 0.47-0.81; P=0.002]. A visible difference in the median progression-free survival (mPFS) interval between the groups was discovered [10.6 (95% CI6.5-14.7) months in TACE+TKI+ICIs group vs. 6.7 (95% CI 5.5-7.9) months in the TACE+TKI group vs. 6 (95% CI 2.3-9.7) months in the TACE group (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.53-0.83; P<0.001)]. The objective response rates (ORR) in the TACE group, TACE+TKI group, and TACE+TKI+ICIs group were 31.1%, 35.5%, and 42%, and the disease control rate (DCR) were 51.1%, 65.8%, and 80%. There were no adverse events (AEs) of arthralgia, diarrhea, rash, and pruritus in the TACE group. The incidence of grade 3 AEs (Hypertension) in the TACE+TKI+ICIs group was significantly higher than that in TACE+TKI and TACE groups (28% vs 17.1% vs 6.7%, P=0.024), and secondly, the morbidity of rash and pruritus in the TACE+TKI+ICIs group was apparently higher than that in the TACE+TKI group (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that ECOG-PS 2 (HR=2.064, 95%CI 1.335-3.191, P=0.001), Hepatitis B virus (HR=2.539, 95%CI 1.291-4.993, P=0.007), AFP≥400 ng/ml (HR= 1.72, 95%CI 1.12-2.643, P=0.013), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) ≥2.195 (HR=1.669, 95%CI 1.073-2.597, P=0.023) were independent risk factors for OS in uHCC patients. So, TACE+TKI+ICIs therapy can prolong the OS and improve the prognosis of patients effectively, with a well-characterized safety profile.

Role of Matrix Metallopeptidase 12 in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of matrix metallopeptidase 12 (MMP-12) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods: A total of 343 HCC patients were retrospectively analyzed. MMP-12 expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining and the correlation between MMP-12 expression and clinical features was analyzed. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 levels were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and PD-L1 expression in T cells was detected by flow cytometry. Results: MMP-12 expression in HCC tissues showed no correlation with age, gender, viral infection, cirrhosis, Child-Pugh score, alpha-fetoprotein levels, or Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer stage. However, higher levels of MMP-12 expression were correlated with increased tumor size, poorer tumor cell differentiation, higher TNM stage, and poorer prognosis. Moreover, MMP-12 expression was positively correlated with PD-L1 expression. Further analysis indicated that the regulation of PD-L1 expression by MMP-12 may occur through the IL-6-signaling pathway. Conclusions: Higher levels of MMP-12 expression indicated a poorer prognosis. PD-L1 expression was positively correlated with MMP-12 expression, indicating that MMP-12 may promote the development of HCC through the up-regulation of PD-L1.

Prognostic value of glucose transporter 3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Determining an effective biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may improve patient survival rates. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of glucose transporter 3 (GLUT-3) in HCC and to determine its predictive value for the survival of patients with HCC. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect GLUT-3 expression in HCC tissues of 275 and 140 patients with HCC from training and validation cohorts, respectively. The association between GLUT-3 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with HCC, and between GLUT-3 expression and patient survival rates were analyzed. The predictive value of GLUT-3 expression was confirmed using the validation cohort. The results demonstrated that the high GLUT-3 expression in HCC tissues was significantly associated with elevated α-fetoprotein level, large tumor size, poor histological differentiation and Tumor-Node-Metastasis stages III and IV (P<0.05). In addition, GLUT-3 high expression was also significantly associated with reduced overall survival of patients with HCC in the training and validation cohorts. In conclusion, the results from the present study suggested that GLUT-3 may be considered as a potential independent prognostic factor for predicting the survival of patients with HCC.

Prognostic analysis of radical resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a retrospective cohort study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the clinicopathological characteristics of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients who underwent radical resection (R0). We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological characteristics of 319 patients who underwent radical resection of ICC between October 1999 and December 2003. The independent adverse prognostic factors that affected DFS after radical resection of ICC were as follows: maximum tumor diameter (HR = 1.330, P = 0.014), complicated bile duct stone (HR = 1.923, P = 0.013), macroscopic tumor thrombus (HR = 1.826, P = 0.009), and lymph node metastasis (Pathology N1) (HR = 2.330, P = 0.005) were independent adverse prognostic factors that affected the DFS after radical resection of ICC. The postoperative median DFS was 6 months. The independent adverse prognostic factors that affected OS after radical resection of ICC were as follows: maximum tumor diameter (HR = 1.326, P = 0.014), complicated bile duct stone (HR = 2.349, P = 0.001), and lymph node metastasis (Pathology N1) (HR = 2.420, P = 0.003). The postoperative median survival time was 22 months, the 3-year survival rate was 33.9%, and the 5-year survival rate was 23.2%. Macroscopic tumor thrombus (OR = 2.991, P = 0.004) was an independent risk factor for death within 1 year after radical resection.

