Predictors of initial oral food challenge outcome in food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome.

Background: There is a paucity of data on predictors of clinical history in oral food challenge (OFC) outcome for the initial diagnosis of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). Objective: This study aimed to identify predictors for the diagnosis of FPIES. Methods: The study included patients who underwent OFC to diagnose FPIES from 2010 to 2021. Patients with a positive OFC result were classified as belonging to the FPIES group, and those with negative OFC result within 120 days from the last symptomatic episode were classified as belonging to the no-allergy (NA) group. Background factors were analyzed in the groups. Results: A total of 50 OFCs to 12 different foods were conducted in 50 patients. Of those 50 patients, 30 were classified as belonging to the FPIES group. No significant difference was observed between the FPIES and NA groups with respect to background factors, including the features of symptomatic episodes and examinations of immediate-type allergy. A history of asymptomatic ingestion was observed in 23 of 24 and 13 of 19 patients in the FPIES and NA groups, respectively; thus, it was significantly more common in patients with FPIES. The diagnostic rate of patients with fewer than 3 symptomatic episodes was 52%, and that of patients with 3 episodes or more was 75%, not considering a patient without available data. Conclusions: A definite diagnosis of FPIES should be based on OFC, as there are no predictors for OFC positivity other than a history of asymptomatic ingestion. The absence of asymptomatic ingestion history was a negative predictor for the diagnosis of FPIES.

[Long-Term Survival Following Multidisciplinary Therapy for Pancreatic Head Cancer with Liver Metastasis].

A 71-year-old female was referred to our hospital for liver dysfunction. After careful examination, she was diagnosed with resectable pancreatic head cancer. Pancreatoduodenectomy was scheduled. In the laparotomy, 2 nodules on the liver were found. A frozen section examination of the liver nodule revealed adenocarcinoma. S-1 chemotherapy was administered for about 17 months to treat the unresectable pancreatic cancer. After chemotherapy, computed tomography(CT) revealed that the pancreatic tumor remained unchanged, and there was no distant metastasis. Positron emission tomography( PET)-CT revealed no significant uptake in the pancreatic tumor and no distant metastasis. The patient was then observed for about 10 months without chemotherapy. After that, CT showed that the size of the pancreatic tumor had increased, but there were no signs of distant metastases. Therefore, pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed invasive ductal adenocarcinoma in the pancreas head. The patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 for 5 months. So far, she has survived without any recurrence for 57 months after the initial surgery.

Long-Term Prognostic Factors after Hepatic Resection for Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma, with a Special Reference to Viral Status.

BACKGROUND: Although studies have reported on long-term (10-year) survival after hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), they did not focus on patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC, and the contribution of antiviral therapy to long-term survival (especially ≥15 years) has not been adequately examined. We investigated the long-term outcome after hepatic resection for HCV-related HCC, including the effects of interferon (IFN) therapy, and the changes in prognostic factors according to postoperative duration. METHODS: The data of 207 patients who underwent hepatic resection for HCV-related HCC between January 1992 and December 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. We investigated the disease-free and overall survival rates after surgery and analyzed the prognostic factors at 5, 10, and 15 years postoperatively. RESULTS: The proportion of patients who survived at 5, 10, and 15 years after hepatic resection was 52% (n = 107), 18% (n = 38), and 9% (n = 19). The overall survival rate was significantly higher in patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) with IFN therapy than in those without SVR. Tumor-related factors such as multiple tumor, microscopic vascular invasion, and a high indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICGR15) were unfavorable prognostic factors for 5-year survival. Conversely, a low ICGR15 and SVR were favorable prognostic factors at 10 years, and SVR alone was a favorable prognostic factor at 15 years postoperatively; no tumor-related factors were prognostic factors at 10 and 15 years postoperatively. CONCLUSION: The prognostic factors varied according to the duration after hepatic resection for HCV-related HCC. Tumor-related factors were unfavorable prognostic factors in the early postoperative period, whereas SVR and good liver function were favorable prognostic factors at 10 and 15 years postoperatively. Achievement of SVR with IFN therapy is essential for long-term (≥15 years) survival after hepatic resection for HCV-related HCC.

Obesity and recurrence-free survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after achieving sustained virological response to interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

AIM: Some patients who achieve a sustained virological response (SVR) to interferon (IFN) treatment for chronic hepatitis C prior to hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) experience postoperative recurrence. This study investigated the relationship between obesity and postoperative HCC recurrence in SVR patients. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients who had achieved SVR before hepatic resection were evaluated. Patients had a solitary tumor ≤5 cm in diameter or ≤3 lesions each ≤3 cm in size with no macroscopic vascular invasion (Milan criteria). Patient characteristics potentially associated with recurrence risk were investigated. RESULTS: Three-, 5-, and 7-year recurrence-free survival after surgery were 65%, 44%, and 41%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that obesity (P < .01), hypertension (P = .038), and non-anatomical resection (P = .022) were significantly associated with a lower recurrence-free survival rate. In a multivariate analysis, obesity (hazard ratio, 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-6.1; P < .01) and non-anatomical resection (hazard ratio, 2.7; 95% CI 1.1-6.2; P = .025) were independently associated with postoperative recurrence. Three-, 5-, and 7-year overall survival rates after surgery were 100%, 80%, and 64% in obese patients and 100%, 92%, and 82% in non-obese patients, respectively (P = .014). However, other variables showed no significant difference in the overall survival rate. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and non-anatomical resection were independent risk factors for HCC recurrence after hepatic resection and successful IFN therapy. Obesity is an important clinical problem to consider to improve postoperative outcomes in such patients.

