Protocol of the LATFIA trial (Laser Assisted Treatment of Fistula in Ano): a multicentre, prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing fistula-tract laser closure (FiLaC™) with rectal advancement flap for high trans-sphincteric fistulas.

AIM: Anal fistula is one of the most common anal diseases, affecting between 1 and 3 per 10 000 people per year. Symptoms have a potentially severe effect on a patient's quality of life. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment, aiming to cure the fistula and preserve anal sphincter function. Rectal advancement flap (RAF) is currently the gold standard treatment but has recurrence rates varying between 20% and 50% and might lead to disturbance of continence. The aim of the trial described in this work is to discover if the minimally invasive fistula tract laser closure (FiLaC™) technique could achieve higher healing rates and a better functional outcome than RAF. METHOD: We will perform a randomized prospective multicentre noninferiority study of the treatment of high trans-sphincteric perianal fistulas, comparing FiLaC™ with RAF in terms of fistula healing, recurrence rate, functional outcome and quality of life. Primary and secondary fistula healing will be evaluated at 26 and 52 weeks' follow-up. Quality of life will be evaluated using the SF-36 questionnaire, the Faecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale questionnaire and the Vaizey score at 3, 6, 12 and 26 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION: High trans-sphincteric fistulas have a potentially severe effect on a patient's quality of life. Classical treatment with RAF is a time-consuming invasive procedure. The LATFIA trial aims to compare FiLaC™ with the gold standard treatment with RAF. In case of noninferiority, FiLaC™ treatment could be standardized as a first line treatment for high trans-sphincteric fistulas. Better conservation of the patient's anal sphincter function could possibly be obtained. Likewise, we will report on the postoperative quality of life when applying these two techniques.

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy to predict postoperative liver failure after major liver resection; a multicenter cohort study in 547 patients.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the predictive value of Hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) for posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) after major liver resection with a comparison to assessment of liver volume in a multicenter cohort. METHODS: Patients who underwent liver resection after HBS were included from six centers. Remnant liver volume was calculated from CT images. PHLF was scored and graded according to the grade B/C ISGLS criteria. RESULTS: In 547 patients PHLF incidence was 10% (56/547) and 90-day mortality rate 8% (42/547). Overall predictive value of remnant liver function was 0.66 (0.58-0.74) and similar to that of remnant volume (0.63 (0.72). For biliary tumors, a function cut-off of 2.7%/min/m2 and 30% volume cut-off resulted in a PHLF rate 12% and 13%, respectively. While an 8.5%/min (4.5%/min/m2) function cut-off resulted in 7% PHLF for those with a function above the cutoff while a 40% volume cutoff still resulted in 14% PHLF rate. In the multivariable analyses for PHLF, liver function was predictive but liver volume was not. CONCLUSION: The current study shows that preoperative liver function assessment using HBS is at least as predictive for PHLF as liver volume assessment, and likely has several advantages, particularly in the high-risk sub-group of biliary tumors.

Sclerosing Angiomatoid Nodular Transformation of the Spleen: A Diagnostic Conundrum.

A splenic lesion often represents a diagnostic challenge due to relative scarcity and the broad differential diagnosis. Sclerosing Angiomatoid Nodular Transformation (SANT) of the spleen is usually encountered only incidentally. Although benign, patients with SANT often receive splenectomy, due to its rarity, diagnostic uncertainty and sometimes intimidating imaging morphology and size. Imaging features on computed tomography, magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography have a high diagnostic value for SANT and help differentiate this entity from other splenic lesions. When the imaging parameters are matched with core needle biopsy tissue analysis, further watchful waiting can be recommended in order to avoid splenectomy.

Parenchymal-sparing hepatectomy with hepatic vein resection and reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Hepatectomy remains the most important treatment modality for most malignant liver tumors. Vascular involvement stays a reason for unresectability or major parenchymal resection. A possible way to avoid this is parenchymal-sparing hepatectomy (PSHX) with vascular resection and reconstruction (HVRR). In this article, we aim to demonstrate the specific role of this technique in avoiding post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 10 patients who underwent HVRR was conducted. 99mTechnetium-mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) was used to predict the future liver remnant function (FLRF). Calculations were made for each patient to compare HVRR and major hepatectomy (with or without portal vein embolization). RESULTS: In our cohort, there was no perioperative mortality. Two patients suffered a Clavien-Dindo grade 3a complication and none had clinically significant PHLF. Estimated FLRF was significantly higher in HVRR compared to major hepatectomy after portal vein embolization (p < .005). CONCLUSIONS: Instead of focusing on inducing liver remnant hypertrophy, preserving parenchyma through HVRR can be an interesting treatment strategy. It can be performed with an acceptable operative risk. Calculations of FLRF (using HBS) suggest that this approach is able to reduce the risk for PHLF and related morbidity or mortality.

