Simultaneous resection of a neuroendocrine tumor in an incidental Meckel's diverticulum with transabdominal preperitoneal hernial repair: a case report.

BACKGROUND: As laparoscopic surgery becomes more prevalent worldwide, Meckel's diverticula are increasingly being discovered incidentally during surgery. There is no consensus on whether to follow up or resect such diverticula, which are usually asymptomatic. In cases of transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair, resection of such a diverticulum might add the risk of mesh infection. Thus, it is unclear whether simultaneous intestinal resection is advisable. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old man diagnosed with a left indirect inguinal hernia underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, during which a 2-cm Meckel's diverticulum located contralateral to the mesentery of the ileum approximately 30 cm from Bauhin's valve was detected incidentally. Because of the potential risk of future complications such as hemorrhage, diverticulitis, or tumor development, wedge resection of the ileum was performed extracorporeally through an extended umbilical port site after completion of the hernia repair. Pathological examination revealed a neuroendocrine tumor (G1) in Meckel's diverticulum, which was successfully resected without any mesh infection or postoperative complications. DISCUSSION: Our patient's clinical course raises two important issues. First, a Meckel's diverticulum detected incidentally during laparoscopic surgery should be resected promptly because malignant tumors within such diverticula have frequently been reported. Second, simultaneous resection with hernia repair using mesh seems to be as safe as other clean-contaminated surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Management of incidental Meckel's diverticula should be selected by appropriate assessment for the risk of malignancy and complications.

Impact of fundus-first laparoscopic cholecystectomy for severe cholecystitis.

BACKGROUND: The Tokyo Guidelines 2018 proposed fundus-first laparoscopic cholecystectomy (FFLC) as a bailout surgery. This study investigated the clinical impact of FFLC for severe cholecystitis. METHODS: This study reviewed 772 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) between 2015 and 2018. Of these patients, 171 patients were diagnosed with severe cholecystitis according to our difficulty scoring system. FFLC was not prevalent in our faculty for the first 2 years [early period group (EG)], whereas FFLC was predominantly used for the last 2 years [late period group (LG)]. There were 81 patients (47%) belonging to the EG and 90 patients (53%) in the LG. The clinical data and the surgical outcomes of these patients were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The difficulty score did not differ between the two groups (11 vs. 11 points, p = 0.846). Patients underwent FFLC significantly more frequently in the LG (63% vs. 12%, p = 0.020). Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) was done in 10 patients (11%) of the LG, which was significantly low compared to that in the EG (n = 20, 25%) (p = 0.020). In all patients, LC was safely achieved without bile duct injury or conversion to laparotomy. The incidence of choledocholithiasis was significantly low in the LG (0 vs. 4, p = 0.048). The median postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the LG (6 vs. 4 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: After the introduction of FFLC, there were significant improvements in the surgical outcomes of LC for severe cholecystitis, including the rate of LSC, incidence of choledocholithiasis, and duration of postoperative hospital stay.

Radial nerve palsy caused by a rapidly growing intramuscular hematoma in an infant with biliary atresia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare cause of persistent jaundice in infants that can result in vitamin K malabsorption and vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB). We present an infant with BA who developed a rapidly growing intramuscular hematoma in her upper arm after a vaccination which caused a radial nerve palsy. CASE PRESENTATION: An 82-day-old girl was referred to our hospital because of a rapidly growing left upper arm mass. She had received three doses of oral vitamin K before age 1 month. At age 66 days, she received a pneumococcal vaccination in her left upper arm. On presentation, she showed no left wrist or finger extension. Blood examination revealed direct hyperbilirubinemia, liver dysfunction, and coagulation abnormalities, indicating obstructive jaundice. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a hematoma in the left triceps brachii. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed an atrophic gallbladder and the triangular cord sign anterior to the portal vein bifurcation. BA was confirmed on cholangiography. VKDB resulting from BA in conjunction with vaccination in the left upper arm were considered the cause of the hematoma. The hematoma was considered the cause of her radial nerve palsy. Although she underwent Kasai hepatic portoenterostomy at age 82 days, the obstructive jaundice did not sufficiently improve. She then underwent living-related liver transplantation at age 8 months. The wrist drop was still present at age 1 year despite hematoma resolution. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed detection of BA and inadequate prevention of VKDB can result in permanent peripheral neuropathy.

Prognostic factors for the successful conservative management of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia.

BACKGROUND: The criteria for deciding upon non-operative management for nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) are poorly defined. The aim of this study is to determine the prognostic factors for survival in conservative treatment of NOMI. METHODS: Patients with bowel ischemia were identified by searching for "ICD-10 code K550" in the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database between June 2015 and May 2020. A total of 457 patients were extracted and their medical records, including the clinical factors, imaging findings and outcomes, were analyzed retrospectively. Diagnosis of NOMI was confirmed by the presence of specific findings in contrast-enhanced multidetector-row CT. Twenty-six patients with conservative therapy for NOMI, including four cases of explorative laparotomy or laparoscopy, were enrolled. RESULTS: Among the 26 cases without surgical intervention, eight patients (31%) survived to discharge. The level of albumin was significantly higher, and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase, total bilirubin, C-reactive protein, and lactate were significantly lower in the survivors than the non-survivors. Sepsis-related Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was significantly lower in the survivors than the non-survivors. The most reliable predictor of survival for NOMI was SOFA score (cutoff value ≤ 3 points), which had the highest AUC value (0.899) with odds ratio of 0.075 (CI: 0.0096-0.58). CONCLUSIONS: The SOFA score and several biological markers are promising predictors to determine a treatment plan for NOMI and to avoid unnecessary laparotomy.

Laparoscopic complete excision of an enormous simple hepatic cyst occupying the entire abdomen in a child: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Simple hepatic cysts are common lesions in adults, but rare in children. Because of their benign nature, simple hepatic cysts may not be detected until they grow too large to be diagnosed and resected in a minimally invasive manner. CASE PRESENTATION: An 18-month-old girl presented with an enormous cyst occupying the entire abdomen. The beak sign on computed tomography revealed the hepatic origin of the cyst. The cyst was decompressed through the umbilicus, which was opened by the three-triangular-skin-flap technique, thus creating a working space that enabled laparoscopic surgery. The cyst was excised en bloc together with the attached hepatic parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS: Giant simple hepatic cysts occupying the entire abdomen are rare in children. Of 14 reported cases, only 1 underwent laparoscopic treatment. We have herein reported another case of a giant simple hepatic cyst in which the beak sign on imaging and the three-triangular-skin-flap umbilical opening technique were useful for its diagnosis and laparoscopic excision, respectively. Complete excision is desirable because there is a possibility of recurrence or other diseases that require total removal, including hydatid cysts and mesenchymal hamartomas.

Prenatally diagnosed biliary cysts: A spectrum from congenital biliary dilatation to biliary atresia from the same origin.

Kato and colleagues present prenatal cases with transitional features between congenital biliary dilatation and biliary atresia. They propose that all prenatal biliary cysts originate from choledochal cysts with a narrow segment, but present on a spectrum from congenital biliary dilatation to biliary atresia depending on the severity of reactive biliary sclerosis.

Calcium bilirubinate sludge causes early onset of congenital biliary dilatation: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) during early infancy is always characterized by cystic dilation of the common bile duct with a narrow segment connecting the pancreatic duct. CASE PRESENTATION: In two consecutive infants with a prenatal diagnosis of CBD, we found that biliary sludge had formed in the cyst upon the appearance of symptoms including acholic stool and hypertransaminasemia. Infrared absorption spectrometry revealed that the sludge consisted of calcium bilirubinate. CONCLUSION: We suggest that overproduction of bilirubin by neonatal hemolysis causes sedimentation of bilirubin calcium, resulting in obstruction of the narrow segment and development of symptoms.

Dual common bile duct examination with transcystic choledochoscopy and cholangiography in laparoscopic cholecystectomy for suspected choledocholithiasis: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Detection of common bile duct (CBD) stones is a major objective of intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). We evaluated the feasibility and safety of the routine use of transcystic choledochoscopy following IOC (dual common bile duct examination: DCBDE), which may improve the diagnostic accuracy of CBD stones and facilitate one-stage clearance, in LC for suspected choledocholithiasis. METHODS: Between May 2017 and November 2018, 38 patients with suspected choledocholithiasis were prospectively enrolled in this study, regardless of whether they underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy. Transcystic choledochoscopy was routinely attempted following IOC in LC. RESULTS: Five cases were excluded due to cholecystitis, bile duct anomaly, or liver cirrhosis. DCBDE was performed in the remaining 33 patients. The biliary tree was delineated by IOC in all patients. Subsequently, choledochosope was performed in 32 patients except for one who was found to have pancreaticobiliary malunion in IOC. The scope was successfully passed into the CBD in 25 (78.1%) patients. Choledochoscopy detected 3 (9.4%) cases of cystic duct stones and 4 (12.5%) cases of CBD stones which were not identified by IOC. All those stones were removed via cystic duct. There were no intra- and postoperative complications, except for two cases of wound infection and one case of a transient increase in serum amylase. CONCLUSIONS: DCBDE in LC is a safe and promising approach for intraoperative diagnosis and one-stage treatment of suspected choledocholithasis.

A novel classification of aberrant right hepatic ducts ensures a critical view of safety in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Based on the spatial relationship of an aberrant right hepatic duct (ARHD) with the cystic duct and gallbladder neck, we propose a practical classification to evaluate the specific form predisposing to injury in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the preoperative images (mostly magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography) and clinical outcomes of 721 consecutive patients who underwent LC at our institute from 2015 to 2018. We defined the high-risk ARHD as follows: Type A: communicating with the cystic duct and Type B: running along the gallbladder neck or adjacent to the infundibulum (the minimal distance from the ARHD < 5 mm), regardless of the confluence pattern in the biliary tree. Other ARHDs were considered to be of low risk. RESULTS: A high-risk ARHD was identified in 16 cases (2.2%): four (0.6%) with Type A anatomy and 12 (1.7%) with Type B. The remaining ARHD cases (n = 34, 4.7%) were categorized as low risk. There were no significant differences in the operative outcomes (operative time, blood loss, hospital stay) between the high- and low- risk groups. Subtotal cholecystectomy was applied in four cases (25%) in the high-risk group, a significantly higher percentage than the low-risk group (n = 1, 2.9%). In all patients with high-risk ARHD, LC was completed safely without bile duct injury or conversion to laparotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Our simple classification of high-risk ARHD can highlight the variants located close to the dissecting site to achieve a critical view of safety and may contribute to avoiding inadvertent damage of an ARHD in LC.

Laparoscopic repair of secondary perineal hernia with coverage by the mobilized cecum.

The incidence of secondary perineal hernia (SPH) has increased since the introduction of extralevator abdominoperineal resection and laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection. Currently, laparoscopic mesh repair is the usual procedure. Here, we demonstrate a repair of SPH without mesh that uses the mobilized cecum to cover the pelvic hernial orifice. An 83-year-old man complained of discomfort when sitting for long periods. He was status post laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection and was diagnosed with SPH. Hernia repair was performed. After transperitoneal adhesiolysis in the inferior pelvis, the right colon was laparoscopically mobilized, and the pelvic orifice was covered by suturing the cecum to the pelvic brim. The perineal skin was managed with negative pressure wound therapy. The postoperative course was uneventful. There has been no sign of recurrent herniation for 12 months. This method of SPH repair is simple to perform and avoids mesh-related complications.

Closure of the cystic duct orifice in laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy for severe cholecystitis.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (LSC) has been recognized as an alternative to conversion to laparotomy for severe cholecystitis. However, it may be associated with an increased risk of recurrent stones in the gallbladder remnant. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the complete removal of the gallbladder cavity in LSC for severe cholecystitis using the cystic duct orifice suturing (CDOS) technique. METHODS: In a consecutive series of 412 laparoscopic cholecystectomies that were performed from January 2015 to June 2017, 12 patients who underwent LSC with CDOS were enrolled in this retrospective study. In this procedure, Hartmann's pouch was carefully identified, and the infundibulum-cystic duct junction was transected while the posterior wall adherent to Calot's triangle was left behind. The clinical records, including the operative records and outcomes, were analyzed. RESULTS: The median operating time and blood loss were 158 min and 20 mL, respectively. In all cases, LSC with CDOS was completed without conversion to open surgery. No injuries to the bile duct or vessels were experienced. The median postoperative hospital stay was 6 days. Postoperative complications occurred in two patients (bile leakage, n = 1: common bile duct stones, n = 1) and were successfully treated by endoscopic management. A gallbladder remnant was not delineated by postoperative imaging in any of the cases. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that LSC with CDOS is a promising approach that can avoid dissection of Calot's triangle and achieve the complete removal of the gallbladder cavity in patients with severe cholecystitis.

