[A Case of Sigmoid Colon Cancer with Liver Metastasis and Gastric Infiltration for Which Ileus Surgery Was the Impetus for Surgery].

The case is a woman in her 60s. Sigmoid colon cancer surgery, liver metastasis surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy were performed at another hospital 2 years ago. Later, she developed a metastasis in her liver and was recommended surgery, but she refused treatment and was transferred. Her liver metastasis had invaded the stomach and formed a giant gastric ulcer. This time she had an adhesive ileus and underwent laparoscopic surgery at our hospital. At that time, we observed the state of liver metastasis and gastric infiltration by laparoscopy, so we thought that palliative surgery was possible and recommended it. Although she initially refused treatment, the relative ease with which her ileus surgery was performed encouraged her to undergo palliative surgery. Laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy and partial hepatectomy were performed, and she was discharged on hospital day 13 after surgery. She subsequently developed liver metastases and died 8 months after palliative surgery, although she was able to eat and maintain her ADL until the end of life. By staying close to the patient, we were able to lead the patient from refusal of surgery to palliative surgery, and we felt that we were able to make the patient reach a favorable end.

Bile Collected From the Normal Gallbladder of Patients During Surgery Has Simple Bacterial Flora.

Background Bile inhibits bacterial growth because it is rich in bacteriostatic compounds such as bile acids. Analytical techniques using a high-intensity sequencer recently revealed bacterial flora in the bile of normal gallbladders in brain-dead patients. Therefore, we performed a microbial flora analysis of bile collected from pathologically normal gallbladders surgically removed from patients with hepatobiliary pancreatic diseases and normal liver function. Methods Bacterial DNA was extracted from bile samples and analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Results The culture results of all 12 bile samples were negative. However, the results of the 16S ribosome gene analysis suggested the presence of bacterial flora in all samples. The phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and, more specifically, the genera Anaerobacillus, Delftia, Bacillus, Ralstonia, Ochrobactrum, Acidovorax, and Curvibacter were detected in all 12 samples. The results of the 16S rRNA gene profile analysis revealed that Anaerobacillus and Delftia accounted for 58.62%-87.63% of the bacteria identified in each sample. Conclusion In a bacterial flora analysis targeting the 16S ribosomal gene, a specific bacterial flora was detected in bile collected from the pathologically normal gallbladders of patients with hepatobiliary pancreatic diseases. Although a diverse bacterial flora was previously reported in the bile of brain-dead patients, the present results revealed a simple bacterial flora with no diversity in the bile samples.

Intralobular distribution of ovarian-like stroma in pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasms: a discussion on its tumorigenesis.

Pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) has two histological components: tumor epithelia and ovarian-like stroma (OLS). To examine the progression and changes in pancreatic MCNs, we analyzed the distribution, amount, immunohistochemical phenotype, presence of theca cells of OLS, and tumor epithelium in 45 surgically resected MCN cases, comparing them with tumor sizes. The OLS data of female MCN cases were also compared between those who were ≤ 51 years old and those > 51 years old to see the effect of menopause on MCN histology. Non-mucinous type epithelium was present in all low-grade MCNs, but its ratio decreased with tumor size (p < 0.001), suggesting that epithelial mucinous changes are a progression phenomenon. The intralobular distribution of OLS was observed in 28.8% of MCN cases and was related to smaller tumor size (p < 0.0001), suggesting intralobular involvement of early MCNs. The nuclear expression of ß-catenin and the cytoplasmic expression of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) was observed in almost all OLS. OLS tended to be lesser among female cases aged > 51 years than those ≤ 51 years old, however it did not reach statistical significance. This is the first study to show the intralobular distribution of OLS.

Anatomic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Prognostic Impact Assessed from Recurrence Treatment.

BACKGROUND: The oncologic advantage of anatomic resection (AR) for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical advantages of AR for primary HCC by using propensity score-matching and by assessing treatment strategies for recurrence after surgery. METHODS: The study reviewed data of patients who underwent AR or non-anatomic resection (NAR) for solitary HCC (≤ 5 cm) in two institutions between 2004 and 2017. Surgical outcomes were compared between the two groups in a propensity score-adjusted cohort. The time-to-interventional failure (TIF), defined as the elapsed time from resection to unresectable/unablatable recurrence, also was evaluated. RESULTS: The inclusion criteria were met by 250 patients: 77 patients (31%) with AR and 173 patients (69%) with NAR. In the propensity score-matched populations (AR, 67; NAR, 67), the 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) for AR was better than for NAR (62% vs 35%; P = 0.005). No differences, however, were found in the 5-year overall survival between the two groups (72% vs 78%; P = 0.666). The 5-year TIF rates for the NAR group (60%) also were similar to those for the AR group (66%) (P = 0.413). In the cohort of 67 patients, curative repeat resection or ablation therapy was performed more frequently for the NAR patients (42%) than for the AR patients (10%) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: For solitary HCC, AR decreases recurrence after the initial hepatectomy. However, aggressive curative-intent interventions for recurrence compensate for the impaired RFS, even for patients undergoing NAR.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy with reconstructing blood flow of the gastric conduit after esophagectomy with concomitant celiac axis stenosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pancreaticoduodenectomy after esophageal resection is technically difficult, because blood flow of the gastric conduit should be preserved. Celiac axis stenosis (CAS) is also a problem for pancreaticoduodenectomy, because arterial blood supply for the liver comes mainly through the collateral route from the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) via the gastroduodenal artery (GDA). Herein, we report the case of a patient with pancreatic head cancer who underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy after esophagectomy with concomitant CAS. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76-year-old man with pancreatic head cancer was referred to our department. He had a history of esophagectomy with retrosternal gastric conduit reconstruction for esophageal cancer. Computed tomography showed severe CAS and a dilated collateral route between the SMA and the splenic artery (SPA). We prepared several surgical options depending on the intraoperative findings, and performed radical pancreaticoduodenectomy with concomitant resection of the distal gastric conduit. The right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) of the remnant gastric conduit was fed from the left middle colic artery (MCA) with microvascular anastomosis. Despite CAS, when the GDA was dissected and clamped, good blood flow was confirmed, and the proper hepatic artery did not require reconstruction. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 90. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully performed radical pancreaticoduodenectomy after esophagectomy with concomitant CAS, having prepared multiple surgical options depending upon the intraoperative findings.