Left paraduodenal hernia incidentally diagnosed during operation for transverse colon cancer.

We report the case of a patient with paraduodenal hernia diagnosed incidentally during an operation for transverse colon cancer. The patient was a 77-year-old woman who complained of dizziness. Laboratory data revealed no abnormal findings except slight anemia. Barium enema and colonoscopic examination revealed an irregular surfaced mass, about 5.0 cm in size, located near the flexure of the spleen of the transverse colon. A biopsy of the mass was performed, and a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was diagnosed. In April 2009, following the diagnosis of transverse colon cancer, laparotomy was performed, which revealed that a few loops of the jejunum were herniated through the orifice into the space posterior to the transverse mesocolon. Moreover, the jejunal loops were located right between a shifted left branch of the middle colic artery and ascending left colic artery. There were no ischemic changes in the jejunum. These findings were consistent with a left paraduodenal hernia associated with transverse colon cancer. The scheduled left hemicolectomy was performed in addition to a radical operation of the left paraduodenal hernia. The abdominal computed tomography (CT) images were reviewed postoperatively. The scan projection radiogram obtained by CT revealed a packing of jejunal loops in the middle of the abdomen. Abdominal CT revealed ascending left colic artery at the left edge of a packing of jejunal loops. The patient was discharged from our hospital 14 days after the surgery without any complications. Left paraduodenal hernias are rare and constitute less than 0.4% of all intestinal obstructions. Retrospectively reviewed, the preoperative CT is suggestive. In addition to the packing of jejunal loops in the middle of the abdomen, ascending left colic artery was clearly observed at the left edge of the packing of jejunal loops, which indicates left paraduodenal hernia.

Life-threatening bleeding from gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach.

Here, we report on two patients with hemorrhagic shock due to hematemesis from a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of the stomach. Patient 1 was a 64-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital because of syncope due to hemorrhagic shock resulting from massive hematemesis. Emergent upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy revealed a 5-cm-diameter submucosal tumor on the lesser curvature of the lower gastric body. In addition to the central ulceration of the tumor, a Dieulafoy-like lesion was present. Neither lesions showed active bleeding at the time of observation. Because the patient collapsed twice with fluminant hematemesis after admission, she underwent distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction. Histological examination revealed a gastric GIST with no nodal metastasis and the mitotic count was less than 5 per 50 HPFs. Dilated vessels were prominent in the peritumoral submucosa, and a thrombus was seen in these vessels, which seemed to be a bleeding point. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and has been alive without recurrence for 5 and a half years. Patient 2 was a 60-year-old man who presented with syncope due to hemorrhagic shock resulting from massive hematemesis. Because the source of the bleeding was not elucidated with an initial upper GI endoscopy, he was treated for a gastric ulcer. One week after admission, he suffered from hemorrhagic shock again, and a submucosal tumor 6 cm in size was revealed on the greater curvature of the upper stomach with upper GI endoscopy. The patient subsequently underwent wedge resection of the tumor. Histopathological findings were consistent with a GIST and the mitotic count was less than 5 per 50 high-power fields. The tumor showed no necrosis or intratumoral hemorrhage. A peritumoral submucosal artery, which was responsible for the massive hematemesis, was located at some distance away from the central ulceration. Postoperative recovery was without complications. After 4 years, the patient remains healthy and disease-free. Although hematemesis associated with gastric GIST has been said to originated from the central ulceration of the GIST, life-threatening, massive hematemesis is rare. The exact bleeding points of the gastric GISTs in these cases were submucosal vessels adjacent to the GIST, not the central ulceration. There have been no reports of peritumoral, submucosal vessels causing massive hematemesis from gastric GISTs. Because the origins and manner of bleeding varies in gastric GISTs, we must decide the methods of hemostasis immediately including the tumor excision.

A case of rectal metastatic tumor in the soft tissue of the hand.

Hand metastases occur infrequently, and metastatic tumors in the soft tissue of the hand caused by rectal cancer are extremely rare. We report a case here. The patient was a 76-year old man. He underwent Miles operation for rectal cancer located in the lower portion of the rectum. Histopathologically, the resected specimen showed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. Six years postoperatively, a tumor involving the soft tissue of the palma was found in his left hand. The tumor was resected, and pathological examination showed a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma similar to the primary rectal carcinoma. Immunohistochemical examination demonstrated that this hand tumor had metastasized from rectal cancer. Fifteen cases of colorectal metastatic tumors in the hand have been documented, of which three were soft-tissue metastases. This report describes the fourth case.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising from recurrent anal fistula.