Longitudinal Copy-Number Alteration Analysis in Plasma Cell-Free DNA of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms is a Novel Specific Biomarker for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Follow-up.

PURPOSE: As noninvasive biomarkers are an important unmet need for neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN), biomarker potential of genome-wide molecular profiling of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was prospectively studied in patients with NEN. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Longitudinal plasma samples were collected from patients with well-differentiated, metastatic gastroenteropancreatic and lung NEN. cfDNA was subjected to shallow whole-genome sequencing to detect genome-wide copy-number alterations (CNA) and estimate circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) fraction, and correlated to clinicopathologic and survival data. To differentiate pancreatic NENs (PNEN) from pancreatic adenocarcinomas (PAAD) using liquid biopsies, a classification model was trained using tissue-based CNAs and validated in cfDNA. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-five cfDNA samples from 43 patients with NEN were compared with healthy control cfDNA (N = 100). Plasma samples from patients with PNEN (N = 21) were used for comparison with publicly available PNEN tissue (N = 98), PAAD tissue (N = 109), and PAAD cfDNA (N = 96). Thirty percent of the NEN cfDNA samples contained ctDNA and 44% of the patients had at least one ctDNA-positive (ctDNA+) sample. CNAs detected in cfDNA were highly specific for NENs and the classification model could distinguish PAAD and PNEN cfDNA samples with a sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of 62%, 86%, and 79%, respectively. ctDNA-positivity was associated with higher World Health Organization (WHO) grade, primary tumor location, and higher chromogranin A and neuron-specific enolase values. Overall survival was significantly worse for ctDNA+ patients and increased ctDNA fractions were associated with poorer progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential genome-wide profiling of plasma cfDNA is a novel, noninvasive biomarker with high specificity for diagnosis, prognosis, and follow-up in metastatic NENs.

Muscle fat content is strongly associated with NASH: A longitudinal study in patients with morbid obesity.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Studies exploring the relationship between muscle fat content and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are scarce. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the association of muscle mass and fatty infiltration with biopsy-assessed NAFLD in patients with obesity. METHODS: At inclusion (n = 184) and 12 months after a dietary intervention (n = 15) or bariatric surgery (n = 24), we evaluated NAFLD by liver biopsy, and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) by CT (CT-SMI) or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA-SMI). We developed an index to evaluate absolute fat content in muscle (skeletal muscle fat index [SMFI]) from CT-based psoas muscle density (SMFIPsoas). RESULTS: Muscle mass was higher in patients with NAFLD than in those without (CT-SMI 56.8 ± 9.9 vs. 47.4 ± 6.5 cm2/m2, p <0.0001). There was no association between sarcopenia and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). SMFIPsoas was higher in NASH ≥F2 and early NASH F0-1 than in NAFL (78.5 ± 23.6 and 73.1 ± 15.6 vs. 61.2 ± 12.6, p <0.001). A 1-point change in the score for any of the individual cardinal NASH features (i.e. steatosis, inflammation or ballooning) was associated with an increase in SMFIPsoas (all p <0.05). The association between SMFIPsoas and NASH was highly significant even after adjustment for multiple confounders (all p <0.025). After intervention (n = 39), NASH improvement, defined by NAFLD activity score <3 or a 2-point score reduction, was achieved in more than 75% of patients (n = 25 or n = 27, respectively) that had pre-established NASH at inclusion (n = 32) and was associated with a significant decrease in SMFIPsoas (p <0.001). Strikingly, all patients who had ≥11% reduction in SMFIPsoas achieved NASH improvement (14/14, p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Muscle fat content, but not muscle mass, is strongly and independently associated with NASH. All individuals who achieved a ≥11% decrease in SMFIPsoas after intervention improved their NASH. These data indicate that muscle fatty infiltration could be a potential marker for (and perhaps a pathophysiological contributor to) NASH. LAY SUMMARY: The fat content in skeletal muscles is highly reflective of the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in patients with morbid obesity. In particular, muscle fat content is strongly associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and decreases upon NASH improvement. These data indicate that muscle fatty infiltration could be a marker and possible pathophysiological contributor to NASH.

Simultaneous laparoscopic proctocolectomy (TaTME) and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy for synchronous rectal and prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We would like to present a patient with a history of ulcerative colitis suffering from a synchronous rectal and prostate cancer treated with a laparoscopic total proctocolectomy (with TaTME) and Retzius sparing RARP simultaneously. METHODS: Retzius sparing RARP with bilateral lymph node harvesting was performed first. Afterwards, TaTME was commenced with the placement of a Lonestar® retractor and GelPort®. Anterior dissection was troubled unexpectedly by outspoken fibrosis. For that reason, it was completed laparoscopically. We then continued with the laparoscopic total proctocolectomy. Last, a transanal circular stapled ileoanal anastomosis was created and a derivating ileostomy was installed. RESULTS: Postoperative proctoscopy showed a patent ileoanal anastomosis. After removal of the Foley catheter on day 21, the patient was immediately continent. Prostate specimen revealed a pT2cN1M0 transmural invasive adenocarcinoma with a Gleason score of 7 (3 + 4). Pathology analysis of the rectum revealed a stage IIIc transmural invasive moderately differentiated rectal adenocarcinoma (pT3N2bM0) with free margins. He was referred for adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: In this case, the combination of TaTME and Retzius sparing RARP for synchronous rectal and prostate cancer was feasible and safe. We suggest performing the anterior TaTME dissection last, due to disturbing blood flow into the operating field after prostatectomy.

Measuring future liver remnant function prior to hepatectomy may guide the indication for portal vein occlusion and avoid posthepatectomy liver failure: a prospective interventional study.

BACKGROUND: Estimation of the future liver remnant function (eFLRF) can avoid post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). In a previous study, a cutoff value of 2.3%/min/m2 for eFLRF was a better predictor of PHLF than future liver remnant volume (FLRV%). In this prospective interventional study, investigating a management strategy aimed at avoiding PHLF, this cutoff value was the sole criterion assessing eligibility for hepatectomy, with or without portal vein occlusion (PVO). METHODS: In 100 consecutive patients, eFLRF was determined using the formula: eFLRF = FLRV% × total liver function (TLF). Group 1 (eFLRF >2.3%/min/m2) underwent hepatectomy without preoperative intervention. Group 2 (eFLRF <2.3%/min/m2) underwent PVO and re-evaluation of eFLRF at 4-6 weeks. Hepatectomy was performed if eFLRF had increased to >2.3%/min/m2, but was considered contraindicated if the value remained lower. RESULTS: In group 1 (n = 93), 1 patient developed grade B PHLF. In group 2 (n = 7) no PHLF was recorded. Postoperative recovery of TLF in patients with preoperative eFLRF <2.3%/min/m2 occurred more rapidly when PVO had been performed. CONCLUSION: A predefined cutoff for preoperatively calculated eFLRF can be used as a tool for selecting patients prior to hepatectomy, with or without PVO, thus avoiding PHLF and PHLF-related mortality.

Accuracy of pre-treatment locoregional rectal cancer staging in a national improvement project.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy, particularly the predictive value, of locoregional clinical rectal cancer staging (cTN) and its variability in a national improvement project. METHODS: cTN stages and the distance between tumour and mesorectal fascia (MRF) were compared with histopathological findings in 1168 patients who underwent radical resection without neoadjuvant treatment. Data were registered prospectively from 2006 to 2014. RESULTS: Agreement between clinical and histopathological TN stages was 50%, independent of tumour location. Inter-hospital variability was within 99% prediction limits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was increasingly applied, but staging accuracy did not improve. Stage II-III was correctly predicted in 69% and pStage I was over-staged in 35%. The positive predictive value of endorectal ultrasonography (ERUS) for T1 lesions was 57%. MRI-based distances to MRF correlated poorly with the circumferential resection margin (r = 0.26). A negative resection margin was achieved in 91% when the distance to the MRF was >1 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of rectal cancer staging in general practice should be improved to avoid under- or overtreatment. Training and expert review of pre-treatment MR imaging could be helpful. A second ERUS is justified when transanal local resection for early lesions is planned.

Future remnant liver function estimated by combining liver volumetry on magnetic resonance imaging with total liver function on (99m)Tc-mebrofenin hepatobiliary scintigraphy: can this tool predict post-hepatectomy liver failure?

INTRODUCTION: Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a major complication after hepatectomy with a high mortality rate and is likely to happen in insufficient liver remnant. We hypothesize that assessment of the estimated future liver remnant function (eFLRF), combining future remnant liver volume (FLRV) with total liver function (TLF), is an accurate formula for prediction of PHLF. METHODS: 88 patients undergoing hepatectomy were included. The ratio of the future liver remnant volume (FLRV%) was measured on MRI. TLF was estimated by liver clearance of (99m)Technetium (Tc)-mebrofenin on hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS). eFLRF was calculated by multiplying FLRV% by TLF. Cut-off values of FLRV% and eFLRF predicting PHLF, were defined by receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: PHLF occurred in 12 patients (13%). Perioperative mortality was 5/12 (41%). Multivariate analysis showed that FLRV% cut off at 40% was not an independent predictive factor. eFLRF cut off at 2.3%/min/m(2) was the only independent predictive factor for PHLF. For FLRV% vs. eFLRF, positive predictive value was 41% vs. 92% and Odds Ratio 26 vs. 836. CONCLUSION: FRLF measured by combining FLRV% and TLF is a more valuable tool to predict PHLF than FLRV% alone. The cutoff of eFLRF can be used in clinical decision making.

Treatment of Aggressive Pelvic Fibromatosis With Interferon.

BACKGROUND: Fibromatosis is a rare, noninvasive but aggressive tumor. The tumor displaces tissue by "pushing" the normal structures aside. Optimal treatment should be individualized. CASE: A 35-year-old woman presented with a recurrent fibromatosis, which filled the vagina and extended into the pelvis. The classical surgical removal would have had a high morbidity. Therefore, it was decided, after shared decision-making, to opt for treatment with interferon. The side effects of the therapy were tolerable, and a complete regression of the fibromatosis was achieved. At present, 13 years after the diagnosis and 7 years after discontinuation of the therapy, the patient is well with no signs of disease. CONCLUSION: Interferon may be considered as primary treatment for extensive pelvic fibromatosis.

Can post-mortem CT reliably distinguish between drowning and non-drowning asphyxiation?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether previously reported post-mortem CT findings in drowning can reliably distinguish drowning from asphyxiation by any other manner. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cases (n = 14) were corpses with cause of death determined as drowning by concordant autopsy findings and physical and circumstantial evidence. Controls (n = 11) were corpses in which the cause of death was defined as asphyxiation by any other manner than submersion in a liquid. Images were evaluated for the presence of fluid in paranasal sinuses, mastoid air cells and lower airways, frothy foam in the upper airways, ground-glass opacity of the lung parenchyma, the height of the right hemi-diaphragm, the interpulmonary distance at the level of the aortic valve, the mean density of intracardiac blood, and gastric and esophageal contents. Descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test, and Student's t test were used when appropriate. RESULTS: Only the height of the right hemi-diaphragm differed significantly (p = 0.045) between cases (mean 5.4) and controls (mean 4.3). Other findings were not significantly different between both groups. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that it is not possible to reliably distinguish drowning from non-drowning asphyxiation on CT, because many findings in drowning were also present in non-drowning asphyxiation. CT indicators for drowning as the cause of death should therefore be defined with great caution, keeping in mind that they are not specific to only a single cause of death.

Preprocedural CT evaluation of transcatheter aortic valve replacement: what the radiologist needs to know.

Aortic valve stenosis is the most common valvular heart disease in the Western world. When symptomatic, aortic valve stenosis is a debilitating disease with a dismal short-term prognosis, invariably leading to heart failure and death. Elective surgical valve replacement has traditionally been considered the standard of care for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. However, several studies have identified various subgroups of patients with a significantly elevated risk for surgery-related complications and death. Thus, not every patient is a suitable candidate for surgery. Recent developments in transcatheter-based therapies have provided an alternative therapeutic strategy for the nonsurgical patient population known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) (also called transcatheter aortic valve implantation or percutaneous aortic valve replacement). In TAVR, the native aortic valve is replaced with a bioprosthetic valve via a nonsurgical endovascular, transaortic, or transapical pathway. Nevertheless, several anatomic and technical criteria must be met to safeguard patient eligibility and procedural success. Therefore, noninvasive imaging plays a crucial role in both patient selection and subsequent matching to a specific transcatheter valve size in an effort to ensure accurate prosthesis deployment and minimize peri- and postprocedural complications. The authors review the relevant anatomy of the aortic root, emphasizing the implications of anatomic pitfalls for correct reporting of imaging-derived measurements and important differences between findings obtained with different imaging modalities. They also discuss the evolving role of computed tomography and the role of the radiologist in patient triage in light of current viewpoints regarding patient selection, device size selection, and the preprocedural evaluation of possible access routes. Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement: postoperative CT findings of Sapien and CoreValve transcatheter heart valves.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement represents one of the most exciting medical technical developments in recent years, offering a much-needed therapeutic alternative for patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who, due to comorbidities and advanced age, are considered to be inoperable or at high surgical risk. The efficacy of this procedure compared with standard surgical intervention has been properly validated in multicenter randomized controlled trials (PARTNER A and B trials), leading to widespread clinical implementation, with over 50,000 procedures currently being performed worldwide each year. Although much of the attention has rightly focused on the potential role of computed tomography (CT) in the preprocedural assessment of the aortic root and the establishment of imaging-guided valve-sizing algorithms, less is known regarding the postprocedural CT characteristics of transcatheter heart valves (THVs). However, given the increasing worldwide recognition and clinical implementation of these devices, they will no doubt be encountered with increasing frequency in patients referred for thoracic CT, either for postprocedural evaluation of the aortic root or for unrelated reasons. Familiarity with these devices and their CT characteristics will increase diagnostic confidence and the value of the radiology report. The authors describe the physical and imaging properties of the currently commercially available THVs, their normal postprocedural imaging appearances, and potential complications that can be detected at CT. In addition, they discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of CT and echocardiography in this setting.

Caesarean scar pregnancy.

Faced with difficulty discriminating between placenta and myometrium in a patient with three previous caesarean sections, MRI provided definitive diagnosis of caesarean scar pregnancy, allowing for a save and uneventful planned surgical procedure.

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis as first manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism.

We report the case of a female patient with severe acute necrotizing pancreatitis associated with hypercalcemia as first manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism caused by a benign parathyroid adenoma. Initially the acute pancreatitis was treated conservatively. The patient subsequently underwent surgical resection of the parathyroid adenoma and surgical clearance of a large infected pancreatic pseudocyst. Although the association of parathyroid adenoma-induced hypercalcemia and acute pancreatitis is a known medical entity, it is very uncommon. The pathophysiology of hypercalcemia-induced acute pancreatitis is therefore not well known, although some mechanisms have been proposed. It is important to treat the provoking factor. Therefore, the cause of hypercalcemia should be identified early. Surgical resection of the parathyroid adenoma is the ultimate therapy.

Diagnostic and therapeutic double-balloon enteroscopy after small bowel Roux-en-Y reconstructive surgery.

BACKGROUND: Roux-en-Y reconstruction excludes the afferent limb and the biliopancreatic system from conventional endoscopic access. Postoperative problems in these excluded gastrointestinal systems are therefore often dealt with surgically. We investigated the usefulness of the therapeutic double-balloon enteroscope to perform interventional endoscopic procedures in the excluded segment of the gastrointestinal tract after Roux-en-Y reconstruction. METHODS: 30 procedures were performed in 22 patients with Roux-en-Y reconstruction after enterobiliary anastomosis, gastrectomy or bariatric gastric bypass. All procedures were performed with the therapeutic double-balloon enteroscope, under general anesthesia and with fluoroscopic control. RESULTS: ERCP at the enterobiliary anastomosis was successful in 90% (n = 10) of the procedures. ERCP at the intact papilla was successful in 60% (n = 5). Enterocutaneous fistula closure after (sub)total gastrectomy was performed in 2 procedures. Successful diagnostic procedures encompassed intubation of the excluded stomach after bariatric gastric bypass (89%, n = 9) or the afferent limb after Roux-en-Y reconstruction (75%, n = 4). The overall success rate in accessing the aimed excluded segment with the double-balloon enteroscope was 87%. Interventional procedures were able to avoid surgery in 65%. One retroperitoneal perforation occurred during ERCP which was conservatively treated. CONCLUSIONS: Excluded gastrointestinal segments after Roux-en-Y reconstruction can be accessed with a substantial success rate using double-balloon enteroscopy. Therapeutic interventions like ERCP can prevent surgery in the majority of patients.