Gravity assistance enables liver stiffness measurements to detect liver fibrosis under congestive circumstances.

BACKGROUND: As survival has been prolonged owing to surgical and medical improvements, liver failure has become a prognostic determinant in patients with congestive heart diseases. Congestive hepatopathy, an abnormal state of the liver as a result of congestion, insidiously proceed toward end-stage liver disease without effective biomarkers evaluating pathological progression. Regular measurements of shear wave elastography cannot qualify liver fibrosis, which is a prognosticator in any type of chronic liver disease, in cases of congestion because congestion makes the liver stiff without fibrosis. We hypothesized that the effects of congestion and fibrosis on liver stiffness can be dissociated by inducing architectural deformation of the liver to expose structural rigidity. AIM: To establish a strategy measuring liver stiffness as a reflection of architectural rigidity under congestion. METHODS: Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2dSWE) was measured in the supine (Sp) and left decubitus (Ld) positions in 298 consecutive cases as they were subjected to an ultrasound study for various liver diseases. Regions of interest were placed at twelve sites, and the median and robust coefficient of variation were calculated. Numerical data were compared using the Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post-hoc multiple comparisons. The inferior vena cava (IVC) diameters at different body positions were compared using the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. The number of cases with cardiothoracic ratios greater than or not greater than 50% was compared using Fisher's exact test. A correlation of 2dSWE between different body positions was evaluated by calculating Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The IVC diameter was significantly reduced in Ld in subjects with higher 2dSWE values in Ld (LdSWE) than in Sp (SpSWE) (P = 0.007, (average ± SD) 13.9 ± 3.6 vs 13.1 ± 3.4 mm) but not in those with lower LdSWE values (P = 0.32, 13.3 ± 3.5 vs 13.0 ± 3.5 mm). In 81 subjects, SpSWE was increased or decreased in Ld beyond the magnitude of robust coefficient of variation, which suggests that body postural changes induced an alteration of liver stiffness significantly larger than the technical dispersion. Among these subjects, all 37 with normal SpSWE had a higher LdSWE than SpSWE (Normal-to-Hard, SpSWE - LdSWE (∆2dSWE): (minimum-maximum) -0.74 - -0.08 m/sec), whereas in 44 residual subjects with abnormal SpSWE, LdSWE was higher in 27 subjects (Hard-to-Hard, -0.74 - -0.05 m/sec) and lower in 17 subjects (Hard-to-Soft, 0.04 - 0.52 m/sec) than SpSWE. SpSWE was significantly correlated with ∆2dSWE only in Hard-to-Soft (P < 0.0001). ∆2dSWE was larger in each lobe than in the entire liver. When Hard-to-Hard and Hard-to-Soft values were examined for each lobe, fibrosis-4 or platelet counts were significantly higher or lower only for Hard-to-Soft vs Normal-to-Hard cases. CONCLUSION: Gravity alters the hepatic architecture during body postural changes, causing outflow blockage in hepatic veins. A rigid liver is resistant to structural deformation. Stiff-liver softening in the Ld position suggests a fibrous liver.

Endoscopic retrieval of multiple sewing needles by using the tip of a magnetic tube.

Video 1Multiple sewing needles are retrieved from the stomach endoscopically using the tip of a magnet tube.

A Superinfection of Salmonella typhi and Hepatitis E Virus Causes Biphasic Acute Hepatitis.

A 47-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital because of a sustained high fever with diarrhea 12 days after a flight from India. Liver enzymes were elevated with rose spots, hepatosplenomegaly, relative bradycardia, and acute cholecystitis. A liver biopsy depicted the dense infiltration of lymphocytes and Kupffer cells in sinusoids and the granulomatous formation in the parenchyma. The liver damage was initially resolved with the administration of ceftriaxone for 16 days but flared up 1 week later. Laboratory tests yielded positive reactions for Salmonella typhi and hepatitis E virus RNA. The pathophysiological presentations of concurrent typhoid and type E hepatitis are discussed.

Conversion of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage to endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage.

