Tuberculosis of Cystic Duct Lymph Node Associated with Cholecystitis / 대한소화기학회지

Tuberculosis of the cystic duct lymph node is very rare. Only four cases have been reported in the literature. This paper presents the case of a young male patient with a tuberculous cystic duct lymph node and chronic cholecystitis, who was diagnosed with cystic duct stones and a gall bladder polyp preoperatively.

The Effectiveness of Dexmedetomidine in Vacuum-Assisted Breast Biopsy Under Monitored Anesthesia Care / 고신대학교의과대학학술지

OBJECTIVES: Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) is a widely used technique for the diagnosis of breast lesions. It is carried out with local anesthesia, but procedural pain and stress are still problematic. Dexmedetomidine is a α-2 receptor agonist that can sedate without significant respiratory depression. The study aimed to report the effectiveness of sedation with monitored anesthesia care (MAC) using dexmedetomidine in VABB. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of patients who received VABB under MAC with dexmedetomidine. Forty-seven patients during the period of February 2015 to July 2016 were included. We collected data on patient characteristics, infusion drug and dose, induction to incision time, anesthetic, operation, and recovery time and other complications and vital signs. RESULTS: The mean operating time was 50.1 ± 24.9 minutes, and the anesthetic time was 71.2 ± 28.3 minutes. The mean time from induction to incision was 17.0 ± 5.2 minutes, and the recovery time was 20.1 ± 10.3 minutes. None of the patients needed an advanced airway management. Further, none of them showed hemodynamic instability. CONCLUSIONS: VABB was successfully performed with MAC using dexmedetomidine, and there was no respiratory depression or hemodynamic instability.

Spontaneous Bleeding from a Short Gastric Artery after Vomiting Successfully Treated without Surgery / 대한소화기학회지

Spontaneous bleeding from a short gastric artery in the absence of pre-disposing trauma is reported very rarely. To the best of our knowledge, the published literature includes only 14 cases. Young men comprise almost all of the patients, and were induced by vomiting or gagging. The patients usually required emergent surgery. Our patient, a 32-year-old man, was diagnosed with spontaneous hemoperitoneum due to short gastric artery tearing after a few instances of vomiting. We managed him conservatively including fluid, vitamin K and antifibrinolytic agent without surgery.

Expression of the Cancer Stem Cell Markers CD44 and CD133 in Colorectal Cancer: An Immunohistochemical Staining Analysis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the expressions of CD44 and CD133 in colorectal cancer tissue by using immunohistochemical staining and to analyze the clinical significance of the expressions related to other clinicopathological data and survival results. METHODS: One hundred sixty-two patients with a biopsy-proven colorectal adenocarcinoma who were operated on between January 1998 and August 2004 were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemical staining for CD44 and CD133 was performed on primary colorectal cancer tissue, metastatic lymph nodes, and synchronous and metachronous metastatic tumor tissues if available. RESULTS: CD44 expression was stronger in the primary tumor than in metastatic lymph nodes (P < 0.001), and CD133 expression tended to be stronger in primary tumor than in metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.057). No significant correlation was found between the CD44 and the CD133 expressions. The cases with recurrence showed low expression of CD44 (P = 0.017). CD133 expression was lower in cases with elevated CA 19-9 serum levels (P = 0.028) and advanced T stage (P = 0.038). Multivariate analysis proved that low expression of CD44 was an independent prognosis factor for short disease-free survival (P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: Low CD44 expression was correlated with increased tumor recurrence and short disease-free survival, and low CD133 expression was associated with advanced tumor stage. We suggest that further studies be performed to evaluate whether the immunohistochemical method for determining the CD44 and the CD133 expressions is appropriate for exploring cancer stem-cell biology in patients with colorectal cancer.

