Outcomes After Liver Resection for Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis: A Single-Center Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Switzerland is a region in which alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is endemic. Studies evaluating outcomes after liver resection (LR) for AE are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the short- and long-term outcomes of AE patients after LR in a single tertiary referral center. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data pertaining to all patients with liver AE who were treated with LR at our institution between January 1992 and December 2013. Patient demographics, intraoperative data, extent of LR procedures (major vs. minor LR), postoperative outcomes, and negative histological margin (R0) resection rate were recorded in a database. Recurrence rates after LR were analyzed. RESULTS: LR was performed in 59 patients diagnosed with hepatic AE (56 complete surgeries, 3 reduction surgeries). Postoperative morbidity and mortality were observed in 34 % (25 % grade I-II, 9 % grade III-IV) and 2 % of the patients, respectively. R0 (complete) resection rate was 71 % (n = 42), and R1/R2 resection rate was 29 % (n = 17). Extra-hepatic recurrence occurred in 1 case (lung) after R0 resection. In cases of R1/R2 resection, 7 intra-hepatic disease progressions occurred with a median time of 10 months (IQR 6-11 months). Long-term (more than 1 year) benzimidazole treatment stabilized the disease in 64 % (9/14) of patients with R1 status. The overall survival rate was 97 %. CONCLUSIONS: Liver AE can be safely and definitively treated with LR, provided that R0 resection is achieved. In cases of R1 resection, benzimidazole therapy seems to be effective in stabilizing the intra-hepatic disease and preventing extra-hepatic recurrence.

Reappraisal of shunt surgery for extrahepatic portal vein obstruction in adults: Report of a single-center case series.

AIM: Extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) is a relatively rare disease in adults. The clinical significance of shunt surgery for EHPVO in adult cases remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the patient characteristics and the results of shunt surgery in 13 adult cases of EHPVO treated between March 1995 and March 2013 at a tertiary care hospital in Switzerland. The indication for shunt surgery was recurrent bleeding after endoscopic treatment. To update the outcomes of shunt surgery in adult cases of EHPVO, we performed a systematic review of published work to examine this issue. RESULTS: The mean age of the 13 patients in the present case series was 41.8 years (range, 20-68), and the mean follow-up duration after surgery was 4.4 years (range, 1-16). The types of shunt surgery performed were mesocaval shunt (n = 8), portacaval shunt (n = 2), splenorenal shunt (n = 1) and mesorenal shunt (n = 2). Two patients (15%) developed postoperative rebleeding, which was successfully treated by endoscopic treatment. None of the patients developed postoperative hepatic encephalopathy. No operative-related deaths occurred in this series. Six studies, including our own, were identified in the published work. The overall mortality rate was 0-3.7%, and no cases of encephalopathy were observed. The rebleeding rate ranged 2.5-23%. CONCLUSION: Shunt surgery for EHPVO in adults after the failure of endoscopic treatment is feasible, with acceptable outcomes at specialized centers. This surgical procedure should always be taken into consideration when managing adult cases of EHPVO.

Should possible recurrence of disease contraindicate liver transplantation in patients with end-stage alveolar echinococcosis? A 20-year follow-up study.

Liver transplantation (LT) is currently contraindicated in patients with residual or metastatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE) lesions. We evaluated the long-term course of such patients who underwent LT and were subsequently treated with benzimidazoles. Clinical, imaging, serological, and therapeutic data were collected from 5 patients with residual/recurrent AE lesions who survived for more than 15 years. Since 2004, [(18) F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) images were available, and the levels of serum antibodies (Abs) against Echinococcus multilocularis-recombinant antigens were evaluated. Median survival time after LT was 21 years. These patients were from a prospective cohort of 23 patients with AE who underwent LT: 5 of 8 patients with residual/recurrent AE and 4 of 9 patients without residual/recurrent AE were alive in September 2009. High doses of immunosuppressive drugs, the late introduction of therapy with benzimidazoles, its withdrawal due to side effects, and nonadherence to this therapy adversely affected the prognosis. Anti-Em2(plus) and anti-rEm18 Ab levels and standard FDG-PET enabled the efficacy of therapy on the growth of EA lesions to be assessed. However, meaningful variations in Ab levels were observed below diagnostic cutoff values; and in monitoring AE lesions, images of FDG uptake taken 3 hours after its injection were more sensitive than images obtained 1 hour after its injection. In conclusion, benzimidazoles can control residual/recurrent AE lesions after LT. Using anti-rEm18 or anti-Em2(plus) Ab levels and the delayed acquisition of FDG-PET images can improve the functional assessment of disease activity. The potential recurrence of disease, especially in patients with residual or metastatic AE lesions, should not be regarded as a contraindication to LT when AE is considered to be lethal in the short term.

[Treatment of alveolar echinococcosis: a multidisciplinary task]. / Le traitement de l'échinococcose alvéolaire humaine: une approche multidisciplinaire.

Alveolar echinococcosis is characterized by a long asymptomatic period but, without treatment, up to 80% of patients may die within ten years of diagnosis. Owing to a lack of fast-acting and fully effective chemotherapy, partial radical hepatic resection is the only chance of cure. One-third of patients are now treated in this way, and complex vascular and biliary reconstruction procedures are sometimes necessary. Liver transplantation may also be indicated for highly selected patients (about 5%) with life-threatening complications after failure of other treatments. Interventional radiology and endoscopy can be used to drain liver abscesses and/or infected and obstructed bile ducts, either as palliative procedures or as a bridge to radical resection. Parasitostatic benzimidazole therapy, especially based on continuous albendazole administration, is mandatory for at least two years after radical resection, and for life in inoperable patients.

Prevalence of substance use in a Swiss psychiatric hospital: interview reports and urine screening.

BACKGROUND: Co-morbid substance misuse is common in psychiatric disorders, has potentially severe adverse consequences and may be frequently undetected. AIMS: To measure the prevalence of substance use among patients admitted to a Swiss psychiatric hospital and to examine the potential utility of routine urine drug screening in this setting. METHOD: 266 inpatients were included. 238 patients completed the interview and 240 underwent a urine drug screening. RESULTS: Lifetime prevalence of substance use among psychiatric patients was very high for alcohol (98%; 95% CI: 96-100), benzodiazepines (86%; 95% CI: 82-91) and cannabis (53%; 95% CI: 47-60), but also for "hard drugs" like cocaine (25% ; 95% CI: 19-30) or opiates (20%; 95% CI: 15-25). Regular current use of alcohol (32%; 95% CI: 26-38) or cannabis (17%; 95% CI: 12-22) was the most frequent. Substance use was associated with male sex, younger age, unmarried status and nicotine smoking. Urine screening confirms reports from patients on recent use, and remained positive for cannabis during hospitalisation, but not for cocaine nor for opiates. CONCLUSION: Substance use is frequent among psychiatric patients. Systematic interviewing of patients about their substance use remains essential, and is usually confirmed by urine screening. Urine screening can be useful to provide specific answers about recent use.

Agenesis of the gallbladder: a dangerously misdiagnosed malformation.

Isolated agenesis of the gallbladder is a rare anomaly, often asymptomatic. However, one patient out of four presented with right upper abdominal pain, nausea, and fatty food intolerance. The condition is frequently mistaken with an excluded or sclero-atrophic gallbladder, regardless of the imaging modality used. Consequently, AG often leads to unnecessary and potentially dangerous laparoscopic surgery as described in a few case reports over the last 10 years. The aim of this study is to clarify the diagnostic and therapeutic approach of this unusual pathology. Two cases seen in our institutions were retrospectively reviewed, together with a review of the American and European literature. During laparoscopy, the absence of normal anatomical structures and the impossibility of pulling on the gallbladder to expose and dissect the triangle of Callot increases the risk of iatrogenic injury to biliary or portal structures. Depending on the experiment of the surgeon in laparoscopic procedure, this has to be taken into account to decide a conversion to laparotomy. A high index of suspicion is necessary when interpreting the radiological images. In case of doubt, a MRI-cholangiography is mandatory. Because of possible inherited transmission, relatives with a history of biliary symptoms should be investigated.

Naturally acquired MAGE-A10- and SSX-2-specific CD8+ T cell responses in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Immunotherapy is being proposed to treat patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, more detailed knowledge on tumor Ag expression and specific immune cells is required for the preparation of highly targeted vaccines. HCC express a variety of tumor-specific Ags, raising the question whether CTL specific for such Ags exist in HCC patients. Indeed, a recent study revealed CTLs specific for two cancer-testis (CT) Ags (MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A3) in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes of HCC patients. Here we assessed the presence of T cells specific for additional CT Ags: MAGE-A10, SSX-2, NY-ESO-1, and LAGE-1, which are naturally immunogenic as demonstrated in HLA-A2(+) melanoma patients. In two of six HLA-A2(+) HCC patients, we found that MAGE-A10- and/or SSX-2-specific CD8(+) T cells naturally responded to the disease, because they were enriched in tumor lesions but not in nontumoral liver. Isolated T cells specifically and strongly killed tumor cells in vitro, providing evidence that these CTL were selected in vivo for high avidity Ag recognition. Therefore, besides melanoma, HCC is the second solid human tumor with clear evidence for in vivo tumor recognition by T cells, providing the rational for specific immunotherapy, based on immunization with CT Ags such as MAGE-A10 and SSX-2.

Preoperative percutaneous portal vein embolization: evaluation of adverse events in 188 patients.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively assess the frequency of adverse events related to percutaneous preoperative portal vein embolization (PPVE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board did not require its approval or patient informed consent for this study. The adverse events that occurred during PPVE or until planned hepatic surgery was performed or cancelled were retrospectively obtained from clinical, imaging, and laboratory data files in 188 patients (109 male and 79 female patients; mean age, 60 years; range, 16-78 years). Liver resection was planned for metastases (n = 137), hepatocarcinoma (n = 31), cholangiocarcinoma (n = 15), fibrolamellar hepatoma (n = 1), and benign disease (n = 4). PPVE was performed with a single-lumen 5-F catheter and a contralateral approach with n-butyl cyanoacrylate mixed with iodized oil as the main embolic agent. The rate of complications in patients with cirrhosis was compared with that in patients without cirrhosis by using the chi(2) test. RESULTS: Adverse events occurred in 24 (12.8%) of 188 patients, including 12 complications and 12 incidental imaging findings. Complications included thrombosis of the portal vein feeding the future remnant liver (n = 1); migration of emboli in the portal vein feeding the future remnant liver, which necessitated angioplasty (n = 2); hemoperitoneum (n = 1); rupture of a metastasis in the gallbladder (n = 1); transitory hemobilia (n = 1); and transient liver failure (n = 6). Incidental findings were migration of small emboli in nontargeted portal branches (n = 10) and subcapsular hematoma (n = 2). Among the 187 patients in whom PPVE was technically successful, there was a significant difference (P < .001) between the occurrence of liver failure after PPVE in patients with cirrhosis (five of 30) and those without (one of 157). Sixteen liver resections were cancelled due to cancer progression (n = 12), insufficient hypertrophy of the nonembolized liver (n = 3), and complete portal thrombosis (n = 1). CONCLUSION: PPVE is a safe adjuvant technique for hypertrophy of the initially insufficient liver reserve. Post-PPVE transient liver failure is more common in patients with cirrhosis than in those without cirrhosis.

Recurrent cytomegalovirus disease, visceral leishmaniosis, and Legionella pneumonia after liver transplantation: a case report.

PURPOSE: Recurrent cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is a frequent complication of liver transplantation. Visceral leishmaniosis in a transplant recipient is, on the other hand, extremely rare and only two cases of kala-azar have been described after liver transplantation. Immunosuppressed patients are known to be at risk of Legionella infection and the relationship between infection with this organism and hospital water supplies has been well described. These three diseases carry a high mortality rate. Our report examines the potential relationship between these complications. CLINICAL FEATURES: We describe the case of a liver transplant recipient who presented the three complications successively and survived. After reviewing the literature, we explore hypotheses linking these infections and discuss treatment strategies. CONCLUSIONS: In the patient described, infection with leishmania probably occurred months prior to the clinical presentation, a delay that matches the incubation period of kala-azar. The simultaneous onset of leishmaniosis and of a high CMV viremia may have been a coincidence. However, CMV infection has been shown to be an independent predictor of invasive fungal infection in liver transplant recipients. CMV does indeed have a suppressive effect on the humoral and cellular immune response in vitro as well as in vivo. The clinical manifestations of leishmaniosis may, therefore, have been precipitated in this patient by the additive immunosuppressive effect of antirejection drugs and CMV.

Interventional radiology in the management of complications after liver transplantation.

The arrival of new surgical transplantation techniques, such as split living donor or auxiliary liver transplantation, have increased the incidence of vascular and biliary complications. The causes, symptoms, and diagnostic modalities of arterial, portal caval, and biliary complications are detailed. Interventional techniques, such as balloon angioplasty and stent placement in the arterial and portal tree, as well as biliary interventional techniques, are discussed.

