A case of intestinal intussusception with unique hemorrhagic polyps due to AL amyloidosis and excessive anticoagulation.

Most adult intussusceptions are secondary to various pathological conditions that serve as a lead point. Because of their serious nature, intussusceptions often require emergency surgery. We report a surgical case of amyloidosis associated with intussusception, probably due to polypoid protrusions and bleeding tendencies. An 80-year-old man with abdominal pain was suspected of having jejunal intussusception on computed tomography. He had been prescribed warfarin for atrial fibrillation, and excessive anticoagulation was observed with a prolonged prothrombin time/international normalized ratio of 5.44 at presentation. After the excessive anticoagulation was resolved, emergency surgery was performed. The intussuscepted jejunum was resected, and a 7 cm long dark-red pedunculated polyp was identified as the lead point, which was accompanied by multiple small pedunculated polyps. Histopathological examination showed that these were all hemorrhagic polyps. Amyloid depositions were observed in the muscularis mucosae, submucosa, and the walls of the blood vessels. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis. This case is informative to discuss the clinical sequelae of gastrointestinal amyloid deposition.

Clinical Impact of Two-Week Placement of a Subcutaneous Suction Drain in Preventing Incisional Surgical Site Infection in Open Gastrointestinal Surgery with Class 4 Dirty Wound: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Two recent randomized controlled trials demonstrated the beneficial effects of subcutaneous drainage in preventing incisional surgical site infection (SSI) in colorectal surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of subcutaneous suction drains (SSDs) compared with primary skin closure (PC) in class 4 dirty wound surgery. Patients and Methods: Eighty-one patients undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery with class 4 dirty wounds were enrolled in this study, 30 of whom underwent SSD insertion, whereas the other 51 were treated with PC. Because several studies have reported that the median onset of the development of incisional SSI was eight to 13 days after surgery, we used a two-week placement of an SSD. Comparison of patients treated with SSD and PC and multivariable analysis were performed to test the ability of SSD in decreasing the SSI rate. Results: No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiology score, steroid use, presence of diabetes mellitus, peri-operative transfusion, and surgery type. Surgical site infection incidence was lower in the SSD group (6.6%; 2/30) than that in the PC group (23.5%; 12/51; p = 0.069). Multivariable analysis revealed that the presence of diabetes mellitus was an important independent risk factor for incisional SSI, and the placement of an SSD has substantial preventive effects on incisional SSI (p = 0.018 and p = 0.014, respectively). Conclusions: This study suggested the potential importance of a two-week placement of an SSD for preventing incisional SSI in class 4 dirty wound surgery.

[A Case of Jejunal Cancer Treated by Laparoscopic Partial Jejunectomy].

The patient was a 30s male visited our hospital with the complaints of abdominal pain and melena. The internal medicine physician could not detect the cause of the melena by upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy. Although the patient resolved with a fast as conservative management so he left our hospital once, he relapsed nausea and abdominal pain. He visited our department. We performed surgery under a preoperative diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. The histopathological diagnosis was moderate differentiated jejunal adenocarcinoma(Stage ⅡA). At present, 1 year 7 months since surgery, the patient survives although with lymphnode recurrence.

Continuous ghrelin infusion attenuates the postoperative inflammatory response in patients with esophageal cancer.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to clarify whether ghrelin infusion is useful for suppressing inflammatory responses after esophagectomy. METHODS: A phase I study of ghrelin administration after esophagectomy was performed in 20 patients with esophageal cancer. The anti-inflammatory effect of ghrelin was compared with 20 consecutive patients who did not receive ghrelin infusion. Additionally, 10 patients with intermittent infusion for 10 days were compared with 10 patients with continuous infusion for 5 days. The primary endpoint was the duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Secondary endpoints included postoperative complications, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and growth hormone (GH) levels. RESULTS: No adverse events of ghrelin administration occurred. Patients with ghrelin infusion had higher plasma ghrelin levels on postoperative day (POD) 3 (p = 0.003) and shorter SIRS duration (p = 0.007) than patients without ghrelin infusion. Although SIRS duration was similar (p = 0.19), patients with continuous ghrelin infusion had significantly higher plasma ghrelin (p < 0.001) and GH levels (p = 0.002) on POD 3 than patients with intermittent ghrelin infusion. Serum CRP and IL-6 levels on POD 3 tended to be lower in the continuous infusion versus intermittent infusion group. CONCLUSIONS: Ghrelin was safely administered after esophagectomy and may reduce excess postoperative inflammatory responses. Continuous infusion is better for this purpose than intermittent infusion.

[Two Cases of Hepatic Encephalopathy after Chemotherapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer].

We reported 2 cases of hepatic encephalopathy after chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer. Case 1: A 49-year-old male was diagnosed advanced sigmoid colon cancer with peritoneal dissemination, multiple liver metastasis and multiple osseous metastasis. After resection of primary lesion, we administered mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab combination therapy. He was in comatose(Japan coma scale 200)3 days after 2 courses of administration of this regimen. Case 2: A 57-year-old female was diagnosed advanced rectal cancer with multiple huge liver metastasis and multiple osseous metastasis. We administered mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab combination therapy. She was in comatose(Japan coma scale 100)3 days after 10 courses of administration of this regimen. In both cases, radiographic imaging showed no abnormal sign and blood examination revealed a high level of serum ammonia. We diagnosed their disturbance of consciousness as a symptom of hepatic encephalopathy. Branched-chain amino acid infusion rapidly improved disturbance of consciousness. We must consider the symptom, hepatic encephalopathy in patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer.

[A Case of Successful Management of Postoperative Chylous Ascites by Combination Therapy with Octreotide and Etilefrine].

We have report a case of an 81-year-old woman who underwent distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic body cancer. Chy- lous ascites with high triglyceride(TG)level, 201mg/dL, occurred on postoperative day 2. Continuous drainage and conservative management, such as low fat diet, fasting, total parental nutrition, and octreotide monotherapy, could not resolve the problem. Successful treatment was achieved using subcutaneous octreotide injection and intravenous etilefrine infusion without any adverse side-effect. These medications were able to cause smooth muscle contraction in the thoracic duct, and also to reduce chyle flow. The amount of drainage decreased and the TG level was restored to 66mg/dL. The drainage tube was removed on postoperative day 22, 5 days after the start of both octreotide and etilefrine. This combination therapy with octreotide and etilefrine would be one of effective and safety treatment for management of postoperative intractable chylous ascites.

[A Patient Underwent Pancreaticoduodenectomy with Reconstruction of Replaced Right Hepatic Artery].

A 78 year-old man was diagnosed as a pancreatic cancer in department of gastroenterology in our hospital. Enhanced computed tomography demonstrated an aberrant right hepatic artery(ARHA)arising from superior mesenteric artery(SMA). We conducted sub-stomach preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy(SSPPD- II A-1). As the preoperative diagnosis, right hepatic artery(RHA)was arising from SMA and running through the tumor, and we resected the ARHA with the tumor and reconstructed RHA to gastroduodenal artery(GDA). Pathological diagnosis was non invasive tumor with neither lymph node metastasis nor invasion of the vasculature. We report a case of the patient underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy with reconstruction of aberrant right hepatic artery.

[Experiences of Colonic Stents in Patients with Colonic Stenosis Due to Peritoneal Dissemination of Gastric Cancer].

Stoma is a treatment option often adopted for large bowel obstruction accompanying peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer, but the invasiveness of this intervention can be an issue for patients with limited prognosis and reduced quality of life. In our hospital, colonic stenting for bowel obstruction due to peritoneal dissemination from gastric cancer was performed for 7 consecutive patients. Oral ingestion became possible in 5 cases, and colonic stent was considered a useful treatment choice for appropriate cases.

[A Case of Unresectable Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Palliative Radiation Therapy for Massive Bleeding].

The patient was a 77-year-old man. He was diagnosed with Stage IV gastric cancer with pancreatic invasion and pyloric stenosis. After gastrojejunostomy, S-1 monotherapy was started. Melena and fatigue appeared 2 months after chemotherapy, and Grade 3 anemia was confirmed. Palliative radiotherapy of 30 Gy in 10 Fr was administered to control bleeding from the lesion. The progression of anemia stopped and outpatient chemotherapy became possible. Palliative radiotherapy for persistent bleeding from unresectable advanced gastric cancer is considered an effective treatment option to control bleeding.

[A Colorectal Cancer with Invasive Micropapillary Carcinoma].

A 76-year-old woman with bloody stool visited a nearby hospital. Colonoscopy showed a type 1 tumor in the rectum, and the biopsy indicated moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. She was referred to our hospital. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT did not show swollen lymph nodes in the regional nodes or distant metastases. Laparoscopic lower anterior resection was performed. Histopathological examination indicated pT1b, pN3, ly3, and v1, fStage III b, which had a partial invasive micropapillary carcinoma(IMPC)component of papillary adenocarcinoma. Although she received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, she died of a thromboembolism with paraneoplastic syndrome 20 months after the operation. IMPC has a high incidence of lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastases. IMPC is rare in cases of colorectal cancer and it is important to accumulate and investigate colorectal cancer patients with IMPC.

[Anorectal Malignant Melanoma Is a Very Rare Disease and Has a Poor Prognosis].