Inflammation-based score (Glasgow prognostic score) as an independent prognostic factor in colorectal cancer patients

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the systemic inflammatory response in colorectal cancer patients, and to estimate the usefulness of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) as a prognostic factor. METHODS: Patients with biopsy-proven colorectal adenocarcinoma who were operated between April 2005 and December 2008 were enrolled in this study. The GPS was estimated based on the measurement of CRP and serum albumin level. The GPS was compared with other clinicopathological factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the factors affecting cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: GPS was significantly higher in patients with anemia, thrombocytosis, a high neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, tumor of the colon, and large tumor. Patient age, gender, serum CEA level, tumor gross appearance, TNM stage, and tumor differentiation were not related with the GPS. In univariate analysis, hemoglobin, CEA, gross appearance of tumor, TNM stage, tumor differentiation, and GPS were associated with cancer-specific survival. In multivariate analysis, TNM stage (III or IV : I or II; hazard ratio [HR], 12.322; P = 0.015), tumor differentiation (poorly differentiated : well or moderately differentiated; HR, 3.112; P = 0.021), and GPS (GPS 2 : GPS 0 or 1; HR, 5.168; P = 0.003) were identified as independent prognostic factors in colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the GPS was an independent variable from tumor stage and a good and convenient prognostic factor in colorectal cancer patients.

The Clinical Significance of Preoperative Serum Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients / 대한내분비외과학회지

PURPOSE: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is known to have a favorable prognosis and low mortality. However, some PTC has aggressive propensity with loco-regional recurrence or distant metastasis, and it could cause poor quality of life. Many studies for predicting high-risk group in papillary thyroid cancer have been reported, however, more study is needed. The objective of this study is to assess the efficiency of inflammation indices including the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) as a predictor for high-risk group in papillary thyroid cancer patients. METHODS: From January 2006 to November 2012, this study enrolled consecutive 164 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and were confirmed with papillary thyroid cancer by histopathology. Among 164 patients, 23 were excluded because they had co-morbidities which could confound the inflammation related variables. We reviewed the medical records of 141 patients and assessed the correlation between inflammation indices including preoperative serum NLR and clinical prognostic parameters, including age at presentation, tumor size, extra-thyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and MACIS score. RESULTS: In the papillary thyroid cancer patients, preoperative value of NLR, ESR, CRP, platelet, and albumin showed no significant correlation with the risk factors. CONCLUSION: In this study, preoperative inflammatory parameters such as NLR had uncertain efficacy as risk factors for papillary thyroid cancer.

A Case of Spontaneous Portal Vein Thrombosis After Splenectomy and its Resolution

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare but serious complication of splenectomy that is more common in patients with hematologic disorders (hemolytic anemia, myeloproliferative disease, etc.), but relatively rare when splenectomy is conducted because of trauma. We present the case of a 42-year-old woman, admitted for abdominal trauma, who produced a computed tomography (CT) scan showing a grade IV splenic laceration with perisplenic hematoma and subsequently underwent splenectomy. Preoperatively, a hematologic workup revealed no underlying platelet or coagulation disorder. The patient developed PVT in her anterosuperior branch of the right portal vein and anticoagulation treatment was immediately started. After the event was resolved, no symptoms of PVT were observed, which was confirmed by laboratory and radiologic findings. In summary, we report a case of spontaneous PVT after splenectomy for trauma and its successful resolution with anticoagulation treatment.

Clinical Significance of Preoperative Inflammatory Parameters in Gastric Cancer Patients

PURPOSE: Chronic inflammation induces cancer and cancer induces local tissue damage with systemic inflammation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the potential relationship between the severity of inflammation and prognosis in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 220 patients from January 2002 to December 2006 who underwent gastric surgery. We evaluated the relationship between preoperative inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) and other clinicopathological factors. Survival outcomes were compared according to the extent of inflammation. RESULTS: Significant elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate was related with old age, increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, decreased hemoglobin, increased carcinoembryonic antigen, increased tumor size and advanced TNM stage. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was significantly correlated with old age, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and advanced TNM stage. In the univariate analysis, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio had significantly poorer survival than those without elevation (all P<0.05). However, the multivariate analysis failed to prove erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were correlated with poor prognosis in the univariate analysis and there was a strong correlation between inflammatory parameters (erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) and tumor progression. Thus, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are considered useful as follow-up factors.