Introduction: Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is a useful alternative treatment for malignant biliary obstruction (MBO) when patients have difficulty with endoscopic transpapillary drainage. We examined the feasibility of conversion of PTBD to endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) in patients with MBO unsuited for endoscopic transpapillary biliary drainage. Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent conversion of PTBD to EUS-BD between March 2017 and December 2019. Eligible patients had unresectable MBO, required palliative biliary drainage, and were not suited for endoscopic transpapillary drainage. Initial PTBD had been performed for acute cholangitis or obstructive jaundice in all patients. EUS-BD was performed following improvements in cholangitis. Sixteen patients underwent conversion of PTBD to EUS-BD. We evaluated technical success, procedure time, clinical success (defined as subsequent external catheter removal), adverse events (AEs), time to recurrent biliary obstruction (TRBO), and re-intervention rates. Results: Technical success was achieved in all patients (100%). The median procedure time was 45.0 minutes (interquartile range [IQR] 30.0-50.0 minutes). Clinical success was achieved in all patients (100%). There were mild early AEs in two patients (12.5%) (acute cholangitis: 1, bile peritonitis: 1), which improved with antibiotic administration alone. Recurrent biliary obstruction (RBO) occurred in six patients (37.5%). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a 50% TRBO of 95 days (IQR 41-246 days). Endoscopic treatment was possible in all RBO cases, and repeat PTBD was not required. Conclusions: Conversion of PTBD to EUS-BD for the management of MBO is both feasible and safe. This approach is expected to be widely practiced at centers with little experience in EUS-BD.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization Using Microspheres for Palliating Pain from Bone Metastasis in a Patient with Cholangiocellular Carcinoma.

A 72-year-old man with intractable left shoulder pain due to bone metastasis from cholangiocellular carcinoma was admitted to our hospital. Computed tomography showed an osteoblastic metastatic lesion of the left scapula. Since the pain persisted even after the administration of opioids and external irradiation, microspheres were injected through a catheter; the catheter tip was placed at the arteries feeding the metastatic lesion. After the intervention, the shoulder pain was alleviated without any procedure-related complications, leading to a reduction in the opioid dose. This case suggests the efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization using microspheres for palliating pain from bone metastasis.

Stent Placement for Malignant Inferior Vena Cava Syndrome in a Patient with Recurrent Colon Cancer.

A 70-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with gait disturbance due to marked edema of the lower limbs for more than 6 months. He had been receiving systemic chemotherapy over two years for multiple recurrence after sigmoid colon cancer resection. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated severe inferior vena cava (IVC) stenosis due to compression by lymph node metastases, i.e. IVC syndrome. As increased doses of diuretic agents failed to improve the edema, IVC stent placement was performed. This led to significant improvement of the edema and complete gait normalization. This case demonstrates the efficacy of IVC stent placement for IVC syndrome.

Synchronous Double Bile Duct Cancers with Distinct Genetic Features.

A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of appetite loss. Imaging showed a nodular tumor in the perihilar bile duct and a second flat lesion in the distal bile duct. Right hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy was performed, and the histopathological findings demonstrated that the perihilar and distal lesions were moderately and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, respectively, and anatomically separated. Furthermore, the resected specimens showed no pancreaticobiliary maljunction. Histological and TP53 gene analyses in a rare case of synchronous double bile duct cancers suggest that there are various genetic pathways through which bile duct cancer develops, highlighting the complexity of its pathogenesis.

Non-insulin-dependent Diabetes Mellitus Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in an Insulinoma-associated Antigen-2 Autoantibody-positive Patient with Advanced Gastric Cancer.

A 70-year-old man with insulinoma-associated antigen-2 autoantibodies developed diabetes mellitus (DM) without ketoacidosis after starting nivolumab to treat advanced gastric cancer. He subsequently exhibited preserved insulin-secretion capacity for over one year. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) infrequently cause type 1 DM associated with the rapid loss of insulin secretion and ketoacidosis as an immune-related adverse event. ICIs may also cause non-insulin-dependent DM by inducing insulin resistance if there is islet autoantibody-related latent beta-cell dysfunction. The present case highlights the importance of testing blood glucose levels regularly to diagnose DM in patients treated with ICIs, even if they do not have diabetic ketoacidosis.

Methotrexate-related lymphoproliferative disorders in the liver: Case presentation and mini-review.

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppression is effective in treating a number of diseases, but adverse effects such as bone marrow suppression, infection, and oncogenesis are of concern. Methotrexate is a key immunosuppressant used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Although it is effective for many patients, various side effects have been reported, one of the most serious being methotrexate-related lymphoproliferative disorder. While this may occur in various organs, liver involvement is rare. Information on these liver lesions, including clinical characteristics, course, and imaging studies, has not been summarized to date. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case of 70-year-old woman presented with a 2-wk history of fever and abdominal pain. She had had rheumatoid arthritis for 5 years and was being treated with medication including methotrexate. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed multiple low density tumors in the liver and the histological analyses showed significant proliferation of lymphocytes in masses that were positive on immunohistochemical staining for CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD79a but negative for CD20 and CD56. Staining for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA was negative. And based on these findings, the liver tumors were diagnosed as Methotrexate-related lymphoproliferative disorders. A time-dependent disappearance of the liver tumors after stopping methotrexate supported the diagnoses. CONCLUSION: The information obtained from our case and a review of 9 additional cases reported thus far assist physicians who may face the challenge of diagnosing and managing this disorder.

