Total Thyroidectomy while on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Thyroid Storm.

Thyroid storm is an acute life-threatening condition of hyperthyroidism that can present with cardiac failure, requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). We present the first case reported of total thyroidectomy successfully performed while on ECMO for thyroid storm in a 32-year-old male. This case highlights the challenges of managing refractory thyroid storm with multi-organ failure. We demonstrate that total thyroidectomy may still be safely performed while on ECMO for thyroid storm, if steps are taken to optimise the patient perioperatively, with careful surgical and anaesthesia planning. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-04430-9.

Intrapancreatic accessory spleen with an epidermoid cyst: a malignant mimicry.

With the liberal use of CT scan for clinical diagnosis, clinicians are faced with an increasing number of pancreatic incidentalomas. Compared with other incidentalomas, pancreatic incidentalomas have higher chances of future malignant transformation. There are many differential diagnoses, and epidermoid cyst in an intrapancreatic accessory spleen (ECIPAS) is extremely rare, with only a handful of reports. Preoperative diagnosis is often complicated, and the final diagnosis is usually only made after surgical resection.We report a 34-year-old man who had an incidentally noted 2.8 cm pancreatic tail cystic lesion on a CT scan done for urinary symptoms. The lesion had a solid nodular component that was worrisome for malignancy, and the patient underwent further evaluation with an MRI scan and endoscopic ultrasound of the pancreas. The differential diagnoses of cystic degeneration of neuroendocrine tumour, branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with worrisome features or ectopic intrapancreatic spleen were made. A multidisciplinary tumour board recommended surgical resection given risk features of malignancy. The patient subsequently underwent a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy, and histology confirmed the diagnosis of ECIPAS.Imaging characteristics of ECIPAS are non-specific, and most patients have a diagnosis made only after surgery. Therefore, more evidence is warranted for accurate preoperative imaging diagnosis to avoid unnecessary pancreatic surgery, which is not without its risks.

Outcomes of surgical resection of super-giant (≥15 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma: Volume does matter, if not the size.

Background and Aim: Resection for giant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (≥10 cm) is deemed safe and feasible. However, a super-giant HCC (≥15 cm) poses unique technical complexity for hepatectomy with limited data suggesting feasibility and oncologic efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes of hepatectomy in patients with super-giant HCC. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients with super-giant HCC who underwent hepatectomy from 2011 to 2021. We report perioperative and oncologic outcomes such as length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, 90-day mortality, and cumulative survival rate. Results: Of the 18 patients, the median tumor diameter was 172.5 mm (range 150-250). The most common risk factor was chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (n=7, 38.9%). Most of the patients were Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage B (n=14, 77.8%) and Hong Kong Liver Cancer (HKLC) Stage IIb (n=15, 83.3%). Extended right hepatectomy was the most common procedure. The median LOS was 11 days (range 3-90). The most common post-operative complication was pneumonia (n=4, 22.2%). Fourteen patients were discharged well without any need for invasive therapy (n=7, 38.9% no complications, n=1, 5.6% Clavien Grade I, n=6, 33.3% Clavien Grade II). Thirty-day readmission rate was 5.6% (n=1) and 90-day mortality rate was 5.6% (n=1). There were 12 patients (66.7%) with microvascular invasion and three patients (16.7%) with macrovascular invasion. Most patients had Grade III (poorly differentiated) HCC (n=9, 50%). At a median follow-up of 11 months (range 2-95), 12 (66.7%) patients had local recurrence, and 9 (50%) developed distant metastasis. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year cumulative disease-free survival (DFS) was 36%, 18%, and 18%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year cumulative overall survival was 49% and 39%, and 29%, respectively. Conclusion: Primary hepatic resection is safe in patients with super-giant HCC. However, long-term outcomes are poor, and high tumor volume may be associated with inferior oncological outcomes in HCC. Relevance for Patients: The presentation of super-giant HCCs may be asymptomatic and some patients are diagnosed late with limited treatment options. In some centers, this group of patients are denied surgical resection and recommended for only locoregional therapies like TACE. This paper demonstrates that hepatic resection is safe and may be an option in patients who present at an advanced stage with a high tumor burden.