Trends and Variations in Drain Use Following Pancreatoduodenectomy: Is Early Drain Removal Becoming More Common?

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have noted the potential benefit of early drain removal (EDR) after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), there is a paucity of data on the timing of drain removal utilizing a national database that reflect the "real world" setting. Given the ongoing controversy related to PD drain use and management, we sought to define trends in drain use among a large national cohort, as well as identify factors associated with EDR following PD. METHODS: The ACS NSQIP targeted pancreatectomy database was used to identify patients who underwent PD between 2014 and 2020. The trend in proportion of patients with EDR (removal ≤ POD3) as well as predictors of EDR were assessed. Risk-adjusted postoperative outcomes were evaluated by multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 14,356 patients, 16.2% of patients (N = 2324) experienced EDR, and the proportion of patients with EDR increased by 68% over the study period (2014: 10.9% vs. 2020: 18.3%, p < 0.001). Higher drain fluid amylase on POD1-3 [LogWorth (LW) = 44.3], operative time (LW = 33.2), and use of minimally invasive surgery (LW = 14.0) were associated with EDR. Additionally, EDR was associated with decreased risk of overall and serious morbidity, PD-related morbidity (e.g., pancreatic fistula), reoperation, prolonged length of stay and readmission (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Routine drain placement remains a common practice among most surgeons. EDR following PD increased over time was associated with lower post-operative complications and shorter LOS. Despite evidence that EDR was safe and may even be associated with lower complications, only 1 in 6 patients were managed with EDR.

Classification of pseudohypoaldosteronism type II as type IV renal tubular acidosis: results of a literature review.

Pseudohypoaldosteronism (PHA) type II (PHA2) is a genetic disorder that leads to volume overload and hyperkalemic metabolic acidosis. PHA2 and PHA type I (PHA1) have been considered to be genetic and pediatric counterparts to type IV renal tubular acidosis (RTA). Type IV RTA is frequently found in adults with chronic kidney disease and is characterized by hyperchloremic hyperkalemic acidosis with normal anion gap (AG). However, we recently observed that PHA1 was not always identical to type IV RTA. In this study, we focused on the acid-base balance in PHA2. Through a literature search published between 2008-2020, 46 molecularly diagnosed cases with PHA2 were identified (median age of 14 years). They comprised 11 sets of familial and 16 sporadic cases and the pathology was associated with mutations in WNK 4 (n = 1), KLHL3 (n = 17), and CUL3 (n = 9). The mean potassium (K+) level was 6.2 ± 0.9 mEq/L (n = 46, range 4.0-8.6 mEq/L), whereas that of chloride (Cl-) was 110 ± 3.5 mEq/L (n = 41, 100-119 mEq/L), with 28 of 41 cases identified as hyperchloremic. More than half of the cases (18/35) presented with metabolic acidosis. Although AG data was obtained only in 16 cases, all but one cases were within normal AG range. Both Cl- and HCO3- levels showed significant correlations with K+ levels, which suggested that the degree of hyperchloremia and acidosis reflect the clinical severity, and is closely related to the fundamental pathophysiology of PHA2. In conclusion, our study confirmed that PHA2 is compatible with type IV RTA based on laboratory findings.

Prognostic Utility of Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index After Resection of Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Results from the U.S. Extrahepatic Biliary Malignancy Consortium.

BACKGROUND: We sought to define the association of the systemic immune inflammation index (SII) with prognosis and adjuvant therapy benefit among patients undergoing resection of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA). METHODS: The impact of SII on overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) following resection of eCCA was assessed and compared with other inflammatory markers and traditional prognostic factors. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to determine the impact of adjuvant therapy (AT) on OS and RFS relative to low versus high SII. RESULTS: Patients with high versus low SII had worse 5-year OS (15.9% vs. 27.9%) and RFS (12.4% vs. 20.9%) (both p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, high SII remained associated with worse OS (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.20-1.87) and RFS (HR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.18-1.81). Patients with T1/2 disease and a high-SII had worse 5-year OS versus individuals with T3/4 disease and low-SII (5-year OS: T1/2 & low-SII 35.6%, T1/2 & high-SII 16.4%, T3/4 & low-SII 22.1%, T3/4 & high-SII 15.6%, p < 0.01). Similarly, 5-year OS was comparable among individuals with N0 and high-SII versus N1 and low-SII (5-year OS: N0 & high-SII 23.2%, N1 and low-SII 19.8%, p = 0.95). On PSM, AT improved OS and RFS among patients with high SII (5-year OS: 22.5% vs. 12.3%, p < 0.01, 5-year RFS: 19.0% vs. 12.5%; p = 0.01) but not individuals with low SII (5-year OS: 22.9% vs. 26.9%; p = 0.98, 5-year RFS: 18.5% vs. 19.9%; p = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: SII was independently associated with postoperative OS and RFS following curative-intent resection of eCCA. High SII up-staged patients relative T- and N-categories and identified patients with high SII as the most likely to benefit from AT.

Defining the Risk of Early Recurrence Following Curative-Intent Resection for Distal Cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Although multidisciplinary treatments including the use of adjuvant therapy (AT) have been adopted for biliary tract cancers, patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC) can still experience recurrence. We sought to characterize the incidence and predictors of early recurrence (ER) that occurred within 12 months following surgery for DCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent resection for DCC between 2000 and 2015 were identified from the US multi-institutional database. Cox regression analysis was used to identify clinicopathological factors to develop an ER risk score, and the predictive model was validated in an external dataset. RESULTS: Among 245 patients included in the analysis, 67 patients (27.3%) developed ER. No difference was noted in ER rates between patients who did and did not receive AT (28.7% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.55). Multivariable analysis revealed that neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), peak total bilirubin (T-Bil), major vascular resection (MVR), lymphovascular invasion, and R1 surgical margin status were associated with a higher ER risk. A DIstal Cholangiocarcinoma Early Recurrence Score was developed according to each factor available prior to surgery [NLR > 9.0 (2 points); peak T-bil > 1.5 mg/dL (1 points); MVR (2 points)]. Cumulative ER rates incrementally increased among patients who were low (0 points; 10.6%), intermediate (1-2 points; 26.8%), or high (3-5 points; 57.6%) risk (p < 0.001) in the training dataset, as well as in the validation dataset [low (0 points); 3.4%, intermediate (1-2 points); 32.7%, or high risk (3-5 points); 55.6% (p < 0.001)]. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing resection for DCC, 1 in 4 patients experienced an ER. Alternative treatment strategies such as neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be considered especially among individuals deemed to be at high risk for ER.

Survival Benefit of Primary Tumor Resection Among Elderly Patients with Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatectomy is the main curative therapeutic option for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs). Given the indolent behavior of pNETs and the relatively limited lifetime of elderly patients, the impact of primary site surgery (PSS) of pNETs on long-term outcomes among older patients has been a topic of debate. METHODS: Patients aged 70 or older with pNETs were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and the End Results (SEER) database from 1998 to 2016. Propensity score matching was used to compare overall (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients who did versus did not undergo PSS. RESULTS: Among 2,319 elderly patients with pNETs, 942 patients (40.6%) underwent PSS, while 1,377 (59.4%) did not undergo PSS (non-PSS: NPSS). After propensity score matching (n = 433 in each group), PSS group had improved survival compared with the NPSS group (5-year OS: 53.4% vs. 37.3%; 5-year CSS: 77.2% vs. 58.1%, both p < 0.001). In contrast, subgroup analysis of individuals aged ≥ 80 revealed no difference in 5-year CSS (PSS: 69.2% vs. NPSS: 67.4%, p = 0.27). A subgroup analysis among patients who had small (≤ 2 cm) non-functional (NF) pNETs noted comparable long-term outcomes among patients who underwent PSS versus NPSS patients (5-year OS: 73.1% vs. 66.5%, p = 0.19; 5-year CSS: 98.5% vs. 95.2%, p = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 2 in 5 elderly patients with pNETs underwent PSS. While PSS was generally associated with prolonged OS and CSS among older patients, PSS was not associated with improved CSS among a subset of patients aged 80 or older, as well as among patients age ≥ 70 years with NF-pNET less than 2 cm.

A stand-alone adenylation domain forms amide bonds in streptothricin biosynthesis.

