[A Case of Malignant Pleural Effusion Implanted Subcutaneous Pleural Port].

A 74-year-old man with malignant pleural effusion due to recurrent gastric cancer underwent a failed pleurodesis. He subsequently underwent subcutaneous implantable pleural port implantation surgery followed by outpatient chemotherapy for 1 month. His disease progressed and he was unable to go to the hospital. He requested home care, so a nurse practitioner visited his home and drained the pleural effusion from the subcutaneous implantable pleural port. About 3 weeks after starting home care, he died at home. Pleurodesis is a common treatment for malignant pleural effusion; however, if a patient does not respond, long-term hospitalization is required due to manage port drainage. The subcutaneous implantable pleural port may aid provision of effective home care.

Preoperative prediction of difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy based on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common surgery with a varying difficulty level. Difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be experienced by many surgeons. If difficult procedures are predicted preoperatively, surgeons may be able to plan the surgical approach and treatment accordingly. Studies have reported using blood and clinical imaging data to predict difficult cholecystectomy. However, to our knowledge, no studies have reported using MRI. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of MRI as a predictor of difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 25 patients with cholecystitis or biliary colic who had undergone diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging before laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The apparent diffusion coefficient value of the cystic duct was measured and its relationship with operative time and blood loss was examined to assess the capacity of diffuse-weighted whole-body imaging to predict difficult cholecystectomy. Further, we collected blood data and compared its usefulness as a predictor. RESULTS: The apparent diffusion coefficient value of the cystic duct was significantly lower in patients with difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy than in those with non-difficult procedures (P = .00007). White blood cell count and serum C-reactive protein level were significantly higher in patients with difficult cholecystectomy than in those with non-difficult procedures (P = .035, .030). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the apparent diffusion coefficient value was the best predictor. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the apparent diffusion coefficient value of the cystic duct is a predictor of difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In the future, it may be useful to study changes in coefficient values over time to determine optimal surgical timing.

Results of follow-up endoscopy in patients who underwent proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The present study evaluates the findings of long-term follow-up endoscopy in patients who underwent proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition for gastric cancer. METHODOLOGY: A total of 55 patients (45 males, 10 females; 32 to 79 years; mean, 55.9 years), who underwent proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition, were enrolled in the present study. We reviewed the findings of follow-up endoscopy of all patients with particular reference to the development of esophagitis, jejunitis, jejunal ulcer and secondary tumors. RESULTS: We found reflux esophagitis in 6 patients (10.9%) between 12 and 35 months with an average of 22 months after surgery. Jejunitis was discovered in 5 patients (9.0%) between 6 and 96 months with an average of 29 months after surgery. Jejunal ulcer was revealed in 6 patients (10.9%) between 6 and 75 months with an average of 37 months after surgery. Tumors of the remnant stomach, early gastric cancer and gastric adenoma, were identified in 2 patients (3.6%) at 24 months and 69 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Jejunal interposition combined with proximal gastrectomy does not always prevent complications related to regurgitation of gastric content, and may not be a suitable treatment in view of postoperative endoscopic surveillance. Further studies are required to identify an appropriate surgical approach to proximal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

New technique for purse string suture in stapled esophagojejunostomy using a new "needle cap" device.

Stapler anastomosis has been widely used in esophagojejunostomy following total gastrectomy. Purse string suture around the cut esophagus must be placed before stapler anastomosis. However, technical problems associated with placement of the purse string suture remain. We have designed a new reusable "needle cap" device, allowing purse string suture to be performed easily, safely, and cost-effectively. We present herein a new technique for purse string suture in stapled esophagojejunostomy using this device.

[Usefulness of the stent through percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for pyloric stenosis].

The stent treatment using a self expandable metallic stent (EMS) can improve the pyloric stenosis with inoperable advanced cancer. This stent treatment is minimally invasive, and the patients can take a meal immediately after the treatment. However, a placement of a stent using an endoscope is difficult because straightening up the endoscope in the stomach is an impossible task in the case of using an oral endoscope. Therefore, we used PEG and we could easily place the EMS through PEG for pyloric stenosis. We report the three cases of pyloric stenosis with an inoperable advanced gastric and pancreas cancers using this technique. In all cases, pyloric stenosis were improved, and they could take it from a mouth and could receive home care for a while. We think this technique is feasible and beneficial.

