Prognostic factors after curative resection hepatocellular carcinoma and the surgeon's role

PURPOSE: Patient, surgical, and tumor factors affect the outcome after surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The surgical factors are only modifiable by the surgeon. We reviewed our experience with curative resection for HCC in terms of surgical factors. METHODS: After analyses of the prospectively collected clinical data of 256 consecutive patients undergoing surgical resection for HCC, prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified; all patients were stratified by tumor diameters > or 5 cm. CONCLUSION: Tumor recurrence after liver resection for HCC depends on tumor status, bleeding, and transfusions, which subsequently lead to poor patient survival. Surgeons can help improve the prognosis of patients by minimizing blood loss and transfusion, particularly in patients with larger tumors.

Comparison between operative versus non-operative management of traumatic liver injury

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare operative versus non-operative management of patients with liver injury and to ascertain the differences of the clinical features. METHODS: From April 2000 to July 2012, 191 patients were admitted to Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and St. Vincent's Hospital for liver injuries. Of these, 148 patients were included in this study. All patients were diagnosed using computed tomography (CT). The liver injury was graded in accordance with the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma liver injury scoring scale. Patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent surgery and those treated with non-operative management (NOM). There was a comparison between these two groups concerning the clinical characteristics, grade of liver injury, hemodynamic stability, laboratory findings, and mortality. RESULTS: According to the 148 patient records evaluated, 108 (72.9%) patients were treated with NOM, and 40 (27.1%) underwent surgery. Patients treated with NOM had significantly fewer severe injuries as rated using the Revised Traumatic Injury Scale, Injury Severity Score, and Glasgow Coma Scale. Grade of liver injury and number of patients with extravasation of contrast dye on CT and hemoperitoneum were higher in the operative group than in the NOM group. There were significant differences between the two groups for: heart rate, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, and mean hemoglobin levels at admission and after 4 hours. The operative group experienced a significantly higher mortality than the NOM group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that hemodynamic stability and the following should be considered for deciding the treatment for liver injuries: grade of liver injury, amount of blood loss, and injury scales scores.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor with hepatic metastasis / 대한외과학회지

Solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a rare tumor that affects young females with low malignant potential and good prognosis with more than 90% survival at 5 years. Metastasis is very rare. We report the case of a 74-year-old female who had pancreatic solid-pseudopapillary tumor and synchronous hepatic metastasis.

Clinical Analysis of Single-Port Laparoscopic Cholecystectomies: Early Experience

PURPOSE: Single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SPLC) is a technique under development in the field of minimally-invasive surgery. We have considered the feasibility of SPLC based on the advantages or restrictions compared with multi-port procedures. METHODS: Two hundred seventeen patients with benign gallbladder disease who underwent SPLC or multi-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (MPLC) during the most recent 10 months were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Patients were divided into two or three groups based on the operative period and disease. The mean age and ASA scale were different between the three groups. The intra-operative bile leakage and post-operative hospital stay were significantly less in the SPLC group; however, the blood loss and operative time was greater in the SPLC group. When patients with empyema of the gallbladder were excluded and all patients were reassigned into two groups based on the operative method, the incidence of bile leakage and post-operative hospital stay were similar between the two groups. The mean blood loss and operative time were higher in the patients who underwent SPLC. The mean numeric rating scale (NRS) and requirement for opioid analgesics were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: With the exception of increased intra-operative hemorrhage and a longer operative time, the risks associated with SPLC were not greater than MPLC. With adequate analgesics, advances in laparoscopic instruments, and surgical experience, SPLC is expected to gain acceptance amongst physicians.

Significance of CD133 as a cancer stem cell markers focusing on the tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cell lines / 대한외과학회지

PURPOSE: The cancer stem cell hypothesis states that the capacity of a cancer to grow and propagate is dependent on a small subset of cells. To determine the significances of the cancer stem cell markers CD133, CD44, and CD24 using a comparative analysis with a focus on tumorigenicity. METHODS: Four pancreatic cancer cell lines, Capan-1, Mia-PACA-2, Panc-1, and SNU-410 were analyzed for the expressions of CD133, CD44, and CD24 by flow cytometry. The tumorigenicity was compared using tumor volumes and numbers of tumors formed/numbers of injection in nonobese diabetic severe combined deficiency mice. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis was used to confirm that xenograft explants originated from human pancreatic cancer cells. RESULTS: CD133 was positive in only Capan-1, CD44 positive in all, CD24 partially positive in Panc-1. After injecting 2 x 10(6) cells, all mice administered Capan-1 or Mia-Paca-2 developed tumors, 3 of 5 administered Panc-1 developed tumors, but no mouse administered SNU-410 developed any tumors. The volumes of Capan-1 tumors were seven times larger than those of Mia-Paca-2 tumors. When 2 x 10(5) or 2 x 10(4) of Capan-1 or Mia-Paca-2 was injected, tumors developed in all Capan-1 treated mice, but not in Mia-Paca-2 treated mice. Furthermore, xenograft explants of Capan-1 expressed CD133+CD44+ and Capan-1 injected mice developed lung metastasis. FACS analysis showed that xenograft explants originated from human pancreatic cancer cell lines. CONCLUSION: CD133 positive cells have higher tumorigenic and metastatic potential than CD44 and CD24 positive cells, which suggests that CD133 might be a meaningful cell surface marker of pancreatic cancer stem cells.

