Bowel obstruction by sigmoid strangulation as complication after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) has been widely performed in the past, however, given its limited weight loss compared to some other procedures, this technique is less often used. Furthermore, a number of complications leading to band removal have been reported in the past few years. METHODS: We present a late acute bowel obstruction by sigmoid strangulation in a female patient with the LAGB performed 15 years ago. RESULTS: The laparoscopic exploration displayed a post-LAGB intestinal strangulation of the sigmoid loop which was caused by the connecting tube. Since the bowel was still viable, the tube was cut and the obstruction has been successfully resolved. The patient was discharged three days after the surgery. CONCLUSION: Although less often performed, knowledge of LAGB complications can be of importance. We believe that, the present strangulation of the sigmoid by the LAGB tubing is the world's first ever case reported. Nevertheless, when it is still proposed to selected patients, an adequate length of the intra-abdominal tubing could reduce the risk of loop formation and prevent this kind of obstruction by internal hernia.

Retrospective analysis of the immunogenic effects of intra-arterial locoregional therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma: a rationale for combining selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) and immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Immunotherapy represents a promising option for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients but its efficacy is currently inconsistent and unpredictable. Locoregional therapies inducing immunogenic cell death, such as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), have the potential to act synergistically with immunotherapy. For the development of new approaches combining locoregional treatments with immunotherapy, a better understanding of the respective effects of TACE and SIRT on recruitment and activation of immune cells in HCC is needed. To address this question, we compared intra-tumor immune infiltrates in resected HCC after preoperative treatment with TACE or SIRT. METHODS: Data fromr patients undergoing partial hepatectomy for HCC, without preoperative treatment (SURG, n = 32), after preoperative TACE (TACE, n = 16), or preoperative SIRT (n = 12) were analyzed. Clinicopathological factors, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and granzyme B (GZB) expression in resected HCC, and postoperative overall and progression-free survival were compared between the three groups. RESULTS: Clinicopathological and surgical characteristics were similar in the three groups. A significant increase in TILs, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and GZB expression was observed in resected HCC in SIRT as compared to TACE and SURG groups. No difference in immune infiltrates was observed between TACE and SURG patients. Within the SIRT group, the dose of irradiation affected the type of immune infiltrate. A significantly higher ratio of CD3+ cells was observed in the peri-tumoral area in patients receiving < 100 Gy, whereas a higher ratio of intra-tumoral CD4+ cells was observed in patients receiving > 100 Gy. Postoperative outcomes were similar in all groups. Irrespective of the preoperative treatment, the type and extent of immune infiltrates did not influence postoperative survival. CONCLUSIONS: SIRT significantly promotes recruitment/activation of intra-tumor effector-type immune cells compared to TACE or no preoperative treatment. These results suggest that SIRT is a better candidate than TACE to be combined with immunotherapy for treatment of HCC. Evaluation of the optimal doses for SIRT for producing an immunogenic effect and the type of immunotherapy to be used require further evaluation in prospective studies.

Anterograde jejunojejunal intussusception through the distal anastomosis as complication after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Introduction: Small bowel intussusception is a rare complication after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) whose incidence tends to increase. This rising could be explained by an increasing bariatric surgery over the last two decades and by a better recognition of this potential complication. Patient and methods: We report a case of jejunojejunal intussusception in 33-year-old woman 2 years following a laparoscopic RYGB. She was taken to the operating room for exploratory laparotomy. Results: Its diagnosis is based on a combination of physical, radiological, and operative findings. The surgical exploration confirmed an anterograde jejunojejunal intussusception through the Roux-en-Y anastomosis. A lead point was not identified. We performed the resection of the blind extremity of the biliopancreatic limb to prevent recurrence. Conclusions: Small bowel intussusception is a rare long-term complication after RYGB. The underlying causative mechanism remains unclear. This rare condition may cause obstruction and lead to bowel necrosis if not recognized and treated promptly.

Airway calibre variation is a major determinant of exhaled nitric oxide's ability to capture asthma control.

Changes in airway calibre have the potential to modify exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FENO) values and could hamper how FENO captures changes in asthma control. Here, our objective was to assess whether forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) variations alter the ability of FENO to reflect asthma control.FENO, asthma control (Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ)) and FEV1 were measured at least two times in 527 patients during 1819 pairs of visits. Determinants of FENO-ACQ discordance probability were evaluated through a logistic regression analysis. The effectiveness of FENO at capturing either asthma control worsening or improvement between two visits was then assessed by undertaking a stratified receiver operating characteristic curves analysis.When FEV1 and FENO change in the same direction, the odds of FENO-ACQ being discordant are multiplied by 3 (p<0.001). The area under the curve values were 0.765 (95% CI 0.713-0.805) (improvement; p<0.001) and 0.769 (95% 0.706-0.810) (worsening; p<0.001) or 0.590 (95% 0.531-0.653) (improvement; p=0.001) and 0.498 (95% 0.416-0.567) (worsening; p=0.482) when FEV1 and FENO changed in the opposite or same direction, respectively.The manner in which FENO and FEV1 vary concomitantly when asthma control changes determines the ability of FENO to capture this change: parallel or opposite changes in FEV1 and FENO either decrease or increase this ability to capture asthma control changes.

