The incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) following transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) caused by transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-one patients treated between 2005 and 2008 undergoing 305 consecutive sessions of TACE were enrolled. CIN was defined as an increase in the serum creatinine level of more than 0.5 mg/dl or more than 25 % from baseline within 3 days after TACE without any other identifiable cause of acute kidney injury. RESULTS: CIN by the present definition was observed after 2.6 % of the TACE sessions. No patient showed clinical signs or symptoms of acute renal failure, or required haemodialysis. None of the patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate of <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2) developed CIN. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that TACE is a relatively safe procedure in terms of the risk of CIN under vigorous periprocedural hydration and that the incidence of CIN is comparable to that of AKI associated with intravenous CM administration. KEY POINTS: • CIN would be lower for non-coronary arterial intervention than for coronary intervention. • The present study suggests that the CIN rates following TACE are low. • The incidence of CIN is comparable to that after intravenous CM administration.

Efficacy and safety of sorafenib in very elderly patients aged 80 years and older with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: Sorafenib is the standard systemic therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of sorafenib therapy in very elderly patients aged 80 years and older with advanced HCC. METHODS: In a retrospective multicenter study in Japan, we reviewed 185 patients (median age, 71 years; 82% male; 95% Child-Pugh class A) with advanced HCC who received sorafenib therapy. Data were compared between 24 (13%) patients aged 80 years and older and 161 (87%) patients aged less than 80 years. We used propensity score matching to adjust for differences between the two groups. RESULTS: Median overall survival was 10.6 months in all patients: 11.7 months in patients aged 80 years and older and 10.5 months in those aged less than 80 years. There were no significant differences in overall survival, tumor response, and frequency and severity of drug-related adverse events between patients aged 80 years and older and those aged less than 80 years in both the entire study cohort and the propensity-matched cohort. CONCLUSION: Sorafenib may be effective and well tolerated, even in patients with advanced HCC who are aged 80 years and older, as well as those aged less than 80 years.

[Bacillus cereus septicemia and necrotizing fasciitis in a patient with liver cirrhosis: a case report].

A 54-year-old woman with hematemesis was referred to our hospital. She had a history of liver cirrhosis and diabetes mellitus. After inserting a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube, we performed endoscopic variceal ligation for ruptured esophageal varices. On the third day of admission, she developed septicemia and necrotizing fasciitis caused by Bacillus cereus. She was successfully treated with early debridement of both lower extremities and intravenous treatment with vancomycin, ciprofloxacin, and clindamycin. Although B. cereus is an attenuate bacterium, it can occasionally cause fatal infection in immuno-compromised individuals, such as those with liver cirrhosis.

[A case of serous cystadenoma of the pancreas associated with obstructive jaundice during long-term follow up].

A 68-year-old man had been followed up since March, 1997 because of a cystic tumor of the pancreas head. The patient developed obstructive jaundice and was admitted to our hospital in June, 2007. The tumor size on CT scan had increased from 3.6 cm to 5.9 cm during the 10-year period. After endoscopic biliary drainage, pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Pathological diagnosis of the resected specimen was serous cystadenoma. Serous cystadenoma of the pancreas is known as a benign tumor with indolent progression and is likely to be symptomatic if the tumor size exceeds 4 cm. However, biliary obstruction is a rare complication of serous cystadenoma. We report this rare case here with references to the literature.

[Histological complete response in a case of advanced gastric endocrine carcinoma treated by irinotecan plus cisplatin].

A 65-year-old man was admitted because of epigastralgia and body weight loss. A 50-mm tumor found at the lesser curvature of the gastric antrum was histologically diagnosed as endocrine carcinoma. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed liver metastasis and multiple lymph node metastasis. We started chemotherapy with irinotecan and cisplatin every 4 week. After three courses of treatment, the primary lesion was estimated PR, the metastasis CR, and the synthesis PR. Then we performed distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. Histological findings revealed no cancer cells.

