Relapse rate and predictors of relapse after cessation of glucocorticoid maintenance therapy in type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis responds well to glucocorticoid therapy with a high remission rate. Moreover, glucocorticoid maintenance therapy can help prevent relapse. However, the relapse rate following cessation of long-term glucocorticoid therapy is unknown. The aim of this study was to clarify the relapse rate and predictors of relapse following long-term glucocorticoid therapy cessation. METHODS: We analyzed 94 patients who achieved remission after undergoing glucocorticoid therapy, discontinued treatment after at least 6 months of maintenance therapy, and were subsequently followed up for at least 6 months. The patients were divided into three groups based on treatment duration (< 18, 18-36, and ≥ 36 months), and their relapse rates were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinical factors were conducted to identify relapse predictors. RESULTS: After discontinuing glucocorticoid therapy, relapse was observed in 43 (45.7%) patients, with cumulative relapse rates of 28.2% at 1 year, 42.1% at 3 years, 47.0% at 5 years, and a plateau of 77.6% at 9 years. Of the 43 patients who relapsed, 25 (58.1%) relapsed within 1 year after after cessation of glucocorticoid therapy. Relapse and cumulative relapse rates did not differ significantly according to treatment duration. In the multivariate analysis, an elevated serum IgG4 level at the time of glucocorticoid cessation was found to be an independent predictor of relapse (hazard ratio, 4.511; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A high relapse rate occurred after cessation of glucocorticoid maintenance therapy, regardless of the duration of maintenance therapy, especially within the first year after cessation. However, the normalization of long-term serum IgG4 levels may be a factor in considering cessation.

Needle tract seeding after endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition of pancreatic tumors: A nationwide survey in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. The present study aimed to investigate the current status of needle tract seeding (NTS) after EUS-TA of pancreatic tumors based on a nationwide survey in Japan. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgical resection of primary pancreatic tumors after EUS-TA performed between April 2010 and March 2018 were surveyed. The incidence rates of NTS were determined, and compared in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) and other tumors, and in patients who underwent transgastric and transduodenal EUS-TA of PDACs. The detailed features and prognosis of patients with NTS were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 12,109 patients underwent surgical resection of primary pancreatic tumors after EUS-TA. The overall incidence rate of NTS was 0.330%, and the NTS rate was significantly higher in patients with PDAC than in those with other tumors (0.409% vs. 0.071%, P=0.004). NTS was observed in 0.857% of patients who underwent transgastric EUS-TA, but in none of those who underwent transduodenal EUS-TA. Of the patients with NTS of PDACs, the median time from EUS-TA to occurrence of NTS and median patient survival were 19.3 and 44.7 months, respectively, with 97.4% of NTS located in the gastric wall and 65.8% of NTS resected. The patient survival was significantly longer in patients who underwent NTS resection than in those without NTS resection (P=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: NTS appeared only after transgastric not after transduodenal EUS-TA. Careful follow-up provides an opportunity to remove localized NTS lesions by gastrectomy.

Impact of sclerosing dacryoadenitis/sialadenitis on relapse during steroid therapy in patients with type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: Steroids are the first-line drugs for induction of remission in patients with type 1 autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), and the usefulness of steroid maintenance therapy to prevent relapse has recently been reported. However, even during steroid therapy, a relatively large percentage of patients relapse and the predictive factors for relapse have not yet been elucidated. The aim of this study was to clarify the predictive factors for relapse of AIP patients during steroid therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 76 patients with type 1 AIP with continued steroid therapy after induction of remission were analyzed retrospectively. The relapse rate during steroid therapy was evaluated, and the risk factors for relapse were investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis of clinical factors. RESULTS: Relapse occurred in 28.9% (22/76) of the patients. The cumulative relapse rates were 10.5% at 1 year, 25.0% at 3 years, 34.9% at 5 years, and 43.0% at 10 years. In multivariate analysis, presence of sclerosing dacryoadenitis/sialadenitis at the time of initial diagnosis of AIP was an independent risk factor for relapse (HR 3.475, p = .009). The cumulative relapse rates of patients with sclerosing dacryoadenitis/sialadenitis reached 21.4% at 1 year, 56.0% at 3 years, and 78.0% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Sclerosing dacryoadenitis/sialadenitis was a predictive factor for relapse in type 1 AIP during steroid therapy; in such cases, strict follow-up is necessary with relapse in mind.

