[A Case Report of Pancreatic Tail Carcinoma with Positive Periotoneal Washing Cytology with Recurrence-Free Survival after Surgery and Chemotherapy].

A woman in her 70s underwent distal pancreatectomy(D2 dissection)for a pancreatic tail carcinoma after a close examination of the cause of her poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. Intraoperative rapid peritoneal washing cytology showed no malignant findings, but histopathological examination revealed Ptb, TS2, tub2, pT3, ly1, v3, ne3, mpd0, pS0, pRP1, pOO0, pPCM0, pDPM0, pN0, pM0, pCY1, pStage ⅡA, R0(Pancreatic Cancer Treatment Protocol 7th Edition). The patient was treated with S-1 therapy for 6 months postoperatively and is alive 1 year and 9 months without recurrence. The prognosis after resection of pancreatic cancer with positive peritoneal washing cytology is said to be worse than that of patients with negative, because of the high recurrence rate of peritoneal metastasis. We report a case of pancreatic tail carcinoma with positive peritoneal washing cytology with recurrence-free survival after surgery and chemotherapy.

[A Case Report of Appendiceal NET G1 Diagnosed by Histopathological Examination after Appendectomy for Acute Appendicitis].

A 36-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute appendicitis after a close examination of her abdominal pain and nausea. Laparoscopic appendectomy was performed, and pathological examination revealed a NET G1. They were localized lesions on the tips and body of the appendix, with no additional resection because the tumor size was less than 2 cm and no risk factors for recurrence and metastasis(vascular invasion, NET G2 or higher, or invasion of the mesentery). The patient was followed up with contrast-enhanced CT every 6 months and has been recurrence-free for 2 years postoperatively.

[Laparoscopic Resection of a Liver and Ovarian Metastasis of Transverse Colon Cancer-A Case Report].

A 60s woman was diagnosed to transverse colon cancer and she underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. Localized peritoneal dissemination surrounding tumor was detected during surgery. She was administrated to chemotherapy due to a hepatic metastasis in S2/3 postoperatively. Subsequently, PET-CT revealed a left ovarian metastasis in addition to a liver metastasis during chemotherapy. Laparoscopic hepatic left lateral segmentectomy and bilateral adnexectomy was performed at 1 year and 9 months after the first surgery and histopathological examination showed a metastasis of transverse colon cancer. The growth of liver and lung metastases and peritoneal disseminations was detected at 6 months later after the second surgery and the patient is currently receiving palliative treatment. Previous literatures described that ovarian metastasis of colon cancer showed bilateral metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy frequently and ruptured in some cases. We should consider to resect bilateral ovary even if unilateral metastasis alone was detected by imaging examination.

[A Case of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma with Inferior Vena Cava Invasion].

A 66-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital for jaundice. Abdominal computed tomography(CT) showed dilatation of the intra- and extra-hepatic bile duct, and a hypovascular lesion measuring 30mm in diameter in the head of the pancreas. This tumor was in contact with the(superior mesenteric vein: SMV)and(inferior vena cava: IVC), but there were no obvious signs of invasion. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed obstruction of the duodenum. We chose to perform an upfront surgery, considering the patient's general condition being stable and the difficulties associated with endoscopic biliary drainage. During surgery, stiff attachment between the tumor and IVC was identified and wedge resection of the IVC wall was performed. SMV resection and end-to-end reconstruction were also carried out. Pathological studies of the surgical specimen revealed direct invasion by the pancreatic adenocarcinoma into the adventitia of the IVC. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged from the hospital on the 27th postoperative day; she underwent adjuvant chemotherapy(S-1 100mg/day)and is still alive without tumor recurrence, 21 months after surgery. Cases of resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma directly invading the IVC are rare. In this case, pancreaticoduodenectomy along with wedge resection of the IVC wall could safely be performed, and no complications were observed. There is a need for further accumulation of similar cases.

[Hepatic and Pancreatic Metastases of a Rectal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor in a Patient with Long-Term Survival following Combined Therapy-ACase Report].

A 68-year-old woman underwent Miles' surgery with a diagnosis of a rectalgastrointestinalstromaltumor (GIST)in 2004. In 2005 and 2006, she developed liver metastases that were surgically removed, but once again in June 2006, she presented with liver metastasis, and imatinib therapy(400mg/day)was administered. In October 2016, she was diagnosed with progression of liver metastasis, and a tumor in the pancreatic body was identified on a CT scan. The patient was referred to our institution for treatment. We performed right hepatectomy and distalpancreatectomy in January 2017. Immunohistochemically, the recurrent tumor was positive for c-kit and CD34, and the diagnosis of GIST was confirmed. The pathological diagno- sis was a high-risk GIST showing 43mitoses per 50 high-power fields. Imatinib therapy(400mg/day)was administered after surgery. She is currently alive without recurrence.

Can the intraoperative leak test prevent postoperative leakage of esophagojejunal anastomosis after total gastrectomy?

PURPOSE: Anastomotic failures that cannot be detected during surgery often lead to postoperative leakage. There have been no detailed reports on the intraoperative leak test for esophagojejunal anastomosis. Our purpose was to investigate the utility of routine intraoperative leak testing to prevent postoperative anastomotic leakage after performing esophagojejunostomy. METHODS: We prospectively performed routine air leak tests and reviewed the records of 185 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent open total gastrectomy followed by esophagojejunostomy. RESULTS: A positive leak test was found for six patients (3.2 %). These patients with positive leak tests were subsequently treated with additional suturing, and they developed no postoperative anastomotic leakage. However, anastomotic leakage occurred in nine patients (4.9 %) with negative leak tests. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that a patient age >75 years and the surgeon's experience <30 cases were risk factors for anastomotic leakage. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative leak testing can detect some physical dehiscence, and additional suturing may prevent anastomotic leakage. However, it cannot prevent all anastomotic leakage caused by other factors, such as the surgeons' experience and patients' age.

A new method (the "Bascule method") for lymphadenectomy along the left recurrent laryngeal nerve during prone esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: In esophageal cancer, lymph nodes along the recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs) are thought to be highly involved. Complete dissection of these lymph nodes is recommended but there is limited working space in the left upper mediastinum and advanced dissection skills are required. We present herein a new method for lymphadenectomy along the left RLN, called the Bascule method during prone esophagectomy. METHODS: The fundamental concept of this new method is to draw the proximal portion of the divided esophagus and tissue that includes the left RLN and lymph nodes through a gap between the vertebral body and the right scapula. Using this technique, a two-dimensional membrane, similar to the "esophageal mesenteriolum" (lateral pedicle), will be easily recognizable. Identification and reliable cutting of the tracheoesophageal artery and distinguishing the left RLN from the lymph nodes should be easy. This technique was evaluated in 39 consecutive cases of prone esophagectomy for squamous cell cancer. RESULTS: There were 18 patients who underwent the new method (Bascule method; Bm) and 21 patients who underwent the conventional method (Cm). The duration of the thoracic procedure and dissection along the left RLN was significantly shorter in Bm group than in Cm group (258 ± 30 vs. 291 ± 39 min; p = 0.007 and 66 ± 9 vs. 75 ± 14 min; p = 0.036, respectively). Estimated blood loss in Bm group was 20 ± 11 g compared to 38 ± 32 g in Cm group (p = 0.028). No intraoperative morbidity related to the left RLN was observed in either group. The hoarseness rate in Bm group was 28 %, which was lower than that in the Cm group (48 %). CONCLUSIONS: The Bascule method for lymphadenectomy along the left RLN during prone esophagectomy is technically safe and feasible and reduces operative time and blood loss.

Novel surgical technique to prevent pancreatic fistula in distal pancreatectomy using a patch of the falciform ligament.

PURPOSE: Pancreatic fistula (PF) is a serious complication of pancreatectomy and many techniques and devices have been designed to prevent PF and abdominal bleeding after pancreatectomy. We report a modified technique using a patch of the falciform ligament to prevent PF formation after distal pancreatectomy (DP). METHOD: On completion of DP, the main pancreatic duct is sutured. The remnant pancreas is then closely patched and sutured vertically to the falciform ligament using 3-0 polypropylene suture. We compared the results of this method (group 1) with those of the simple method of covering the remnant pancreas with the falciform ligament (group 2). RESULTS: We performed this method in 14 patients undergoing DP. The rate of grade B or C PF in group 1 (7.1 %) was lower than that in group 2 (46 %). CONCLUSION: This is a simple and effective method of preventing PF fistula in DP.

[A case of stage IV b pancreatic head cancer that was resected because of a good response to chemotherapy].

The prognosis of Stage IV b pancreatic cancer is extremely poor; the mean survival time is 2-4 months. However, new anticancer agents can improve the outcome of advanced pancreatic cancer. We present the case of a 50-year-old female patient with Stage IV b pancreatic head cancer with invasion to the superior mesenteric vein(SMV)and multiple liver metastases. The patient received S-1 as first-line chemotherapy. Three months later, a further CT scan showed reduction of the pancreatic tumor, disappearance of the liver metastases, and reduction in SMV invasion. Therefore, a subtotal stomach-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with partial SMV resection was performed. Following surgery, the patient received S-1 chemotherapy again. However, lung metastasis appeared. Despite the initiation of gemcitabine(GEM)treatment, the patient developed metastases in other parts of the lung and the abdominal wall. She died 46 months after surgery, but it is noteworthy that the liver metastases were manageable. The combination of chemotherapy and surgery was effective in prolonging survival in this patient with Stage IV b pancreatic head cancer.

Laparoscopic deroofing for a giant hepatic cyst with biliary communication: a case report.

Previous reports describing laparoscopic deroofing as a management modality for a hepatic cyst with biliary communication remain limited. We present the case of a 76-year-old woman who was monitored for 4 years for a giant hepatic cyst in the right lobe of the liver. She presented to our department with a chief complaint of abdominal distension. Moreover, imaging revealed a 24-cm giant hepatic cyst. During laparoscopic deroofing, minimal bile leakage from the intra-cyst wall was observed, which was laparoscopically closed with sutures. No bile leakage or cyst recurrence was observed 18 months postoperative. This highlights that laparoscopic surgery may be used in managing hepatic cysts with biliary communication. Intraoperative findings may reveal biliary communication, which requires careful observation of the cyst wall after deroofing.

[A case of gallbladder metastasis from a malignant perivascular epithelioid cell tumor of the bladder].

The perivascular epithelioid cell family of tumors (PEComas) includes common lesions such as angiomyolipomas, lymphangioleiomyomas, and clear cell "sugar" tumors of the lung. Less frequently, PEComas arise in various other locations throughout the body, including the soft tissue, bone, and the visceral organs. We report the case of a 64-year-old man who underwent total cystectomy because of a primary malignant PEComa of the bladder in August 2010. The patient was treated with the mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor for lung and bone metastasis from April 2011 and showed stable disease. Computed tomography showed a growing mass in the neck of the gallbladder 5 months later, which was suspected to be gallbladder cancer. Cholecystectomy and lymphadenectomy was performed in February 2012, and histopathological examination indicated gallbladder metastasis from the primary malignant PEComa of the bladder. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of malignant PEComa metastasis to the gallbladder.

[A long-term survival case of postoperative lymph node metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lymph node dissection and percutaneous isolated hepatic perfusion (PIHP)].

We report a long-term survival case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with recurrence in the liver and multiple lymph nodes treated with lymph node dissection and percutaneous isolated hepatic perfusion (PIHP). The patient was a 70-year-old man with HCC. In 1999, transcatheter arterial chemoembolozation (TACE) was performed for HCCs. In 2000, partial hepatectomy was achieved for a recurrence in the liver. In 2002, CT scan disclosed multiple lymph node metastases around the hepatic artery and the recurrence in the liver. We performed a lymph node dissection and radio-frequency ablation for the hepatic tumor. After the operation, PIHP was performed for residual lymph node metastases. Then, a recurrence in the liver occurred 3 times, but was treated successfully with local therapy. The patient survives for 10 years after the initial therapy, and 8 years after a lymph node dissection.

[Case of a sigmoid colon cancer with metachronous metastases of the stomach and the abdominal wall].

We report a rare case of a 73-year-old man with gastric metastasis from colorectal cancer. Tumors of the stomach and the right side abdominal wall were diagnosed by FDG/PET-CT. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor with central depression in the fornix of the stomach. Since sigmoidectomy had been performed for cancer 39 months ago, we suspected metastasis. Proximal gastrectomy and resection of the tumor of the abdominal wall were performed. Histological findings showed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma in the submucosal tumor. Immunohistochemical studies revealed focal positive staining for CK20 and diffuse for CDX2. These findings were similar to those of his primary sigmoid colon cancer and therefore metastasis was diagnosed.

Successful laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection preserving the common hepatic artery branched from the left gastric artery for advanced gastric cancer with an Adachi type VI (group 26) vascular anomaly.

We report a case of successful laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection preserving the common hepatic artery branched from the left gastric artery for advanced gastric cancer with an Adachi type VI (group 26) vascular anomaly. A 76-year-old female patient was admitted with a diagnosis of advanced gastric cancer at the anterior wall to the lesser curvature of the antrum (cT3N0M0 cStage IIA). Dynamic computed tomography showed the ectopia of the common hepatic artery branched from the left gastric artery. We made a diagnosis of an Adachi type VI (group 26) vascular anomaly and performed the abovementioned operation. In this anomaly pattern, scrupulous attention is required to remove the suprapancreatic lymph nodes because the portal vein is located immediately dorsal to those lymph nodes and is at increased risk for the injury in this situation. The common hepatic artery is branched from the left gastric artery, and the hepatic perfusion from the superior mesenteric artery is not present in group 26. Planning to preserve the artery will improve safety when it is possible oncologically. There were no postoperative complications, and the patient was discharged 9 days after the operation. To our knowledge, the present case is the first reported case of a laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection with an Adachi type VI (group 26) vascular anomaly. Preoperative diagnostic imaging is very important to prevent surgical complications because the reliable identification of vascular anomaly during an operation is very difficult.

Comparing the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D1+ and D2 lymph node dissection for gastric cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) with D1+ lymph node dissection (LND) for early gastric cancer has been widely accepted. However, LDG with D2 LND for advanced gastric cancer remains in limited use. The aim of this retrospective study was to clarify the safety of LDG with D2 LND for gastric cancer. METHODS: From January 2010 to September 2014, 296 patients underwent LDG; those who received D1+ LND (n = 230) or D2 LND (n = 66) were included in this study. The clinicopathological characteristics and short-term outcomes of both groups were investigated and compared. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups. However, the frequency of infectious intra-abdominal complications was higher in the D2 LND group than in the D1+ LND group. Additionally, a lower risk of infectious intra-abdominal complications was seen with certified than with uncertified operators. CONCLUSION: The evaluation of short-term outcomes demonstrated that LDG with D2 LND is generally feasible. However, the risk of infectious intra-abdominal complications is higher with D2 LND than with D1+ LND. Also, D2 LND should be performed by trained operators.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) is associated with less-restrictive ventilatory impairment and less risk for pulmonary complication than open laparotomy in thoracoscopic esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Esophagectomy with extended lymphadenectomy improves prognosis but it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The thoracoscopic approach is associated with fewer pulmonary complications. Abdominal wall injury greatly affects pulmonary function and complication rates during the acute postoperative phase. In this study we aimed to compare the incidence of pulmonary complications and respiratory recovery after thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position with hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) versus open laparotomy (OL). METHODS: This was a case-matched control study of patients with esophageal cancer who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position. Thirty-two patients in the HALS group and 32 patients in the OL group were selected by the use of propensity score matching. Operative outcomes and perioperative changes in respiratory function were compared. RESULTS: There was no operative mortality in either group. Estimated blood loss was less in the HALS group (P < .001). The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was 6.2% (4/64) overall; it was less in the HALS group (0%) than in the OL group (12.5%) (P = .016). There were no differences in preoperative vital capacity (VC) and percent predicted vital capacity (%VC). Each parameter, including the ratio of the postoperative to preoperative %VC (%VC ratio), reached its nadir on postoperative day 7 in both groups but was greater in the HALS group (VC, 2.91 ± 0.68 L vs 2.53 ± 0.53 L, P = .018; %VC, 90.62 ± 16.92% vs 78.91 ± 16.65%, P = .007; %VC ratio, 80.90 ± 9.87% vs 72.09 ± 11.95%, P = .002). At 1 and 3 months, respiratory recovery was seen in both groups but more so in the HALS group. At 6 months, further respiratory recovery was seen in both groups, without any significant intergroup differences. CONCLUSION: During the acute phase after thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position, HALS is associated with less-restrictive ventilatory impairment, fewer subsequent pulmonary complications, and less blood loss than OL. The combination of HALS and thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position is less invasive on respiratory function.