Possibility for avoidance of urgent nighttime operations for acute appendicitis in a regional core university hospital.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, a shortage of surgeons and anesthesiologists, particularly in regional hospitals, has become a social issue in Japan. In such hospitals, urgent surgery at night has been performed with difficulty. Therefore, we retrospectively assessed the outcomes of appendectomies for the patients visited at nighttime in our hospital categorized as a local university hospital. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on 82 patients of acute appendicitis presented to our hospital between 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., between January 2014 and April 2019. We compared patients who underwent urgent nighttime appendectomy (group A) and patients who underwent appendectomy during the daytime, or so-called short interval appendectomy (group B). The evaluated factors were preoperative characteristics (age, sex, body mass index, cardiopulmonary complications, laboratory data, body temperature, presence of the Blumberg sign, and CT findings), operation characteristics, and postoperative characteristics (surgical-site infection [SSI], complications, and length of hospital stay). RESULTS: Patients in group A were significantly younger than patients in group B. Patients in group A were significant more likely to experience an SSI. DISCUSSION: Patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis during the nighttime can undergo short interval appendectomy, which leads to a decreased risk of SSI, has no effect on length of hospital stay after surgery, and lessens medical staff burden.

Significance of Radiofrequency Ablation for Unresectable Colorectal Cancer With Liver Metastases.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We aimed to investigate the prognosis of patients who received radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for liver metastases of unresectable colorectal cancer (CRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively compared 147 patients treated for CRC liver metastases, who underwent RFA (n=26), resection (n=92), and chemotherapy (n=29) between 2001 and 2021. RESULTS: RFA and chemotherapy were performed for unresectable or non-operable cases, and resection was performed for suitable cases. The median overall survival (OS) was 44.9, 49.5, and 11.6 months for patients who underwent RFA, resection, and chemotherapy, respectively. RFA led to a significantly shorter OS compared to resection (p=0.027) but to a longer OS compared to chemotherapy (p=0.003). The 5-year survival rates were 34.6% and 42.4% for patients who underwent RFA and resection, respectively (p=0.508). CONCLUSION: RFA has the potential to achieve long-term survival or radical cure, even for unresectable or non-operable cases of CRC with liver metastasis.

Leiomyosarcoma of the transverse colon with lymph node metastasis and malignant transformation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: The concept of GIST was established in 1998, clearly differentiating between gastrointestinal leiomyosarcoma and GISTs among gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors. Lymph node metastasis is extremely rare in true gastrointestinal leiomyosarcoma, and there are no reports of malignant transformation from leiomyoma. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was an old woman who had undergone endoscopic mucosal resection for an Is polyp on the left side of the transverse colon at the age of 73. She was diagnosed with leiomyoma with positive surgical margins. Subsequently, she presented to our institution with a sensation of pressure in the upper abdominal region as a chief complaint at the age of 76 years. Abdominal computed tomography and colorectal endoscopy showed a tumor lesion with invagination of the intestines in the transverse colon, the same site as that of the previously resected leiomyoma. A biopsy suggested a smooth muscle tumor, and we performed partial left transverse colectomy and lymph node dissection under a diagnosis of recurrence and enlargement of the previously incompletely resected leiomyoma. Histopathological examination revealed spindle-shaped tumor cells, and the mitotic activity was 30-40/10 high-power field. Tumor cells were immunohistologically positive for α-smooth muscle actin and h-caldesmon; partially positive for desmin; negative for c-kit, CD34, DOG-1, and the S-100 protein; and showed a Ki-67 labeling index of 70-80%. She was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma malignantly transformed from leiomyoma. Metastasis was found in 1 of the 14 resected lymph nodes. The patient did not undergo adjuvant chemotherapy, but has survived with no recurrence at 2 years after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: We have reported a case of leiomyosarcoma of the transverse colon with lymph node metastasis that was malignantly transformed from a leiomyoma.

[A Case of Sigmoid Colon Neuroendocrine Cell Carcinoma Discovered by Defecation Disorder].

A 65-year-old man presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of abdominal pain during defecation. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT showed circumferential wall thickening with contrast effects in the sigmoid colon, and multiple metastases in the liver. Colonoscopy revealed a type 2 colon tumor that was obstructing the passage. A diagnosis of sigmoid colon cancer and multiple liver metastases was made based on laparoscopic sigmoidectomy plus D3 dissection. Pathologically, the resected specimen was diagnosed as colorectal neuroendocrine cell carcinoma(NEC)that was positive for synaptophysin and CD56. Postoperatively, 8 courses of FOLFOX plus bevacizumab(BV)therapy were administered, but CT showed remarkable increase in liver metastasis, and he died 5 months after the operation. Colorectal NEC is a very rare disease, for which no chemotherapy has been shown to be effective. Since we encounterd a case of sigmoid colon NEC with multiple liver metastases that followed a rapid course, we have presented it along with a literature review.

[A Case of Diverticular Perforation of Sigmoid Colostomy during FOLFIRI plus BevacizumabTreatment].

A 61-year-old man with a diagnosis of rectal cancer underwent assisted laparoscopic rectal amputation. Recurrence occurred, and treatment with FOLFIRI plus bevacizumab was initiated at our department. After 12 treatment courses, he developed abdominal pain at home. Emergency surgery was performed for the stoma perforation. We confirmed the diverticular perforation in the resected specimen. In our case, we found a para-stoma hernia and considered it to be the cause of perforation together with bevacizumab administration. Molecular-targeted drugs contribute to improving treatment outcomes in malignant tumors, but specific adverse events such as perforation have been reported. In addition, as causes of sigmoid colon perforation such as that of the stoma, cases associated with intestinal operation, constipation, and para-stoma hernia are suggested. In our case of hyperpolarization due to a para-stoma hernia, administration of bevacizumab was considered the cause of the perforation. This was a case that could be rescued with surgery.

[Successful Prophylactic Minocycline Treatment for Recurrent Helicobacter Cinaedi Sepsis during Chemotherapy in a Patient with Follicular Lymphoma].

A 63-year-old man with follicular lymphoma was administered standard R-CHOP chemotherapy. Six days after the second course of chemotherapy, the patient developed fever and chills. Blood cultures yielded rod-shaped gram-negative bacteria, but no further identification was obtained. High fever and chills returned on the fifth and sixth days after the third and fourth courses of R-CHOP, respectively. These blood cultures were also positive. Since we detected spiral-shaped gram-negative rods, we performed a prolonged culture during the febrile period after the fourth course of R-CHOP. This revealed the formation of characteristic film-like colonies, and Helicobacter cinaedi(H. cinaedi)bacteria was identified. After final identification, the patient was administered prophylactic minocycline treatment. Subsequent blood cultures were negative, fever did not recur, and we were able to complete 6 courses of R-CHOP. Although H. cinaedi has been reported to be a cause of sepsis in immunocompromised patients, standard correlation has not been established. Our case suggests that H. cinaedi should be considered when recurrent fever is observed after chemotherapy. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment with minocycline may prevent sepsis, as observed in our case.