Standard versus extended pancreaticoduodenectomy in treating adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To compare the postoperative complications and survival of standard pancreatoduodenectomy (SPD) and extended pancreatoduodenectomy (EPD) in patients with resectable adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between January 1994 and December 2011, 165 patients with biopsy-proven adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head were treated in West China Hospital, among whom 93 underwent SPD and 72 had EPD. Complications and survival after the surgery were analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median operation time of the EPD group was longer compared with the SPD group (375 minutes vs.310 minutes, P<0.01), the volume of blood transfusion was larger (700 mL vs.400 mL, P<0.05), while the median hospital stay (13.5 days vs.12 days, P=0.79) and the total complication rates were comparable (34.7% vs.32.4%, P=0.93). The total recurrence rates of the SPD and EPD groups were not significantly different (52.7% vs. 43.1%, P=0.83). No significant differences were found between the SPD and EPD groups in 1-year (81.7% vs. 86.1%), 3-year (38.7% vs. 43.1%), 5-year (16.7% vs. 19.4%), and median survivals (19.8 months vs. 23.2 months, P= 0.52).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The postoperative complications and survival donot differ significantly between SPD and EPD.</p>

Coexistence of Pancreatic Carcinoma and Pancreatic Tuberculosis: Case Report

Pancreatic tuberculosis (TB) is extremely rare and mimics pancreatic carcinoma both clinically and radiologically. This paper discusses the occurrence of 2 heterogeneous masses located in the head and tail of the pancreas in an adult male. In this patient, laparotomy was performed because of the high suspicion of pancreatic carcinoma. Intraoperative fine needle aspiration biopsy revealed the coexistence of pancreatic carcinoma with pancreatic TB, and a combined resection of the distal pancreas and spleen was successfully performed. Following surgery, the patient received standard chemotherapy for TB. At 7-month follow-up, computed tomography showed resolution of the mass in the pancreatic head. Clinicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for pancreatic TB in patients with pancreatic masses. The coexistence of malignancy and TB should be considered when patients present with multiple pancreatic masses.

Pancreatic Panniculitis Associated with Acinar Cell Carcinoma of the Pancreas: A Case Report

Pancreatic panniculitis is a rare type of disorder associated with pancreatic diseases. We describe here a case of 54-year-old man who was admitted to the Department of Dermatology with the diagnosis of erythema nodosum. The patient presented with a 9-month history of painful erythematous nodules on the extremities, joint pain and swelling, and weight loss. A highly elevated level of pancreatic lipase was found on the laboratory examinations. The biopsy specimens from the skin lesions showed subcutaneous fat necrosis. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a large mass with central necrosis in the body and tail of the pancreas. Distal pancreatectomy, splenectomy and partial transverse colectomy were successfully performed on day 17 of the hospitalization. The histopathologic findings supported the diagnosis of acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas (ACCP). Postoperatively, the level of serum lipase returned to normal, and the skin lesions and joint manifestations gradually regressed. However, the swelling did not significantly resolve in the left knee. In view of the non-specific clinical presentation of this disease, clinicians should be alert and have a high index of suspicion for pancreatic panniculitis.

Diagnosis and surgical interventions for the chronic obstructive pancreatitis due to the inflammatory lesions at the opening of the pancreatic duct / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the diagnostic methods and reasonable surgical interventions for the chronic obstructive pancreatitis due to the inflammatory lesions at the opening of the pancreatic duct.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2002 to November 2010 the data of 28 patients who were diagnosed as the chronic obstructive pancreatitis (COP) was retrospectively reviewed. Out of the 28 patients, it was analyzed that the clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods, surgical finding and surgical interventions of the 13 patients who were diagnosed as COP due to the inflammatory lesions at the opening of the pancreatic duct in the exploratory operation accompanying recurrent acute abdominal pain with increased serum amylase and lipase, dilation of entire pancreatic duct on imaging before surgery. The conditions included pain recrudescence, quality of life, pancreatic changes on imaging and the serum amylase and lipase after surgery were recorded.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the 13 patients had clinical manifestations of COP. However, 12 patients had different manifestations on imaging from those chronic pancreatitis imaging due to tumors at the duodenal papilla, ampulla or inner pancreatic duct. Via exploratory operation and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), there were short pancreaticobiliary common channel or pancreas divisum existing in most patients. There was no acute abdominal pain with the increased serum amylase and lipase in the 12 patients who receiving the transduodenal mastoid, ampulla and pancreatic ductal opening incision and plasty, the paramastoideus incision and plasty in the visit.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The imaging character of COP due to the inflammatory lesions at the opening of the pancreatic duct is the dilation of the pancreatic duct without the chronic obstruction in the bile duct. The patients with short pancreaticobiliary common channel or pancreas divisum easily suffer COP due to the stenosis of the pancreatic ductal opening caused by the duodenal mastoiditis or paramastoiditis. The local plasty surgery to correct the stenosis at the pancreatic ductal opening and improve the drainage of the pancreatic duct is an easy and effective management.</p>

Cordyceps sinensis extract suppresses hypoxia-induced proliferation of rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells

To investigate the effects of a Chinese herb Cordyceps sinensis [C. sinensis] extract on hypoxia-induced proliferation and the underlying mechanisms involved. This prospective study was carried out at the Central Laboratory of Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, China from March 2008 to April 2010. The C. sinensis was extracted from the Chinese herb C. sinensis using aqueous alcohol extraction techniques. Forty healthy adult male Sprague Dawley rats were used in the study. The proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells [PASMCs] was measured using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-Yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] assay, and cell viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion. Cell cycles were analyzed using FACSort flow cytometric analysis. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen [PCNA], c-jun, and c-fos in rat PASMCs was determined by immunohistochemistry. We found an increased proliferation of PASMCs and increased expression of transcription factors, c-jun and c-fos in PASMCs cultured under hypoxic conditions. The C. sinensis extract significantly inhibited hypoxia-induced cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, C. sinensis extract also significantly inhibited the expression of PCNA, c-jun, and c-fos in these PASMCs. Our results indicated that C sinensis extract inhibits hypoxia-induced proliferation of rat PASMCs, probably by suppressing the expression of PCNA, c-fos, c-jun, and decreasing the percentage of cells in synthesis phase, second gap phase, and mitotic phase in cell cycle [S+G[2]/M] phase. Our results therefore, provided novel evidence that C. sinensis extract may be used as a therapeutic reagent in the treatment of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension