Prosthetic repair of an incarcerated groin hernia with small intestinal resection.

PURPOSE: No consensus has been reached on the use of prostheses in a potentially infected operating field. In this study, we evaluated the validity of a mesh prosthesis for the repair of incarcerated groin hernias with intestinal resection. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients underwent operations for correction of incarcerated groin hernias with small intestinal resection at our hospital between January 2000 and March 2010. The patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent repair with a prosthetic mesh and those who underwent primary hernia repair. Patients with intestinal perforations, abscess formations, panperitonitis, and those who required colon resections were excluded. The length of the operation, blood loss, and incidences of surgical site infection, postoperative ileus, and recurrence were evaluated in each group. RESULTS: Of the 27 patients studied, 10 (37%) underwent tension-free repair with a mesh, and 17 (63%) underwent primary hernia repair. Although the patients who underwent primary hernia repair were significantly older than the patients who underwent mesh repair (P = 0.015), no statistically significant differences in morbidity, including surgical site infection, or mortality, were identified. CONCLUSION: Strangulated inguinal hernias cannot be considered a contraindication to the use of a prosthetic mesh even in cases requiring small-intestinal resection.

[Evaluation of S-1 for stage IV gastric cancer].

To evaluate the efficacy of S-1 for Stage IV gastric cancer, we retrospectively examined 124 patients with Stage IV gastric cancer. We classified patients into two groups based on the presence or absence of S-1 administration: the S-1 therapy group (n= 56) and the non-S-1 therapy group (n=68). Basically, patients received S-1 orally at 40 mg per square meter of body surface area twice daily for 4 weeks, followed by 2 weeks without chemotherapy. When side effects appeared, we tried dose reduction or cut short the administering period according to the dose modification criteria. Major patient characteristics were as follows: gender (male/female: 76/48), and age (median[range]: 63[24-83]). The median S-1 dosage was about 5 courses, and the median of the S-1 total dosage was 10. 08 g, based on the amount of tegafur. The relative dose intensity (RDI) was well maintained (average: 74. 9%). The survival rate in the S-1 therapy group was significantly higher than in the non-S-1 therapy group. The median survival time (MST) was 308 days in the S-1 group and 157 days in the non-S-1 group. In the S-1 therapy group, the MST was 629 days for those receiving 10 g or more, while that of those receiving less than 10 g was 209 days. The MST of patients administered 10 g or more was significantly longer than that of those receiving less than 10 g (p<0. 0001). Therefore, we consider that S-1 therapy improves survival in patients with Stage IV gastric cancer.

[Effects of irinotecan and 5-FU combination therapy in gastric cancer--is combination therapy synergic?].

UNLABELLED: The response rate of Irinotecan for gastric cancer is reported to be 18. 4%. The rate is improved by combination with 5-FU. However, it remains unclear whether or not the effect of the two drugs is synergy or antagonistic. The purpose of this study is to clarify whether the effect of Irinotecan and 5-FU in gastric cancer is synergy or antagonistic. We performed study using 13 specimens removed surgically and 2 specimen collected from ascites. We performed the Collagen Gel Droplet Embedded Culture Drug Sensitivity Test (CD-DST) with 3 assumptions. In the first assumption, we let 5-FU come in contact with a tumor at a level of 1 mg/mL for 24 hours. The second assumption was SN-38 at a level of 30 mg/mL for 24 hours and the 3rd assumption was SN-38 at a level of 30 mg/mL and 5-FU at a level of 1 mg/mL for 24 hours. If the combination index was more than 1, the combination therapy was judged as synergic; if less than 1, it was considered antagonistic. RESULTS: The inhibition rate of combination therapy was significantly higher than that of monotherapy. The inhibition rate of combination therapy was significantly correlate with that of monotherapy (Irinotecan; r=0.704, p=0.003, 5-FU; r=0.746, p=0.001). The combination index was antagonistic in only 6 of 15 cases. However, it was synergic in all well-differentiated adenocarcinomas (4/4). DISCUSSION: We conclude that combination therapy is antagonistic in most cases of gastric cancer in vitro. However, it may be synergic in well-differentiated adenocarcinomas.

Preoperative plasma adiponectin level is a risk factor for postoperative infection following colorectal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin is produced exclusively by adipose tissues. It is associated with visceral adiposity and various metabolic disorders, and acts as an anti-inflammatory protein that inhibits nuclear factor-kappaB activation. The purpose of this study is to clarify the association between the preoperative plasma adiponectin levels and the development of postoperative infection following colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 41 colorectal cancer patients before surgery and on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 3, 5, and 7. Plasma adiponectin, leptin, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured and the white blood cells (WBCs) were counted. Subcutaneous and visceral fat volumes were quantified by preoperative CT scans. The patients were divided into a group with postoperative infections and an uninfected group. RESULTS: In both groups, the postoperative plasma adiponectin levels decreased transiently and then gradually recovered. However, the infected group had significantly lower adiponectin levels throughout the perioperative period than the uninfected group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative adiponectin level was an independent risk factor for postoperative infection. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative adiponectin levels may be useful for anticipating the development of postoperative infection following colorectal cancer surgery.

HPV infection in an HIV-positive patient with primary squamous cell carcinoma of rectum.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the colorectum is a rare malignancy of unknown etiology and pathogenesis. We report a case of primary SCC of the rectum. A 55-year-old man with a rectal tumor and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was referred to our hospital. Histopathology of biopsy specimens showed characteristics of SCC. We diagnosed the patient as having primary moderately differentiated SCC of the rectum according to the criteria proposed by Cooper. Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction analysis of unfixed tumor biopsy specimens. In addition, no p53 overexpression or nuclear staining of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) was observed in neoplastic cells by immunohistochemical staining. We suggest from our case that HPV infection following the inactivation of the cellular tumor suppressor Rb and the immune suppression induced by HIV infection play an etiologic role in the pathogenesis of rectal SCC, consistent with the well-established concept of HPV-associated anal carcinogenesis.

A case of an intramesosigmoid hernia.

We report an extremely rare case of an intramesosigmoid hernia with small bowel herniation in a defect on the right (medial) leaf of the mesosigmoid. A 46-year-old man was admitted to the hospital complaining of lower abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for 6 days. He had undergone an operation for a right inguinal hernia and an appendectomy during childhood. An abdominal X-ray film obtained at admission showed small bowel gas with niveau formation which was diagnosed as small-bowel obstruction. A decompression tube was immediately inserted, and the symptoms subsided. Enterography revealed two strictures separated by approximately 10 cm. However, the contrast medium flowed smoothly through the anal side of the strictures. After the decompression tube was removed, small-bowel obstruction recurred, and laparotomy was performed on the 18th day after admission. During the operation, small bowel herniation with a 4 x 3-cm defect was found on the right leaf of the mesosigmoid, and intramesosigmoid hernia was finally determined to be the cause of the small-bowel obstruction. The resection of the incarcerated part was necessary because a large amount of scar tissue was present on the surface. The postoperative course was uneventful, and no recurrence was observed after discharge. A review of this case indicated that the diagnosis might have been successfully obtained with enterography. Although we did not choose laparoscopic surgery, this surgical modality may also be an appropriate treatment for this disease.

Liver cyst with biliary communication successfully treated with laparoscopic deroofing: a case report.

A 56-year-old woman visited our hospital because of high fever and right hypochondralgia. Abdominal computed tomography showed a liver cyst 10 cm in diameter and dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct. Percutaneous transhepatic drainage of the cyst guided by ultrasonography disclosed that the cyst contained a brown milky fluid, and cystography showed biliary communication. Thus, the cyst was diagnosed as an infectious hepatic cyst with biliary communication. Treatments for liver cysts include aspiration therapy, alcoholic sclerotherapy, laparoscopic fenestration, fenestration by laparotomy, cystojejunostomy, cystectomy, and hepatectomy. Because a simple liver cyst is benign, treatments should be low-risk and minimally invasive; thus, we performed laparoscopic fenestration. Fenestration should not be performed if the case is complicated by infection or biliary communication. Although cystography showed biliary communication, the cyst was not visualized with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, and we concluded that the biliary communication was small. Operation time was 95 minutes, and blood loss was 10 g. Pathological findings of the liver cyst were consistent with a simple cyst. The postoperative course was good, and the patient left the hospital 10 days after the operation. Eighteen months have passed since the operation, and no recurrent cysts have been detected with computed tomography. This is the second report of liver cyst with biliary communication successfully treated with laparoscopic deroofing. Laparoscopic fenestration is a useful method for treating simple benign liver cysts because of its minimal invasiveness and may be useful in cases with small biliary communication.

A case of a mesenteric cyst in the sigmoid colon of a 3-year-old girl.

Mesenteric cysts are rare. In this paper we present a case of a mesenteric cyst in the sigmoid colon of a 3-year-old girl. On the first visit to our department, a smooth-surfaced soft mass approximately 15 cm in diameter was noticed in the right lower abdomen. Although the patient complained of lower abdominal pain, there was no tenderness or guarding. Laboratory tests indicated no abnormality except a slightly increased level of C-reactive protein (2.3 mg/dL). A plain abdominal X-ray film revealed displacement of colonic gas from the right lower abdomen, and abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography revealed a smooth cystic mass measuring 9.5 x 8.7 x 4.7 cm that contained many internal septa. Because the patient had several symptoms, we performed a surgical operation under general anesthesia. We found a light-red cystic mass, 8.5 x 8.0 x 3.0 cm in size, in the mesentery of the sigmoid colon and surrounding the sigmoid colon, without adhesion to any other organ. We approached the cystic mass from the sigmoid colon and the mesentery of sigmoid colon and completely resected it without complications. The content of the cystic mass was a pale-yellow serous fluid. A cytological examination revealed mainly lymphocytes with reactive mesothelial cells. The resulting pathological diagnosis was a multi-lobular mesenteric cyst. Immunohistochemical staining with D2-40 antibody was positive value along the wall of the cyst, indicating that the cyst was derived from a lymphatic vessel.

Seromuscular tear of the sigmoid colon in the absence of trauma: a case report.

A 16-year-old adolescent boy was admitted to our hospital with severe lower abdominal pain and was found to have peritonitis, probably caused by acute appendicitis. At laparotomy, we found a paper-thin, dilated sigmoid colon; the seromuscular layer on the antimesenteric side was torn, and the untorn mucosa showed a pinpoint perforation. The seromuscular defect had spread circumferentially to involve the entire circumference of the colon wall. We performed sigmoidectomy, and the patient recovered uneventfully. This case showed many similarities, both in terms of the macroscopic and pathological findings, to seromuscular tear, an entity specifically associated with seatbelt use. This case is noteworthy because seromuscular tear-like lesions of the colon without a history of trauma has not previously been reported.

Case of meningeal carcinomatosis with gastric cancer which manifested meningeal signs as the initial symptom; the palliative benefit of radiotherapy.

A 53-year-old male presenting with anorexia, intermittent diplopia, general fatigue, headache and vertigo was admitted to our hospital. He was diagnosed as having gastric cancer by endoscopy of his upper gastrointestinal tract. Brain computed tomography (CT) showed no abnormalities, but magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed slight enhancement in the cerebellar sulcus. Cytological examination of cerebrospinal fluid revealed malignant cells. He became blind one week after hospitalization. We diagnosed his condition as meningeal carcinomatosis (MC) and started radiotherapy. His vision improved after four weeks of treatment, and then he became totally blind again. Since his general condition remained poor, we did not perform chemotherapy. He died on the 127th day of hospitalization. MC is a rare pathosis of gastric cancer in comparison with leukemia and malignant lymphoma. This disease does not often show characteristic pictorial images, and early diagnosis is difficult. Moreover, it usually manifests itself in its late stages after several months or more of treatment, and it is rare for MC to be present at the time of initial diagnosis. We present a case of gastric cancer with meningeal signs present when the primary tumors were diagnosed. Radiotherapy alleviated some of the symptoms, and the patient survived for as long as patients undergoing enforced chemotherapy.

Case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the ascending colon.

Adenocarcinoma accounts for most of the malignant tumors originating from the colon, whereas adenosquamous carcinoma is rare, accounting for about 0.1% of all colon cancers. We present herein a case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the ascending colon. The patient was a 94-year-old woman who presented with a chief complaint of lower abdominal pain. A barium enema examination and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a type 3 tumor in the ascending colon, and a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of adenosquamous carcinoma. Right hemicolectomy was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed as a stage III advanced colon cancer. The patient had postoperative aspiration pneumonia and died 35 days after surgery. A search of Japanese literature over the past 25 years yielded 70 patients with adenosquamous carcinoma of the colon, and the clinicopathological features are discussed herein.

Case of an inflammatory fibroid polyp of the cecum.

An inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP) is a rare benign lesion, originating in the submucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. It is histopathologically characterized by distinctively arranged fibrous connective tissue and blood vessels with inflammatory cell infiltration. It typically arises in the stomach and small intestine but also arises infrequently in the colon. This report describes a case of IFP of the cecum. A 63-year-old woman presented with persistent bloody stool for more than 1 month. Colonoscopy revealed a polypoid lesion, measuring 2.5 cm in diameter and 4 cm in length, with a thick pedicle in the cecum. Histopathological examination of the biopsy specimen showed hyperplastic changes of the mucosa. The lesion was diagnosed to be a submucosal tumor. We concluded that endoscopic mucosal resection would be difficult because the polyp showed signs of infiltration into the submucosa. Furthermore, the possibility of malignancy could not be ruled out. Laparoscopy-assisted ileocecal resection with lymphnode dissection was performed after the patient's informed consent was obtained. The lesion was finally diagnosed to be IFP on the basis of histopathological examination of the resected specimen. Immunohistochemical staining of the spindle-shaped cells, which were present around the small vessels in the stroma of the tumor, showed that the tissue expressed vimentin but not alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, S-100, c-kit or CD 34. IFP is difficult to diagnose without the recognition of its clinical and pathological characteristics. It is also important to determinate the depth of the lesion before selecting the therapeutic method.

An analysis of factors that influence the duration of suction drainage in breast cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: The duration of suction drainage in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery is difficult to predict. The uncertainty this poses may complicate the development of a clinical pathway for patients with breast cancer. In this study we attempted to identify factors that may influence the duration of suction drainage in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. METHODS: We examined the relationships between the duration of suction drainage and several clinical factors including type of drainage tube in 60 patients with primary breast cancer who underwent surgical resection at the Nippon Medical School Hospital in 2004 and 2005. The drainage tubes were removed 1 day after the daily drainage volume had decreased to less than 50 mL or on the seventh postoperative day in patients in whom such a decrease did not occur. All patients were discharged from the hospital 1 or 2 days after the drains were removed. RESULTS: Seroma was observed in all patients. No complications associated with the drainage were observed. The median duration of drainage was 4.5 days, and the range was 2 to 7 days. Univariate analyses revealed significant relationships between the duration of drainage and the following 5 factors: patient age at surgery, body mass index, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, and type of surgery (total breast resection or partial breast resection). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed no significant statistical associations between the duration of drainage and the other factors, including the type of drainage tube. CONCLUSION: None of the factors examined was strongly associated with the duration of drainage. This study has shown that any type of drainage tube can be used in breast cancer surgery, in regards to the duration of drainage, and that patient discharge 1 or 2 days after drainage tube removal is appropriate.

Male choriocarcinoma with metastasis to the jejunum: a case report and review of the literature.

We report on a patient with male choriocarcinoma. The patient was a 31-year-old male patient with jejunal choriocarcinoma that metastasized from the mediastinum. He was admitted complaining of melena and severe anemia. Upper and lower gastrointestinal endosocopy was performed, but no source of bleeding was seen. Chest X-ray and CT revealed a mediastinal tumor 7 cm in size anterior to the arotic arch. Superior mesenteric arteriography showed irregularities and macular opacity in the jejunal artery. An emergency laparatomy was performed because of massive gastrointestinal bleeding. A jejunal tumor approximately 4 cm in size was resected and numerous metastases were observed in the liver and mesentery. Histopathological examination showed metastatic jejunal choriocarcinoma. Gynecomastia was not present and the testes were normal. Serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) was at an abnormally high level of 4,396 ng/mL. Because of metastases to the brain and invasion to the trachea, he died on postoperative day 20. We report this rare case of a male patient with metastases of choriocarcinoma to the gastrointestinal tract from the mediastinum, together with a review of the literature.

[Antitumor effect of paclitaxel for gastric cancer is AUC dependent].

Paclitaxel (PTX), which is used for ovarian cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and gastric cancer, is administered at a dose of 210 mg/m(2) once every three weeks. However, WHO grade 3-4 hematological and non-hematological toxicity occurred frequently in this manner. In recent studies about ovarian cancer and lung cancer, a schedule in which PTX was given weekly could have the same or better efficacy, with fewer side effects. The response rate of PTX administered every three weeks for gastric cancer, was 23.3 to approximately 28.0%, while that of PTX administered weekly was 24.0 to approximately 25.8%. Because of fewer adverse events, weekly PTX is widely used for gastric cancer in Japan. To prove the validity of PTX weekly administration, we performed a study using six specimens removed surgically and one specimen collected from ascites. A chemosensitivity test was performed on the basis of two assumptions: a high concentration for a short time, and a low concentration for a long time. A similar PTX effect was obtained when the AUC was equal. In this study, we demonstrated that the effect of low-dose PTX was equal to the effect of high-dose PTX in gastric cancer.

Identification of neovasculature using nestin in colorectal cancer.

CD34 is commonly used as an endothelial cell marker of tumor vessels. However, this marker detects not only newly formed, but also pre-existing large blood vessels. Nestin, a class VI intermediate filament protein, has recently received attention as a marker for detecting newly formed endothelial cells. In this study, whether nestin is a novel angiogenesis marker in colorectal cancer was examined. HCT-15, a human colon cancer cell line, was subcutaneously implanted into the dorsum of nude mice. After the tumor grew, the mice were perfused with fluorescent beads (Fluospheres). Then, the tumor tissues were used for immunofluorescence staining using nestin and the CD34 antibody. Immunohistochemistry was performed with nestin and CD34 on 101 human colorectal cancer tissue samples. Proliferating endothelial cells were detected immunohistochemically by a proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibody. Clinicopathological factors and prognosis were compared between two groups: that with a microvessel density (MVD) higher than the median MVD and that with MVD lower than the median MVD, as detected by nestin and CD34 labellings. Nestin was localized in endothelial cells in small blood vessels (median, 9.06 microm), whereas CD34 was localized in large blood vessels (median, 9.67 microm) in nude mice. The diameter of nestin-positive vessels was smaller than that of CD34-positive vessels in human colorectal cancer. The number ratio of PCNA-positive cells to nestin-positive vascular endothelial cells was higher than that of PCNA-positive to CD34-positive cells (p=0.002). There were no correlations between nestin-positive blood vessels and clinicopathological factors, but the prognosis was worse in the highly nestin-positive MVD group (p=0.071). Nestin is considered a novel angiogenesis marker of proliferating endothelial cells in colorectal cancer tissue.

An improvement in the quality of life after performing endoscopic balloon dilation for postoperative anastomotic stricture of the rectum.

A 55-year-old woman underwent a low anterior resection for rectal cancer 7 years earlier at a different hospital. Thereafter, she often had such symptoms as abdominal pain, frequent bowel movements, and constipation. We considered postoperative bowel adhesion to be the cause of these symptoms, and a laparoscopic adhesiotomy was therefore performed twice. However, the symptoms did not substantially improve thereafter. A colonoscope of conventional diameter could barely pass through the anastomotic site of the operation, but we initially judged the anastomotic stricture to not be severe. However, we finally determined the anastomotic stricture to be the cause of these symptoms; X-ray examinations frequently showed the blockage of feces or the collection of gas images in the colon when the symptoms occurred. We therefore performed endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) after performing electroincision of the scar tissue of the anastomotic ring. We dilated the area of the lesion to a diameter of 20 mm using the EBD technique, and thereafter the patient finally showed an improvement in quality of life. There have been some reports describing the usefulness of EBD for the treatment of colorectal anastomotic stricture. Past studies have reported the indications of EBD to include stricture, which is defined as a narrowed anastomosis through which a 12-mm-diameter colonoscope cannot be passed. Nevertheless, it seemed that when the clinical manifestations of anastomotic stricture are clear, such as those observed in our case, we should not too strictly adhere to this definition.