Rational arrangement of measuring shear wave speed in the liver.

BACKGROUND: Shear wave speed has been widely applied to quantify a degree of liver fibrosis. However, there is no standardized procedure, which makes it difficult to utilize the speed universally. AIM: To provide procedural standardization of shear wave speed measurement. METHODS: Point shear wave elastography (pSWE) was measured in 781 patients, and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2dSWE) was measured on the same day in 18 cases. Regions-of-interest were placed at 12 sites, and the median and robust coefficient-of-variation (CVR) were calculated. A residual sum-of-square (Σdi 2) was computed for bootstrap values of 1000 iterations in 18 cases with each assumption of 1 to 12 measurements. The proportion of the Σdi 2 (%Σdi 2) was calculated as the ratio of Σdi 2 to pSWE after converting it based on the correlation between pSWE and 2dSWE. RESULTS: The CVR showed a significantly broader distribution in the left lobe (P < 0.0001), and the smallest CVR in the right anterior segment that covered 95% cases was 40.4%. pSWE was significantly higher in the left lobe than in the right lobe (1.63 ± 0.78 m/s vs 1.61 ± 0.78 m/s, P = 0.0004), and the difference between the lobes became further discrete when the subjects were limited to the cases with a CVR less than 40.4% in any segment (1.76 ± 0.80 m/s vs 1.70 ± 0.82 m/s, P < 0.0001). The highest values of the CVR in every 0.1 m/s interval were plotted in convex upward along pSWE and peaked at 1.93 m/s. pSWE and 2dSWE were significantly correlated (P < 0.0001, r = 0.95). In 216000 resamples from 18 cases, the %Σdi 2 of 12 sites was 8.0% and gradually increased as the acquisition sites decreased to reach a significant difference with a %Σdi 2 of 7 sites (P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that shear wave speed should be measured at 8 or more sites of spreading in both lobes.

A cut-off value of shear wave speed to distinguish nonalcoholic steatohepatitis candidates.

To distinguish and characterize nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) candidates from among medical checkup visitor diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (mcNAFLDs).A cut-off value has not been established to differentiate NASH at the earliest stage in NAFLD.Shear wave speed (SWS) was measured in the livers of 480 mcNAFLDs. NASH candidates were screened out by adopting a statistically defined cut-off value of SWS and were characterized in terms of food preference.SWS ranged between 1.11 and 2.18 m/s and fit a Gaussian distribution (r = 0.98) with an average and SD of 1.324 and 0.0847 m/s, respectively, in 320/160 males/females 64.4 (interquartile range 57.3-69.4) years old. The average plus SD (1.41 m/s) screened out 82 (17.1%) NASH candidates, who were significantly older (66.8 vs. 64.1 years old, P = 0.001) and had higher fibrosis 4 index values (1.58 vs. 1.33, P < 0.0001) than the remaining mcNAFLDs. The number of patients with a BMI greater than 25 kg/m was 118 (29.6%) mcNAFLDs and 34 (41.5%) NASH candidates, with a significantly higher frequency in NASH candidates (P = 0.05). Obese patients preferentially ate fatty acids in general, while NASH candidates preferred to consume several long-chain unsaturated fatty acids irrespective of their BMI.These results suggest that NASH candidates who have a longer disease duration and pathological progression can be distinguished from mcNAFLDs by a statistically defined cut-off value of SWS. The defined value indicates that there are different food habitats associated with obesity and NAFLD progression.

The Value of 18F-FDG PET in the Diagnosis of Intertrabecular Vertebral Metastasis in a Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient with a High Serum CEA Level.

We encountered a small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patient with intertrabecular vertebral metastasis (IVM). A 59-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with weight loss. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET)-CT demonstrated the uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose in the hilum of the left lung and whole-body bones. Despite intensive support, the patient died within a month. Subsequent autopsy revealed a small lesion consisting of small round cells in the left lung. The cancer cells were found to have spread through the replacement of the bone marrow cells while sparing the trabecular bone. This case demonstrated the potential of 18F-FDG PET for detecting IVM in SCLC patients.

A Case of Successful Treatment of Ruptured Pancreaticoduodenal Artery Aneurysm Caused by Celiac Artery Dissection.