Multicenter study of early pancreatic cancer in Japan.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The diagnosis of early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is still challenging. We conducted a multicenter study to clarify the clinical features of early-stage PDAC in Japan. METHODS: We collected patients with stage 0 and stage I PDAC according to the sixth edition of the Japanese Classification of Pancreatic Carcinoma. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical profiles including opportunities for medical examination, imaging modalities and findings, methods of cytological diagnosis, and prognosis according to the stages at diagnosis. RESULTS: Two hundred cases with Stage 0 and stage I PDAC were reported from 14 institutions, which accounted for approximately 0.7% and 3% of all PDAC cases, respectively. Overall, 20% of the early-stage PDAC cases were symptomatic. Indirect imaging findings such as dilatation of the main pancreatic duct were useful to detect early-stage PDAC. In particular, local fatty changes may be specific to early-stage PDAC. For preoperative pathologic diagnosis, cytology during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was more commonly applied than endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration. Although the overall prognosis was favorable, new PDAC lesions developed in the remnant pancreas in 11.5% cases. CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter study revealed several key points concerning the diagnosis and management of early-stage PDAC, including screening of asymptomatic cases, importance of indirect imaging findings, application of cytology during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and the risk of carcinogenesis in the remnant pancreas.

A comparison of 4-Fr with 5-Fr endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage catheters: A randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage (ENPD) is useful for collecting samples for pancreatic juice cytology and for treating leakage of pancreatic juice and occlusive pancreatitis, placement of the ENPD catheter is associated with complications such as post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP). We investigated whether an ENPD catheter with a smaller diameter could reduce the incidence of complications. METHODS: Patients requiring placement of an ENPD catheter (n = 254) were enrolled and randomly assigned to one of two catheter-size groups: the 4-Fr group or the 5-Fr group. The incidence of PEP, cholangitis, and spontaneous catheter displacement and the suitability of pancreatic juice cytology samples were compared between groups. In addition, univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on factors associated with PEP. RESULTS: The incidence of PEP was significantly lower in the 4-Fr group compared with the 5-Fr group (4.1% vs 12.4%, respectively; P = 0.021). The rate of cholangitis and spontaneous catheter displacement and the suitability of pancreatic juice cytology samples did not differ between groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that the risk of PEP was 3.7 times higher when using a 5-Fr catheter than when using a 4-Fr catheter (P = 0.019). In addition, the risk of PEP was 4.1 times higher in patients with an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm than in those without (P = 0.0049) and 4.6 times higher in patients aged <65 than in those aged ≥65 (P = 0.0033). CONCLUSIONS: A 4-Fr catheter is as useful as a 5-Fr catheter and is associated with a significantly lower incidence of PEP.

Long term persistence of NS5A inhibitor-resistant hepatitis C virus in patients who failed daclatasvir and asunaprevir therapy.

Although interferon-free antiviral treatment is expected to improve treatment of hepatitis C, it is unclear to what extent pre-existing drug-resistant amino acid substitutions influence response to therapy. The impact of pre-existing drug-resistant substitutions on virological response to daclatasvir and asunaprevir combination therapy was studied in genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Thirty-one patients were treated with daclatasvir and asunaprevir for 24 weeks. Twenty-six patients achieved sustained virological response (SVR), three patients experienced viral breakthrough, and two patients relapsed. Direct sequencing analysis of HCV showed the existence of daclatasvir-resistant NS5A-L31M or -Y93H/F variants in nine out of 30 patients (30%) prior to treatment, while asunaprevir-resistant NS3-D168 mutations were not detected in any patient. All 21 patients with wild-type NS5A-L31 and -Y93 achieved SVR, whereas only four out of nine patients (44%) with L31M or Y93F/H substitutions achieved SVR (P = 0.001). Ultra-deep sequencing analysis showed that treatment failure was associated with the emergence of both NS5A-L31/Y93 and NS3-D168 variants. NS5A-L31/Y93 variants remained at high frequency through post-treatment weeks 103 through 170, while NS3-D168 variants were replaced by wild-type in all patients. In conclusion, pre-existence of NS5A inhibitor-resistant substitutions compromised the response to daclatasvir and asunaprevir combination therapy, and treatment failure was associated with the emergence of both NS5A-L31/Y93 and NS3-D168 variants. While asunaprevir-resistant variants that emerged during therapy returned to wild-type, daclatasvir-resistant variants tended to persist in the absence of the drug.