Carcinosarcoma of the Stomach: A Case Report

Carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant, biphasic tumor comprised of carcinoma and sarcoma components. In the gastrointestinal tract, carcinosarcoma is most frequently seen in the esophagus and rarely in the stomach. We report a 51-year-old female patient with 2-month-history of epigastric pain and dyspepsia. Endoscopic finding revealed a huge ulcerative lesion that infiltrated from the antrum to the mid-body. An endoscopically taken biopsy revealed poorly differentiated malignant round cell neoplasm. After the palliative subtotal gastrectomy, immunohistochemical studies showed two positive reactions for the epithelial marker and mesenchymal marker. Based on the above findings, the patient was diagnosed with gastric carcinosarcoma. The immunohistochemical analysis is a critical method in making an accurate diagnosis of carcinosarcoma.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma with dense lipiodol uptake / 대한외과학회지

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the liver is a very rare lesion that has radiologic similarity with malignant liver tumor. Differential diagnosis of IMT from a malignant lesion of the liver is very important because surgical resection is not mandatory for IMT. Lipiodol computed tomography is a very sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Herein, we describe a case of IMT that had dense lipiodol uptake in the tumor and mimicked HCC. To our knowledge, previously, only one case of IMT with dense lipiodol retention has been reported.

Synchronous T-cell lymphoma in patient with colon cancer: a case report / 대한외과학회지

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in Korea. In contrast, pericolic or mesenteric lymphoma is relatively rare. We experienced an extremely rare case of synchronous primary colon cancer in the ascending colon with T-cell lymphoma in the pericolic lymph node. A 79-year-old woman presented with complaints of epigastric and right lower abdominal pain combined with anorexia and nausea. Colonoscopic evaluation and biopsy were performed, and the diagnosis was cecal adenocarcinoma. She underwent right hemicolectomy with lymph node dissection. The pathology report revealed adenocarcinoma in cecum with metastasis to 1 regional lymph node out of 37 lymph nodes. In addition, there was malignant angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma in 1 pericolic lymph node. There was no evidence of lymphoma in ileum, cecum and ascending colon, so the possibility of early phase of lymphoma was suggested.

Solitary Fibrous Tumor That Developed in the Thigh

A solitary fibrous tumor (STF) is a relatively unusual neoplasm first described as a distinctive tumor arising from pleura. Some reports have shown that STF also affect extrathoracic regions. A 70-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment of an incidentally discovered thigh mass. We performed complete removal of the tumor. It was a soft tissue tumor with muscle indentation but without invasion to the surrounding muscles. The resected specimen was 7.0x6.3x5.2 cm. Histologically, the tumor was composed of a haphazard proliferation of spindle cells and epitheloid cells with hypercellularity and high mitotic activity. Immunohistochemistry showed positive immunoreactivity for CD34, CD99, bcl-2 protein, CD117, vimentin, smooth muscle actin and epithelial membrane antigen. We report, herein, on a rare case of malignant SFT in the thigh region along with a review of the literature.

Clinical Importance of Vimentin and MMP 2 Expression in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND / PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cancer with a poor prognosis. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the genesis of HCC, as well as the progression of HCC, allow for improved prediction of the prognosis of patients with HCC and more effective treatment. In this study, we determined the expression of vimentin and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP 2) and evaluated the clinical significance in (HCC). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed for vimentin and MMP 2 in 98 surgically resected HCC specimens using the tissue microarray method. The clinicopathologic data and the outcomes were reviewed, and the levels of expression of vimentin and MMP 2 were compared. RESULTS: Positive expression of vimentin and MMP 2 was observed in 7.1% and 41.8% of specimens, respectively. The overexpression of vimentin and MMP 2 had a positive correlation with tumor cell proliferative activity, as measured by the Ki-67 labeling index (p<0.001 and p=0.043, respectively), but was not correlated with the TUNEL labeling index. Other clinicopathological factors, such as platelet count, serosal invasion, Edomondson grade, capsule infiltration, TNM stage(UICC, 6th edition) and extrahepatic metastases in patients with recurrences had a significant correlation with vimentin. The presence of portal vein thrombosis approached statistical significance with MMP 2 expression. In the survival analysis, overexpression of vimentin and MMP 2 was correlated with a poor overall survival rate based on univariate analysis (p=0.002 and, p=0.047, respectively), but not based on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In HCC, vimentin and MMP 2 may have a role in cancer progression with more aggressive potential, thus suggesting their use as a prognostic markers in HCC.

Occult Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Presenting as a Cystic Neck Mass / 대한내분비외과학회지

The majority of cystic masses in the lateral neck are benign entities, and these entities include branchial cyst. Occult papillary thyroid carcinoma can occasionally present with regional lymph node metastasis. However, cystic metastasis from occult papillary thyroid carcinoma is a very rare condition. We present here a case of a cystic neck mass as the sole initial clinical manifestation of metastatic occult papillary thyroid carcionoma.

Prognostic Value of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Prognostic indicators are used increasingly in clinical trials and to guide surveillance for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The significance of a preoperative, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as a predictive indicator for malignancy and for prognosis in colorectal cancer has not been elucidated. Hence, the current study was conducted to evaluate the ESR as a prognostic indicator in patients with CRC. METHODS: This study enrolled 232 patients who underwent surgery in our hospital between 1997 and 2004. ESR with clinicopathologic features and overall survival were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The ESRs of 139 patients were elevated, and those of 93 patients were normal. Elevated ESR was associated with the male gender, decreased hemoglobin, increased platelet count, high preoperative CEA, high preoperative CA19-9, tumor size (> or =5 cm), T stage, and TNM stage. Patients with elevated ESR had poorer survival (P=0.001), but a multivariate analysis did not reveal an elevated ESR as an independent factor for prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative elevation of ESR in patients with CRC suggests the presence of a tumor with aggressive behavior and a poor outcome.

The Prognostic Value of CA19-9 in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: There has been much debate about the significance of the CA19-9 level for predicting the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the preoperative serum CA19-9 level and the CA19-9 expression in the tumor tissues of colorectal cancer patients METHODS: One hundred patients with colorectal cancer and who had been treated by resection were studied. We assessed the correlations of the preoperative serum CA19-9 level and the status of the CA19-9 immunohistochemical staining with the clinicopathologic features, including the prognosis of the patients. RESULTS: The preoperative serum CA19-9 level had significant correlation with the status of CA19-9 immunohistochemical staining. The presence of distant metastasis was significantly correlated with an elevated level of serum CA19-9. The depth of tumor, the presence of lymph node metastasis, the TNM stage and tumor cell differentiation were significantly correlated with the status of the CA19-9 immunohistochemical staining. In addition, the gross morphology, depth of tumor, the presence of lymph node metastasis, the TNM stage, the status of the CA19-9 immunohistochemical staining and the serum CEA level were correlated with survival on univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis did not validate the status of CA19-9 immunohistochemical staining as a significantly independent predictor of the prognosis. CONCLUSION: The CA19-9 expression was frequently observed in advanced stage tumor tissue, yet its expression in tumor tissue or the preoperative CA19-9 serum level did not show independent prognostic value for colorectal cancer patients.

Clinical Significance of Thrombocytosis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Thrombocytosis is commonly associated with various tumors, including stomach, ovarian, lung, liver and pancreas cancers. Some clinical reports have shown thrombocytosis to be associated with the disease stage and prognosis. This study investigated the prevalence of the thromobocytosis in patients with colorectal cancer, and its association with the prognosis. METHODS: Two hundreds ninety-six patients with colorectal cancer who had been surgically treated at our hospital between 1997 and 2004 were enrolled in this study. The incidence, relationship with other clinicopathological factors, and the prognostic value of thrombocytosis were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty-seven of the 290 (12.8%) patients had thrombocytosis. The incidence of thrombocytosis was examined with regard to gender (P=0.018), tumor location (P=0.021), and T stage of tumor (P or =5 ng/ml) to be associated with both the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis revealed thrombocytosis to be significantly associated with the disease-free survival (P=0.026). CONCLUSION: Preoperative thrombocytosis appears to be an independent prognostic indicator of the DFS in patients with colorectal cancer.

