Hepatitis A outbreak associated with a revolving sushi bar in Chiba, Japan: Application of molecular epidemiology.

AIM: The number of hepatitis A cases in Japan as well as in other developed countries has been progressively decreasing during the last several years. There is no universal hepatitis A vaccination program in Japan, and a hepatitis A virus (HAV) epidemic in Japan is not unlikely. In 2011, a hepatitis A outbreak associated with a revolving sushi bar occurred in Chiba, Japan. We aimed to analyze this outbreak. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients associated with this outbreak were admitted to the National Hospital Organization Chiba Medical Center. Molecular epidemiologic investigations were conducted. RESULTS: Twenty-six of the 27 patients had gone to the same revolving sushi bar, and then clinical symptoms appeared. HAV RNA was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in 23 of the 27 (85.1%) patients whose sera had tested positive for anti-HAV immunoglobulin M. All isolates from this outbreak were clustered within subgenotype IA, displaying 100% sequence homology with each other in 232 bp from all 23 patients. All isolates belong to the IA-1 sublineage, which is endemic to Japan. CONCLUSION: A revolving sushi bar was associated with a hepatitis A outbreak, and molecular epidemiological investigations proved useful.

Pancreatogram findings for carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the pancreas seen on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and postoperative pancreatography of resected specimens: can CIS be diagnosed preoperatively?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: From 1992 to 2003, 7 carcinomata in situ (CIS) were incidentally discovered during microscopical observation of resected materials for advanced carcinomas of peripancreatic organs, of which 4 had undergone endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or postoperative pancreatography of the resected specimen (POP). In addition, 7 of 79 invasive ductal carcinomata (IDC) of the pancreas were accompanied by CIS > or =2 cm long. A total of 11 patients were reviewed here for pancreatographic findings for CIS of the pancreas. METHODS: All resected pancreatobiliary materials were sliced serially at 5- to 8-mm intervals in a plane at right angles to the main pancreatic duct, referring to POP images. RESULTS: Irregularity (I), non-continuous narrowing (N), granular defects (G), and dilatation (D) were seen in 78, 67, 33 and 22% on ERCP, respectively, and in 90, 70, 60 and 40% on POP, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: I, N, G, and D are most important pancreatographic findings in ERCP and highly suggestive of CIS of the pancreas, so that whenever they are encountered, cytological and/or pathological examination of the pancreatic duct should be actively performed.

Image-diagnostic features of mature cystic teratomas of the pancreas: report on two cases difficult to diagnose preoperatively.

This report documents the findings of two rare cases of mature cystic teratoma of the pancreas. Although they could not be diagnosed preoperatively, our retrospective report suggests that the combined diagnosis of ultrasonography (US), enhanced computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) might allow differentiation from other cystic lesions such as mucinous cystic tumors (MCTs) and intraductal papillary-mucinous tumors (IPMTs). Since the cystic teratomas were both filled with keratinous and sebaceous material, they were echogenic, appearing as solid masses on US. Enhanced CT showed their cystic nature, with values slightly higher than water, and MRCP revealed defects of internal signals.

Clinicopathology of pancreaticobiliary maljunction: relationship between alterations in background biliary epithelium and neoplastic development.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Between 1988 and 2003, 38 patients underwent biliary resection for pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). We reviewed the histopathologic findings for the surgically resected specimens to compare the clinical and pathologic features and assess the relationship between changes in the background biliary epithelium and the development of neoplasms. METHODS: Papillary hyperplasia (PHP) seen in the biliary epithelium of patients with PBM, was classified into grades 0--III in the gallbladder and grades 0--II in the extrahepatic bile duct, according to the extent, and was assessed for links with tumors in the same specimens. RESULTS: The incidence of gallbladder carcinoma was 13/21 in grades I--II, versus 0/16 in grade III, while the incidence of bile duct carcinoma was 4/20 in grade I versus 0/5 in grade II. Furthermore, these incidences for patients below age 50 years and age 50 or older were 1/18 versus 12/20, and 0/14 versus 6/17, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PHP of the biliary epithelium in PBM patients is an important precursor lesion, especially for gallbladder cancer, and the risk becomes greater with age, regardless of the type of pancreatobiliary junction (PBJ) and its location in the biliary tract.

Surgical treatment of intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor (IPMT) of the pancreas: operative indications based on surgico-pathologic study focusing on invasive carcinoma derived from IPMT.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Between 1979 and 2000, 51 patients with intraductal papillary-mucinous tumor (IPMT) of the pancreas underwent surgical resection. METHODS: The patients were reviewed to disclose the surgical pathology of invasive carcinoma derived from IPMT and to determine the surgical indications for IPMT on the basis of the pathologic findings. RESULTS: The incidence of invasive carcinoma derived from IPMT according to the localization of the tumor was as follows: 4/9 (44%) in the main pancreatic duct (MPD type), 4/9 (44%) showing ductal spread from the MPD to branch ducts (mixed type), and 2/33 (6%) in the 2 branch duct (branch type). The maximal size of the intraductal spread of invasive carcinomas (8 of 18 cases in the MPD and mixed type together and 2 of 33 cases in the branch type) was as follows: 6/8 (75%) in the MPD and mixed type were over 6 cm in size, and the 2-branch-type invasive carcinomas were within the 3-cm size range. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that for both invasive and noninvasive IPMTs, surgical resection was necessary for any MPD or mixed-type IPMTs, and that surgical resection was appropriate for branch-type lesions larger than or equal to 3 cm in diameter, or for lesions smaller than 3 cm showing rapid growth on clinical images.