Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct presenting with hepatogastric fistula: a case report and literature review.

Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) is an uncommon entity characterized by papillary growth within the bile duct lumen. IPNB is regarded as a biliary counterpart of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas, which sometimes complicates with fistula formation to adjacent organs, mainly due to high-pressure related erosion from mucin-filled ducts. However, fistula formation from IPNB is quite rare. Here we report a case of IPNB complicated with hepatogastric fistula. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed disproportional dilatation of left intrahepatic duct with intraluminal soft tissue nodules and fistulous connections to gastric high body. Endoscopy revealed ulcers with two fistulous orifices at upper gastric body. The patient underwent left hepatectomy with gastric wedge resection. Histopathology examination revealed IPNB with invasive cholangiocarcinoma, directly invading to gastric wall leading to hepatogastric fistula. In summary, we have presented the clinical, imaging and pathological findings, along with a comprehensive review of relevant literature, in order to enhance the understanding of this rare condition.

The combination of sarcopenia and biochemical factors can predict the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving transarterial chemoembolization.

Background: Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) is the suggested treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) not amenable to curative treatments. We investigated the role of sarcopenia on overall survival in HCC patients receiving TACE and proposed a new prognostic scoring system incorporating sarcopenia. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 260 HCC patients who received TACE between 2010 and 2015. Total psoas muscle was measured on a cross-sectional CT image before the first TACE session. Sarcopenia was defined by the pre-determined sex-specific cutoff value. We assessed the impact of sarcopenia and other biochemical factors on the overall survival and compared the new scoring system with other prognostic scoring systems. Results: One hundred and thirty patients (50%) were classified as sarcopenia before the first TACE. They were older with a higher male tendency and a significantly lower body mass index (BMI). Cox regression multivariate analysis demonstrated that sarcopenia, multiple tumors, maximal tumor diameter≥ 5cm, major venous thrombosis, sarcopenia, AFP ≥ 200 ng/ml, and albumin<3.5mg/dL were independent poor prognostic factors for overall survival in HCC patients receiving TACE. Our scoring system comprising these factors outperformed other major scoring systems in terms of predicting survival after TACE. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that sarcopenia was an independent prognostic factor for HCC undergoing TACE therapy. Our newly developed scoring system could effectively predict patient survival after TACE. Physicians could, based on the current score model, carefully select candidate patients for TACE treatment in order to optimize their survival. Further studies are warranted to validate our findings.

Gastric hydrodistension CT versus CT without gastric distension in preoperative TN staging of gastric carcinoma: analysis of single-center cancer registry.

Accurate staging of gastric cancer is essential for the selection and optimization of therapy. Hydrodistension of the stomach is recommended to improve the accuracy of preoperative staging with contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). This study compares the performance of contrast-enhanced gastric water distension versus a nondistension MDCT protocol for T and N staging and serosal invasion in comparison to surgical histopathology. After propensity score matching, 86 patients in each group were included for analysis. The overall accuracy of distension versus nondistension group in T staging was 45% (95% CI 35-56) and 55% (95% CI 44-65), respectively (p = 0.29). There was no difference in the sensitivity and specificity in individual T staging and assessment of serosal invasion (all p > 0.41). Individual stage concordance with pathology was not significantly different (all p > 0.41). The overall accuracy of N staging was the same for distension and nondistension groups (51% [95% CI 40-62]). The majority of N0 staging (78-81%) were correctly staged, whereas N3 staging cases (63-68%) were predominantly understaged. In summary, there was no significant difference in the diagnostic performance of individual TN staging and assessment of serosal invasion using MDCT with or without gastric water distension.

Primary lung cancer with radioiodine avidity: A thyroid cancer cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A proportion of lung cancers show sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) expression. Lung cancers with NIS expression may uptake radioiodine (RAI) and show RAI-avid lesions on RAI scan for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) surveillance. AIM: To investigate the possibility of RAI uptake by lung cancer in a cohort with thyroid cancer. METHODS: RAI-avid lung cancers were analyzed using a prospectively maintained database of patients with thyroid cancer who were registered at a medical center between December 1, 1976 and May 28, 2018. NIS expression in lung cancer was assessed using immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Of the 5000 patients with thyroid cancer from the studied dataset, 4602 had DTC. During follow-up, 33 patients developed primary lung cancer. Of these patients, nine received an iodine-131 (131I) scan within 1 year before the diagnosis of lung cancer. One of these nine lung cancers was RAI-avid. NIS expression was evaluated, and three of the eight available lung cancers revealed NIS expression. The proportions of lung cancer cells with NIS expression were 60%, 15%, and 10%. The RAI-avid lung cancer had the highest level of expression (60%). The RAI-avid lung cancer had a spiculated border upon single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography, which led to an accurate diagnosis. CONCLUSION: A proportion of lung cancer demonstrates NIS expression and is RAI-avid. Clinicians should be aware of this possibility in the interpretation of RAI scintigraphy.

Volumetric Differences in the Suprafascial and Subfascial Compartments of Patients with Secondary Unilateral Lower Limb Lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: The subfascial compartment (deep to the deep fascia) in extremity lymphedema has not been evaluated. This study investigated the volumetric differences between the suprafascial and subfascial compartments of patients with unilateral lower extremity lymphedema. METHODS: Thirty-two female patients with unilateral lower extremity lymphedema were enrolled, with eight patients in each of Cheng lymphedema grades I to IV. The volumes of the suprafascial and subfascial compartments were calculated after manually drawing the region of interest on computed tomographic images. The volumetric differences and their ratios in the suprafascial and subfascial compartments between each patient's bilateral limbs were compared. RESULTS: The volume of the lymphedematous limbs (9647 ml) was significantly greater than the volume of unaffected limbs (6906 ml), with a median volumetric difference of 2097 ml (30.6 percent) (p < 0.01). The median suprafascial compartment volumetric difference was 1887 ml (56.6 percent) and the subfascial compartment volumetric difference was 208 ml (4.7 percent) (p < 0.01). The median volumetric difference ratio of the thigh and lower leg was 24.6 percent and 40.6 percent, respectively. The median volumetric differences in Cheng lymphedema grades I to IV were 1012, 1787, 2434, and 4107 ml, respectively, which were statistically significant among the four Cheng lymphedema grades using the Kruskal-Wallis test (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The volumetric differences in the lymphedematous limb were statistically significantly greater than in the unaffected limb, including both suprafascial and subfascial compartments. The volumetric differences are consistent with the Cheng lymphedema grading system as a reliable indicator of unilateral extremity lymphedema. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic, IV.

Characterization of limb lymphedema using the statistical analysis of ultrasound backscattering.

BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is a disease in which tissue swelling is caused by interstitial fluid retention in subcutaneous tissue. It is caused by a compromised lymphatic system. Lymphoscintigraphy is the current and primary modality used to assess lymphatic system dysfunction. Ultrasound elastography is a complementary tool used for evaluating the tissue stiffness of the lymphedematous limb. Tissue stiffness implies the existence of changes in tissue microstructures. However, ultrasound features related to tissue microstructures are neglected in clinical assessments of lymphedematous limbs. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the lymphedematous diagnostic values of ultrasound Nakagami and entropy imaging, which are, respectively, model- and nonmodel-based backscattered statistical analysis methods for scatterer characterization. METHODS: A total of 60 patients were recruited, and lymphoscintigraphy was used to score the patient's clinical severity of each of their limb lymphedema (0: normal; 1: partial lymphatic obstruction; and 2: total lymphatic obstruction). We performed ultrasound examinations to acquire ultrasound backscattered signals for B-mode, Nakagami, and entropy imaging. The envelope amplitude, Nakagami, and entropy values, as a function of the patients' lymphatic obstruction grades, were expressed in terms of their median and interquartile range (IQR). The values were then used in both an independent t test and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: For each increase in a patient's score from 0 to 2, the envelope amplitude values were 405.44 (IQR: 238.72-488.17), 411.52 (IQR: 298.53-644.25), and 476.37 (IQR: 348.86-648.16), respectively. The Nakagami parameters were 0.16 (IQR: 0.14-0.22), 0.26 (IQR: 0.23-0.34), and 0.24 (IQR: 0.16-0.36), respectively, and the entropy values were 4.55 (IQR: 4.41-4.66), 4.86 (IQR: 4.78-4.99), and 4.87 (IQR: 4.81-4.97), respectively. The P values between the normal control and lymphedema groups obtained from B-mode and Nakagami analysis were larger than 0.05; whereas that of entropy imaging was smaller than 0.05. The areas under the ROC curve for B-mode, Nakagami, and entropy imaging were 0.64 (sensitivity: 70%; specificity: 47.5%), 0.75 (sensitivity: 70%; specificity: 75%), and 0.94 (sensitivity: 95%; specificity: 87.5%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings demonstrated the diagnostic values of ultrasound Nakagami and entropy imaging techniques. In particular, the use of non-model-based entropy imaging enables for improved performance when characterizing limb lymphedema.

Comparisons of Manual Tape Measurement and Morphomics Measurement of Patients with Upper Extremity Lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is a debilitating condition characterized by swelling from lymph fluid exceeding transport capacity. A gold standard for arm measurement is not established, and measurement methods vary. This study evaluates the comparability of the tape measure and Analytic Morphomics in deriving limb circumference measurements in patients with upper extremity lymphedema. METHODS: Fifteen participants with diagnosed upper limb lymphedema were included between July 2013 and June 2017 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. Affected and unaffected arm circumferences were measured using a flexible tape or morphomic measurement at 10 cm above and below the elbow. Computed tomography scans were standardized, processed, smoothed with a piecewise polynomial algorithm for Analytic Morphomics of arm circumference. Comparative plots, mean percent difference, and adjusted coefficient of determination (R 2) were utilized to compare the consistency of both measurement procedures. RESULTS: The tape measure and Analytic Morphomics demonstrated consistent measures of arm circumference. On the affected arm, the mean (95% CI) difference in arm circumference between methods was 1.60 cm (0.99-2.20) above, and 0.57 cm (0.23-0.91) below the elbow. Mean percent differences in circumference was 6.65% (SD 3.52%) above and 1.38% (SD 2.11%) below the elbow. The adjusted R 2 for both methods was 94% above and 96% below the elbow. CONCLUSIONS: Analytic Morphomics showed strong consistency with the manual tape measure of arm circumference measurement in those with upper extremity lymphedema. Analytic Morphomics present an opportunity for a precise, granular measurement of limb composition for assessment of disease state and patient planning.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Elastography: Tissue Stiffness Measurement in Limb Lymphedema.

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of cutaneous and subcutaneous limb tissue elasticity measurement in participants with limb lymphedema by using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography. Materials and Methods From July 2015 to June 2017, ARFI elastography was performed in 64 participants with lymphedema (seven men and 57 women; age range, 23-85 years) by using a US system. Tissue stiffness quantification with shear-wave velocity (SWV) was obtained in the cutaneous and subcutaneous limb tissues. Lymphoscintigraphy was the reference standard. Results SWV was significantly higher in limbs with lymphatic obstruction than in unaffected limbs (cutaneous tissue: 2.75 m/sec vs 1.74 m/sec, respectively; subcutaneous tissue: 1.90 m/sec vs 1.35 m/sec, respectively; P < .001). SWV was significantly different among limbs without lymphatic drainage obstruction, with partial obstruction, and with total obstruction (cutaneous tissue: 1.74 m/sec vs 2.75 m/sec vs 2.77 m/sec; subcutaneous tissue: 1.35 m/sec vs 1.90 m/sec vs 1.90 m/sec, respectively; P < .001). By using a cut-off value of 2.10 m/sec and 1.43 m/sec for cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue, respectively, sensitivity was 83.1% (59 of 71) and 80.3% (57 of 71), and specificity was 86.0% (49 of 57) and 70.2% (40 of 57) for manifestation of lymphatic obstruction. The corresponding areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.91 and 0.83, respectively. Conclusion Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography showed that cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues are stiffer in lymphedematous limbs than in unaffected limbs. Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography is a feasible imaging modality for noninvasive tissue stiffness quantification in limb lymphedema. © RSNA, 2018 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Correlation between Quantity of Transferred Lymph Nodes and Outcome in Vascularized Submental Lymph Node Flap Transfer for Lower Limb Lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: Vascularized lymph node transfer has shown promising results in the treatment of lower limb lymphedema, but little is known about the number of lymph nodes needed for the transfer to achieve optimal results. This study investigated the correlation between number of transferred lymph nodes in submental vascularized lymph node transfer and outcomes regarding limb circumference reduction and cellulitis incidence. METHODS: Thirty-five patients who had received vascularized submental lymph node transfer to an ankle for lower limb lymphedema following gynecologic cancer treatment were included in the study. Limb circumference was determined by means of tape measurement preoperatively and postoperatively and was used to calculate the circumferential difference. Ultrasonography was performed postoperatively to determine the number of lymph nodes within the transferred flap. Patients were divided into groups A through C depending on the number of transferred lymph nodes: 1 or 2 (n = 10), 3 or 4 (n = 14), and 5 to 8 (n = 11), respectively. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 60.0 ± 9.2 years. All flaps survived. The mean improvement of circumferential difference for the whole cohort was 19.8 ± 9.2 percent. Groups B and C both had significantly higher improvements in the circumferential difference than group A (p = 0.04 and p = 0.02, respectively), but when compared to each other, the difference was nonsignificant. All groups had significant reductions in the incidence of cellulitis postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Submental vascularized lymph node transfer for lower limb lymphedema reduced the incidence of cellulitis, regardless of the number of transferred lymph nodes. The transfer of three or more lymph nodes provided significantly better outcome regarding limb circumference reduction than the transfer of two or fewer lymph nodes. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.

Impact of spontaneous tumor rupture on prognosis of patients with T4 hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Compare the outcomes of three groups of patients with T4 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): tumor rupture with shock (RS group), tumor rupture without shock (R group), and no tumor rupture (NR group). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 221 patients with T4 HCC from 2010 to 2012. The clinical background and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall in-hospital mortality rate was 18.1%; overall median survival time was 4 months. The NR group were more likely to have multiple and infiltrative tumors (P < 0.001). Relative to the NR group, the R + RS group had better survival rates at 6 months (49.2% vs. 32.2%), 1 year (35.3% vs. 21.0%), 3 years (22.5% vs. 11.0%), and 5 years (17.7% vs. 5.5%) (P = 0.010). Patients in the RS group had a higher in-hospital mortality rate, but significantly better long-term survival than the NR and R group (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that Child-Pugh class B or C, presence of portal venous thrombosis, and absence of shock were significantly associated with poor survival. CONCLUSION: Patients with tumor rupture and shock had worse in-hospital survival. However, patients without decompensated liver cirrhosis and portal venous thrombosis, and eligible for curative treatment had favorable long-term outcome. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:789-795. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Surgical Oncology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.