An Unusual Case of Acute Cholecystitis with Amyloidosis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

We present an extremely rare case of amyloid A (AA) deposition in the gallbladder and review the literature on similar cases. The patient was a 76-year-old man who had been diagnosed with mild bronchiectasis three years previously, who was admitted to the hospital with right upper quadrant pain and fever. Computed tomography revealed swelling and wall thickening of the gallbladder with a small gallstone. The patient was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis and cholelithiasis and underwent open cholecystectomy. A postoperative histological examination revealed extensive AA deposition in the gallbladder wall. Thus, the definitive diagnosis was acute cholecystitis with AA amyloidosis.

Simple tumor profile chart based on cell kinetic parameters and histologic grade is useful for estimating the natural growth rate of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Thirty-four untreated hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) with known growth rates were classified into 5 groups on a tumor profile chart based on their doubling time (DT), Ki-67-positive index (Ki-67-PI), apoptotic index (Apo-I), and histologic grade. The slow-growing HCCs (DT > 100 days) consisted of well-differentiated tumors with slight cell kinetic imbalance and were divided into groups A and B. Group A had Apo-I values <3%, and most tumors had Ki-67-PI values <10%, whereas group B had Apo-I values of 3 per thousand to 10 per thousand and Ki-67-PI values of 10% to 20%. The HCCs with intermediate growth rates, which had Ki-67-PI values similar to those of the tumors in group B, were divided into groups C and D based on differences in cell kinetics: group C consisted of well-differentiated tumors, most of which had Apo-I values <3 per thousand, and group D consisted of moderately or poorly differentiated tumors with Apo-I values between 10 per thousand and 20 per thousand. The rapidly growing tumors (DT < 50 days, group E) had higher Ki-67-PI values than other groups and a wide range of Apo-I values. Rapidly growing tumors were mostly moderately or poorly differentiated, with a large cell kinetic imbalance in favor of cell production. This grouping system is useful for approximating the growth rate of HCCs in a clinical setting, even when only histologic parameters are available.

Direct cholangioscopy combined with double-balloon enteroscope-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Double-balloon enteroscope (DBE)-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an effective endoscopic approach for pancreatobiliary disorders in patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy. Endoscopic interventions via DBE in these postoperative settings remain difficult because of the lack of an elevator and the use of extra-long ERCP accessories. Here, we report the usefulness of direct cholangioscopy with an ultra-slim gastroscope during DBE-assisted ERCP. Three patients with choledocholithiasis in postoperative settings (two patients after Billroth II gastrojejunostomy and one patient after Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy) were treated. DBE was used to gain access to the papilla under carbon dioxide insufflation, and endoscopic sphincterotomy was performed with a conventional sphincterotome. For direct cholangioscopy, the enteroscope was exchanged for an ultra-slim gastroscope through an incision in the overtube, which was inserted directly into the bile duct. Direct cholangioscopy was used to extract retained bile duct stones in two cases and to confirm the complete clearance of stones in one case. Bile duct stones were eliminated with a 5-Fr basket catheter under direct visual control. No adverse events were noted in any of the three cases. Direct cholangioscopy with an ultra-slim gastroscope facilitates subsequent treatment within the bile duct. This procedure represents another potential option during DBE-assisted ERCP.

A case of hepatitis C-associated osteosclerosis with xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis.

A 62-year-old woman presented with a markedly increased serum ALP level of skeletal origin during a regular follow-up of chronic hepatitis C. Serum calcium, phosphorus, and intact-PTH levels were normal and bone turnover markers were increased. Her generalized bone density was diffusely increased. These findings were consistent with hepatitis C-associated osteosclerosis (HCAO). She underwent cholecystectomy, as gallbladder cancer was suspected; however, histopathological findings demonstrated xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis. After cholecystectomy, serum ALP level and bone turnover markers were gradually decreased. This may indicate the existence of a novel osteogenic factor in the gallbladder in HCAO.