The Clinical Significance of Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Occupational Cholangiocarcinoma

Objective: The present study aimed to identify the clinical significance of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging in patients with occupational cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: This study included 10 men with occupational cholangiocarcinoma who were former or current workers at a printing company in Osaka, Japan. Of the 10 patients, 2 had 2 main tumors and 1 had 3 main tumors. Twelve FDG-PET imaging findings in the 10 patients could be analyzed. We evaluated the relationships between FDG-PET imaging parameters and clinicopathological findings of occupational cholangiocarcinoma. Results: Abnormal FDG uptake was observed in 8 of the 14 main tumors, with maximum standardized uptake values ranging from 2.9 to 11.0, and the sensitivity was 57.1%. Four patients had lymph node metastases, and abnormal marrow uptake was detected in all these patients. Although precancerous lesions, such as biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (BilIN) and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) without any invasion, were not detected, abnormal FDG uptake was demonstrated in 2 of 4 patients with IPNB having an associated invasive carcinoma.Conclusions: Although FDG-PET may be useful for assessing tumor progression factors, such as lymph node metastasis, it cannot accurately detect precancerous lesions, such as BilIN and IPNB without invasive carcinoma.

Occupational cholangiocarcinoma caused by exposure to 1,2-dichloropropane and/or dichloromethane.

A cluster of cholangiocarcinoma among printing company workers who were exposed to 1,2-dichloropropane and/or dichloromethane was classified by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan on 1 October 2013 as "occupational cholangiocarcinoma". At the time of the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma, levels of γ-glutamyl transferase, and aspartate and alanine aminotransferases were elevated, and had been elevated in some patients several years prior to the diagnosis. Regional dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts without tumor-induced obstruction was characteristic in diagnostic imaging. Pathological examination found chronic bile duct injury with DNA damage, precancerous/preinvasive lesions such as biliary intraepithelial neoplasia and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct in various sites of the large bile ducts, and invasive cholangiocarcinoma such as mass-forming type and intraductal growth-type intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and mainly papillary-type extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Whole-exome analysis of the cancerous tissues showed hypermutation, substantial strand bias, and unique trinucleotide mutational changes. Patients seemed to suffer high incidence of postoperative complications including intra-abdominal, which might be related to chronic bile duct injury. Postoperative recurrence from multicentric origins occurred in some patients, as DNA-injured bile ducts have high carcinogenic potential. Aggressive treatment, including second resections for such multicentric recurrences, appeared to be effective. In 2014, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified 1,2-dichloropropane as Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) and dichloromethane as Group 2A (probably carcinogenic to humans) carcinogens.

Ruptured focal nodular hyperplasia observed during follow-up: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is the second most common benign hepatic tumor and is very rarely complicated by hemorrhage or rupture. Although thought to be extremely rare, there have been several reports of hemorrhage caused by ruptured FNH. Herein, we report the case of a patient with ruptured FNH, who subsequently developed hemorrhage during follow-up. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old man was admitted to our department for an asymptomatic hepatic tumor in segments 4 and 5 (S4/5), which measured 8 cm in diameter and observed to project from the liver. Imaging and pathologic examination of a biopsy specimen confirmed the diagnosis of FNH. Three years after the diagnosis, the patient was readmitted to our hospital because of sudden onset of upper abdominal pain. Dynamic abdominal computed tomography revealed ascites around the tumor with high-density areas that were considered to represent hematoma caused by ruptured FNH. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed to stop the hemorrhage. One month after TAE, S4/5 of the liver was resected; macroscopic findings revealed that a large part of the tumor was composed of necrotic tissue and hematoma. Pathological examination using hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical examination indicated a final diagnosis of FNH rupture and hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: Although a well-established diagnosis of FNH usually requires no treatment or surveillance, careful examination remains necessary when the FNH is large and projects from the liver because of the possibility of rupture and hemorrhage.

Outcomes after resection of occupational cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma caused by exposure to 1,2-dichloropropane and/or dichloromethane is recognized as occupational cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes after resection of occupational cholangiocarcinoma to establish a treatment strategy for this disease. METHODS: Clinicopathological findings and outcomes after surgical intervention in 20 patients with occupational cholangiocarcinoma were investigated. RESULTS: Of 20 the patients, curative resection was performed in 16 patients. Three patients underwent radiation at the stump of the bile ducts. Adjuvant chemotherapy was performed in 12 patients. Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia, intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct, and/or chronic bile duct injury was detected in most subjects. Intraabdominal infection developed after surgery in nine patients. Cholangiocarcinoma recurred in 12 of the 20 patients. The recurrent tumors in five patients developed at a different part of the bile duct from the primary tumor and a second resection was performed in four of these five patients. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of postoperative complications including intraabdominal infection was high in patients with occupational cholangiocarcinoma. Multicentric recurrence occurred not infrequently after surgery because the bile ducts had a high potential for the development of carcinoma. The aggressive treatment including second resection for the multicentric recurrence appeared to be effective.