Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for a Patient with Left-sided Gallbladder.

A 47-year-old man who presented with epigastric pain after a meal was diagnosed with biliary sludge present in the gallbladder. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed normal anatomy of the biliary tree. During the exploratory phase of a laparoscopic cholecystectomy using four ports positioned as usual, surgeons observed a left-sided gallbladder. A review of the preoperative imaging by computed tomography confirmed a round ligament connected to the right portal umbilical portion. It also established that the gallbladder was located to the left of the round ligament, and attached to the left lateral segment of the liver. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed successfully in this patient with the usual port site and careful dissection with a normograde approach. The patient was discharged on the second postoperative day with an uneventful course. Prior identification of a left-sided gallbladder is possible with cautious attention. In particular, it is important for the surgeon to be aware of unusual alterations in the portal and biliary anatomy associated with this anomaly to safely complete a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

[A case of recurrent gastric cancer successfully treated with S-1 oral administration].

This report describes a case of recurrent gastric cancer successfully treated with S-1 oral administration. A 77-year old female patient underwent distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with tegafur-uracil (UFT). However, 1 year after surgical resection, recurrence in the lymph node of the hepatic hilum was diagnosed by abdominal computed tomography. The patient was treated with S-1 alone after refusing in travenous infusion chemotherapy. Three months after treatment, the size of the target lesion decreased significantly, and a complete response was seen on imaging examination during the 2 years of chemotherapy treatment. One year and 5 months after the discontinuation of chemotherapy, recurrence was noted again. Although supportive care was eventually provided to the patient, S-1 oral administration was resumed that resulted in tumor growth control for>6 months. In this patient, S-1 treatment was effective in tumor growth suppression without deteriorating the patient's quality of life (QOL). Further studies are needed to identify patients for whom S-1 therapy is optimal treatment.