Here, we report on a patient with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising from recurrent anal fistula. The patient was a 57-year-old woman who had 32-year history of having a recurrent perianal abscesses that ruptured spontaneously. Six months before her admission to our hospital, anal pain developed. She had no history of inflammatory bowel disease. Physical examination revealed three external fistulous openings at the two o'clock position, 2 cm from the anal verge. One internal opening in the lower rectum was found with proctoscopy. The patient underwent fistulectomy. Microscopic examination showed SCC arising from the anal fistula, which was accompanied by vessel invasion. The tumor was observed to be continuous from the external opening but was not exposed to the internal opening of the rectal mucosa. Because human papillomavirus (HPV) infection was suspected, immunohistochemical analysis was performed, but showed no HPV infection. Two weeks after fistulectomy, abdominoperineal resection with lymph node dissection was performed. Histopathological examination revealed no remnant cancer tissue or lymph node metastasis. She was discharged after surgery without complications. Eight years after the operation, she complained of constant pain during micturition. Urological examination revealed urinary bladder cancer, and transurethral resection of the bladder tumor was performed. Histopathological examination revealed transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. Two years later, the patient died of metastatic urinary bladder cancer, without recurrence of the fistula cancer. Because the patients mother had died of urinary bladder cancer and she herself had metachronous urinary bladder cancer in addition to fistula cancer, we investigated whether microsatellite instability (MSI) and chromosomal instability correlated with fistula cancer development. Immunohistochemical analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded surgical tumor specimens for p53, MLH1, and MSH2 was performed. The tumor specimens showed no MLH1 expression but did show normal MSH2 expression. p53 was not expressed. Five microsatellite loci were examined using the tumor specimens to detect MSI, namely two loci with mononucleotide runs (i.e., BAT25 and BAT26) and three loci with dinucleotide repeats (i.e., APC, Mfd15, and D2S123). The tumor specimens showed alternations in the repeated sequences of two loci (i.e., BAT26 and D2S123). As a result, the tumor was classified as MSI-H (high) according to the Bethesda criteria. Our patient had MSI and one of the smallest reported SCCs arising from recurrent anal fistulae.

Case of rectal malignant melanoma showing immunohistochemical variability in a tumor.

We report on a patient with rectal malignant melanoma. The patient was a 40-year-old man who complained of anal bleeding. His grandmother had died of pancreatic cancer and his mother had been operated for rectal cancer. Physical examination revealed a hard mass at the 12 o'clock position, 2 cm from the anal verge. A colonoscopic examination revealed an irregular surface mass, approximately 4.0 cm in size, located on the anterior wall of the lower rectum. A biopsy of the rectal tumor showed the proliferation of epithelioid cells with pleomorphic features. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed. S-100 protein, CD-56, and KIT expression were positive, but HMB-45 expression was negative. Abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple liver and lymph node metastases. With the diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the rectum, abdominoperineal resection was performed. After the operation, the serum lactate dehydrogenase level had rapidly increased. An abdominal CT showed progressive liver metastases. Thirteen days after the surgery, abdominal angiography was performed, which showed multiple hypervascular tumor stains in the liver. The reservoir was implanted transcutaneously with the aid of angiography and the catheter was fixed to the proper hepatic artery. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy using cisplatin and irinotecan via the subcutaneous reservoir port was performed and a partial response was obtained. However, the final pathological diagnosis of the surgically resected specimen was malignant amelanotic melanoma of the rectum. Immunohistochemical expression differed between rectal biopsy specimens and surgically resected specimens. HMB-45 expression was positive and KIT expression was negative in the resected specimen. As preoperative pathological diagnosis showed rare rectal tumor, we measured the chemosensitivity of the rectal tumor using the collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test (CD-DST) to determine the most appropriate chemotherapy regimen for the patient. However, there were no anticancer drugs tested by CD-DST for malignant melanoma. With informed consent, the patient received two cycles of immunochemotherapy consisting of dacabazine, nimustine hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and interferon -beta. Although the patient was treated with immunochemotherapy for metastatic liver tumor, he died because of progression of metastases.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer successfully treated by TS-1 and CDDP after jejunostomy].

A 65-year-old female with unresectable advanced gastric cancer accompanied by multiple lung metastases underwent jejunostomy and was treated with TS-1 and CDDP. One course consisted of TS-1 (80 mg/day) via an intestinal fistula tube from days 1 to 14 followed by 14 days rest and CDDP (80 mg/day) was administered by 24-hour continuous intravenous infusion on day 8. After 3 courses, the primary tumor and lymph node metastases decreased in size (PR), and CT scan showed the multiple lung metastases had disappeared. Total gastrectomy (D 2) and splenectomy were performed after chemotherapy. The final diagnosis was Stage IIIA and the pathological response to chemotherapy was Grade 2. The patient has survived for over 14 months after surgery and has presented no signs of recurrence.

