[Results of Palliative Resection in an Elderly Colorectal Cancer Patient].

With the aging of society, surgery for elderly colorectal cancer(CRC)patients is also increasing. We examined 11 elderly CRC patients who underwent palliative resection in our institute. The reasons other than age for which palliative resection was chosen, included dementia, basic disease, and social backgrounds such as living alone, etc. Although surgery was possible according to the ECOG PS and other examinations before surgery, 3 patients(27.3%)who developed respiratory or circulatory complications after surgery died in the hospital. From the viewpoint of retrospective P-POSSUM evaluation, unreasonable surgical decisions were not made. However, recovery was difficult once complications occurred in the subject group. The postoperative hospital stay, excluding inpatient deaths, was over 1 month due to rehabilitation, discharge adjustment, etc. Therefore, palliative treatment other than surgery should be considered for elderly CRC patients.

Preoperative diagnosis with versus without MRI in resection for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Although MRI has been considered one of the most sensitive diagnostic techniques for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a clear-cut beneficial effect of the use of preoperative MRI remains unclear. We assessed whether preoperative MRI has a beneficial effect on outcomes in patients scheduled to undergo resection of HCC. METHODS: We evaluated 449 patients with 553 liver tumors. MRI was performed in 349 of these patients, but not in the other 100. Ultrasonography, dynamic CT, and angiography were performed in all patients. Diagnostic abilities and long-term outcomes were compared between patients who did and did not undergo MRI. RESULTS: The MRI group (349 patients) had 419 liver tumors and the no MRI group (100 patients) had 134 tumors. Preoperatively, the size of the HCC did not differ between the MRI (median, 30 mm; range, 10-205) and the no MRI group (median, 34 mm; range, 10-175; P = .99). The diagnostic accuracy was 98% in the MRI group and 96% in the no MRI group. Recurrence-free survival rates at 5 years were 31% (95% CI, 20.9-42.5) in the no MRI group, compared with 26% (95% CI, 20.1-32.1) in the MRI (P = .45). Overall survival rates at 5 years were 57% (95% CI, 45.6-68.1) in the no MRI group and 60% (95% CI, 53.4-66.8) in the MRI group (P = .64). After analysis by propensity score matching in 100 pairs of patients, recurrence-free survival rates at 5 years were 31% (95% CI, 20.9-42.5) in the no MRI group, compared with 19% (95% CI, 10.3-30.9) in the MRI group (P = .54). Overall survival rates at 5 years were 57% (95% CI, 45.6-68.1) in the no MRI group and 57% (95% CI, 43.2-68.8) in the MRI group (P = .92). CONCLUSION: MRI seemed to offer no beneficial impact on diagnostic abilities or long-term outcomes after resection for HCC and is thus of questionable value as a routine imaging modality when combined with CT and angiography clinical practice.

Verification of inferior right hepatic vein-conserving segments 7 to 8 resection of the liver.

This study aims to investigate the safety of inferior right hepatic vein (IRHV)-conserving surgery by comparing the surgical data and postoperative complications between IRHV-conserving segments 7 to 8 (S7 to S8) resection and conventional right hemihepatectomy (RH). Five patients who underwent IRHV-conserving S7 to S8 segmentectomy between 2007 and 2011 (IRHV group) and 25 liver cancer patients who underwent RH without biliary tract reconstruction during the same period (RH group) were investigated. The surgical data, postoperative complications, and duration of hospital stay were compared. The IRHV and RH groups included 2 (40%) and 13 (52%) hepatocellular carcinoma patients, respectively. There were no significant differences in liver function before surgery between the groups. The presence of the IRHV did not adversely affect the processing of the short hepatic vein or frontal dissection of the inferior vena cava. The operative time was shorter (median, 366 minutes versus 501 minutes; P = 0.0001), the postoperative bilirubin level was lower (12 mg/dL versus 1.8 mg/dL; P = 0.037), and the duration of hospital stay was shorter (10 days versus 14 days; P = 0.002) in the IRHV group. No significant differences were noted in the intraoperative blood loss, postoperative transaminase levels, or the incidence of severe complications (Clavien grade IIIb or higher) between the groups. IRHV-conserving resection of the liver is a safe surgical procedure that is useful in preventing postoperative elevation of bilirubin level and in shortening the duration of hospital stay.

Tachykinins via Tachykinin NK(2) receptor activation mediate ozone-induced increase in the permeability of the tracheal mucosa in guinea-pigs.