Congenital hepatic cyst with intracystic hemorrhage: Two rare cases reports in the Chinese Han population.

INTRODUCTION: Fast-growing congenital hepatic cysts with intracystic hemorrhage are rare in clinical practice. Additionally, the clinical manifestations of and laboratory and imaging findings for this condition are often nonspecific and are particularly difficult to differentiate from those of hepatobiliary cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma, thus posing great challenges for diagnosis and treatment. The 2 case reports presented here aim to analyze the diagnosis and treatment of 2 rare cases of congenital hepatic cysts with intracystic hemorrhage in the Chinese Han population to provide an important reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this condition. DIAGNOSES: These 2 case reports present 2 rare cases of congenital hepatic cysts with intracystic hemorrhage. Case 1 involved a 31-year-old patient with a very large, fast-growing hepatic cyst with intracystic hemorrhage and elevated carbohydrate antigen 199. Case 2 involved a patient with intense, paroxysmal right upper abdominal pain; computed tomography suggested a hepatic cyst with intracystic hemorrhage and possibly hepatobiliary cystadenoma. OUTCOMES: Both patients underwent liver resection. Postoperative follow-up showed that for both patients, the symptoms improved, the laboratory findings returned to normal levels, and the surgical outcomes were satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Liver resection is an ideal treatment for patients with congenital hepatic cysts with intracystic hemorrhage, and especially those with fast-growing, symptomatic hepatic cysts or hepatic cysts that are difficult to differentiate from hepatobiliary cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma.

A rare chronic constrictive pericarditis with localized adherent visceral pericardium and normal parietal pericardium: a case report.

Classic constrictive pericarditis (CP) is characterized by fibrous scarring and adhesion of both the visceral pericardium and the parietal pericardium, which leads to restricted cardiac filling. However, diagnosing CP with normal thickness pericardium and without calcification is still a challenge. The predominant cause in the developed world is idiopathic or viral pericarditis followed by post-cardiac surgery and post-radiation. Tuberculosis still remains a common cause of CP in developing countries. In this report, we describe a rare case of idiopathic localized constrictive visceral pericardium with normal thickness of the parietal pericardium in a middle-aged man. The patient presented with unexplained right heart failure and echocardiography showed moderate bi-atrial enlargement which should be identified with the restrictive cardiomyopathy. After 10 months of conservative treatment, the progression of right heart failure was remaining. A pericardiectomy was performed and the patient recovered. This case serves as a reminder to consider CP in patients with unexplained right heart failure, so that timely investigation and treatment can be initiated.

The Efficacy of Percutaneous Transhepatic Gallbladder Drainage on Acute Cholecystitis in High-Risk Elderly Patients Based on the Tokyo Guidelines: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGD) for high-risk elderly patients with acute cholecystitis.Retrospective analysis of 159 acute cholecystitis patients who were admitted to General Surgery Division III of the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University between January 2005 and November 2012. A total of 123 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), and 36 received only PTGD treatment. The LC patients were divided into 3 groups based on their preoperative treatment: group A, emergency patients (33 patients); group B (26 patients), patients who were treated with PTGD prior to LC; and group C (64 patients), patients who received nonsurgical treatment prior to LC. General conditions, LC surgery duration, intraoperative blood loss, rate of conversion to open surgery, incidence of postoperative complications, total fasting time, and total hospitalization time were analyzed and compared among the 3 groups.The remission rates of patients in the PTGD treatment groups (including group B and PTGD treatment only group) were significantly higher within 24 and 48 hours than those of patients who received nonsurgical treatment prior to LC (P < 0.05). Among the patients in the 3 surgery groups, the operation conversion rate (19.2%) of group B was significantly higher than that of group A (3.0%) and group C (1.6%) (P < 0.05). The total hospitalization time of the patients in group B (18.5 ±â€Š4.5 days) was longer than that of the patients in group A (8.2 ±â€Š3.9 days) and group C (10.5 ±â€Š6.4 days). The total fasting time of the patients in group A (2.4 ±â€Š1.2 days) was significantly shorter than that of those in group B (4.1 ±â€Š1.7 days) and group C (3.4 ±â€Š2.7 days) (P < 0.05).For high-risk elderly patients, if there is any emergency surgery contraindication, PTGD therapy may be safe and effective and can relieve the symptoms within a short time. For acute cholecystitis patients without surgery contraindications, emergency surgery should be performed as soon as possible after diagnosis.