Prognostic Value of Preoperative Serum Levels of CEA and CA19-9 in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: The significance of serum levels of CEA and CA19-9 in forming a prognosis for colorectal cancer patients remains as subject for debating. The aim of this study is to assess their correlations with tumor pathology and their prognostic values. METHODS: We analysed the data on 274 patients with colorectal cancer who had been treated by resection from Jan. 1997 to Aug. 2005. Correlation of the preoperative serum values of CEA and CA19-9 with clinocopathologic features, including prognosis, of the patients was investigated. RESULTS: The positivity rates of the two tumor markes were significantly correlated with tumor size, differentiation, TNM staging, venous invasion, and neural invasion. In addition, the positivity rate of CEA was related to lymphatic invasion and that of CA19-9 to gender. In the univariate analysis, CEA (P<0.001), CA19-9 (P<0.001), tumor size (P=0.011), TNM staging (P<0.001), lymphatic invasion (P=0.003), venous invasion (P<0.001), neural invasion (P<0.001), and differentiation (P=0.023) correlated with survival of the patients. In the stepwise multivariate analysis, an advanced TNM stage (P<0.001), positive venous invasion (P=0.011), and positive neural invasion (P=0.013) were independent prognostic factors for poor survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that high serum levels of tumor markers were associated with more aggressive cancers, but in the multivariate analysis, CEA and CA19-9 were found not to be independent prognostic factors.

Neutropenic Enterocolitis after Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer

Neutropenic enterocolitis is observed in approximately 10~46% of patients with acute leukemia, as well as in patients with other diseases, like acquired immunodeficiency syndrom (AIDS), that lead to profound neutropenia. Patients who become neutropenic after combined chemotherapy are at special risk of developing neutropenic enterocolitis. With the recently increasing numbers of patients with solid tumors treated with high-dose chemotherapy, the frequency of this disease is expected to increase. However, this disease has been rarely reported in patients with colon cancer treated with leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil for adjuvant chemotherapy. We report a case of neutropenic enterocolitis after a treatment of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for sigmoid colon cancer.

Study of CpG Methylation of the p16 and MGMT Promoter in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to examine the methylation status of the p16 and MGMT promoters in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to evaluate the relationship between the loss of gene expression, the promoter methylation status and hepatocarcinogenesis. METHODS: We included 24 HCC tissues and their adjacent non-tumorous tissues and 5 normal liver tissues in our study, and all the specimens were obtained by hepatectomy. The methylation status of the p16 and MGMT promoter regions were evaluated by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and quantitative analysis by using a Gel-pro analyzer (Media Cybernetics, CA, USA). We also analyzed the p16 and MGMT gene expressions by performing immunohistochemical staining of the HCC tissues. RESULTS: Methylation of the p16 promoter was detected in HCC (100%, 24/24) and the adjacent non-tumorous tissues (79.2%, 19/24), but not in the normal liver tissues. Methylation of the MGMT promoter was detected in the HCC (8.3%, 2/24) and the adjacent non-tumorous tissues (4.2%, 1/24), but not in the normal liver tissues. Methylation positive HCC samples showed the loss of p16 expression in 58.3% (14/24). The loss of the p16 expression in the HCC tissues was well correlated with the increased rate of p16 promoter methylation (p=0.009). When the p16 promoter methylation status of the HCC tissues was higher than that of the adjacent non-tumorous tissues, 77.8% of the cases showed the loss of the p16 expression (p=0.002). No correlation was observed between MGMT promoter methylation and the loss of the gene expression in the HCC tissues. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that methylation of the p16 promoter and the resulting loss of p16 protein expression are significant events in hepatocarcinogenesis, and further studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between the methylation of the MGMT promoter and HCC carcinogenesis.