Surgical resection of metastasis to the pancreas / 대한외과학회지

PURPOSE: Metastasis to the pancreas is rare, and the benefit of resection for pancreatic metastasis is poorly defined. The aim of this study was to review our experiences of the operative management of metastasis to the pancreas. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2009, 11 patients (8 men and 3 women; median age, 54 years) were admitted to our institution with a metachronously metastatic lesion to the pancreas and later underwent pancreatic resection. The clinical features and outcomes of treatments were examined. RESULTS: The primary cancers were renal cell carcinoma (RCC, n = 7), carcinoid tumor (n = 2), rectal cancer and leiomyosarcoma. Six patients underwent distal pancreatectosplenectomy, 3 pancreaticoduodenectomy and 2 patients underwent enucleation for small RCC. One patient died of metastatic RCC at 53 months after surgery and ten patients remain alive; four patients without disease at 7 to 69 months postoperatively, and the other six with disease at 11 to 68 months. Median postoperative survival of all patients was 34 months. CONCLUSION: Patients with a low surgical risk should be considered for pancreatic metastasectomy if curative resection is possible. Primary cancer type, which is associated with survival benefit, would be the best candidate for surgical resection of metastases to the pancreas.

Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma of the Pancreas Mimicking a Cystic Neoplasm: A Case Report

Pancreatic tumors are primary in most cases. Pancreatic metastases associated with other primary malignancies, especially pancreatic metastasis of leiomyosarcoma, are infrequent. A 49-year-old woman underwent surgical resection of a mass in the right groin, which was diagnosed as a leiomyosarcoma and she was well for 4 years without evidence of disease recurrence. As part of her routine follow-up, an abdominal computed tomography (CT) identified a cystic neoplasm of the pancreas. Pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of spindle cells with a predominantly fascicular pattern, which was consistent with a leiomyosarcoma that was metastatic to the pancreas. We report here a unique case of pancreatic metastasis from a leiomyosarcoma, which was resectable and mimicked a primary cystic neoplasm.

A Case of Primary Hepatic Malignant Paraganglioma without Hypertension

Paraganglioma is an unusual neoplasm that is embryologically derived from neural crest cells. The most common location of this neoplasm is the adrenal medulla, where these tumors are known as pheochromocytoma. It is extremely rare that paragangliomas occur in the liver. There are only 7 reports of primary hepatic paraganglioma. A 56-year-old man was referred to XX Medical Center. Hypertension was not found. He had suffered from jaundice, headache and weight loss for the 4 previous weeks, but hypertension was not present. The total bilirubin was 7.7 mg/dl and the CA19-9 level was 56.3 U/dl. The tumor was diagnosed as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma on the computed tomography image. After biliary drainage via endoscopic nasobiliary drainage, surgical exploration was carried out; right trisectionectomy with caudate lobectomy, portal vein resection and anastomosis were then done. The final pathological diagnosis was primary hepatic malignant paraganglioma of the intrahepatic duct. There has been no evidence of recurrence on the follow up CT images during the 24 month follow up period.

Comparative Analysis of Limited Resection and Conventional Resection for Pancreatic Benign Lesions Focused on Perioperative Diabetes and Pancreatic Fistula

PURPOSE: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) are treatments used for pancreatic benign neoplasms even though both of these treatments result in significant loss of normal pancreatic parenchyma; this leads to subsequent impairment of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function. The purpose of this study is to provide short-and long-term result of limited resection (LR) in a single center. METHODS: Two-hundred thirty patients who had undergone pancreatic resection between April 1998 and September 2008 for benign neoplasms were reviewed retrospectively. DP was performed in 102 patients, LR in 77, PD in 51 patients. The definitions of the International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF) were applied to postoperative pancreatic fistulas (POPF), perioperative endocrine function was evaluated through oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: LR includes 42 enucleation, 24 central pancreatectomy, and 11 uncinate process resection. No deaths occurred to patients during the study review period; POPF was detected in 50 patients (65%), 37 patients with grade A and 13 patients with grade B or C. POPF occurred 65% of the time after LR, more frequently compared to the occurrance after PD or DP (58%), but this was not statistically significant (P =.322). After LR, there were 2 patients with new onset diabetes (3%), while 26 (17%) patients developed diabetes after DP or PD (P = .002). CONCLUSION: LR may preserve endocrine and exocrine function. While mortality is low with the use of LR, it is associated with a higher pancreatic-leakage rate. The precise management of benign pancreatic lesions remains in evolution.