We performed abdomino-perineal-resection(APR)on 2 cases of anorectal malignant melanoma. The first case was a 70- year-old woman suffering from bloody stool. Colonoscopy showed a black tumor in the rectum. Biopsy revealed a malignant melanoma. A CT scan showed multiple lung metastases and liver metastasis. She underwent surgery for the purpose of bleeding control, but died shortly thereafter because her liver and lung metastases had worsened. The second case was a 43- years-old man suffering from bloody stool. He had a black type 3 tumor in the rectum. A biopsy revealed malignant melanoma. A CT scan showed lateral lymph node swelling. He underwent APR with right side-lateral dissection. An established treatment for anorectal malignant melanoma has not been agreed upon and it is controversial. We experienced 2 cases that underwent surgery and we report them along with relevant information from the literature.

Tubular adenoma of the common bile duct with uptake in 18F-FDG PET: A case report.

A 64-year-old man presented with epigastric discomfort and nausea. Laboratory analyses revealed increased levels of total and direct bilirubin, and increased levels of aminotransferases. Computed tomography revealed the presence of a mass in the distal common bile duct. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and intraductal ultrasonography revealed a 25 mm filling defect in the distal common bile duct, and biopsy of the lesion disclosed the presence of tubular adenoma. Using fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) revealed an increased accumulation of the tracer in the lesion, with a maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of 3.3. The patient received a pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy. The histopathological examination revealed a tubular adenoma with low-grade atypia. The patient remains alive 15 months following the surgery, with no evidence of recurrence of the adenoma. 18F-FDG PET has been successfully applied in clinical practice to detect a wide variety of tumor types, including lymphoma, lung, colon and bile duct cancer. In the present study, a case of bile duct adenoma with low-grade atypia was reported, revealing the uptake of 18F-FDG. 18F-FDG PET may be able to detect premalignant tumors of the bile duct, although whether 18F-FDG PET is able to differentially discriminate between diagnoses of adenoma and carcinoma of the bile duct remains to be fully elucidated, and the assessment of further case studies is required.

[Surgical Outcome of Palliative Surgery for Gastric Cancer Patients with Bowel Obstruction Due to Peritoneal Dissemination].

A retrospective cohort analysis was performed for 21 consecutive patients who underwent palliative surgery for bowel obstruction due to peritoneal metastasis from gastric cancer. Surgical site infection occurred in 5 of 21 patients, but there were no severe(Clavien-Dindo Grade III or higher)complications, and symptoms of bowel obstruction were improved in 20 of 21 patients. The median survival time was 6.6 months. The survival rate was significantly worse for patients in modified Glasgow prognostic score(mGPS)group D compared with those in mGPS group non-D(p=0.0001). Surgery for malignant bowel obstruction was feasible and effective for palliation.

[A Case of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Refractory to Standard Chemotherapies Treated with TAS-102 with Bevacizumab].

A 51-year-oldwoman with lung, liver, andd istant lymph node metastases from sigmoidcolon cancer was treatedusing TAS-102 with bevacizumab as fourth-line chemotherapy. There was a 35%decrease in the size of target lesions after the first 4 cycles of therapy, and disease control has been maintained for 9 months. The only Grade 3 or worse adverse event experiencedwas neutropenia. In patients with refractory colorectal cancer, the combination of TAS-102 with bevacizumab might be an effective andsafe treatment.

[A Case of Appendiceal Mucinous Cystadenoma Treated Using Laparoscopic Appendectomy].

A 73 year-old woman who was treated for breast cancer and visited our hospital regularly was suspected of having a mucinous cystadenoma of the appendix. Malignancy could not be determined using abdominal computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or colonoscopy. Even if mucinous cystadenoma is benign, there is the possibility that the tumor will rupture, discharge its contents, and cause pseudomyxoma peritonei. We performed laparoscopic appendectomy. According to the histopathological results, the tumor was diagnosed as a low grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm. We report a case of mucinous cystadenoma of the appendix treated using laparoscopy-assisted appendectomy and discuss the case with literature reviews.

[A Case of an Elderly Patient with Advanced Gastric Cancer Successfully Treated with Combination S-1 and Oxaliplatin Therapy].

The patient was an 80-year-old man. He had a chief complaint of epigastric pain. The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a type 4 tumor of the stomach, and the CT scan showed multiple para-aortic lymph node metastases. The patient was diagnosed with cStage IV gastric cancer. At first, he could take only small amounts of liquid. After starting S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX), he was able to resume a full diet and his general condition was improved. A CT scan after 4 courses of chemotherapy showed a significant reduction in the wall thickness of the stomach and the size of the lymph nodes. SOX chemotherapy could be a promising treatment option for elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.

[Effect of Post-Gastrectomy Adjuvant S-1 Chemotherapy on Muscle Volume in Gastric Cancer Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy on muscle volume after curative gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients. PATIENTS: Forty-eight gastric cancer patients (31 men and 17 women) who underwent curative gastrectomy (distal gastrectomy: n=37, and total gastrectomy: n=11) between April 2010 and July 2011 were enrolled in this study. Sixteen patients underwent S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy (S-1 group) for 1 year after the operation, and 32 patients did not (NT group). METHODS: The psoas muscle areas were measured at the fourth lumbar vertebrae on CT images obtained before the operation, and at 6, 12, and 24 months after the operation. Muscle areas was statistically examined by comparing the preoperative and postoperative ratios. RESULTS: The muscle areas 12 months after the operation decreased to 0.86 ± 0.11 in the S-1 group and to 0.96 ± 0.08 in the NT group (p<0.05), and the significant difference disappeared at 24 months (0.93 ± 0.10 vs. 0.93 ± 0.11, NS). In the patients who underwent distal gastrectomy, the muscle areas decreased to 0.90 ± 0.05 in the S-1 group and to 0.96 ± 0.09 in the NT group at 12 months (p<0.05). Meanwhile, in those who underwent total gastrectomy, the muscle areas decreased to 0.80 ± 0.15 and 0.93 ± 0.03, respectively (NS). CONCLUSIONS: S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy affected muscle volume loss after gastrectomy in the gastric cancer patients, but the patients recovered from the adverse effect by 12 months after chemotherapy.

Feasibility and Safety of Urgent Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Acute Cholecystitis After 4 Days from Symptom Onset.

BACKGROUND: It is preferable to perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in the acute phase, within 72 h of symptom onset. The feasibility and safety of performing urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the late phase (4-7 days after symptom onset) are unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the feasibility and safety of late phase urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: Between 2005 and 2014, 233 patients underwent urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis within 7 days. We compared clinical features and perioperative outcomes between patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy within 3 days (early phase group) and 4-7 days after symptom onset (late phase group). RESULTS: There were 193 patients in the early phase group and 40 patients in the late-phase group. Performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the late phase did not influence operation time, postoperative complications, or postoperative hospital stay. The rate of conversion to open surgery and blood loss were slightly higher in the late-phase group (8 % and 140 ml) compared with the early phase group (3 % and 69 ml) but were still acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: Late phase urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis was feasible and safe.

Clinical application of ghrelin in the field of surgery.

Ghrelin was discovered as an intrinsic ligand for the growth hormone (GH)-secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) in 1999. The endogenous production of ghrelin occurs mainly in the stomach. Ghrelin has multiple functions; it has orexigenic action, stimulates GH secretion, has anti-inflammatory activities, stimulates gastrointestinal activity, stabilizes heart function and has other metabolic roles. Moreover, ghrelin is the only gastrointestinal hormone known to stimulate appetite. In the past decade, clinical applications of ghrelin have been attempted for various pathologies, based on its anabolic function, including applications for patients with anorexia nervosa and cachexia due to chronic heart, renal or pulmonary diseases. In the field of surgery, we have conducted several clinical trials using exogenous ghrelin in patients undergoing total gastrectomy, esophagectomy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including cisplatin treatment, and consistently obtained unique and striking benefits in these patients. Ghrelin comprehensively improves the patients' general conditions and quality of life via its pleiotropic physiological functions. This characteristic is unique and different from the existing drugs; therefore, ghrelin may be an indispensable supplement to prevent surgical stress and postoperative sequelae. This review summarizes the recent advances toward the clinical application of ghrelin.

Effects of ghrelin administration on the early postoperative inflammatory response after esophagectomy.

PURPOSE: Ghrelin is a unique gastric hormone, which has pleiotropic biological functions, including anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of administering ghrelin on reducing postoperative systemic inflammation in patients undergoing esophagectomy. METHODS: The safety and effectiveness of postoperative ghrelin administration were investigated among twenty esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy between May 2010 and August 2011. Two different regimens of ghrelin administration, twice daily rapid drip infusion (3 µg/kg, twice a day) or continuous infusion (0.5 µg/kg/h), were employed. The duration of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and the hematological parameters were compared between groups. RESULTS: Patients treated with ghrelin showed shorter SIRS durations than controls (1.6 ± 2.7 vs. 4.1 ± 3.7 days, respectively; p = 0.0065) and also showed lower C-reactive protein concentrations than controls (11.0 ± 4.6 mg/dL vs. 15.3 ± 7.3 mg/mL, respectively, on postoperative day 3, p = 0.030). Ghrelin administration was not associated with any adverse events. The incidence of operative morbidity was equivalent between groups. The two ghrelin administration regimens showed similar durations of systemic inflammatory response (rapid drip: 2.2 ± 3.3 vs. continuous: 1.1 ± 1.9 days, p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative ghrelin administration is safe and may suppress protracted postoperative inflammation in patients who undergo esophagectomies.