[Effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma].

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgical treatment for pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC). Methods: Six patients with PACC diagnosed in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2010 to September 2022 were retrospectively selected. Preoperative evaluation was performed on whether the lesions were eligible for surgery, including whether radical resection of liver metastases could be performed. Laparoscopic or Da Vinci robot-assisted resection was performed on six patients, and spleen retention was determined according to the original lesions and the relationship with peripheral blood vessels and tissues, while simultaneous resection was performed on cases of peripheral organ tissue invasion. The patients' basic information, preoperative general conditions, preoperative diagnosis and tumor stage, minimally invasive surgery methods, postoperative complications, pathological results, tumor stage and follow-up data were collected and analyzed to explore the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery. Results: Among the six patients, four were males and two were females, with the age of 25-69 years. Five patients had abdominal pain and distension before surgery, five patients had tumors located at the tail of the pancreatic body, and one patient had tumors located at the head of the pancreas. Preoperative imaging (enhanced CT and MRI) was performed to measure the tumor diameter (2.8-10.0 cm). Tumor markers were elevated in two patients before surgery, and six patients underwent surgery through laparoscopy or robotic platform. No complications such as postoperative pancreatic fistula and bleeding were clinically relevant during and after surgery. There were two cases with concurrent or heterochronous liver metastasis, two cases with lymph node metastasis and nodular metastasis, four cases with tumor invasion of surrounding organs (stomach, spleen or duodenum), and three cases with vascular cancer thrombi. The follow-up time of the six patients was 12 to 165 months, and one patient underwent three operations due to postoperative liver metastasis and residual pancreatic recurrence, and the results were satisfactory. All the six patients survived at the last follow-up. Conclusions: PACC is prone to invade the surrounding organs, and has a large tumor diameter. Radical surgery for PACC can be completed through minimally invasive surgery, and satisfactory oncology prognosis can be obtained. In addition, some PACC patients with recurrence and metastasis can still be treated by surgery.

[The association between overweight/obesity and the risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid].

Objective: To explore the association between obesity/overweight and the risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid. Methods: The data of patients with complete data who were diagnosed with Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid at the Third Hospital of Peking University from September 2016 to September 2023 were retrospectively collected. Based on postoperative pathological diagnosis, tumors were classified into thyroid Hürthle cell adenoma group and Hürthle cell carcinoma group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to explore the association between overweight/obesity and the risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid. Results: A total of 102 patients (13 males and 89 females) were included, aged (48.7±13.1) years. There were 22 cases of thyroid Hürthle cell carcinoma and 80 cases of thyroid Hürthle cell adenoma. Univariate analysis showed that the rate of overweight/obesity in the Hürthle cell carcinoma group was higher than that in the adenoma group [73% (16/22) vs 46% (37/80), P=0.050]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the overweight/obese patients had a higher risk of malignancy in Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid compared with the non-overweight/obese patients (OR=3.170, 95%CI: 1.126-9.955, P=0.035). Sensitivity analysis excluding individuals with multiple tumors was consistent with the main study results (OR=2.878, 95%CI: 0.922-10.228, P=0.080). Conclusion: Overweight/obesity may be associated with a higher risk of malignancy in patients with Hürthle cell neoplasms of the thyroid.

[Controversies and prospects for surgical treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with liver metastases].

The incidence of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm(pNEN) increased over the past two decades. Liver metastasis, the most common type of distal metastasis, is also one of the most important prognostic factors. Although several medical treatments, including biotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and locoregional therapy, are available for pNEN with liver metastases, surgery is still the only possible treatment for cure. Currently, there are several controversies as regards surgical treatment for pNEN with liver metastases. These controversies include, but are not limited to, whether surgical resection is appropriate for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor G3 with liver metastases, how to classify primary lesion and hepatic metastases comprehensively and accurately, what is the optimal surgical strategy for type Ⅱ liver metastases, who can benefit greatly from cytoreduction, and how to refine the Milan criteria for liver transplantation. This article aims to discuss those main controversies and provide prospects for future clinical trials.

[Characteristics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma immune microenvironment and related immunotherapy strategies].

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the common malignant tumors of the digestive tract. It has the characteristics of strong occlusion, aggressiveness, easy metastasis, and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, its five-year survival rate is extremely low, with a rate of less than 8%. Looking for a new treatment is an urgent need to improve the prognosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In recent years, a large number of clinical trials have been carried out, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies to important antigens, and immune cell therapy. However, it is disappointing that no satisfactory clinical benefits have been achieved. The special microenvironment of pancreatic cancer nests makes immunotherapy not as effective as other malignant tumors. This article introduces the characteristics of the suppressive immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer and the latest clinical studies of different types of immunotherapy at home and abroad, and analyzes the mechanisms and potentials of combined treatment based on the characteristics of the immune microenvironment.

[Molecular targeted therapy strategy and clinical research progress in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma].

The incidence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) is increasing year by year among digestive system tumors.It has a high degree of malignancy and a poor prognosis.Its five-year survival rate is less than 8%.Traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy are not sensitive to pancreatic cancer,so finding a new drug is the future hope for pancreatic cancer.In recent years,molecular targeted therapy has made obvious progress in diseases such as hematological malignancies,non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma,and a large number of targets have been tried in pancreatic cancer, for example, gene mutation targets, important signaling pathway targets, receptor targets, etc. The use of these targeted drugs alone or in combination has shown good results in preclinical models and some clinical trials, and some treatment have been standardized for patients with pancreatic cancer, while other options that have not yet been tested in large-scale clinical trials also offer a variety of potential possibilities for future targeted treatments for pancreatic cancer.

[Advances in indocyanine green fluorescence imaging during hepatectomy].

While surgical operation is the preferred treatment for liver malignancies,the postoperative recurrence rate remains high. In the early 21st century,Japanese scientists first reported the use of indocyanine green(ICG) in liver resection. Follow-up studies also found its potential applications such as identifying tumors,determining surgical margins,delineating segmental boundaries,and preventing bile leakage. At present,ICG fluorescence imaging is applied to some types of hepatectomy with excellent effect and is expected to assist in generating surgical strategies for liver malignancies. However,its safety and efficacy still need further studies to evaluate.

[The Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (2020)].

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (pNENs) are highly heterogeneous, and the management of pNENs patients can be intractable. To address this challenge, an expert committee was established on behalf of the Group of Pancreatic Surgery, Chinese Society of Surgery, Chinese Medical Association, which consisted of surgical oncologists, gastroenterologists, medical oncologists, endocrinologists, radiologists, pathologists, and nuclear medicine specialists. By reviewing the important issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of pNENs, the committee concluded evidence-based statements and recommendations in this article, in order to further improve the management of pNENs patients in China.

[Problems and strategies in clinical application of associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy].

Associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) can speed up the regeneration of future liver remnant (FLR) in short period of time, and offer a chance for surgical resection for patients without sufficient FLR. However, ALPPS still remains controversy due to its high perioperative morbidity and mortality, as well as the uncertain long-term oncological benefits. How to solve these problems is the key to ensure the safety of surgery.This article focus on the indication selection, liver function reserve evaluation and timing to perform the second stage surgery, surgical mode evolution and comparison with portal venous embolization/portal venous ligation+two-stage hepatectomy.

[Treatment strategies of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms with liver metastases].

Liver metastases is the most common distant metastases of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, and it is also one of the main factors affecting the prognosis of patients. With the development of treatment technology and the rise of a multidisciplinary treatment model, the treatment plan for patients with liver metastases has gradually evolved into a comprehensive treatment plan including surgery, intervention, medicine, and radiation therapy. Radical surgery is still the only treatment currently available to cure patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and liver metastases. Very few selected patients can also benefit from liver transplantation. For most patients who are unable to undergo surgery can choose intervention, medicine and radiation therapy which can improve the patient's prognosis to a certain extent. Targeted therapy and immunotherapy have good development prospects, and further research is still needed. With multidisciplinary treatment, individualized treatment can help patients obtain the best treatment results.

[The value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI in patients with major resection of liver cancer].

Objective: To investigate the value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI in evaluating liver function and predicting the risk of post-hepatoectomy liver failure in patients with major resection of liver cancer. Methods: A total number of 212 patients were included from June 2016 to June 2019 at Department of General Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital with a retrospectively collected data.All patients underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI for diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of liver function.There were 135 males and 77 females, with age of (63.1±10.3) years old (range: 18 to 86 years old) . Relative enhancement ratio (RER) of the region of interest on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI was acquired by two independent researcher and then conducted the comparison of RER among the patients with or without post-hepatoectomy liver failure (PHLF) .Preoperative evaluation demonstrated that 141 cases infected by hepatitis virus, 128 cases with hepatitis B alone and 11 cases with hepatitis C alone, 2 cases had both of hepatitis B and C, and all patients were grade A judged by Child-Pugh score. The relationship between RER and PHLF was evaluated by Pearson correlation analysis and the diagnostic value of RER in predicting PHLF was test by receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: PHLF occurred in 42 patients according to ISGLS standard. Among them, 31 cases had level A liver failure, 9 cases had level B liver failure and 2 had level C failure. There was a significant correlation between RER and overall level of PHLF and RER was also significantly associated with severe B to C level of PHLF (P<0.05) .The further receiver operating characteristics curve analysis showed that the diagnostic accuracy of RER on overall PHLF was 0.818 (sensitivity 72.9%, specificity 83.3%, cut-off value 73.5%, 95%CI: 0.75 to 0.887) and on severe PHLF was 0.924 (sensitivity 97.0%, specificity 90.9%, cut-off value: 61.5%, 95%CI: 0.79 to 0.90) . Conclusion: For patients who planned to undergo major resection of liver cancer, preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI can help with the assessment of liver function and predicting the risk for post-hepatectomy liver failure.

[Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma immune microenvironment and immunotherapy prospects].

The tumor components of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are composed of immune microenvironment of extracellular matrix, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells together with a minority of malignant cells. The failure of the therapeutic measures, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, has been linked to the specific immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. By analyzing the components of immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, the mechanism of various components in pancreatic cancer such as highly immunosuppressive, hypoxic and connective tissue hyperplasia can be clarified. New efforts in single-cell profiling will enable a better understanding of the composition of the microenvironment in primary and metastatic PDAC, as well as an understanding of how the microenvironment may respond to novel therapeutic approaches.

[Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor microenvironment and related therapy].

Neuroendocrine tumor(NET) is a kind of highly heterogeneous and ubiquitous tumor, frequently localized in the gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. Surgery combined with regional ablation, endocrine therapy,chemotherapy and targeted therapy presents a favorable prognosis when treated with G1 or G2 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor(GEP-NET). However, there are only limited therapeutic strategies for metastatic unresectable tumors and poorly differentiated NEC,which are closely related to the special tumor microenvironment of neuroendocrine tumors.Targeting tumor microenvironment therapy is an important method in current systematic therapy, but till now the knowledge of neuroendocrine tumor microenvironment and its related treatment are limited. This article will specifically introduce the characteristics of tumor microenvironment in GEP-NET from the following aspects: the formation of enrichment vascular supply in TME,the role of tumor stroma,immune cells and cancer associacted fibroblast, and immune checkpoint and future trend of immunotherapy.

Does the addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to conventional treatment modalities influence the outcome of soldiers with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss?

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is defined as a 30-decibel (dB) loss in hearing over three contiguous frequencies within 3 days. The cause remains unknown, and there is currently no consensus in the literature as to how it is best treated. Conventional treatment in our unit comprises steroids, pentoxyphiline and dextran, with the potential addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). METHODS: A prospective randomised trial was performed on all soldiers diagnosed with ISSNHL in our institution from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2016. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups. Group A was treated with conventional treatment plus HBOT. Group B was treated with conventional treatment only. Data collection included age, gender, clinical symptoms, pure-tone audiometry results and treatment outcome. RESULTS: 60 participants were enrolled (53 male, 7 female) with ages ranging from 18 to 65 years (mean age of 30.3). No significant differences were observed in the baseline characteristics between the two groups, including gender, age, site, associated symptoms, duration of symptoms and severity of hearing loss. Hearing recovery using Siegel's criteria on days 8 and 13 showed no significant differences between treatment groups. However, the hearing recovery on day 180 was significantly better in those who received the conventional treatment plus HBOT (P<0.05). Additionally, no significant side effects were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: HBOT plus existing conventional treatment was associated with a better outcome than conventional treatment alone. We would recommend the addition of HBOT is recommended as a first-line treatment modality for all soldiers presenting with ISSNHL.

[Laparoscopic treatment for pancreatic pseudocysts].

Pancreatic pseudocyst is the most common pancreatic cystic disease in clinical practice.In the surgical treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts, most surgeons preferred laparoscopic surgery in recent years.The options and the timing of laparoscopic surgery for pancreatic pseudocysts in different situations are explored in the paper.Pancreatic pseudocysts during the observation period, the imaging examination to detect whether the cyst has disappeared or increased, such as cysts found to be enlarged or still can not dissipate after 6 months, the largest diameter greater than 6 cm, and clinical symptoms, surgical drainage should be considered treatment.Surgery based on the location of the cyst and surgical experience of surgical options.Pancreatic cyst often choose laparoscopic cyst-gastric anastomosis, far from the stomach cyst should choose laparoscopic cyst-jejunal anastomosis.Laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of pancreatic pseudocyst has a unique advantage, short operation time, less bleeding, less trauma, less postoperative complications, rapid recovery, is a safe and effective treatment options.

[The treatment options of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm with liver metastasis].

Liver metastasis is the one of the main prognostic factors of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (PNEN). With the development of multidisciplinary collaboration among surgical oncology, medical oncology, and intervention treatment, the treatment of PNEN with liver metastasis gradually tends to become diversification. Surgery is still the only way for curing the patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor with liver metastasis when the histological types are G1 and G2. Medical oncology and intervention treatment could be selected for those having PNEN with diffuse liver metastasis or those cannot tolerate surgery. Liver transplantation only suits for a small number of selected patients. The present article explored the relationship between histological classifications and the treatment options of PNEN with liver metastasis, and discussed the specific treatments from perspectives of surgical treatment, medical treatment and intervention treatment.

Spontaneous retropharyngeal emphysema: A case report.

Retropharyngeal emphysema is usually secondary to trauma, iatrogenic injury, and obstructive respiratory diseases. Without prompt and adequate treatment, severe complication such as airway compromise may occur. Spontaneous retropharyngeal emphysema, defined by the presence of free air in the retropharyngeal space without any precipitating cause, is a rare clinical condition in pediatric otolaryngology. The predominant symptoms are sore throat, odynophagia, dysphagia, and neck pain. Here, we report a case of spontaneous retropharyngeal emphysema.

Improved detection of deeply invasive candidiasis with DNA aptamers specific binding to (1→3)-ß-D-glucans from Candida albicans.

Deeply invasive or disseminated candidiasis is a serious and often fatal complication that can occur frequently in immuno-compromised individuals. However, conventional diagnostic methods of Candida albicans display low sensitivity and lack of specificity; the development of rapid and accurate detection methods remains a high priority. Aptamers are single-strand DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that specifically bind to target molecules with high affinity. In this study, we sought to screen high-affinity DNA aptamers that specifically bound to (1→3)-ß-D-glucans from cell wall of Candida albicans using a systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique, and further evaluate the diagnostic potential for invasive or disseminated candidiasis with selected aptamers. (1→3)-ß-D-glucans was purified from Candida albicans, and two single DNA aptamers (designated as AU1 and AD1) were selected. Analysis of dissociation constants and binding domains further revealed that these two selected single DNA aptamers (AU1 and AD1) showed high binding affinity (AD1: Kd = 79.76 nM, AD1: Kd = 103.7 nM) and did not bind to the same domain of (1→3)-ß-D-glucans. Next, we further detected (1→3)-ß-D-glucans in serum samples from different groups of patients with Candida albicans infection or simple bacterial infection by using a double-aptamer sandwich enzyme-linked oligonucleotide assay (ELONA). The results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of this aptamer-based sandwich ELONA were 92.31 % and 91.94 % respectively. Thus, our study suggests that AU1 and AD1 have potential application for the differentiate diagnosis of deeply invasive candidiasis and provide valuable clues for designing diagnostic agents for the identification of invasive fungal infection.

Parotid abscess: a retrospective study of 14 cases at a regional hospital in Taiwan.

PROBLEM/OBJECTIVE: Acute suppurative sialadenitis commonly affects the parotid gland. However, acute suppurative parotitis with abscess formation is less common and possibly complicated by deep neck space infection and sepsis. Our aim was to analyze the clinical features, radiological findings, treatment modalities, and microbiology of parotid abscesses treated at a regional hospital in Taiwan over a 15-year period. METHODS: Records from patients diagnosed with acute suppurative parotitis or parotid abscesses between January 1998 and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Parotid abscesses were confirmed by computed tomography (CT) examinations. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (9 males; mean age+standard deviation, 49.6 +/- 14.4 [range, 22-75] years) with parotid abscesses were included. Painful swelling at the angle of the jaw was the most common symptom. All patients sustained unilateral parotid abscesses, with left-sided lesions in 10 patients, and right-sided ones in 4 patients. Radiographically, 13 of 14 abscess lesions were located in the superficial lobe, and 1 was in the deep lobe of the parotid gland. Besides sufficient fluid hydration, maintenance of good oral hygiene, and administration of parenteral antibiotics, all patients were treated with surgical incision and drainage. Klebsiella pneumoniae was the organism most commonly isolated from abscess cultures. CONCLUSIONS: Parotid abscesses were found in about one fifth of patients with acute infectious parotid disease. Parenteral antibiotics plus surgical incision and drainage was the treatment of choice.