Hepatic portal gas in adults: review of the literature and presentation of a consecutive series of 11 cases.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) in adults is a rare entity. The underlying pathologic condition is usually an intestinal ischemia, but it has been reported in association with a variety of conditions. HYPOTHESIS: Miscomprehension of the underlying pathologic conditions has led to some confusion in the literature concerning its etiology, diagnostic methods, and clinical consequences. SETTING: Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland, and District Hospital of Morges, Morges, Switzerland. METHOD: Between February 1, 1995, and May 30, 2000, eleven cases of HPVG were treated. These cases were retrospectively reviewed, together with a review of the literature to define the clinical significance of HPVG, the role of the computed tomographic scan, and the necessity of performing systematic emergency exploratory surgery. RESULTS: Two groups have to be distinguished-those who have HPVG with associated pneumatosis intestinalis and those who have HPVG without associated pneumatosis intestinalis. When associated with pneumatosis intestinalis, the cause is usually an intestinal ischemia and in a symptomatic patient it justifies systematic exploratory surgery. An abdominal computed tomographic scan including lung window settings to better identify air in the bowel wall will distinguish between these 2 groups. Pneumatosis intestinalis and HPVG due to bowel ischemia do not allow prediction of the severity of bowel wall damage. CONCLUSIONS: The cause of HPVG without pneumatosis intestinalis is variable. Good knowledge of the possible causes combined with the clinical picture and the abdominal computed tomographic scan is required to correctly identify the underlying cause of HPVG and to avoid unnecessary surgery.

Indications and results of liver transplantation for Echinococcus alveolar infection: an overview.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) of the liver, caused by the larval stage of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, has the characteristics of a slow-growing liver cancer. It is one of the rare parasitic diseases for which a parasitolytic drug is not yet available, and AE is lethal in the absence of appropriate therapeutic management. Complete surgical resection of the parasite at an early stage of infection provides favourable prospects for cure, but, due to a long clinical latency, many cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, so that partial liver resection can be performed in only 35% of patients. Benzimidazole (BZM) treatment is given in inoperable cases but these compounds are only parasitostatic, and lifelong therapy is required. During the past 20 years some centres have considered liver transplantation (LT) for the treatment of incurable AE. METHODS: Our review summarizes the results of this experience based on a series of 47 European patients who received transplants between 1985 and 2002, tries to specify the real place of LT for AE, and underlines the measures that could be undertaken in the future to improve the results. RESULTS: Five-year survival was 71%. Five-year survival without recurrence was 58%. Major technical difficulties related either to previous laparotomies or to the loco-regional involvement were observed. The nine early deaths concerned AE patients with a long past-history of symptomatic AE (iterative cholangitis, secondary biliary cirrhosis). Five late deaths were directly related to ongoing AE, located in the brain in three cases, a very rare AE location that was not investigated before LT in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: In general, the pre-LT screening for distant AE metastases appeared insufficient in this series. Heavy immunosuppressive schemes, absence or delayed re-introduction of BZM after LT have clearly played a role in this unfavourable course. This unique experience indicates that, despite major technical difficulties, LT for incurable AE is feasible and could be discussed in very symptomatic cases. Before LT, interventional radiology should be preferred to repeated laparotomies. Pre-LT and post-LT BZM treatment is mandatory. A careful evaluation of possible distant metastases should be done before the decision for LT is made. After LT, the possibility of an ongoing AE must be permanently kept in mind. This could be reduced by lightening the immunosuppressants, carefully following the specific circulating antibodies, and applying a systematic radiological evaluation, not only to the graft but also to the lungs and the brain.

Preoperative hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) and concomitant CPT-11 in locally advanced rectal carcinoma: a phase I study.

PURPOSE: Patients with locally advanced rectal carcinoma are at risk for both local recurrence and distant metastases. We demonstrated the efficacy of preoperative hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART). In this Phase I trial, we aimed at introducing chemotherapy early in the treatment course with both intrinsic antitumor activity and a radiosensitizer effect. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-eight patients (19 males; median age 63, range 28-75) with advanced rectal carcinoma (cT3: 24; cT4: 4; cN+: 12; M1: 5) were enrolled, including 8 patients treated at the maximally tolerated dose. Escalating doses of CPT-11 (30-105 mg/m(2)/week) were given on Days 1, 8, and 15, and concomitant HART (41.6 Gy, 1.6 Gy bid x 13 days) started on Day 8. Surgery was to be performed within 1 week after the end of radiochemotherapy. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients completed all preoperative radiochemotherapy as scheduled; all patients underwent surgery. Dose-limiting toxicity was diarrhea Grade 3 occurring at dose level 6 (105 mg/m(2)). Hematotoxicity was mild, with only 1 patient experiencing Grade 3 neutropenia. Postoperative complications (30 days) occurred in 7 patients, with an anastomotic leak rate of 22%. CONCLUSIONS: The recommended Phase II dose of CPT-11 in this setting is 90 mg/m(2)/week. Further Phase II exploration at this dose is warranted.

Experience of liver transplantation for incurable alveolar echinococcosis: a 45-case European collaborative report.

BACKGROUND: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) of the liver is a rare and severe parasitic disease. It behaves like a slow-growing liver cancer, and liver transplantation (LT) has been proposed in advanced cases since 1985. The aim of this retrospective study was to collect all AE transplant cases in Europe, analyze the results, and specify the usefulness of LT for this unusual indication. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to 83 LT centers from July 1996 to December 1999. RESULTS: Sixty-five centers responded: 45 AE patients (mean age, 45.8 years) underwent an LT procedure at 16 LT centers. The mean interval between diagnosis and LT was 5 years. One patient died during the hepatectomy phase. Five-year survival was 71%. Five-year survival without recurrence was 58%. The nine early deaths were mostly related to bacterial or fungal infections, or both, in patients in bad condition when LT was performed. Six patients had a graft AE reinfection. Five late deaths were related directly to ongoing AE. In the other cases, benzimidazole (BZM) therapy seemed to stabilize AE residues. CONCLUSIONS: This unique experience indicates that LT is feasible for life-threatening AE. Specific management is needed to optimize the results: earlier decision for LT in incurable symptomatic biliary AE, pre- and post-LT BZM therapy, meticulous pre-LT evaluation to identify extrahepatic extension, and an immunosuppressive regimen kept to a minimum.

Measurement of the whole body clearance of infused glycerol as a test of liver function after major hepatectomy.

Major liver resection can be used in the treatment of liver cancer. The functional capacity of liver parenchyma needs to be evaluated preoperatively because it conditions the outcome. We assessed whether the whole body clearance of glycerol, a substrate essentially metabolized in liver cells, may be suitable as a simple test of liver function. Seven patients after major hepatectomy, six patients after colectomy and 12 healthy subjects were studied. Patients were investigated on the first day after surgery. All participants were studied during a 150-min basal period followed by a 120-min infusion of 16 mumol kg-1 min-1 13C-labelled glycerol. Whole body glycerol clearance was calculated from the change in plasma glycerol concentration. Whole body glucose production was measured with 6,6 2H2 glucose infused as a tracer in the basal state and during glycerol infusion. In addition, 13C glucose synthesis was monitored to quantitate gluconeogenesis from glycerol. Patients after liver resection had higher plasma glycerol concentrations and lower whole body glycerol clearance than healthy subjects and patients after colectomy. They also had higher plasma glucagon concentrations. Their fasting glucose production was mildly elevated in the fasting state and did not change after glycerol infusion, indicating a normal hepatic autoregulation of glucose production. These results indicate that whole body glycerol clearance can be simply determined from plasma glycerol concentrations during exogenous glycerol infusion. It is significantly reduced in patients after major hepatectomy, suggesting that it constitutes a sensitive test of hepatic function. Its use as a preoperative testing procedure remains to be evaluated.

Determinants of protracted cytomegalovirus infection in solid-organ transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent infection frequently follows the response to the initial treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients. The objective of this study was to describe the course of CMV infection in SOT patients and to identify factors that would predict protracted CMV infection with recurrences. METHODS: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for CMV DNA in leukocytes and in plasma were used to assess viral load changes retrospectively in consecutive SOT patients, whose CMV infection episodes had been attended therapeutically or preemptively using quantitative blood culture. RESULTS: Among 101 SOT patients, CMV infection occurred in 63, of whom 32 developed recurrent infection after the initial episode. In patients with recurrent infection, PCR indicated that a majority (27) of recipients had high level of CMV DNA in peripheral blood leukocytes and plasma throughout a protracted (>/=1 month) period including after preemptive or therapeutic ganciclovir courses. Predictors of protracted high-level infection were increasing age, CMV donor seropositivity, and all measures of viral load during the initial episode. CMV recipient seropositivity protected strongly against protracted infection. End of treatment plasma CMV DNA best discriminated between patients who did or did not develop protracted infection. CONCLUSIONS: In SOT patients, protracted CMV infection is associated with increasing age, donor seropositivity, recipient seronegativity, and high viral load during the first episode. End of therapy plasma CMV DNA level best predicts the occurrence of protracted infection. In patients with a high risk of protracted infection, prophylaxis is likely to be particularly cost effective.