Evaluation of antibiotic use to prevent post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis and cholangitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between prophylactic antibiotic use and complications following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively evaluated 605 consecutive patients who underwent ERCP in our hospital between September 2009 and November 2011. The antibiotic group included patients who underwent their procedure before October 2010, while the control group included patients after October 1, 2010, who did not receive antibiotics. We compared the incidence of postoperative pancreatitis and cholangitis between the groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the backgrounds of the 304 control and the 301 antibiotic-treated patients. The incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis was 4.9% in the control group and 4.3% in the antibiotic group (p = 0.72). The incidence of postoperative cholangitis was 2.0% in the control group and 1.7% in the antibiotic group (p = 0.99). Choledocholithiasis, pancreatic duct injection, and female gender were detected as significant risk factors for postoperative pancreatitis by multivariate analysis; sclerosing cholangitis and incomplete biliary drainage were significant risk factors for postoperative cholangitis. Even in cases with these risk factors, prophylactic antibiotic use did not influence the incidence of pancreatitis or cholangitis. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic antibiotics do not reduce the incidence of either pancreatitis or cholangitis following ERCP.

Timing of radiological improvement after steroid therapy in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively studied the timing of radiological improvement after steroid therapy in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with AIP (n = 31) received steroids followed by diagnostic imaging within 1 month. Pancreatic swelling, pancreatic and bile duct features, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were compared before and after treatment. The period from treatment initiation to evaluation was divided into five phases: early phase (days 3-5), week 1 (days 6 and 7), week 2 (days 8-14), week 3 (days 15-21), and week 4 (days 22-28). Five gastroenterologists evaluated pancreatic swelling and duct features (good/intermediate/no response), and the "good response" rate (response rate) was calculated for each phase. In addition, pancreatic volumes were measured with a 3D workstation before and after treatment, and the percentage change in volume was calculated. ADC values were calculated in 14 patients. RESULTS: The median ratio of pancreatic volume after relative to before treatment was 0.89, 0.79, 0.67, 0.59, and 0.47 for early phase, week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4, respectively. The response rate of the pancreatic swelling was 37.5%, 57.1%, 83.3%, 100%, and 100%; response rate of the pancreatic duct was 0%, 20%, 75%, 75% and 100%; and response rate of the bile duct was 0%, 66.7%, 83.3%, 100%, and 80%. The ADC increased after treatment in all 14 patients, including the 7 patients evaluated in the early phase. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of pancreatic swelling and duct features is recommended in week 2 and thereafter. The ADC increased soon after treatment initiation, suggesting its usefulness for evaluating early treatment responses.

Comparative study of 4 Fr versus 6 Fr nasobiliary drainage catheters: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Despite the benefits of endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (NBD) in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) and nose/throat discomfort can result. We aimed to determine whether the use of a smaller catheter alleviates these complications. METHOD: A randomized, controlled trial at a tertiary care center compared 4 Fr and 6 Fr NBD catheters; 165 ERCP patients with naïve papillae were randomly assigned to a catheter-size group. RESULTS: The prevalence of PEP was significantly lower in the 4 Fr group (3.7%; 3/82) than in the 6 Fr group (15.7%; 13/83; P = 0.019). No spontaneous catheter displacement occurred within 24 h. Discomfort visual analog scores were 2.6 and 4.3 in the 4 Fr and 6 Fr groups, respectively (P = 0.0048) on procedure day; on the following day, the scores were 2.3 and 3.6 (P = 0.028). Bile output was 16.3 mL/h and 21.4 mL/h in the 4 Fr and 6 Fr groups (P = 0.051). On obstructive jaundice subgroup analysis, bile drainage was 19.2 mL/h and 22.1 mL/h in the 4 Fr and 6 Fr groups (P = 0.40). The 4 Fr group required 5.6 days to reduce bilirubin levels versus 6.1 days in the 6 Fr group (P = 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with naïve papillae, lower rates of PEP and less nose/throat discomfort are associated with the use of 4 Fr NBD catheters. In patients with obstructive jaundice, 4 Fr and 6 Fr catheters are comparable with regard to bile output and bilirubin level reduction.

Characteristic Features of Cholangiocarcinoma Complicating Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is often complicated by cholangiocarcinoma (CCA); thus, early detection of CCA is an important way to improve PSC prognosis. METHODOLOGY: In a retrospective study, 23 cases of PSC were included. Seven cases were complicated by CCA (CCA group) and 16 cases were not (control group). Blood examinations, bile duct imagings from direct cholangiography, intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) findings and pathological diagnosis results (bile juice cytology, brush cytology, and forceps biopsy) were referenced. RESULTS: Blood examinations showed that serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), total bilirubin, and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly higher in the CCA group, whereas cholangiography showed that the dominant stricture was significantly longer in the CCA group. No significant difference in the IDUS findings was observed between the 2 groups. Cholangioscopy enabled CCA diagnosis via identification of the papillary mucosa in sites other than the stricture. Forceps biopsy was the most useful pathological diagnostic technique, with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The CA19-9 level and bile duct stricture morphology were useful for diagnosing CCA complicating PSC. Aggressive performance of cholangioscopy and pathological diagnostic techniques, such as brush cytology and forceps biopsy, are essential for identification.

The effect of respiratory-gated positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Our aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively in patients with pancreatic cancer the effects of respiratory- gating during PET/CT acquisition on the determination of lesion volume and to measure tracer uptake. Our research included 36 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They underwent conventional whole-body PET/CT and subsequently respiratory-gated PET/CT of the upper abdomen. Based on list-mode PET acquisition data, respiratory-gated and non-gated images were created. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) and lesion volumes were compared between gated and non-gated images and also the rate of increase in SUVmax based on lesion size. Results showed that respiratory gating was successful in 34/36 patients. The median non-gated SUVmax was 6.2±2.1 and was 8.1±2.5 for respiratory- gated (P<0.01). Lesion volumes could be calculated in 27/34 patients. The median non-gated lesion volume was 5.82±5.57cm(3) and 4.31±4.56cm(3) for respiratory-gated (P<0.01). Furthermore, small lesions of ≤2cm had a significantly higher proportion of increased SUVmax compared to large lesions of >2cm (P=0.016). In conclusion, respiratory-gated PET/CT for patients with pancreatic cancer reduced respiratory motion artifacts and allowed significantly higher SUVmax to be obtained. In addition, the rate of increase in SUVmax tended to be higher in patients with pancreatic cancers of less or equal to 2cm diameter.

[A case of chronic hepatitis C with pancreas divisum and acute pancreatitis during combination treatment with telaprevir/peginterferon/ribavirin].

A 47-year-old man developed acute pancreatitis during combination treatment with telaprevir/peginterferon/ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C. Cessation of telaprevir, fasting, and gabexate mesilate improved the pancreatitis. Although peginterferon and ribavirin treatment was continued, there was no recurrence of the pancreatitis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography incidentally showed a pancreas divisum. We definitively diagnosed drug-induced acute pancreatitis due to telaprevir.

[Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm after endoscopic biliary stenting for pancreatic cancer].

A man in his sixties presented to our hospital with obstructive jaundice and was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Chemoradiotherapy was initiated, and an expandable metallic stent was inserted endoscopically to drain the biliary system. Six months later, he was referred to our hospital with 1-week history of epigastric pain and obstructive jaundice. On admission for further evaluation, he experienced hematemesis and went into severe shock. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed active bleeding from the duodenal papilla. Therefore, we performed endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD). On day 4, blood was detected in the ENBD tube, and the patient again experienced hematemesis. Emergent enhanced computed tomography revealed a right hepatic arterial aneurysm that had likely ruptured and caused the hemobilia. The aneurysm was successfully embolized, and the patient was discharged on hospital day 21.

A novel TK-NOG based humanized mouse model for the study of HBV and HCV infections.

The immunodeficient mice transplanted with human hepatocytes are available for the study of the human hepatitis viruses. Recently, human hepatocytes were also successfully transplanted in herpes simplex virus type-1 thymidine kinase (TK)-NOG mice. In this study, we attempted to infect hepatitis virus in humanized TK-NOG mice and urokinase-type plasminogen activator-severe combined immunodeficiency (uPA-SCID) mice. TK-NOG mice were injected intraperitoneally with 6 mg/kg of ganciclovir (GCV), and transplanted with human hepatocytes. Humanized TK-NOG mice and uPA/SCID mice were injected with hepatitis B virus (HBV)- or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive human serum samples. Human hepatocyte repopulation index (RI) estimated from human serum albumin levels in TK-NOG mice correlated well with pre-transplantation serum ALT levels induced by ganciclovir treatment. All humanized TK-NOG and uPA-SCID mice injected with HBV infected serum developed viremia irrespective of lower replacement index. In contrast, establishment of HCV viremia was significantly more frequent in TK-NOG mice with low human hepatocyte RI (<70%) than uPA-SCID mice with similar RI. Frequency of mice spontaneously in early stage of viral infection experiment (8weeks after injection) was similar in both TK-NOG mice and uPA-SCID mice. Effects of drug treatment with entecavir or interferon were similar in both mouse models. TK-NOG mice thus useful for study of hepatitis virus virology and evaluation of anti-viral drugs.

[A case of clonorchiasis complicated with the expansion of liver cyst].

A 61-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for examination of the cause of rapid growth of a liver cyst. We found a slight dilatation of bile duct in the vicinity of the liver cyst. Then, we underwent ERCP and found a communication between the bile duct and liver cyst. Bile cytodiagnosis revealed a large quantity of clonorchis eggs. The patient like to do eat raw freshwater fish and we suspected that the acute expansion of the cyst was due to clonorchiasis. Following administration of 40mg/kg praziquantel, the blood clonorchis antibody disappeared and the liver cyst also disappeared after 6 months. We encountered a case of clonorchiasis complicated with growth of a liver cyst. Medical interviews should be conducted carefully along with meticulous examinations.

Diagnostic Ability and Safety of Repeated Pancreatic Juice Cytology Using an Endoscopic Nasopancreatic Drainage Catheter for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

Pathological examination is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Moreover, a reliable pathological diagnosis is extremely important for improving prognosis, especially in early-stage PDAC. This study prospectively evaluated the usefulness of repeated pancreatic juice cytology (PJC) using an endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage (ENPD) catheter for the diagnosis of PDAC. We enrolled 82 patients suspected of having resectable PDAC, based on imaging studies, and judged the necessity for cytology. The diagnostic yield of up to six repeated PJCs and the incidence of complications, such as pancreatitis, was evaluated. A total of 60 patients were diagnosed with PDAC. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 46.7% and 95.5%, respectively. The cumulative positivity rate increased with the number of sampling sessions, reaching 58.3% in the sixth session. The sensitivity was significantly higher in the pancreatic head than in the pancreatic tail (p = 0.043). Additionally, it was 100% in four patients with a tumor size ≤10 mm. Pancreatitis occurred in six patients (7.3%), all of whom were treated conservatively. In the diagnosis of PDAC, repeated PJC using an ENPD catheter revealed a cumulative effect of sensitivity up to six times and an excellent diagnostic yield for small PDAC.

A multicenter, prospective, randomized study of selective bile duct cannulation performed by multiple endoscopists: the BIDMEN study.

BACKGROUND: Wire-guided cannulation (WGC) with a sphincterotome (S) for selective bile duct cannulation (SBDC) has been reported to have a higher success rate and lower incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) than conventional methods in some randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that were both single center and limited to only a few endoscopists. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the difference in SBDC according to the method and catheter used in a multicenter and multiendoscopist study. DESIGN: A prospective, multicenter RCT with a 2 × 2 factorial design. SETTING: Fifteen referral endoscopy units. PATIENTS: In total, 400 consecutive patients with naive papillae who were candidates for ERCP were enrolled and randomized. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were assigned to 4 groups according to combined catheter (S or catheter [C]) and method (with/without guidewire [GW]). MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Success rate of SBDC performed in 10 minutes, SBDC time, fluoroscopy time, and incidence of complications. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the SBDC success rate between the groups with and without GW, between C and S, or among the 4 groups (C+GW, C, S+GW, S). WGC had a tendency to significantly shorten cannulation and fluoroscopy times only in approximately 70% of patients in this study in whom SBDC was achieved in 10 minutes or less (P = .036 and .00004, respectively). All 4 groups resulted in similar outcomes in PEP (4%, 5.9%, 2%, and 2.1%, respectively). LIMITATIONS: Non-double-blind study. CONCLUSIONS: WGC appears to significantly shorten cannulation and fluoroscopy times. However, neither the method nor type of catheter used resulted in significant differences in either SBDC success rate or incidence of PEP in this RCT. ( CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN000002572.).

Comparison of partially covered nitinol stents with partially covered stainless stents as a historical control in a multicenter study of distal malignant biliary obstruction: the WATCH study.

BACKGROUND: Covered self-expandable metal stents (CSEMSs) were developed to prevent tumor ingrowth, but stent migration is one of the problems with CSEMSs. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a new, commercially available CSEMS with flared ends and low axial force compared with a commercially available CSEMS without the anti-migration system and high axial force. DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective study with a historical cohort. SETTING: Twenty Japanese referral centers. PATIENTS: This study involved patients with unresectable distal malignant biliary obstruction. INTERVENTION: Placement of a new, commercially available, partially covered SEMS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Recurrent biliary obstruction rate, time to recurrent biliary obstruction, stent-related complications, survival. RESULTS: Between April 2009 and March 2010, 141 patients underwent partially covered nitinol stent placement, and between May 2001 and January 2007, 138 patients underwent placement of partially covered stainless stents as a historical control. The silicone cover of the partially covered nitinol stents prevented tumor ingrowth. There were no significant differences in survival (229 vs 219 days; P = .250) or the rate of recurrent biliary obstruction (33% vs 38%; P = .385) between partially covered nitinol stents and partially covered stainless stents. Stent migration was less frequent (8% vs 17%; P = .019), and time to recurrent biliary obstruction was significantly longer (373 vs 285 days; P = .007) with partially covered nitinol stents. Stent removal was successful in 26 of 27 patients (96%). LIMITATIONS: Nonrandomized, controlled trial. CONCLUSION: Partially covered nitinol stents with an anti-migration system and less axial force demonstrated longer time to recurrent biliary obstruction with no tumor ingrowth and less stent migration.

[Malignant phyllodes tumor metastatic to the pancreas: a case report].

A woman in her 50s was admitted with obstructive jaundice due to a pancreatic mass. She had a history of a right breast phyllodes tumor treated with mastectomy 3 years previously. Diagnostic imaging (endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), CT, and MRI) demonstrated a well-demarcated mass in the pancreatic head. EUS-FNA showed spindle shaped tumor cells. The pancreaticoduodenectomy specimen showed a malignant spindle cell tumor consistent with a metastatic malignant phyllodes tumor. In addition, immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that the staining pattern of pancreatic tumor was similar to that of the breast phyllodes tumor. Pancreatic metastases from breast phyllodes tumors have rarely been reported in the literature.

Mixed neuroendocrine non-neuroendocrine neoplasm: a case report and review.

Mixed neuroendocrine non-neuroendocrine neoplasm (MiNEN) of the pancreas is a rare entity, and obtaining a preoperative diagnosis is difficult. We present a 70-year-old man in whom the possibility of MiNEN was successfully discovered preoperatively by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). Immunostaining revealed positive results for the neuroendocrine markers chromogranin A and synaptophysin. We considered the possibility for MiNEN before surgery. He underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. Immunohistochemical examination of the tumor cells showed a wide range of positivity for trypsin as well as for chromogranin A and synaptophysin. Considering that ≥ 30% tumors ware positive for both acinar and neuroendocrine markers, the patient was diagnosed with MiNEN. MiNEN is a malignant tumor that requires early detection and treatment but is a rare disease for which no method has been established. We found that EUS-FNA and immunostaining are effective diagnostic methods for MiNEN.