Human pulmonary dirofilariasis in a patient whose clinical condition altered during follow-up.

Pulmonary dirofilariasis is a rare disease. We have experienced a case which developed pleural effusion while being followed, rendering it difficult to establish the diagnosis. The patient, a 53-year-old woman, had previously undergone two operations; one for uterine cancer and another for breast cancer. She developed a cough in February 2002, and chest computed tomography (CT) scans disclosed a nodular mass in the right lung. A biopsy revealed a fibrous nodule with macrophage aggregation. Pleural effusion was demonstrated on chest CT scans performed in May. As the possibility of malignant tumor could not be ruled out, an operation was undertaken. The nodular lesion showed marked coagulation necrosis, and dead parasites were noted in the vascular lumen. The parasites had the characteristic morphological features of Dirofilaria immitis. Immunological studies produced a positive test result for the anti-dirofilaria immitis antibody; hence a diagnosis of pulmonary dirofilariasis was made.

Paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum diagnosed by immunohistochemical staining.

Paraganglioma of the mediastinum are rare neoplasms. To date, no definitive morphologic criteria exist that correlate with the clinical outcome of these tumors. We have encountered a case of paraganglioma in which biological behavior was assessed by immunohistochemical staining to determine whether supplementary postoperative treatment was needed. A 28-year-old man came to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow on a radiogram of the chest. He had no symptoms. Hematological findings were unremarkable. Diagnostic imaging suggested a neurogenic tumor. Surgical resection was performed in September, 2002. A typical nesting pattern (Zellballen) and positivity for chromogranin on immunohistochemical staining were evident, indicating neuroendocrine characteristics, and paraganglioma was diagnosed. Tissue specimens indicated an MIB-1-labeling index of 1.3% on MIB-1 staining, and a relatively well maintained distribution of S-100 protein-positive sustentacular cells, which were suggestive of a benign tumor. The patient did not receive any supplementary therapy postoperatively but was given careful follow-ups.

Effective intravenous thrombolytic therapy in a patient with cerebral infarction associated with left atrial myxoma.

A 70-year-old man presented with sudden onset of global aphasia and right hemiplegia. Brain MRI revealed occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. He was diagnosed as having a hyperacute cerebral infarction. Intravenous thrombolytic therapy was started, and the neurological symptoms were resolved after 11 h. Echocardiography showed a mobile mass in the left atrium, suspicious of a myxoma. The tumor was resected and pathologically diagnosed as a myxoma. In this patient, intravenous thrombolytic therapy was effective, and no adverse effects were observed. This suggests that, even with complications of myxoma, thrombolytic therapy can be considered if there are no contraindications.

A case of IgG4-related disease with rectal cancer.

A 72-year-old male with liver dysfunction and an increase in serum total protein/albumin (TP/Alb) ratio was referred to our hospital. There was a marked increase in serum immunoglobulin (Ig) G4 level (IgG/IgG4: 3,485/2,860 mg/dl). Diagnostic imaging did not reveal any enlargement of the pancreas or narrowing of the pancreatic duct. However, bilateral submaxillary gland swelling, sclerosing cholangitis, and retroperitoneal fibrosis were noted, suggesting multifocal fibrosclerosis. Histological examination of the submaxillary gland showed the infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells, although there was no narrowing of the pancreatic duct, leading to a diagnosis of IgG4-related disease with various extrapancreatic lesions. Systemic investigation before the introduction of steroid therapy revealed rectal cancer. After low-position anterior resection, steroid therapy was introduced, reducing the lesions. Recent studies have reported autoimmune pancreatitis/IgG4-related disease with malignant tumors. However, the association and pathogenesis remain to be clarified. Malignant tumors are detected before or after the treatment of autoimmune pancreatitis/IgG4-related disease; pretreatment diagnosis and post-treatment follow-up should be carefully performed, bearing in mind the concomitant development of malignant tumors.

Type B3 thymic epithelial tumor in an adolescent detected by immunohistochemical staining for CD5, CD99, and KIT (CD117): a case report.

A 16-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital for a medical workup to examine an anterior mediastinal tumor in April 2000. A tumor excision and a right lower lung lobe nodule resection were performed in June 2000. The tumor tissue showed a cobblestone-like proliferation of atypical cells containing a discrete nucleolus that were aligned in an epithelial fashion against mainly lymphocytic inflammatory cells in the background; also shown were undifferentiated tumor cells with epithelioid characteristics. Immunohistochemical staining for CD5, CD99, and KIT (CD117) revealed that the tumor cells were CD5-negative and that some of the lymphocytes infiltrating the tumor tissue stained positive for CD99 and negative for KIT. The lesion was therefore diagnosed to be a type B3 thymic epithelial tumor.