Repeat Resection for Intrahepatic and Omental Recurrence of Ruptured Hepatocelluar Carcinoma after the Initial Surgery

The most serious problem of ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the difficulty to achieve curative resection due to unplanned emergency operations, the hemodynamic instability, the frequent intrahepatic recurrence and the peritoneal seeding after resection for primary ruptured hepatocelluar carcinoma. Recent articles have suggested that well planned elective hepatic resection after hemodynamic stabilization of a ruptured HCC patient has a good prognosis, and repeat hepatic resection of recurred HCC has good prognosis when the liver function is good. We report here on patient who survived a long time with recurred HCC after 3 bouts of repeated hepatic resection for intrahepatic recurrences and 1 bout of right hemicolectomy for an omental recurrence. (ED note: now it shows good.)

Repeat Hepatectomy of Recurrent Tuberculous Hepatic Abscess

Isolated tuberculous hepatic abscess is rare and surgical treatment is often needed when the size of abscess is large or increasing, when abscess is resistant to antituberculous medication or undergoing secondary change. We report an unusual case of recurrent tuberculous hepatic abscess following surgical resection and antituberculous medication. A 67-year-old woman was admitted due to right upper abdominal pain. She had operation history of segmental resection of the liver due to tuberculous hepatic abscess refractory to antituberculous medication. Preoperative abdominal CT scan demonstrated a enlarging multifocal cystic lesion at segment 8 of the liver in spite of antituberculous medication. Right lobectomy was done and the biopsy revealed caseous necrosis and acid-fast bacilli on microscopic finding. Second- line antituberculous medication was started and no evidence of recurrence was noted.

Operation for Accessory Gallbladder Originating from Right Hepatic Duct

A double gallbladder is a condition that arises during the fetal period due to the abnormal differentiation of presumptive gallbladder cells, which causes two separate gallbladders, each with their own cystic duct. Most cases are diagnosed incidentally during surgery. Detailed preoperative investigations (ultrasound, oral cholecystography, intravenous cholangiography, CT, ERCP and MRCP) are required for an accurate preoperative diagnosis before considering a cholecystectomy to avoid inadvertent damage to the biliary ductal system and to overlook the second gallbladder during surgery. A total cholecystectomy, with removal of both gallbladders, should be the appropriate treatment for a double gallbladder to avoid complications and a reoperation. We report a patient with an accessory gallbladder, originating from right hepatic duct, and also discuss the characeristics of this rare anomaly.

Association between Telomerase Activity, Cell Cycle Regulators, and Histopathological Prognostic Parameters in Breast Cancer

PURPOSE: Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that synthesizes telomeric DNA onto the ends of chromosomes, thereby preventing the replication-dependent shortening of those ends. This enzyme is essential for stability of eukaryotic chromosomes and may be necessary for cell immortalization. Telomerase activity is detected in a wide range of cancers of various tissues, and its expression may be a critical step in tumor progression. METHODS: The telomerase activity was measured using a telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay in 65 cases of breast cancers, 9 cases of fibroadenomas, and 7 cases of normal breast tissues. To compare the telomerase activity with cell cycle regulators, we measured the expression of the cyclin D1 and the p53 proteins by using immunohistochemical analysis. To compare the telomerase activity with traditional prognostic indicators, we measured the ER, PR, c-erbB-2 and ki-67 expression by using immunohistochemical analysis. Disease-free survival and overall survival in relation to telomerase activity were studied by using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Telomerase activity was detected in 42 (64.6%) of the 65 breast cancers, 4 (44.4%) of the 9 fibroadenomas, and in none of the 7 normal breast tissues. There was no significant relationship between telomerase activity and cell cycle regulators such as cyclin D1 or p53. There was no statistical correlation between telomerase activity and tumor size, lymph nodal status, or histopathological prognostic parameters, such as ER, PR, p53, c-erbB-2 and ki-67, but a significant correlation was found (p=0.006) between telomerase activity and histologic grade. The telomerase activity was not significantly correlated with either the overall survival or the disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that telomerasemay play a role in the malignant transformation of breast tissue and that this enzyme was more activated in cancers of a poor histologic grade. However, the telomerase activity was not related to cell cycle regulators and traditional prognostic parameters. The possible significance of telomerase activity in breast cancer remains open to further investigation.