A 52-year-old man was admitted due to severe epigastric lesion pain. Esophagus gastroduodenal endoscopy showed impaired duodenal dilatation, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) aneurysm 13 mm in diameter below the head of the pancreas, retroperitoneal hematoma, idiopathic celiac artery (CA) dissection, and common hepatic artery disruption. Angiographic embolization with a mixture of N-butyl-1,2-cyanoacrylate and lipiodol was performed, and follow-up study showed improvement of the dilatation of the duodenum and disappearance of the aneurysm. Here we report a quite rare case of PDA aneurysm by idiopathic dissection of CA treated successfully with angiographic embolization.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided transmural drainage for subphrenic abscess: report of two cases and a literature review.

BACKGROUND: An intra-abdominal abscess can sometimes become serious and difficult to treat. The current standard treatment strategy for intra-abdominal abscess is percutaneous imaging-guided drainage. However, in cases of subphrenic abscess, it is important to avoid passing the drainage route through the thoracic cavity, as this can lead to respiratory complications. The spread of intervention techniques involving endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has made it possible to perform drainage via the transmural route. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe two cases of subphrenic abscess that occurred after intra-abdominal surgery. Both were treated successfully by EUS-guided transmural drainage (EUS-TD) without severe complications. Our experience of these cases and a review of the literature suggest that the drainage catheters should be placed both internally and externally together into the abscess cavity. In previous cases there were no adverse events except for one case of mediastinitis and pneumothorax resulting from transesophageal drainage. Therefore, we consider that the transesophageal route should be avoided if possible. CONCLUSIONS: Although further studies are necessary, our present two cases and a literature review suggest that EUS-TD is feasible and effective for subphrenic abscess, and not inferior to other treatments. We anticipate that this report will be of help to physicians when considering the drainage procedure for this condition. As there have been no comparative studies to date, a prospective study involving a large number of patients will be necessary to determine the therapeutic options for such cases.

Magnifying image-enhanced endoscopy for collagenous colitis.

Background and study aims We report a case series of 5 patients with collagenous colitis (CC) presenting with chronic watery diarrhea, who were subjected to magnifying, chromoendoscopy and narrow band imaging (NBI). Magnifying chromoendoscopy revealed whitish-clouded, honeycomb-like appearance at orifices of the crypts. NBI with high magnification revealed irregular caliber variation of the subepithelial capillary network. Presence of these features corresponded with histological characteristics of CC indicated by thickening of the subepithelial collagen layer. We concluded that magnifying image-enhanced endoscopy is a reliable tool to diagnose CC.

Storage of washed platelets in BRS-A platelet additive solutions based on two types of clinically available bicarbonated Ringer's solutions with different electrolyte concentrations.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, no platelet (PLT) additive solutions (PASs) are officially approved for clinical use although blood centers often receive requests for washed PLTs to reduce adverse reactions. Recently, we developed a novel PAS called BRS-A based on clinically available bicarbonated Ringer's solution (BRS), Bicanate and acid-citrate-dextrose formula A (ACD-A), which has been shown to maintain the in vitro properties of PLTs in the condition of <5% residual plasma during 7-day storage. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether another clinically available BRS, Bicarbon with different electrolyte concentrations can be used as a PAS. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Two types of BRS-As were prepared by adding 25 mL of ACD-A to 500 mL of Bicanate or Bicarbon BRSs. Bicanate-based BRS-A and Bicarbon-based BRS-A contain 0.9 or 0.5 mmol/L of magnesium chloride, 95.2 or 100.1 mmol/L of sodium chloride, 4.2 or 5.1 mmol/L of trisodium citrate, and 26.6 or 23.8 mmol/L of sodium bicarbonate, respectively; the other components were identical. Apheresis PLTs stored in these solutions with less than 5% plasma for 7-day storage were compared with regard to their in vitro properties. RESULTS: The pH levels of all units were above 7 throughout storage. The mean PLT volume, hypotonic shock response, glucose consumption, lactate production, swirling, and CD62P and CD42b expression were similar during 7-day storage. The bicarbonate levels in Bicarbon-based BRS-A were lower than those in Bicanate-based BRS-A. CONCLUSION: Differences in concentrations of electrolytes such as magnesium, sodium, citrate, and bicarbonate salts in BRS-A do not affect the in vitro properties of PLTs during 7-day storage. These results indicate that the use of another type of BRS-A based on Bicarbon as a PAS is feasible. Thus, BRS-A can be used in hospitals that do not stock Bicanate but have Bicarbon.