The streptothricin (ST) antibiotics, produced by Streptomyces bacteria, contain L-ß-lysine ((3S)-3,6-diaminohexanoic acid) oligopeptides as pendant chains. Here we describe three unusual nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) involved in ST biosynthesis: ORF 5 (a stand-alone adenylation (A) domain), ORF 18 (containing thiolation (T) and condensation (C) domains) and ORF 19 (a stand-alone A domain). We demonstrate that ST biosynthesis begins with adenylation of L-ß-lysine by ORF 5, followed by transfer to the T domain of ORF 18. In contrast, L-ß-lysine molecules adenylated by ORF 19 are used to elongate an L-ß-lysine peptide chain on ORF 18, a reaction unexpectedly catalyzed by ORF 19 itself. Finally, the C domain of ORF 18 catalyzes the condensation of L-ß-lysine oligopeptides covalently bound to ORF 18 with a freely diffusible intermediate to release the ST products. These results highlight an unusual activity for an A domain and unique mechanisms of crosstalk within NRPS machinery.

Pseudo-Bartter syndrome in an infant without obvious underlying conditions: A case report.

Pseudo-Bartter syndrome (PBS) develops owing to renal or extrarenal chloride loss, leading to hypokalemic alkalosis. Whereas most adult cases result from diuretic/laxative abuse, many infantile cases occur secondary to cystic fibrosis. Rarely, infantile PBS is caused by renal salt loss with anomalies of the kidney/urinary tract or genetic disorders, such as Dent disease. Here, we report the case of a 10-mo-old girl with a one-month history of decreased formula intake and 5.6% body weight loss. She showed typical laboratory findings as PBS, including hypokalemia (2.7 mEq/L) and high levels of bicarbonate (32.7 mEq/L) with a plasma renin activity of 399 ng/mL/h. With minimum supplementation of potassium and sodium, an improvement in body mass index, from -1.13 SD to +0.52 SD, with complete resolution of laboratory data was obtained in approximately one month. No causative mutations were identified in candidate genes for Bartter-Gitelman syndrome. Due to profound hypochloruria (< 15 mEq/L), PBS of renal origin was unlikely. In addition, extrarenal chloride loss did not seem to be the case, because the patient never manifested gastrointestinal symptoms. Therefore, we speculate that a temporary decrease in chloride intake, coupled with the putative genetic/epigenetic disadvantage of chloride retention, such as a subtle renal leak, may be responsible for the PBS in our patient.

Neoadjuvant Therapy for Extrahepatic Biliary Tract Cancer: A Propensity Score-Matched Survival Analysis.

Background: Although surgery is the mainstay of curative-intent treatment for extrahepatic biliary tract cancer (EBTC), recurrence following surgery can be high and prognosis poor. The impact of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) relative to upfront surgery (US) among patients with EBTC remains unclear. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) databases was utilized to identify patients who underwent surgery from 2006 to 2017 for EBTC, including gallbladder cancer (GBC) and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). Trends in NAT utilization were investigated, and the impact of NAT on prognosis was compared with US using a propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis. Results: Among 6582 EBTC patients (GBC, n = 4467, ECC, n = 2215), 1.6% received NAT; the utilization of NAT for EBTC increased over time (Ptrend = 0.03). Among patients with lymph node metastasis, the lymph node ratio was lower among patients with NAT (0.18 vs. 0.40, p < 0.01). After PSM, there was no difference in overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) among patients treated with NAT versus US (5-year OS: 24.0% vs. 24.6%, p = 0.14, 5-year CSS: 38.0% vs. 36.1%, p = 0.21). A subgroup analysis revealed that NAT was associated with improved OS and CSS among patients with stages III-IVA of the disease (OS: HR 0.65, 95%CI 0.46-0.92, p = 0.02, CSS: HR 0.62, 95%CI 0.41-0.92, p = 0.01). Conclusions: While NAT did not provide an overall benefit to patients undergoing surgery for EBTC, individuals with advanced-stage disease had improved OS and CSS with NAT. An individualized approach to NAT use among patients with EBTC may provide a survival benefit.

Fulminant Amebic Enteritis in the Perinatal Period.

Pregnancy is a known risk factor for amebic enteritis, which develops into potentially fatal fulminant amebic enteritis in some cases. We describe a case of a 27-year-old non-immunosuppressed pregnant woman with fulminant amebic enteritis complicated with cytomegalovirus enteritis. She improved with intensive care and intravenous metronidazole and ganciclovir but eventually required subtotal colectomy for intestinal stenosis. It is difficult to diagnose amebic enteritis, especially in a non-endemic area. Amebic enteritis must be considered as a differential diagnosis for refractory diarrhea with bloody stools in women in the perinatal period, even those without immunosuppression.

Acid-Base Imbalance in Pseudohypoaldosteronism Type 1 in Comparison With Type IV Renal Tubular Acidosis.

Context: Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA1) has been treated as a genetic variant of type IV renal tubular acidosis (RTA), leading to the conception that PHA1 develops hyperchloremic acidosis with a normal anion gap (AG). Objective: To delineate the acid-base imbalance in PHA1A (dominant type) and PHA1B (recessive type). Methods: We conducted the following: (1) a retrospective chart review of our patient with PHA1B, and (2) a literature search of PHA1 cases focusing on acid-base balance. The main outcome measures were the incidence and nature of acidosis, including chloride levels and AG. Results: In our patient with PHA1B, 7 salt-wasting episodes were analyzed. Acidosis was ascertained each time, and it was accompanied by hypochloremia except in 1 episode. AG was elevated in 5 episodes, while hyperlacticaemia was present in 3. In the literature, 41 cases of PHA1A and 65 cases of PHA1B have been identified. During salt-wasting crises, acidosis developed in 85% of PHA1A cases and 87% of PHA1B cases. Hypochloremia was present in 69% of PHA1A cases with available data (n = 13) and 54% of eligible PHA1B cases (n = 13), with mean chloride levels of 96 mEq/L and 95 mEq/L, respectively. Increased AG was less frequently reported (14% in PHA1A and 44% in PHA1B). Conclusions: Patients with PHA1 frequently presented with metabolic acidosis. However, hyperchloremia may not be a universal finding, whereas hypochloremia and increased AG may occur in a substantial proportion of the patients.

Genetic Analysis of Japanese Children Clinically Diagnosed with Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

AIM: This study aimed to elucidate the gene and lipid profiles of children clinically diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). METHODS: A total of 21 dyslipidemia-related Mendelian genes, including FH causative genes (LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9) and LDL-altering genes (APOE, LDLRAP1, and ABCG5/8), were sequenced in 33 Japanese children (mean age, 9.7±4.2 years) with FH from 29 families. RESULTS: Fifteen children (45.5%) with pathogenic variants in LDLR (eight different heterozygous variants) and one child (3.0%) with the PCSK9 variant were found. Among 17 patients without FH causative gene variants, 3 children had variants in LDL-altering genes, an APOE variant and two ABCG8 variants. The mean serum total cholesterol (280 vs 246 mg/dL), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C, 217 vs 177 mg/dL), and non-HDL cholesterol (228 vs 188 mg/dL) levels were significantly higher in the pathogenic variant-positive group than in the variant-negative group. In the variant-positive group, 81.3% of patients had LDL-C levels ≥ 180 mg/dL but 35.3% in the variant-negative group. The mean LDL-C level was significantly lower in children with missense variants, especially with the p.Leu568Val variant, than in children with other variants in LDLR, whereas the LDL-altering variants had similar effects on the increase in serum LDL-C to LDLR p.Leu568Val. CONCLUSION: Approximately half of the children clinically diagnosed with FH had pathogenic variants in FH causative genes. The serum LDL-C levels tend to be high in FH children with pathogenic variations, and the levels are by the types of variants. Genetic analysis is useful; however, further study on FH without any variants is required.

Treatment of acute exacerbation of liver-cirrhosis-associated portal vein thrombosis with direct-acting oral anticoagulant, edoxaban, used as an initial treatment in the early postoperative period after abdominal surgery: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Cirrhosis-associated portal vein thrombosis (CA-PVT) has been reportedly observed in 5-30% of cirrhotic patients. Moreover, the acute exacerbation of CA-PVT is likely to occur after certain situations, such as a status after abdominal surgery. Safety and efficacy of the direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC) used for cirrhotic patients have been being confirmed. However, use of the DOAC as an initial treatment for CA-PVT appears still challenging especially in the early postoperative period after major surgery in terms of unestablished efficacy and safety in such occasion. CASE PRESENTATION: We herein report a case of the acute exacerbation of CA-PVT in the early postoperative period after abdominal surgery, which was successfully treated with DOAC, edoxaban used as an initial treatment. The patient was a 79-year-old Japanese male with alcoholic cirrhosis. The patient suffered choledocholithiasis and had a mural chronic CA-PVT extending from the superior mesenteric vein to the portal trunk. He underwent open cholecystectomy and choledochotomy. Early postoperative clinical course was uneventful except for abdominal distension due to ascites diagnosed on postoperative day (POD)7 when hospital discharge was planned. Contrast enhancement computed tomography (CE-CT) taken on POD 7 revealed the exacerbation of the CA-PVT. Despite recommendation for extension of hospital admission with low molecular weight heparin treatment, the patient strongly hoped to be discharged. Unwillingly, we selected DOAC, edoxaban, as an initial treatment, which was commenced the day after discharge (POD8). As a result, the remarkable improvement of the exacerbated CA-PVT was confirmed by the CE-CT taken on POD21. Any bleeding complications were not observed. Although a slight residue of the CA-PVT remains, the patient is currently doing well 4 years after surgery and is still receiving edoxaban. Any adverse effects of edoxaban have not been observed for 4 years. CONCLUSIONS: A case of successful treatment of the acute exacerbation of CA-PVT with edoxaban was reported. Moreover, edoxaban has been safely administered in a cirrhotic patient for 4 years. The findings obtained from the present case suggest that DOAC can be used as an initial treatment for CA-PVT even in early postoperative period after major abdominal surgery.

A Classification System Specific for Recurrent Inguinal Hernia Following Open Hernia Surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Currently, there is no classification system specializing in recurrent inguinal hernia (RIH) after open-surgery. For this reason, in this study we proposed one so as to understand the causes of RIH. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Recurrence of IH after suture-repair was classified either as the tissue-loosening (TL) or the tissue-disruption (TD) type. Recurrence after open-mesh-repair was classified according to the locational relation between the hernia-defect and the mesh, as follows: i) mesh-distant (MD), ii) para-mesh (PM), iii) mesh-migration (MM), and iv) unclassifiable (UC). Fifty-two RIHs in 48 patients were classified, using this system, and analyzed. RESULTS: This system-based classification led to the identification of: i) MM in 11 lesions, ii) PM in 11, iii) MD in 10, iv) TL in 7, v) TD in 5, and vi) UC in 8 lesions. The median time to recurrence (MTR) was significantly shorter in patients who had previously undergone a mesh-repair (n=34) compared to those who had undergone a suture-repair (n=13) [Mesh-repair vs. suture-repair MTR: 1.6 years (0.1-20) vs. 30 years (15-72), p<0.001]. MTR was significantly shorter in the following order: i) MM [0.5(0.1-2.0)]), ii) PM [2.6(0.2-15)]), iii) MD [11(0.5-20)], iv) TD [20(15-30)], and v) TL [40(30-72)] (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This classification system helps understand the causes of RIH, leading to improved outcomes following open-surgery in the future.

Defining the Term "Elderly" in the Field of Surgery: A Retrospective Study Regarding the Changes in the Immunoinflammatory Indices During the Immediate Perioperative Period of the Elective Uncomplicated Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUNDS: The term "elderly" seems to have been used as "vulnerable to various stresses" but not well defined. To define the "elderly", we investigated whether the increased age causes unfavorable changes in several immunoinflammatory indices that indicate the increased vulnerability in the surgical field. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One-hundred forty-two patients undergoing an elective-uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy (within 60 min and without intraoperative-cholangiography, bile spillage, or open conversion) were retrospectively investigated. Before surgery, immediately after surgery, and on postoperative day (POD)1, whether the patient age correlated the following variables was examined: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-C-reactive-protein ratio (LCR), C-reactive-protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR), and others. RESULTS: The immunoinflammatory indices most unfavorably changed on POD1. The age correlated neither lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio nor platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on POD1, when NLR, LCR, and CAR showed the significant correlation with the age. Multiple regression analyses determined the following variables as the independent determinants of these 3 indices on POD1: age, intraoperative minimum body temperature ≥35.5°C (IntMinBT ≥35.5°C), maximum heart rate during POD0-1 (MaxHR) for NLR; age and IntMinBT ≥ 35.5°C for LCR; and age and MaxHR for CAR. The threshold of "elderly" was determined as 102-year-old for NLR, 94-year-old for LCR, and 97-year-old for CAR. CONCLUSIONS: The increased age causes the unfavorable changes in early postoperative immunoinflammatory indices after the uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Thus, the term "elderly" can be rephrased by the term "vulnerable to various surgical stresses." The thresholds for "elderly" defined herein seem impractical. Namely, the increased vulnerability caused by the aging seems modified by the individual surgical procedures.

Colonic Neurogenic Lesion: An Admixture of Mucosal Neurofibromatous Lesion and Submucosal Ganglioneuromatous Lesion With Transition.

Benign neural tumors or tumor-like lesions are rarely detected in the gastrointestinal tract. In this article, we present the case of a neural lesion of the sigmoid colon, which was incidentally detected in a 68-year-old man treated with laparoscopic low anterior resection for an advanced carcinoma of the rectosigmoid junction. Within the resected specimen, a submucosal tumor-like protruding lesion was found in the sigmoid colon. Histologically, the growth was composed of mucosal neurofibromatous and submucosal ganglioneuromatous lesions, between which there was transition. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a rupture of the perineurium in the area of transition, along with a proliferation of Schwann cells and supporting cells extending into the deep mucosa. This transition indicated that the mucosal and submucosal lesions comprised a single lesion, and that a diagnosis of neurofibroma or ganglioneuroma would be inadequate in this case. Because we could not classify it as an established single entity, we diagnosed the mass as an unclassifiable colonic neurogenic lesion. In summary, we report the case of an extremely rare occurrence of an unclassifiable colonic neurogenic lesion comprising an admixture of transitioning mucosal neurofibromatous and submucosal ganglioneuromatous lesions.

Abdominal drain straying into right atrium: a case report.

BACKGROUND: A drain exchange with the use of a guidewire may be accompanied by serious complications. CASE PRESENTATION: This case involved an 86-year-old man with overlapping cancers of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. A left hepatectomy, a left caudal lobectomy (with a medial hepatic vein preservation), an extrahepatic bile duct resection, and a right hepatojejunostomy were performed. The abdominal drain was placed into the hepatectomy side. Bile leakage occurred on the seventh day after the surgery, and the drain was exchanged. Since the bile leakage was still detectable via a computed tomography (CT) scan on the 15th postoperative day, the drain was exchanged again. On the next day, blood had discharged from the drain. A CT scan revealed that the tip of the drain was straying into the right atrium (RA) and the drain was removed from the inferior vena cava (IVC) under general anesthesia. One week later, a fiburin thrombus was observed from the IVC to the RA via the use of transthoracic echocardiography. A right atrial incision, a thrombus removal, and a middle hepatic vein merging section closure surgery were performed. Afterward, the patient's general condition gradually improved, and he was transferred to the hospital for rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: More careful guidewire operations are necessary at the time of the exchange of the drain to prevent the drain from being placed too close to blood vessels.

Isolated breast metastasis from gastric cancer in a male patient.

A 72-year-old man underwent total gastrectomy for gastric cancer (por2, T3, N2, Stage IIIA). Eleven courses of postoperative chemotherapy with TS-1 (tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil) were administered. Five months after surgery, the serum carcinoembryonic antigen value was slightly elevated. However, computed tomography did not reveal any metastatic lesions in other organs. Two years after surgery, the patient felt a mass in the left mammary. A 2-cm tumor was palpable in the central portion of the breast. Ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic tumor, which was Class 3 on aspiration biopsy cytological examination. No mass was detected on positron emission tomography-computed tomography. The mammary gland tumor increased in size to 3 cm, and a core needle biopsy procedure was performed. Histological examination findings revealed breast metastasis of gastric cancer. No other recurrence was found, and radical mastectomy was performed 2 years and 5 months after gastrectomy. Immunohistological analysis of the resected material confirmed breast metastasis of the gastric cancer. Two courses of TS-1 + cisplatin were administered, but this treatment was subsequently terminated because the patient experienced Grade 3 diarrhea and neutropenia. Three years and 1 month after the gastrectomy, the tumor recurred in the pelvic area. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy were performed, but the patient's overall condition became progressively worse, and he died 3 years and 9 months after gastrectomy.