[A case of advanced sigmoid colon cancer with metastases in the liver and the paraaortic lymph nodes successfully treated with 5-FU/l-LV and FOLFOX4 followed by S-1 leading to long-term complete response].

The patient was a 70-year-old woman with sigmoid colon cancer and metastases in the liver and the paraaortic lymph nodes. We performed sigmoidectomy along with lymph node dissection. The solitary hepatic metastasis was 3 cm in diameter; however, hepatectomy was not performed because metastases in the paraaortic lymph nodes persisted. The serum carcino embryonic antigen(CEA)level was above 200 ng/mL, both preoperatively and postoperatively. After surgery, chemo- therapy was initiated. Initially, weekly 5-fluorouracil and l / -Leucovorin(5-FU/l-LV)therapy was administered 4 times. Subsequently, 5-FU/folinic acid plus oxaliplatin(FOLFOX4)therapy was administered 12 times every 2 weeks. Thereafter, S-1 therapy(orally, 40 mg twice a day, 28 days, followed by 14 days of rest)was initiated. After 3 months of chemotherapy, serum CEA levels decreased rapidly to within the normal limit. Paraaortic lymph node metastases and the hepatic metastasis disappeared after 3 months and 11 months, respectively. S-1 therapy was continued for over 7 years. Currently, it has been over 1 year since the discontinuation of S-1 therapy, and complete response has been maintained for over 9 years since the surgery.

Blood compatibility of the adsorptive device filled with poly arylate beads.

The clinical treatments with blood purification therapy is most suitable in which a blood compatible adsorbent is employed. In the present study, two kinds of adsorber with different filling ratio (% rate with a bulk volume in the column volume (v)) with 83% (PAB-83) and 100% (PAB-100) were prepared, respectively. The adsorbent (PAB - Poly Arylate Beads), which was filled up in the column, was prepared with the phase-inversion method. Usually the major problems of blood purification therapy are blood clotting and the residual blood in the column during/after therapy process. The therapy should be interrupted when the internal pressure of the column dramatically go up by such problems. We concluded that PAB does not affect the blood clotting formation in terms of endogenous clotting parameters, i.e., activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and the amount of fibrinogen (Fib). They lead to not dramatically decreasing of the essential protein. These adsorbers might be available to use as the adsorptive device for the blood purification therapy.

Synbiotics reduce postoperative infectious complications: a randomized controlled trial in biliary cancer patients undergoing hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The clinical value of synbiotics in surgical patients remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of synbiotics on intestinal integrity and microflora, as well as on surgical outcome, in patients undergoing high-risk hepatectomy. METHODS: Fifty-four patients with biliary cancer were randomly allocated to two groups before hepatectomy. One group received postoperative enteral feeding that included synbiotics; the other received enteral feeding only. Lactulose/mannitol (L/M) ratio, serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, and fecal microflora and organic acid concentrations were determined. Postoperative infectious complications were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 54 patients, 44 completed the trial (21 receiving synbiotics and 23 others as controls). Postoperative changes in L/M ratios and serum DAO activities were identical between the two groups. Numbers of beneficial bacteria increased in the synbiotics group after surgery but decreased in controls. Numbers of harmful microorganisms decreased in the synbiotics group but increased in controls. Total organic acid concentrations increased in the synbiotics group but decreased in controls. Incidence of infectious complications was 19% (4/21) in the synbiotics group and 52% (12/23) in controls (P<0.05). All study patients tolerated surgery (mortality 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Synbiotics, combined with early enteral nutrition, can reduce postoperative infections. This beneficial effect presumably involves correction of an intestinal microbial imbalance induced by surgical stress.

Epidermoid cyst in an intrapancreatic accessory spleen: a case report.

Ectopic splenic tissue in the abdominal cavity is a common entity, with a reported incidence of 10% in the general population. However, an intrapancreatic accessory spleen is a rare disease, and moreover cyst formation in it is exceedingly rare. A 58-year-old woman with a 25-mm multilocular cyst in the tail of the pancreas detected incidentally by ultrasonography was admitted for further evaluation. Because malignancy could not be ruled out, a spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy was performed. The cut surface of the surgical specimen showed a multilocular cyst surrounded by brown solid tissue resembling normal spleen. Pathological examination revealed it was stratified squamous epithelium and was surrounded by splenic tissue. The final pathological diagnosis was epidermoid cyst in an accessory spleen in the pancreas. This cyst has no characteristic features on diagnostic imaging. Consequently, it is not possible to make a definite preoperative diagnosis in most cases. Epidermoid cyst in intrapancreatic splenic tissue is another lesion to be considered in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tail tumors.

The value of bile replacement during external biliary drainage: an analysis of intestinal permeability, integrity, and microflora.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of bile replacement following percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, ie, external drainage, on intestinal permeability, integrity, and microflora in a clinical setting. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Several authors have reported that internal biliary drainage is superior to external drainage. However, it is unclear whether bile replacement following external drainage is beneficial. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with biliary cancer underwent percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) as a part of presurgical management. All externally drained bile was replaced either per os or by administration through a nasoduodenal tube. The interval between PTBD and the beginning of bile replacement was 21.3 +/- 19.7 days, and the length of bile replacement was 20.7 +/- 9.6 days. The lactulose-mannitol test, measurement of serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, and analyses of fecal microflora and organic acids were performed before and after bile replacement. RESULTS: The volume of externally drained bile varied widely from patient to patient, ranging from 220 +/- 106 mL/d to 1616 +/- 394 mL/d (mean, 714 +/- 346 mL/d). Biliary concentrations of bile acids, cholesterol, and phospholipids increased significantly after bile replacement. The lactulose-mannitol (L/M) ratio decreased from 0.063 +/- 0.060 before bile replacement to 0.038 +/- 0.032 after bile replacement (P < 0.05). Serum DAO activity increased from 3.9 +/- 1.4 U/L before bile replacement to 5.1 +/- 1.6 U/L after bile replacement (P < 0.005), and the magnitude of change in serum DAO activity correlated with the length of bile replacement (r = 0.483, P < 0.05). Neither the L/M ratios nor serum DAO activities before bile replacement correlated with the interval between PTBD and the beginning of bile replacement. Fecal microflora and organic acids were unchanged. CONCLUSION: Impaired intestinal barrier function does not recover by PTBD without bile replacement. Bile replacement during external biliary drainage can restore the intestinal barrier function in patients with biliary obstruction, primarily due to repair of physical damage to the intestinal mucosa. Our results support the hypothesis that bile replacement during external drainage is beneficial.