1. Acute exposure to ozone is known to cause airway hyperresponsiveness, which, at least in part, seems to result from an increase in the permeability of the airway mucosa. Recently, we demonstrated that depletion of sensory neuropeptides inhibits the ozone-induced increase in the permeability of the tracheal mucosa in guinea-pigs. The aim of this study was to determine whether tachykinins mediate ozone-induced increase in the permeability of the tracheal mucosa in guinea-pigs. 2. Anaesthetized guinea-pigs were exposed to either 3 p.p.m. ozone or filtered air for 30 min. Immediately after exposure, a tracheal segment was isolated in vivo and administered with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The permeability was assessed by monitoring the appearance of HRP in the blood. 3. A low dose of NKA increased the permeability of the tracheal mucosa, whereas a low dose of SP was without effect. Low and high doses of the selective NK(3) receptor agonist, senktide, were also without effect. The effect of a low dose of NKA was abolished by the NK(2) receptor antagonist, SR-48,968. A high dose of SP increased the permeability in a manner reversible by the NK(1) receptor antagonist, CP-96,345. 4. Pretreatment with SR-48,968 completely inhibited the ozone-induced increase in the permeability, whereas CP-96,345 had no effect. 5. It is thus concluded that endogenous tachykinins mediate the ozone-induced increase in the permeability of the tracheal mucosa in guinea-pigs mainly via NK(2) receptor activation.

Analysis of exhaled nitric oxide by the helium bolus method.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The precise anatomic sites contributing to exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) are still unknown. The present study was designed to analyze profiles of eNO by referring to the He exhalation curve and examining the effects of breath-holding and expiratory flow rates on eNO. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy volunteers and patients with stable asthma. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS We used the He bolus method of the closing volume, and simultaneously analyzed the concentrations of exhaled He and nitric oxide (NO). By referring to the He exhalation curve, the expired gas was divided into three parts: airway dead space (phase 1), a mixture of airway and alveolar gas (phase 2), and alveolar gas (phase 3 and phase 4). The eNO profiles showed a peak in phase 2 (peak eNO) and decreased gradually to a plateau in the latter half of phase 3 (plateau eNO). The levels of peak eNO were higher than those of plateau eNO in both normal subjects and asthmatic patients. Breath-holding increased levels of peak eNO 2.5-fold in both normal subjects and asthmatic patients, but it did not affect the levels of plateau eNO. The levels of peak eNO increased as the expiratory flow rate decreased, and the levels of plateau eNO showed a similar flow dependency. CONCLUSION: A peak value of eNO concentration profiles may directly express the production of NO in the airway.

Long-term induction of beta-CGRP mRNA in rat lungs by allergic inflammation.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is one of the major neuropeptides released from sensory nerve endings and neuroendocrine cells of the lung. Two CGRP isoforms, alpha-and beta-CGRP, have been identified in rats and humans, but no studies have attempted to reveal direct evidence of differences in action or location of these isoforms in allergic inflammation (AI). We investigated mRNA expressions of alpha-and beta-CGRP in lungs, nodose ganglia (NG), and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of an animal model for AI of the airways, utilizing a model created by sensitizing Brown Norway (BN) rats with ovalbumin (OVA). By semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis, long-lasting enhanced expression of the beta-CGRP mRNA was shown in the lungs of the AI rats (14.5-fold enhancement at 6 hr, 8.1-fold at 24 hr, and 3.7-fold at 120 hr after OVA-challenge compared to the level in the lungs of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)-challenged control rats). In contrast, the mRNA expression of the alpha-CGRP in AI lungs showed only a transient increase after OVA-challenge (2.7-fold at 6 hr) followed by a lower level of expression (0.5-fold at 48 hr and 0.6-fold at 120 hr). The mRNA expressions of both isoforms in NG, but not in DRG, were transiently up-regulated at 6 hr after antigen challenge. In situ RT-PCR in combination with immunohistochemical analysis revealed that beta-CGRP was expressed in neuroendocrine cells in clusters (termed neuroepithelial bodies [NEBs]) in AI lungs. These results indicate that the long-term induction of beta-CGRP in NEBs may play an important role in pulmonary AI such as bronchial asthma.

Subcutaneous drainage to prevent wound infection in liver resection: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous drainage is considered effective for preventing wound infections, but only anecdotal evidence supports its clinical benefit. The present study evaluated the benefit of subcutaneous drainage in preventing wound infections in patients undergoing liver resection. METHODS: Patients scheduled for liver resection were randomly assigned to receive or not receive subcutaneous drains. After suture of the peritoneum and fascia, a 10 Fr drain was placed subcutaneously and connected to a low pressure (under 80 cmH2 O) aspiration reservoir to allow drainage of the full length of the wound. The primary endpoint was wound infection development within 30 days of the liver resection. RESULTS: We performed liver resections in 260 patients with hepatobiliary malignancies. Between the subcutaneous-drainage group (n = 131) and non-drainage group (n = 129), there were no significant differences in the operative variables. Wound infection occurred in 10 drainage group patients (8%) and 12 patients (9%) in the non-drainage group (P = 0.629); there was no significant difference in the probability of wound infection (P = 0.624). No significant differences were found between the groups for the hospital stay duration (P = 0.363), postoperative complications (P = 0.725) or medical expenses (P = 0.360). CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous drainage does not prevent wound infections in patients undergoing liver resection; therefore, its routine use is not justified.

Proposal of objective morphological classification system for hepatocellular carcinoma using preoperative multiphase computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: To establish a preoperative morphological classification system for hepatocellular carcinoma using multiphase computed tomography. METHODS: All consecutive patients who were diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma between 2004 and 2009 were enrolled, for a total of 232 patients. The concavity and convexity of each outer contour of hepatocellular carcinoma acquired from multiphase computed tomography were analyzed, and the area and depth of each indentation were quantified. The indentation area to tumor area ratio (s:S) and the s:S ratio multiplied by the indentation depth to indentation base ratio (s:S × d:t) were used as feature values reflecting the individual shapes. RESULTS: Using a hierarchical cluster analysis, the shapes were classified into three groups: Type I (smooth: n = 158), Type II (jagged: n = 63), and Type III (rough: n = 11). The 5-year survival rates for Types I, II, and III were 64, 53, and 0 %, respectively (I vs. II, P = 0.038; I vs. III, P = 0.001; II vs. III, P = 0.002). The 5-year disease-free survival rates for Types I, II, and III were 27, 23, and 0 %, respectively (I vs. III, P = 0.0003 and II vs. III, P = 0.008). Microscopic portal venous invasion was significantly more likely with Type III than with Type I or II (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed semiautomatic computed tomography-based morphological classification system appears to provide a promising additional criterion for the prognostic categorization of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Repeat liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma complicating primary biliary cirrhosis.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicating primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is between 0.7% and 16%. Repeat liver resection for recurrent HCC complicating PBC is not usually performed and not published because this approach is not generally applicable due to liver dysfunction. We applied repeat liver resection for these diseases. Three patients were diagnosed with PBC. The first HCC was noted at a mean of 6 years (4-17 years) after diagnosis of PBC. The second HCC occurred at a mean of 2.5 years (0.4-3 years) after the first surgery. All patients were treated with curative resection on first and second surgery. The mean overall survival time after the first liver resection was 46 months. Repeat liver resection for recurrent HCC complicating PBC is an option and may improve the outcome.

Sudden illness while driving a vehicle--a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a retrospective analysis of commercial drivers to clarify the background of incidents of sudden illness while driving. METHODS: The analysis used reports submitted by employers to the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism regarding commercial drivers who had been ordered to stop driving owing to health problems. RESULTS: Of 211 cases with an average work history of 15.2 years, there were 88 bus drivers, 70 taxi drivers, and 53 truck drivers, 36.0% of who had died as a result of their disease. Among taxi and truck drivers, more than 70% of incidents were due to cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease. More than 80% of these were unable to avoid traffic accidents caused by sudden illness. However, among bus drivers, cardiac, aortic, and cerebrovascular disease accounted for only 23.5% of incidents, and accidents were avoided in more than half of the cases. The duration between starting work and the incident time was significantly shorter among bus drivers [mean 3.3 hours, standard deviation (SD) 3.1] than taxi (7.7 hours, SD 5.8) and truck (7.2 hours, SD 6.3) drivers (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The difference between the sudden illness rates of taxi and truck drivers and those of bus drivers is due to both reporting bias and differences in the awareness needed to prevent disabling events while driving. As a precaution, physicians should advise commercial drivers to stop driving as soon as they detect slight discomfort. To prevent accidents, more assertive health promotion aimed at professional drivers is needed.