Which patients with advanced, proximal gastric cancer benefit from complete clearance of spleno-pancreatic lymph nodes?

BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of dissecting spleno-pancreatic nodes remains unclear in patients with advanced proximal gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from a total of 104 patients (74 males and 30 females; age range, 21 to 76 years; mean, 56.0 years), who had undergone curative total gastrectomy combined with spleno-pancreatectomy for advanced proximal gastric cancer, were analyzed with respect to clinicopathological features and patient survival. RESULTS: Metastases to spleno-pancreatic nodes were found in 24 patients (23.1%). Tumor size > 40 mm (p = 0.0218), histologically-undifferentiated type (p = 0.0346) and both Japanese and TNM node-stages (p < 0.0001) were associated with metastases to these nodes. The 5-year survival rate of patients with a T2 tumor was 65.4% in patients with no metastases to the spleno-pancreatic nodes and 45.5% in patients with metastases to these nodes (p = 0.0699). No patients with a T3 tumor and metastases to the spleno-pancreatic nodes survived more than 4 years. CONCLUSION: Complete clearance of SP-nodes for patients with advanced proximal gastric cancer is beneficial for patients with a T2 tumor but not for patients with a T3 tumor. Metastases to these nodes appear to be rare in tumors less than 40 mm. Thus, this treatment should not be routinely performed in patients with proximal advanced gastric cancer. It should not be considered in patients with T3 tumors or with tumors < or = 40 mm.

First drainage lymph node(s) in gastric cancer: analysis of the topographical pattern of lymph node metastasis in patients with pN-1 stage tumors.

BACKGROUND: We attempted to identify the first lymph node(s) involved in metastasis of gastric cancer by studying the topographical pattern of metastasis to regional lymph nodes in patients with pN-1 stage tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 190 patients (108 males and 82 females; age range, 27 to 83 years; mean, 59.7 years), who had undergone curative resection combined with lymphadenectomy for solitary carcinoma of the stomach and were histologically diagnosed as having pN-1 stage tumors, were enrolled in the present study. The topographical patterns of metastasis to regional lymph nodes were reviewed from the pathology records of these patients. RESULTS: A total of 7561 lymph nodes (mean, 39.8/patient; range 15-99/patient) were dissected and metastasis was histologically observed in 523 nodes (6.9%, mean, 2.7/patient). Although perigastric lymph nodes were a common site of metastasis, the distribution of positive nodes depended on tumor location. As the number of positive nodes increased, a more diffuse pattern of regional involvement was noted. Skip metastasis was identified in 10 (5%) out of 190 patients. This unusual pattern of metastasis was found in 9 (14%) out of 63 patients with single positive nodes, while only one (1%) out of 127 patients with 2-6 positive nodes exhibited this pattern of metastasis. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Although perigastric lymph nodes are important first sites of drainage from pN-1 stage gastric tumors, the pattern of lymph node metastasis varies widely within a regional area even in pN-1 stage patients.

Clinical evaluation of pN-stage (TNM) in gastric cancer: an analysis of distribution of regional lymph nodes in node-positive patients.

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present study were to identify the distribution of regional lymph nodes in gastric cancer patients based on the number of nodes and to assess the influence of the examined area of lymph nodes on the determination of node stage according to TNM in node-positive patients with gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 346 node-positive patients with primary solitary carcinoma of the stomach (210 males and 136 females; age range, 27 to 84 years; mean, 58.5 years), who underwent curative gastric resection combined with D2 or more extended lymph node dissection, were enrolled in the present study. The anatomical distribution of regional lymph nodes at each station classified according to the JCGC was assessed from pathology records. RESULTS: The number of first tier and all regional nodes dissected was < 15 in 7 patients (2%) of all patients and <15 in 37 patients (11%), respectively. Metastasis to first tier nodes was found in 2129 nodes (21%) but not in 8199 nodes (79%) and to second tier nodes in 375 nodes (9%) but not in 4028 nodes (91%), representing a significant difference between the two node groups (p<0.0001). No metastasis to first tier nodes was found in 12 patients (5%) out of 229 patients with pN1 tumor. Similarly, the number of metastases to first tier nodes in 15 patients (21%) out of 73 patients with pN2 tumor and in 13 patients (29%) out of 44 patients with pN3 tumor were 1-6 and 7-15, respectively. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that the extent of lymph node dissection does affect node stage as classified according to TNM and that restriction of the number of dissected regional lymph nodes (> or = 15 lymph nodes) may not be essential for practical staging of TNM.

