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Purpose@#In the latest staging system of the American Joint Committee on Cancer for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCCC), solitary tumors with vascular invasion and multiple tumors are grouped together as T2. However, recent studies report that multifocal IHCCC has a worse prognosis than a single lesion. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for IHCCC and explore the prognostic significance of multiplicity after surgical resection. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 257 patients underwent surgery for IHCCC from 2010 to 2019 and the clinicopathological data were retrospectively reviewed. Risk factor analysis was performed to identify variables associated with survival after resection. Survival outcomes were compared between patients with solitary and multiple tumors. @*Results@#In multivariable analysis, the presence of preoperative symptoms, tumor size, lymph node ratio, multiplicity, and tumor differentiation were identified as risk factors for survival. Among 82 patients with T2, overall survival was significantly longer in patients with solitary tumors (sT2) than in those with multiple tumors (mT2) (p=0.017). Survival was compared among patients with stage II-sT2, stage II-mT2, and stage III. The stage II-sT2 group showed prolonged survival when compared with stage II-mT2 or stage III. Survivals of stage II-mT2 and stage III patients were not statistically different. @*Conclusion@#Tumor multiplicity was an independent risk factor for overall survival of IHCCC after surgical resection. Patients with multiple tumors showed poorer survival than patients with a single tumor. The oncologic significance of multiplicity in IHCCC should be reappraised and reflected in the next staging system update.
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Purpose@#In the Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18), emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy is recognized as a crucial early treatment option for acute cholecystitis. However, early laparoscopic intervention in patients with moderate-to-severe acute cholecystitis or those with severe comorbidities may increase the risk of complications. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the association between early laparoscopic cholecystectomy and percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) in moderate-to-severe acute cholecystitis patients. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed 835 TG18 grade II or III acute cholecystitis patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy at 4 tertiary medical centers in the Republic of Korea. Patients were classified into 2 groups according to whether PTGBD was performed before surgery, and their short-term postoperative outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. @*Results@#The patients were divided into 2 groups, and 1:1 propensity score matching was conducted to establish the PTGBD group (n = 201) and the early laparoscopic cholecystectomy group (n = 201). The PTGBD group experienced significantly higher rates of preoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome (24.9% vs. 6.5%, P < 0.001), pneumonia (7.5% vs.3.0%, P = 0.045), and cardiac disease (67.2% vs. 57.7%, P = 0.041) than the early operation group. However, there was no difference in biliary complication (hazard ratio, 1.103; 95% confidence interval, 0.519–2.343; P = 0.799) between the PTGBD group and early laparoscopic cholecystectomy group. @*Conclusion@#In most cases of moderate-to-severe cholecystitis, early laparoscopic cholecystectomy was relatively feasible.However, PTGBD should be considered if patients have the risk factor of underlying disease when experiencing general anesthesia.
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Purpose@#Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a life-threatening complication following pancreatoduodenectomy (PD).We previously developed nomogram- and artificial intelligence (AI)-based risk prediction platforms for POPF after PD. This study aims to externally validate these platforms. @*Methods@#Between January 2007 and December 2016, a total of 1,576 patients who underwent PD in Seoul National University Hospital, Ilsan Paik Hospital, and Boramae Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. The individual risk scores for POPF were calculated using each platform by Samsung Medical Center. The predictive ability was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve (AUC). The optimal predictive value was obtained via backward elimination in accordance with the results from the AI development process. @*Results@#The AUC of the nomogram after external validation was 0.679 (P < 0.001). The values of AUC after backward elimination in the AI model varied from 0.585 to 0.672. A total of 13 risk factors represented the maximal AUC of 0.672 (P < 0.001). @*Conclusion@#We performed external validation of previously developed platforms for predicting POPF. Further research is needed to investigate other potential risk factors and thereby improve the predictability of the platform.
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PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze radiological outcomes in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who underwent posterior correction with high-density pedicle screw-only constructs. We hypothesized that high-density pedicle screw-only constructs in AIS would provide a high correction rate and would facilitate the maintenance of the correction or obviate the loss thereof.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed radiological outcomes over a minimum follow-up period of 5 years in patients with AIS who underwent posterior correction with high-density pedicle screw-only constructs. A total of 124 consecutive patients were included. Demographic data, including age, sex, operated fusion level, numbers of screw, Lenke curve type, Risser stage, and follow-up period were retrospectively collected from electronic medical records and radiological measurements including serial follow-up.RESULTS: The average number of pedicle screws was 1.96/vertebra. The average curve correction was 48.3% for the proximal thoracic (PT) curve, 83.1% for the main thoracic (MT) curve, and 80.2% for the thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curve at final follow-up. Use of high-density pedicle screw-only constructs helped achieve excellent correction rates, with no significant loss of correction at final follow-up.CONCLUSION: We obtained excellent correction rates of 48.3% for PT, 83.1% for MT, and 80.2% for TL/L curves using high-density pedicle screw-only constructs in AIS, with no significant loss of correction at final follow-up.
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BACKGROUND: Spinal zaprinast, phospodiesterase inhibitor, has been shown to have an antinociception through an increase of cGMP. The aim of this study was to examine the role of spinal adrenergic and cholinergic receptors on the antinociceptive action of intrathecal zaprinast. METHODS: Rats were implanted with lumbar intrathecal catheters. After formalin injection, formalin-induced nociceptive behavior (flinching response) was observed for 60 min. After observing the effect of intrathecal zaprinast, antagonism of intrathecal prazosin, yohimbine, atropine and mecamylamine for the effect of zaprinast were evaluated. RESULTS: Intrathecal zaprinast produced a dose-dependent suppression of formalin-induced flinches in both phases of the formalin test. Intrathecal prazosin reversed the antinociception of zaprinast in phase 2, but not phase 1. Intrathecal yohimbine reversed the antinociception of zaprinast in both phases. Neither atropine nor mecamylamine reversed the antinocicetive action of zaprinast. CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecal zaprinast is against the nociceptive state evoked by formalin stimulus. Alpha 2 or alpha 1 adrenergic receptor, but not cholinergic receptors, may be related to the action of zaprinast in the spinal cord.