[A case report of GIST of the small intestine with multiple liver abscesses].

We report a case of a woman in her fifties presenting with abdominal pain, headache and high fever. Blood examination showed a high CRP level and liver dysfunction, and then abdominal CT scan showed multiple liver masses and a 5 cm submucosal tumor of the small intestine. We diagnosed the multiple liver masses as liver abscesses, so we administered antibiotics. We suspected that the tumor was a cause of liver abscesses, and then performed a resection of the tumor and partial small intestine on the third day of hospitalization. We diagnosed the tumor as GIST because it was positive for c-kit and CD34 by immunohistochemistry. One of the resected liver nodules showed negative for c-kit and CD34, and we diagnosed it as a liver abscess. We performed percutaneous transhepatic abscess drainage (PTAD) because she ran into high fever after the operation, and then she recovered. We consider she has the possibility of liver metastasis, so we administered imatinib mesylate to her. No recurrence was found for 11 months after the operation. This case provides valuable information because there are few reports of GIST with liver abscesses.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery after placing a self-expanding metallic stent for malignant rectal obstruction: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 20% of colorectal cancer patients show complete or incomplete bowel obstruction as an early symptom. Preoperative nonsurgical decompression such as placing a self-expanding metallic stent for malignant colorectal obstruction has been shown to be effective for reducing perioperative morbidity and mortality. However, there is a lack of published studies reporting robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) after self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) placement for malignant rectal obstruction (MRO). To our knowledge, this is the first report to do so. CASE PRESENTATION: An 80-year-old man with incomplete paralysis of the lower limbs as well as bladder-rectal disorder due to a spine fracture sustained in a fall accident 26 years ago presented with lower abdominal pain and vomiting. Abdominal multi-detector computed tomography revealed an obstructive rectal tumor with distended bowel on the oral side. Emergency colonoscopy was performed, and an SEMS placed. The patency of SEMS and decompression of the distended bowel was confirmed, and elective RALS was performed 29 days after SEMS placement. To our knowledge, this is the first report of RALS after decompression with SEMS placement for MRO. CONCLUSIONS: RALS after SEMS placement is a safe and feasible therapeutic strategy for MRO.

Laparoscopic colectomy after self-expanding metallic stent placement through the ileocecal valve for right-sided malignant colonic obstruction: A case report.

A 78-year-old man with a history of open sigmoidectomy for sigmoid cancer presented with abdominal pain and vomiting. Abdominal multi-detector CT revealed an obstructive ileocecal tumor with distended small bowel on the oral side. We performed emergency drainage using a transnasal decompression tube, and 2 days later, we conducted a colonoscopic examination, which lead to a provisional diagnosis of obstruction with a malignant tumor invading the ileocecal valve. We then placed a self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) through the ileocecal valve. We confirmed patency of the ileocecal valve and removed the transnasal decompression tube 2 days after SEMS placement. We then performed elective laparoscopic colectomy 8 days after SEMS placement. To the best of our knowledge, there has been only one previous report of laparoscopic colectomy after decompression with SEMS placement through the ileocecal valve for right-sided malignant colonic obstruction.

[Long-term outcome of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma that received transarterial hepatic chemotherapy].

Nineteen patients with far advanced hepatocellular carcinoma received transarterial hepatic chemotherapy. Twelve patients were Child-Pugh A, 2 were B, and 2 were C. Seventeen patients had portal vein thrombus, and 2 patients had extra-hepatic metastasis. Among the 19 patients, 13 received low-dose CDDP and 5-FU, and 5-FU with interferon was performed in 2. Lipiodol chemotherapy with epirubicin and MMC was performed after first-line chemotherapy, following the evaluation of the progressive disease. The 1- and 3-year survival rates in all cases were 42.5% and 18.2%, respectively. Of the 18 patients evaluated for response, 1 showed complete response, 2 showed partial responses, 8 had stable disease, and 7 progressed. Median survival time of CR, PR and SD patients was 14.2 months. A multivariate analysis identified CLIP score and therapeutic effect as independent predictors for mortality. It is concluded that transarterial hepatic chemotherapy was very useful for far advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

[A case of spinal infarction related to hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy].

A 65-year-old male underwent iliocecal excision and hepatic posterior segmentectomy for cecum cancer and synchronous liver hepatic metastasis in September and October 2001, respectively. A reservoir was implanted by the GDA-coil method from the right femoral artery in November, and WHF (5-FU 1,000 mg/m2) was administered 8 times. Because of the remnant liver recurrence, WHF was restarted in April 2002. Left leg paralysis appeared suddenly after the 3rd administration. Heparin and urokinase were administrated continuously after hospitalization. Also, liver function tests showed a worsening condition. The bile duct necrosis in the liver was examined with abdominal CT scan. The anti-coagulation therapy was changed to an oral drug on the 7th day after hospitalization. The liver function tests normalized gradually. Although the rehabilitation for leg paralysis performed during hospitalization was continued after discharge from the hospital, the patient is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair. Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy is considered safe for blood and non-blood toxicity compared with systemic chemotherapy. However, there are also complications as in this case, where QOL is reduced remarkably, and caution is required.

Comparative study of esomeprazole and lansoprazole in triple therapy for eradication of Helicobacter pylori in Japan.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of esomeprazole-based triple therapy compared with lansoprazole therapy as first-line eradication therapy for patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in usual post-marketing use in Japan, where the clarithromycin (CAM) resistance rate is 30%. METHODS: For this multicenter, randomized, open-label, non-inferiority trial, we recruited patients (≥ 20 years of age) with H. pylori infection from 20 hospitals in Japan. We randomly allocated patients to esomeprazole therapy (esomeprazole 20 mg, CAM 400 mg, amoxicillin (AC) 750 mg for the first 7 d, with all drugs given twice daily) or lansoprazole therapy (lansoprazole 30 mg, CAM 400 mg, AC 750 mg for the first 7 d, with all drugs given twice daily) using a minimization method with age, sex, and institution as adjustment factors. Our primary outcome was the eradication rate by intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses. H. pylori eradication was confirmed by a urea breath test from 4 to 8 wk after cessation of therapy. RESULTS: ITT analysis revealed the eradication rates of 69.4% (95%CI: 61.2%-76.6%) for esomeprazole therapy and 73.9% (95%CI: 65.9%-80.6%) for lansoprazole therapy (P = 0.4982). PP analysis showed eradication rate of 76.9% (95%CI: 68.6%-83.5%) for esomeprazole therapy and 79.8% (95%CI: 71.9%-86.0%) for lansoprazole therapy (P = 0.6423). There were no differences in adverse effects between the two therapies. CONCLUSION: Esomeprazole showed non-inferiority and safety in a 7 day-triple therapy for eradication of H. pylori compared with lansoprazole.