Mild hemophilia A diagnosed in a 55-year-old patient after pancreatoduodenectomy for carcinoma of the papilla of vater.

Hemophilia A is a sex-linked hereditary disease, and the total number of patients with this condition is small. It is quite rare for general surgeons to encounter a patient with hemophilia A. Moreover, it is extremely rare for surgeons to encounter adult patients with undiagnosed hemophilia. We describe a patient in whom intra-abdominal bleeding persisted after open abdominal surgery, leading to a diagnosis of hemophilia A. The patient was a 55-year-old man with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy, during and after which hemostatic difficulties were encountered. Our initial diagnosis was complex coagulopathy; however, transfusion of a large volume of fresh frozen plasma did not improve the activated partial thromboplastin time, which led us to suspect hemophilia. Thorough personal and family histories and determination of coagulation factor VIII showed that the patient belonged to a family with hemophilia A, which had not been recognized by his parents, leading to a diagnosis of mild hemophilia A based on decreased coagulation factor VIII levels. After diagnosis, intermittent administration of a coagulation factor VIII product controlled the bleeding. The patient is currently being treated on an outpatient basis and remains free of cancer recurrence.

[A case of elderly metastatic breast cancer with a complete response to treatment with capecitabine and cyclophosphamide].

We report a case of elderly metastatic breast cancer with a complete response to the treatment with XC (X: capecitabine and C: cyclophosphamide). A 78-year-old woman, who presented with left breast cancer, underwent pectoralis-preserving mastectomy when she was 76 years old. Pathological findings were as follows: invasive ductal carcinoma (scirrhous type), pT1c (2.0 cm), n (1/10), ly3, v1, ER (-), PgR (-), HER2: score 1. After one year and a half, a left supraclavicular lymph node metastasis, a left interpectoral lymph node metastasis, and mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis were noted. Capecitabine and cyclophosphamide were administered as first-line chemotherapy. After 8 cycles, all metastases responded, and this therapy is now being continued (19 cycles) on an outpatient basis. The complete response has continued for nine months. XC therapy can be the first-line chemotherapy for elderly metastatic breast cancer patients since it has been effective and no serious side effects have been encountered while maintaining quality of life.

Neuroendocrine cell differentiation of poorly differentiated colorectal adenocarcinoma correlates with liver metastasis.

Poorly differentiated (PD) adenocarcinoma often retains the capacity for neuroendocrine (NE) cell differ-entiation; however, it is difficult to distinguish the NE cell differentiation by routine hematoxylin and eosin staining. It is important to detect the presence of NE cell differentiation in advanced colorectal carcinomas because these carcinomas have been shown to produce distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis and to have a particularly poor prognosis. In this study, the characteristics of PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation and its biological metastatic mechanisms were investigated. Forty-eight of 2204 colorectal cancer patients, diagnosed as having PD adenocarcinoma (2.2%) were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed with anti-chromogranin A anti-synaptophysin, anti-CD34, anti-D2-40, and anti-VEGF antibodies. The clinicopathological factors for PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation were compared with those for PD adenocarcinoma without NE cell differentiation. Microvessel density (MVD) was assessed using immunostained slides with anti-CD34 antibody and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation was confirmed by in situ hybridization. By immunohistochemical staining for chromogranin A and synaptophysin, NE cell differentiation was detected in eight of 48 patients (16.7%) with PD adenocarcinoma. The frequency of liver metastasis at the time of diagnosis was significantly higher in patients having PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation (p=0.03). Moreover, MVD and VEGF expression level tended to be higher in patients having PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation (p=0.13 and 0.068, respectively). NE cell differentiation in PD adenocarcinoma may produce liver metastasis through microvessel formation in the tumor induced by VEGF. In PD colorectal adenocarcinoma, immunohistochemical analysis of NE markers is important for establishing the presence of NE cell differentiation and further study is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-angiogenic drugs to PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation.