Extraordinary first jejunal arterial variation associated with annular pancreas undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer: a case report.

PURPOSE: Annular pancreas encountered in adults and jejunal arterial variations are rare. Anatomical variations can cause conflicts between oncology and surgical safety. METHODS: Case report of a 68-year-old man suffering from vomiting because of an annular pancreas and a ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas head invading the second portion of the duodenum. RESULTS: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed multiple arterial variations describing the absence of the coeliac trunk such that the left gastric artery (LGA), splenic artery and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were arising separately from the aorta. The accessory left hepatic artery arose from the LGA; and both the common hepatic artery and combined trunk of the replaced right hepatic artery with the higher replaced first jejunal artery separately arose close to the root of the SMA. The patient underwent curative pancreaticoduodenectomy which achieved 3 years of recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSION: This was an extraordinary case of annular pancreas with first jejunal arterial variation detailing an embryological interpretation as well as considerations for balancing short- and long-term outcomes.

Predictive model for survival after liver resection for noncolorectal liver metastases in the modern era: a Japanese multicenter analysis.

BACKGROUND: Survival benefit of liver resection for noncolorectal liver metastases (NCRLM) remains to be defined. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective cohort analysis included consecutive patients with NCRLM whose primary tumor and all metastases were treated with curative intent between 2000 and 2013. The primary endpoint was 5-year overall survival. Clinicopathological factors that affected prognoses were identified using multivariate Cox regression analyses and were included in a predictive model. RESULTS: Data for 205 patients were analyzed. The three most common primary tumor sites were stomach (39%), pancreas (13%), and urinary tract (10%), with adenocarcinomas the main pathology (52%). R0 resection was achieved in 85%, and the overall survival at 5 years was 41%. In the multivariate analysis, synchronous liver metastases, R1/2 resection, and adenocarcinomas and other carcinomas (with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, neuroendocrine tumors G1/G2, and sarcomas set as the reference group) were independent negative indicators of overall survival. A predictive model effectively stratified the NCRLM patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups with overall 5-year survival rates of 63%, 38%, and 21%, respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who underwent curative resection for metachronous disease and favorable tumor pathology are expected to have better survival in the NCRLM cohort.

Liver atrophy after percutaneous transhepatic portal embolization occurs in two histological phases: Hepatocellular atrophy followed by apoptosis.

AIM: To clarify the histological changes associated with liver atrophy after percutaneous transhepatic portal embolization (PTPE) in pigs and humans. METHODS: As a preliminary study, we performed pathological examinations of liver specimens from five pigs that had undergone PTPE in a time-dependent model of liver atrophy. In specimens from embolized lobes (EMB) and nonembolized lobes (controls), we measured the portal vein to central vein distance (PV-CV), the area and number of hepatocytes per lobule, and apoptotic activity using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay. Immunohistochemical reactivities were evaluated for light chain 3 (LC3) and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) as autophagy markers and for glutamine synthetase and cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) as metabolic zonation markers. Samples from ten human livers taken 20-36 d after PTPE were similarly examined. RESULTS: PV-CVs and lobule areas did not differ between EMB and controls at day 0, but were lower in EMB than in controls at weeks 2, 4, and 6 (P ≤ 0.001). Hepatocyte numbers were not significantly reduced in EMB at day 0 and week 2 but were reduced at weeks 4 and 6 (P ≤ 0.05). Apoptotic activity was higher in EMB than in controls at day 0 and week 4. LC3 and LAMP2 staining peaked in EMB at week 2, with no significant difference between EMB and controls at weeks 4 and 6. Glutamine synthetase and CYP2E1 zonation in EMB at weeks 2, 4, and 6 were narrower than those in controls. Human results were consistent with those of porcine specimens. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of liver atrophy after PTPE has two histological phases: Hepatocellular atrophy is likely caused by autophagy in the first 2 wk and apoptosis thereafter.

A simple morphological classification to estimate the malignant potential of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND: A novel morphological classification using resected specimens predicted malignant potential and prognosis in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (P-NETs). The aim of this study was to examine the predictive ability of morphological diagnoses made using non-invasive multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in P-NETs. METHODS: Between 2002 and 2015, 154 patients were diagnosed with P-NETs at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and 82 patients who underwent surgical treatment were enrolled. The primary tumors were classified by MDCT into three types: Type I, simple nodular tumor; Type II, simple nodular tumor with extra-nodular growth; and Type III, confluent multinodular tumor. Patients were stratified by 15 clinical specialists according to classification and without any other clinical or pathological information. Clinicopathological features and patient survival were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The mean observation time was 1004 days. Forty-six, 22, and 14 patients had Type I, II, and III tumors, respectively. Morphological classification was significantly correlated with advanced features such as tumor size, Ki-67 index, and synchronous liver metastasis (p < 0.001 for all). There were significant differences between all three tumor types as judged by ENETS TNM classification (p < 0.001), AJCC TNM classification (p = 0.046), WHO 2004 classification (p < 0.001), and WHO 2010 classification (p < 0.001). Five-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates for patients with Type I, II, and III tumors were 97, 43, and 31%, respectively (I vs. II, p < 0.001; I vs. III, p < 0.001; II vs. III, p = 0.017). Multivariate analysis revealed Type II/III tumors and synchronous liver metastasis to be independent risk factors for poor PFS. CONCLUSION: A novel simple morphological classification system would predict Type II and III tumors that may have higher malignant potential than Type I tumors.

Early venous return in hepatic angiomyolipoma due to an intratumoral structure resembling an arteriovenous fistula.

Early venous return (EVR) is an important radiological feature of hepatic angiomyolipoma (HAML) that can aid in differential diagnosis, but the pathogenic mechanisms of EVR have yet to be elucidated. We present the first HAML case for which a probable mechanism for EVR is described. The patient was a 46-year-old woman, who had a growing 6-cm tumor with EVR in segment 3 of the liver as revealed by dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Left hepatic lobectomy was performed to prevent tumor rupture. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses of the excised tumor indicated HAML. Successive microsections of the tumor were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Victoria blue to visualize the vascular structure within and around the tumor. These analyses led to three major findings. First, many well-defined thick-walled vessels, such as arteries, were found entering the tumor. Second, many thick-walled vessels within the tumor were connected directly to thin-walled vessels, resembling arteriovenous fistulae. Finally, thin-walled intratumoral vessels were connected directly to the hepatic vein. These histological findings suggested that the rich arterial flow into the tumor was being rapidly drained into the hepatic vein through intratumoral arteriovenous connections. We also detected these same anomalous circulatory pathways in tissue sections from three of four additional HAML cases with EVR. Aberrant arteriovenous fistulae within the tumor may account for many cases of EVR in HAML patients.

[Resection of local recurrent gastric cancer following total gastrectomy].

We report a case of patient who underwent resection for local recurrent gastric cancer at the anastomotic site curatively. The patient was a 72 years old male with a history of undergoing total gastrectomy for gastric cancer located at the gastric cardia in February 2005. The histological findings of the resected tumor showed a Type 3 advanced gastric cancer invaded into subserosa in the cardia of the stomach with positive lymphatic and venous invasion and lymph node metastasis. The histological diagnosis was moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. Both the proximal and distal margins were negative for cancer. Endoscopy, 4 years after the first operation, showed a recurrent tumor at the site of esophago-jejunal anastomosis. A resection of the tumor was carried out curatively through the left thoraco-abdominal approach in June 2009. We recommend a resection of anastomotic recurrence especially if it occurs from the first operation in the long interval.

[Two cases of venous thrombosis confirmed during the bevacizumab combination chemotherapy for colorectal cancer].

We report two cases of venous thrombosis confirmed during the bevacizumab combination chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Case 1 was a 59-year-old man. We performed an operation for cancer of the rectum. At 2 years after the operation, he received mFOLFOX6 + bevacizumab therapy for a recurrence in the pelvis and lungs metastasis. After the 14th courses, He had a right shoulder pain and contrast enhanced computed tomography revealed deep vein thrombosis to the right arms. Case 2 was a 65-year-old man. We performed an operation for cancer of the rectum. At 6 months after the operation, he received mFOLFOX6 + bevacizumab therapy for lung metastases. After the 6th courses, contrast enhanced computed tomography revealed deep venous and pulmonary thrombosis for both sides, pulmonary thrombosis.

[A case of urachal carcinoma with transverse colon fistula].

A 61-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal pain. Computed tomography showed an abscess in the anterior abdominal wall and an intraabdominal tumor. Biopsy from bladder dome presented adenocarcinoma. We diagnosed the tumor as urachal carcinoma and operation was performed. The resected specimen showed transverse fistula. In Japan, there is no report of urachal carcinoma with fistula to digestive duct. We think it is a cause of strong infiltration of the carcinoma. Curative resection for urachal carcinoma with fistula can lead to a better prognosis, in spite of its invasive character.