Role of endoscopic clipping for determining the resection line for tumors located in the middle or upper corpus of the stomach: experience with 100 gastrectomies for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and limitations of preoperative endoscopic clipping for determining the resection line in patients with early gastric cancer remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects comprised 100 patients with early gastric cancer (33 females, 67 males; mean age, 60.5 years; range, 33-84 years) who underwent pre-operative endoscopic clipping for lesions located in the middle or upper corpus of the stomach. The results of endoscopic clipping for a selection of appropriate surgical procedures were investigated. RESULTS: Distal gastrectomy was performed in 94 patients, the mean length between the lesion and proximal surgical margin of the resected stomach being 28.9 +/- 18.0 mm (mean +/- SD). The surgical margin was eventually free of tumor in all patients. In 5 patients, clips were considered to be placed inadequately, and all 5 tumors were macroscopically depressed or flat and > 40 mm in size. CONCLUSION: Pre-operative endoscopic clipping represents a safe and reliable procedure to determine the resection line for tumors located in the middle or upper corpus of the stomach for treatment of early gastric cancer. During surgical resection, frozen section examination of the proximal cut end is recommended for patients with tumors that are macroscopically depressed or flat and > 40 mm in size, or that display a macroscopically unclear proximal margin.

Efficacy of endoscopic surveillance of the upper gastrointestinal tract following distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: How endoscopy can be used in the follow-up of the upper gastrointestinal tract in patients who underwent gastrectomy for early gastric cancer remains unclear. METHODOLOGY: Two-hundred and ten patients (137 males and 73 females, aged at initial gastrectomy 27-86, average age 56.5) were followed in the present study. Results of follow-up endoscopy of all patients, pathologic diagnoses of secondary tumors and interval between gastrectomy and detection of secondary tumor were reviewed. Cumulative incidence rate of second tumors in the upper gastrointestinal tract was then analyzed. RESULTS: Secondary tumor was observed by follow-up endoscopy in 7 patients including two gastric, one esophageal, one duodenal carcinoma and 3 gastric adenomas. The interval between initial gastrectomy and diagnosis of secondary tumor ranged from 20 to 71 months (average 51.7 months). All carcinomas were early stage and localized within the mucosa. Three patients with secondary cancer were successfully treated by endoscopic mucosal resection. The cumulative incidence rate of secondary cancer in the gastric remnant, esophagus and duodenum at six years after initial gastrectomy was 1.0, 0.8 and 0.5%, respectively. The overall incidence rate of secondary tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract at six years after distal gastrectomy was 4.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicate that annual follow-up endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract after gastrectomy for early gastric cancer can be introduced to detect carcinoma at an early stage, thus improving the survival rate of gastrectomy patients.

Analysis of recent cases of intestinal tuberculosis in Japan.

In Japan, which ranks first among developed countries in the incidence of tuberculosis, intestinal tuberculosis should be regarded as an important disease. However, few studies of this condition have recently been reported. We analyzed nine patients treated at our hospital during and after 2000. Our results differ from those of previous studies in that many of the patients were healthy, not elderly, had primary intestinal tuberculosis and presented with non-gastrointestinal symptoms. All seven patients tested were found to be whole blood interferon gamma release assay (IGRA)-positive. These results suggest that IGRA is useful as an adjunct method for diagnosing intestinal tuberculosis.

Bleeding Brunner's Gland Hyperplasia of the Duodenum: A Case Report With a Review of the Japanese Literature.

A man taking antithrombotic agents was admitted because of melena. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a large, pedunculated polyp bleeding from erosions on its top. The polyp was endoscopically resected, and histopathologically diagnosed as Brunner's gland hyperplasia. It is commonly encountered as a small, raised lesion, but may enlarge or bleed. We report this case, with a review of the Japanese literature and discussion of the mechanism of bleeding.

