Ghrelin level and body weight loss after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ghrelin is a peptide hormone predominantly produced by endocrine cells in the oxyntic mucosa of the stomach and is an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Ghrelin plays an important role in regulating appetite, food intake, and energy metabolism. We investigated the correlation between clinicopathologic factors and plasma ghrelin concentration before and after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction for esophageal cancer treatment. METHODS: The study group comprised 25 patients (22 men, three women, age range 46-78 y) with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction between 1999 and 2007. Blood samples were collected before and three times after the operation. Plasma concentrations of ghrelin were determined using a sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay kit. RESULTS: Plasma ghrelin concentrations were significantly decreased to 38.7% of the preoperative concentration at postoperative d 7. Plasma ghrelin concentrations recovered slightly over 6-24 mo postoperatively. After 36 mo or longer, ghrelin concentrations had returned to preoperative levels. There was no relationship between ghrelin concentrations and gender, location of tumor, tumor stage, operative procedure, and reconstruction route at each time point. There was a significant relationship between the decrease in body mass index and decrease in plasma ghrelin in patients at 6-24 mo after esophagectomy (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma ghrelin concentrations decrease on a temporary basis after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction and are associated with body weight loss after surgery.

Liver hemorrhage due to idiopathic peliosis hepatis successfully treated with hepatic artery embolization.

Peliosis hepatis is an extremely rare condition that may cause fatal hepatic hemorrhage and liver failure. We report a case of liver hemorrhage due to idiopathic peliosis hepatis. A 60-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with slight right hypochondriac pain. She went into hemorrhagic shock, and computed tomography (CT) showed multiple low-density areas in the right liver with massive subcapsular blood collection. Selective transfemoral arteriography of the celiac artery revealed no signs of vascular malformation or tumor stain, but showed signs of pooling in the right posterior segmental artery. The artery was embolized with particles of gelatin sponge, and hemostatic control was successful. Although peliosis hepatis is extremely rare, the diagnosis is significant because of its urgent clinical status, and transarterial embolization is a useful and minimally invasive procedure for liver hemorrhage due to peliosis hepatis.

Surgical case of isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis in a patient without predisposing factors.

We report a case of isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis in a 47-year-old woman without predisposing factors. She had episodes of low-grade fever and non-productive cough and was initially diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. With antibiotic treatment, her condition improved transiently, but she had repeated respiratory events. Forty days after her first visit, she complained of severe dyspnea. Echocardiography revealed a large vegetation adhering to the pulmonary valve and she was diagnosed with isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis. Surgical treatment was selected because antibiotic treatment was not effective. The main pulmonary artery was transected above the annulus and the infected valve was excised. To avoid contact of the prosthetic valve with the infected pulmonary annulus, a stentless bioprosthesis was interposed between the transected parts of the pulmonary trunk. Two years after the surgery, the patient is stable with no sign of infection.

Aortoiliac Artery Reconstruction Using Bilateral Reversed Superficial Femoral Veins for an Infected Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Surgical treatment of an infected abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA) is difficult and the ideal graft material is a subject of debate. A 60-year-old man with untreated diabetes mellitus was referred to our hospital presenting with fever and left lower abdominal pain. The patient was diagnosed with an IAAA by blood culture and computed tomography. We treated the patient surgically for the IAAA using bilateral reversed superficial femoral veins which were shaped into a bifurcated graft. No signs of recurrent infection or aneurysmal dilation were observed for 3 years after the procedure.

Infected abdominal aortic aneurysm caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae diagnosed using polymerase chain reaction.

We report the case of a 55-year-old man who initially visited the emergency department of our hospital owing to fever, headache, and neck stiffness. He was diagnosed with meningitis because cerebrospinal fluid culture was positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae. After intravenous antibiotic treatment, the patient's condition returned to normal. On hospital day 20, he complained of lumbar pain with abdominal distension. Because an abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan showed a small sacciform infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm, an infected aneurysm was suspected. However, cerebrospinal fluid and blood cultures were negative for S. pneumoniae. Seven days later, a second abdominal CT was performed that showed rapid expansion of the sacciform infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm. The patient was diagnosed with an infected abdominal aortic aneurysm and underwent surgery for resection of the aneurysm and in situ reconstruction with a rifampicin-soaked vascular prosthesis. Although blood and aneurysmal tissue cultures were negative for S. pneumoniae, the autolysin (lytA) gene, which is the target gene of S. pneumoniae, was detected in the abdominal aortic wall by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Therefore, appropriate molecular diagnostic techniques can be used for the rapid detection of pathogens. An accurate diagnosis can be used to direct postoperative antibiotic therapy.

Apicoaortic conduit for severe hemolytic anemia after aortic valve replacement.

We describe the case of an 82-year-old woman who had undergone aortic mechanical valve replacement for aortic stenosis with a small annulus, and coronary artery bypass grafting. Four years after the operation, she began to experience hemolysis. Prosthetic valve obstruction was observed but there was no paravalvular leakage or aortic regurgitation through the mechanical valve. We elected to perform apicoaortic bypass in this patient with severe hemolytic anemia secondary to a mechanical valve malfunction.

Spontaneous innominate and left common carotid artery dissection with bovine aortic arch.

We describe a case of a 63-year-old woman who presented with spontaneous dissection of the innominate and left common carotid arteries arising from a common trunk, so-called "bovine aortic arch." The entry tear was seen in the common trunk at the origin of the innominate artery with no dissection extending into the aortic arch or the ascending aorta. The dissection was resected and total arch replacement was performed considering the aortic wall fragility complicated by the dissection.