A psychometric validation of the Japanese versions of new questionnaires on tinnitus (THI-12, TRS, TRSw, TSS, and TSSw).

CONCLUSION: The Japanese version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory-12 (THI-12), Tinnitus Rating Scale (TRS), TRS 1-week version (TRSw), Tinnitus Severity Scale (TSS), and TSS 1-week version (TSSw), which were developed in this study, showed high reliability and validity, suggesting their usefulness in clinical practice. Based on the THI severity grades, we propose that the severity grades of THI-12 (draft) are categorized into four groups: 0-4 points, 5-9 points, 10-14 points, and 15-24 points. OBJECTIVES: We developed Japanese versions of new questionnaires for evaluating the level of psychological distress and difficulty in activities of daily living due to tinnitus, and performed their psychometric validation to determine the reliability and validity. The THI-12 is an assessment consisting of 12 items, each of which is rated on a 3-point scale that was created by reducing the number of questions from the 25 items of the THI. The TRS, TRSw, TSS, and TSSw, which were self-evaluation questionnaires of tinnitus on an 11-grade integer Likert scale from 0 to10 points, were used as additional instruments to assess tinnitus severity and distress. METHODS: The subjects were healthy adults, and patients with subjective tinnitus who were examined at the Otolaryngology Department of Keio University Hospital, Osaka City University Hospital, or Nagoya City University Hospital with a chief complaint of tinnitus between September 2010 and January 2011. In all, 38 healthy adult subjects and 113 patients with subjective tinnitus were included. We examined the reproducibility and the internal consistency for reliability. We also examined the relationship with the available scales (THI and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS) and group divergence for validity. RESULTS: The psychometric validation showed high reliability and validity of the THI-12, TRS, TRSw, TSS, and TSSw.

[Job stress among Japan Overseas Cooperation volunteers--using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire].

Mental health problems have recently increased among Japan Overseas Cooperation volunteers since 1965, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan International Cooperation Agency) launched this volunteer work project for improving hygiene and socioeconomic conditions in developing countries. There was little research on job stress among them dispatched despite previous surveys indicating job as an important stressor. To investigate stress and job-related stressors among them, we conducted a cross-sectional epidemiological study from October to December in 2003. The subjects were all 1,084 Japan Overseas Cooperation volunteers aged 20-40, who worked in 67 countries worldwide at the time of this study (485 and 599 males and females, 316, 332 and 436 for those staying overseas for 11, 7 and 4 months, respectively). Approximately 80% were involved in their dispatching occupational organizations as professionals in information technology, health & welfare, education, and research. Our main outcome measure used was the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, which was developed to assess stress and job-related stressors or buffers for Japanese workers. Demographic and personality (Egogram) characteristics as well as other health information were obtained. The response rate was 86.9%. For psychological stress, prevalence was 5.5% (n = 49). Means (+/- SD) were 4.22 (+/- 3.98), and 4.89 (+/- 4.40) for males and females (p < 0.05), and 5.15 (+/- 4.17), 5.05 (+/- 4.45), 3.93 (+/- 4.40) for those staying overseas for 11, 7 and 4 months (p < 0.01), respectively. For physical stress, prevalence was 2.9% (n = 26). Means (+/- SD) were 1.10 (+/- 1.68), and 1.41 (+/- 1.74) for males and females (p < 0.01), and 1.47 (+/- 1.77), 1.35 (+/- 1.89), 1.11 (+/- 1.55) for those staying overseas for 11, 7 and 4 months (p < 0.05), respectively. The factors significantly associated with psychological stress were high job demand, poor human relationships at work, low job suitability, low social support from supervisors and colleagues, and being dissatisfied with their life, according to multiple logistic regression analysis. The present study suggested that psychological stress was more prevalent than physical. It also implied a significant relationship between psychological stress and job-related stressors among the subjects of this study as in employees in Japan. Mental health check-ups and counseling in the early stage of psychological stress is important from the viewpoint of prevention of developing stress-related mental health disorders. Education on stress-coping skills should be considered in a training program before they are sent overseas.