Different patterns of exhaled nitric oxide response to ß2-agonists in asthmatic patients according to the site of bronchodilation.

BACKGROUND: In asthmatic patients undergoing airway challenge, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) levels decrease after bronchoconstriction. In contrast, model simulations have predicted both decreased and increased FENO levels after bronchodilation, depending on the site of airway obstruction relief. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate whether ß2-agonists might induce divergent effects on FENO values in asthmatic patients as a result of airway obstruction relief occurring at different lung depths. METHODS: FENO, FEV1, and the slope of phase III of the single-breath washout test (S) of He (S(He)) and sulfur hexafluoride (S(SF6)) were measured in 68 asthmatic patients before and after salbutamol inhalation. S(He) and S(SF6) decreases reflected preacinar and intra-acinar obstruction relief, respectively. Changes (Δ) were expressed as a percentage from the baseline. RESULTS: No FENO change (|ΔFENO| ≤ 10%) was found in 16 patients (mean [SD]: 2.5% [5.2%]; ie, FENO= group); a ΔFENO value of greater than 10% was found in 23 patients (31.7% [20.3%]; ie, the FENO+ group); and a ΔFENO value of less than -10% was found in 29 patients (-31.5% [17.3%]; ie, the FENO- group). All groups had similar ΔFEV1 values. In the FENO= group neither S(He) nor S(SF6) changed, in the FENO+ group only S(He) decreased significantly (-21.8% [SD 28.5%], P = .03), and in the FENO- group both S(He) (-29.8% [24.0%], P < .001) and S(SF6) (-27.2% [23.3%], P < .001) decreased. DISCUSSION: Three FENO behaviors were observed in response to ß2-agonists: a decrease likely caused by relief of an intra-acinar airway obstruction that we propose reflects amplification of nitric oxide back-diffusion, an increase likely associated with a predominant dilation up to the preacinar airways, and FENO stability when obstruction relief involved predominantly the central airways. In combination, these results suggest a new role for FENO in identifying the site of airway obstruction in asthmatic patients.

Exhaled nitric oxide: a biomarker integrating both lung function and airway inflammation changes.

BACKGROUND: The increased fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (Feno) values observed in asthmatic patients are thought to reflect increased airway inflammation. However, Feno values can be affected by airway caliber reduction, representing a bias when using Feno values to assess asthma control. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the effect of changes in both airway caliber and inflammation on Feno values using the allergen challenge model. METHODS: FEV1 and Feno values were measured during early airway responses (EARs) and late airway responses after challenge with house dust mite allergens in 15 patients with mild allergic asthma. Helium and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) phase III expired concentration slopes (SHe and SSF6, respectively) from single-breath washout tests were measured to identify sites of airway constriction. RESULTS: In EARs, FEV1 and Feno value decreases reached 36.8% and 22%, respectively (P < .001). ΔSHe was greater than ΔSSF6 (+189.4% vs +82.2%, P = .001). In late airway responses FEV1 and Feno value decreases reached 31.7% and 28.7%, respectively (P < .001), with the same ΔSHe and ΔSSF6 pattern (+155.8% vs +76%, P = .001). Eight hours after the EAR, FEV1 was still decreased (P < .001), whereas Feno values had returned to baseline. At 24 hours, FEV1 had returned to baseline, with Feno values increased by 38.7% (P = .04). CONCLUSION: In patients with mild allergic asthma, airway caliber changes modulate changes in Feno values resulting from airway inflammation. Therefore Feno should no longer be considered solely an inflammation biomarker but rather a biomarker that integrates both airway inflammation and lung function changes. Furthermore, early and late phases resulting from allergen exposure were shown to involve similar lung regions.

FeNO as a predictor of asthma control improvement after starting inhaled steroid treatment.

INTRODUCTION: The fraction of NO in exhaled air (FeNO) is a marker of inflammation in asthma. The aim of the present study was to assess, in a real-world setting, whether only high (⩾50 ppb) FeNO levels predict improvement in asthma control when being treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), as suggested by current guidelines on the clinical use of FeNO. METHODS: FeNO and asthma control were assessed in a retrospective observational study in 153 non-smoking, steroid-naïve, adult subjects with asthma with a mean age of 40 years both before and after 6 weeks (median follow-up time) of treatment with 500 µg beclomethasone (median). RESULTS: Having at the initial visit intermediate FeNO (⩾25 and <50 ppb) and high FeNO (⩾50 ppb), compared to normal FeNO (<25 ppb), were associated with a larger proportion of subjects achieving an improvement of Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) score with ⩾1 (78% and 67% vs 43%, p<0.05) or both ⩾1 improvement and asthma control at follow-up (31% and 37% vs 4%, p<0.05). These associations were consistent in multiple logistic regression models after adjustments for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: It is not only high but also intermediate FeNO levels that are associated with a significant improvement in asthma control after starting ICS treatment. This challenges current clinical guidelines stating that only high FeNO levels predict response to ICS treatment.

Acute Appendicitis as a First Presentation of Unimetastatic Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of abdominal surgery emergencies worldwide. Here, we report a case of acute appendicitis as a primary presentation of gastric adenocarcinoma with appendiceal metastasis and no evidence of other lesions. This case can be added to only a few other reported cases, showing a similar situation that can help clarify the spread of gastric adenocarcinoma.