A Case of Refractory Gastric Cardia Ulcer in Which Marked Elevation of the Surrounding Mucosa was Observed During the Clinical Course.

A 55-year-old man visited our department because of epigastric pain. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a small, undermined ulcer in the gastric cardia. He had no history of taking NSAIDs, and was positive for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection. After Hp eradication therapy followed by 8 weeks of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) administration, re-endoscopy showed that the ulcer had slightly shrunk without scarring, and the surrounding mucosa was markedly elevated, like in a submucosal tumor. Endoscopic ultrasonography, performed at the same time, showed thickening of the submucosal and muscular layers around the ulcer. After continuous PPI administration, the mucosal elevation disappeared, and the ulcer shrunk and later scarred. However, when the dose of PPI was reduced with the aim of discontinuing it after the confirmation of successful Hp eradication, the ulcer recurred. We report this case of gastric ulcer because of its peculiar clinical presentation.

Evaluation of Six Cases of Idiopathic Gastric Antral Ulcer.

Six cases of gastric antral ulcer with an unknown cause encountered at our hospital and related facilities during the last 5 years were evaluated. The frequency of the disease was 1.3% of all gastric ulcers. The lesions were multiple in 3 and solitary in 3. All these lesions were ellipsoidal and small ulcers 1 cm or less in long diameter with mucosal elevations around them, located primarily in the greater curvature, and accompanied by reddened erosions in other areas of the antrum. The patients were middle-aged or older, 5 of them were females, half of them had a history of bleeding, and 4 showed resistance to treatment with proton pump inhibitors. The 6 patients had common clinical features, suggesting that they had the same disease. From the presence of reddened erosion, mutual friction of the antral mucosa was suspected to be a cause of the disease. Similar ulcers are found in the literature, but they have not been described or evaluated in detail. The further accumulation of cases and clarification of details of the disease are desired.

Giant Gastric Antral Ulcer Developing After Short-Term NSAID Administration.

A 61-year-old man took loxoprofen sodium hydrate, a prodrug NSAID, for acute upper respiratory infection for 5 days, developed melena 2 days later, and was admitted to our hospital. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a giant and deeply undermined ulcer mainly in the greater curvature of the antrum, which occupied halfway around the lumen. His medical history was unremarkable. He was negative for Helicobacter pylori infection, and was diagnosed with NSAID-induced acute gastric ulcer in the absence of other causes of gastric ulcer. Giant gastric ulcers, as in this patient, are rare. Moreover, deeply undermined or huge gastric ulcers sometimes develop during the long-term administration of NSAIDs, but very rarely after their short-term administration, which prompted us to report this case.

Survival after surgical treatment of early gastric cancer: surgical techniques and long-term survival.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Recent results from long-term follow-up of a large number of patients who have undergone gastric resection for early gastric cancer (EGC) have not yet been fully evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 848 patients who had undergone gastric resection for EGC (262 female, 586 male; mean age 58.0 years; range 20-86 years) were studied with respect to surgical technique, long-term survival and prognostic factors on the basis of current TNM classification. RESULTS: Death related to recurrence occurred in only eight patients (0.9%). Hematogenous metastasis to the liver or bone represented the most common pattern of recurrence, developing in six of the eight recurrences (75%). The 5-year and 10-year cancer-related survival rates were 98.6% and 94.8%, respectively. The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 95.2% and 85.0%, respectively. Lymph node metastasis represented an independent prognostic factor when analyzed on the basis of cancer-related survival. CONCLUSION: The present findings indicate that long-term survival of patients who undergo gastric resection for EGC is extremely good and that lymph node metastasis represents an independent prognostic factor when analyzed according to cancer-related survival. Future developments for the treatment of EGC are expected to improve quality of life for patients after gastric resection.

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for the management of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the stomach: a patient who had recurrence and died 4 years after EMR.

Recent studies have explored the possibility of using endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) to treat lesions with a relative indication for endoscopic therapy. We used EMR to manage poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, a relative indication for endoscopic treatment, in a patient who requested such treatment and refused surgical intervention. We describe our experience with this patient, who died of tumor recurrence 4 years after the EMR. This case describes the problems of using EMR for the treatment of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma.