Stent Graft of Pseudoaneurysm Rupture After Subtotal Stomach-preserving Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pseudoaneurysm rupture (PR) after subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (SSPPD) is a potentially fatal complication. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 122 patients who underwent SSPPD at the Matsuyama Red Cross Hospital between January 2016 and December 2021. RESULTS: PR occurred in five patients (4.1%) after SSPPD. Preoperative diagnoses were cancers of the pancreatic head, distal bile duct, and gallbladder. All patients had postoperative Grade B or C pancreatic fistulas. PR occurred on postoperative days 8, 13, 20, 45, and 46. Bleeding sites were at the gastroduodenal artery transection, left gastric artery, and right hepatic artery. Four patients underwent peripheral stent graft placement, and one underwent haemostasis by coiling. Stent grafts for the gastroduodenal artery transected stamp were placed in the common hepatic artery, and in the superior mesenteric artery for PR in the right hepatic artery. All patients who underwent stent graft placement were treated with antiplatelet therapy; no complications or stent occlusion were observed in these patients. However, two patients died of cancer recurrence, 4 and 8 months after stent graft placement. The longest survival post stent graft placement was 50 months. CONCLUSION: Peripheral stent graft placement for the treatment of PR after SSPPD can maintain peripheral blood flow and haemostasis.

Ligation of left gastric vein may cause delayed gastric emptying after pancreatoduodenectomy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine which running pattern of the left gastric vein (LGV) is most frequently ligated in subtotal stomach-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (SSPPD) and how LGV ligation affects delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after SSPPD. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 105 patients who underwent SSPPD between January 2016 and September 2021. We classified the running pattern of LGV as follows: type 1 runs dorsal to the common hepatic artery (CHA) or splenic artery (SpA) to join the portal vein (PV), type 2 runs dorsal to the CHA or SpA and joins the splenic vein, type 3 runs ventral to the CHA or SpA and joins the PV, and type 4 runs ventral to the CHA or SpA and joins the SpV. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify differences between patients with and without DGE after SSPPD. RESULTS: Type 1 LGV running pattern was observed in 47 cases (44.8%), type 2 in 23 (21.9%), type 3 in 12 (11.4%), and type 4 in 23 (21.9%). The ligation rate was significantly higher in type 3 (75.0%) LGVs (p < 0.0001). Preoperative obstructive jaundice (p = 0.0306), LGV ligation (p < 0.0001), grade B or C pancreatic fistula (p = 0.0116), and sepsis (p = 0.0123) were risk factors for DGE in the univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that LGV ligation was an independent risk factor for DGE (odds ratio: 13.60, 95% confidence interval: 3.80-48.68, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Type 3 LGVs are often ligated because they impede lymph node dissection; however, LGV preservation may reduce the occurrence of DGE after SSPPD.

Synchronous gallbladder metastasis originating from residual gastric cancer: a case report and the review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer rarely metastasizes to the gallbladder. Furthermore, there has never been a case report of simultaneous gallbladder metastasis from residual gastric cancer. Here, we report a case of synchronous gallbladder metastasis originating from a residual gastric cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 67-year-old man underwent a follow-up upper endoscopy 18 months after a partial gastrectomy for gastric cancer; an ulcerative lesion was found in the remnant stomach at the gastrojejunal anastomosis. A biopsy revealed gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC). A full-body examination revealed no abnormalities other than gallstones in the gallbladder. With a diagnosis of residual gastric cancer (cT2N0M0 cStage I), the patient underwent open total gastrectomy and cholecystectomy. Macroscopic findings of the resected specimen revealed thickening of the gallbladder wall; however, no obvious neoplastic lesions were found on the mucosal surface of the gallbladder. The pathological findings showed that the SRCC had invaded the submucosa of the gastrojejunostomy site with a high degree of lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastases. SRCCs were also found in the lymphatic vessels of the gallbladder wall. These findings suggested the possibility of gallbladder metastasis through lymphatic vessels. The patient and his family members refused postoperative chemotherapy. Ten months after the operation, the patient experienced respiratory failure due to lymphangitis carcinomatosa and died. CONCLUSIONS: At present, it is difficult to determine whether resection of the gallbladder contributes to an improved prognosis of gastric cancer patients. However, reports in such cases demonstrate that gallbladder metastasis could be a poor predictor of prognosis for gastric cancer.

Critical peritonitis secondary to gastrointestinal mucormycosis in a peritoneal dialysis patient: a case report.

Immunodeficient patients are susceptible to systemic fungal infections; however, these rarely cause secondary peritonitis. A 66-year-old man with multiple myeloma and diabetes mellitus on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) presented with cloudy ascitic fluid. He had been treated with corticosteroids for 1 month for Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. We diagnosed peritoneal dialysis-related peritonitis caused by Enterococcus avium, removed the CAPD catheter, and initiated intravenous ampicillin. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an intramural gastric mass and a thinning ascending colon wall. Four days later, follow-up contrast-enhanced CT showed penetration of the ascending colon and rupture of the ileocolic artery. Emergency open surgery revealed hemorrhagic infarction with mucormycosis. We initiated intravenous liposomal amphotericin B 20 days after admission; however, he died 55 days later. Anatomical abnormalities, such as gastrointestinal perforation, should be considered for peritonitis in immunodeficient patients. Gastrointestinal mucormycosis is rare but fatal, resulting from a delay in diagnosis and consequent gastrointestinal perforation. For an early diagnosis and a favorable clinical outcome, it is important to consider the risk factors for mucormycosis, including corticosteroid use, diabetes, end-stage kidney diseases.

Recurrent intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct due to intraductal dissemination: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) is a subtype of biliary tumor. The 5-year survival rate of patients with IPNB who underwent curative resection is 81%. However, IPNB is known to often recur in other parts of the bile duct. Nevertheless, its mechanism remains poorly understood. Herein, we report the case of a patient with recurrent IPNB, which was considered to be attributed to intraductal dissemination in the common bile duct at 12 months after curative resection. We also made a review of the existing literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital for the evaluation and dilation of an intrahepatic bile duct (IHBD) mass. Computed tomography (CT) findings confirmed a mass in the left hepatic duct. Left trisectionectomy, extrahepatic bile duct resection with biliary reconstruction, and regional lymph node dissection were performed. Intraoperative examination of the resection margin at the common bile duct and posterior segmental branch of the hepatic duct was negative for the presence of malignant cells. Histologically, the tumor showed intraductal papillary growth of the mucinous epithelium and was diagnosed as non-invasive IPNB. It had a papillary structure with atypical epithelial cells lined up along the neoplastic fibrovascular stalks. Immunohistochemically, this was as a gastric-type lesion. At 12 postoperative months, CT revealed a 1.5-cm mass in the lower remnant common bile duct. We performed subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. The tumor exhibited papillary growth and was microscopically and immunohistochemically similar to the first tumor. At approximately 16 months after the patient's second discharge, CT showed an abdominal mass at the superior mesenteric plexus, which was diagnosed as recurrent IPNB. Chemotherapy is ongoing, and the patient is still alive. In this case, as described in many previous reports, IPNB recurred below the primary lesion in the bile duct. CONCLUSION: Based on our review of previous reports on IPNB recurrence, intraductal dissemination was considered one of the mechanisms underlying recurrence after multicentric development. Considering the high frequency and oncological conversion of recurrence in IPNB, regular follow-up examination is essential to achieve better prognosis in patients with recurrent IPNB.

Laparoscopic treatment of median arcuate ligament syndrome without ganglionectomy of the celiac plexus in the hybrid operating room: Report of a case.

INTRODUCTION: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare condition in which the median arcuate ligament (MAL) causes compression of the celiac artery (CA) and plexus. Although 13-50 % of healthy population exhibit radiologic evidence of the CA compression, the majority remains asymptomatic. With or without symptoms, MALS have a risk of developing collateral circulation that leads to pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) aneurysms that have high risk of rupture. The treatment of MALS is the surgical release of the MAL. However, the necessity of ganglionectomy of the celiac plexus is still unclear. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 60-year-old man with a ruptured PDA aneurysm caused by MALS was admitted to our hospital for an emergency. After treatment for the ruptured PDA aneurysm by transcatheter arterial coil embolization, he underwent elective laparoscopic MAL release in the hybrid operation room to check blood flow of the CA intraoperatively. The angiography of the CA immediately after MAL release without ganglionectomy of the celiac plexus showed the antegrade blood flow to the proper hepatic artery instead of the retrograde flow via the pancreaticoduodenal arcade. The postoperative course was uneventful and the follow-up computed tomography revealed no residual CA stenosis. DISCUSSION: Unlike symptomatic MALS, it might be enough to just release the MAL without ganglionectomy of the celiac plexus for asymptomatic MALS, especially that with the treated PDA aneurysm. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic treatment of MALS in hybrid operating room could allow for adequate MAL release without ganglionectomy of the celiac plexus using the intraoperative angiography of the CA.

Lethal multiple colon necrosis and perforation due to fulminant amoebic colitis: a surgical case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Amoebiasis caused by the protozoan species Entamoeba histolytica rarely develops into fulminant amoebic colitis (FAC), but when it does, it shows an aggressive clinical course including colonic perforation, necrotizing colitis, and high mortality. Surgical treatment for FAC patients should be carried out urgently. However, even after surgery, the mortality rate can be 40-50%. Although FAC is one of the most unfavorable surgical diseases with a poor prognosis, there are a few reports on the perioperative diagnosis and management of FAC based on autopsy findings. We herein report the surgical case of a 64-year-old man who developed multiple colon necrosis and perforation due to FAC. A detailed autopsy revealed FAC as the cause of death. Additionally, we reviewed the existing literature on FAC patients who underwent surgery and followed their perioperative diagnosis and management. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old man presented with anorexia, diarrhea, and altered consciousness on arrival to our hospital. Computed tomography revealed a large mass in the upper right lobe of his lung, and the patient was admitted for close investigation. Bloody diarrhea, lower abdominal pain, and hypotension were observed soon after admission. Urgent abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed extensive intestinal ischemia, intestinal pneumatosis, and free intra-abdominal gas. The preoperative diagnosis was bowel necrosis and perforation with intussusception of the small intestinal tumor. Emergency subtotal colectomy and enterectomy were performed soon after the contrast-enhanced computed tomography. He was taken to an intensive care unit after surgery. However, he could not recover from sepsis and died with disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ failure on the 10th-day post-surgery. A histopathological examination of the resected colon showed transmural necrosis and massive amoebae invasion. He was diagnosed with FAC. An autopsy revealed that he had developed pulmonary large cell carcinoma with small intestinal metastasis. The death was caused by intestinal ischemia, necrosis and the perforation of the residual bowel caused by amoebae invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Since FAC is a lethal disease with a high mortality rate and antibiotic therapies except metronidazole are ineffective, preoperative serological testing and perioperative metronidazole therapy in FAC patients can dramatically improve their survival rates.

The Effect of Prone Positioning as Postoperative Physiotherapy to Prevent Atelectasis After Hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: The incidences of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) such as atelectasis, pneumonia and pleural effusion after major surgery range from <1 to 23%. Atelectasis after abdominal surgery increases the duration of hospitalization and short-term mortality rate, but there are few reports about atelectasis after hepatectomy. The effectiveness of prone position drainage as physiotherapy has been reported, but it remains unclarified whether prone positioning prevents atelectasis after hepatectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the prone position on the incidence of atelectasis after hepatectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of PPCs after hepatectomy at a single center. Patients were divided into two cohorts. The earlier cohort (n = 165) underwent hepatectomy between January 2016 and March 2018 and was analyzed to identify the risk factors for atelectasis and short-term outcomes; the later cohort (n = 51) underwent hepatectomy between April 2018 and March 2019 and underwent prone position drainage in addition to regular mobilization postoperatively. The incidences of PPCs were compared between the two cohorts. RESULTS: Independent risk factors for atelectasis were anesthetic duration (P = 0.016), operation time (P = 0.046) and open surgery (P = 0.011). The incidence of atelectasis was significantly lower in the later cohort (9.8%) than the earlier cohort (34.5%, P < 0.001). Moreover, the later cohort had a significantly shorter duration of oxygen support (P < 0.001) and postoperative hospitalization (P < 0.001). After propensity score-matching, the incidence of atelectasis remained significantly lower in the later cohort (P = 0.027). CONCLUSION: Prone position drainage may decrease the incidence of atelectasis after hepatectomy and improve the short-term outcomes.

Usability of Intraoperative Fluorescence Imaging with Indocyanine Green During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy After Percutaneous Transhepatic Gallbladder Drainage.

BACKGROUND: Patients with persistent symptoms of acute cholecystitis for >72 h who cannot undergo urgent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) often undergo percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) and delayed LC. However, intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence with indocyanine green (ICG) has recently become available in various surgical settings. Therefore, we evaluated the usability of intraoperative fluorescence imaging with ICG for LC after PTGBD in patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: The preoperative and postoperative clinical characteristics of patients who underwent LC after PTGBD were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 130 patients were reviewed. Intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging was used in 39 (30.0%) patients, and none developed adverse reactions. Patients with ICG fluorescence imaging had a significantly shorter operative time (129 ± 46 vs. 150 ± 56 min, p = 0.0455), markedly lower conversion rate (2.6% vs. 22.0%, p = 0.0017), and lower proportion of subtotal cholecystectomy (0.0% vs. 6.6%, p = 0.0359) than patients without ICG fluorescence imaging. Independent risk factors for conversion to laparotomy during LC after PTGBD were the performance of PTGBD after 48 h from onset (OR 3.52; 95% CI 1.11-12.21; p = 0.0322), an unremoved PTGBD tube on LC (4.48, 1.46-15.00, p = 0.0084), and surgery without ICG (8.00, 1.28-159.47, p = 0.0231). CONCLUSION: Intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging produced better surgical outcomes without any adverse reactions. Early performance of PTGBD and intraoperative ICG fluorescence imaging can reduce the surgical difficulties in LC after PTGBD for acute cholecystitis.

Favorable Outcomes of Hepatectomy for Ruptured Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Retrospective Analysis of Primary R0-Hepatectomized Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is defined as a detrimental staging factor. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether the prognosis of surgical patients with ruptured HCC was truly appalling. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data obtained from the medical records of 1,031 patients who underwent primary R0 hepatecomy for HCC between August 2003 and November 2014 at the Department of Surgery and Science, Kyushu University Hospital and its two affiliated hospitals, were retrospectively analyzed. Twenty-seven patients had ruptured HCC. RESULTS: The recurrence-free and overall survival for patients with ruptured HCC were favorable. All 19 patients with ruptured HCC who experienced recurrence had intrahepatic recurrence, while only three had peritoneal recurrence. The multivariate risk factor analyses showed that rupture itself was not relevant to recurrence-free survival nor to overall patient survival. CONCLUSION: Rupture itself does not have much relevance to the outcome for patients who undergo hepatectomy.

Retrograde Jejunojejunal Intussusception After Gastrectomy: Report of Four Cases.

BACKGROUND: Retrograde intussusception of the small bowel is extremely rare. We experienced four cases of retrograde jejunojejunal intussusception that needed emergency surgery. The aim of the present report was to expand awareness of retrograde jejunojejunal intussusception as an urgent complication following gastrectomy.

Favorable Prognosis in Patients with Sustained Virological Response to Antiviral Therapy, Including Interferon, for Chronic Hepatitis C Before Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: A sustained virological response (SVR) to interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) reduces but does not eliminate the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prognosis after hepatectomy for HCC in patients with SVR has not been fully clarified. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1998 and 2011, 494 patients with chronic hepatitis C underwent hepatic resection for HCC at four high-volume Centers in Japan. Out of these, 188 underwent IFN therapy for HCV. In 92 patients, SVR to IFN therapy had been achieved at the time of hepatectomy (SVR group) while in 96 patients, SVR had not (non-SVR group) had not been achieved. In the other 306 patients, IFN therapy had never been performed at all (no IFN group). The clinicopathological factors and long-term outcomes were retrospectively reviewed and compared among SVR, non-SVR and no IFN groups. RESULTS: The mean time from achievement of SVR to hepatectomy for HCC was 6.2 years (range=2 months to 20 years). The preoperative serum alanine transaminase, albumin, prothrombin time, indocyanine green retention test at 15 min were significantly preserved in the SVR group. The overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates were significantly higher in the SVR group compared to patients in non-SVR and no IFN groups. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing hepatectomy for HCC, those with SVR had good liver function and a more favorable long-term prognosis than those without SVR. Early detection of HCC after SVR and meticulous hepatectomy with small blood loss is important in patients with HCC after hepatectomy.

Characteristics and Treatment Strategies for Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma in Advanced-stage Cases.

BACKGROUND: Small bowel adenocarcinoma is an uncommon disease with poor prognosis. Therefore, characteristics and treatment strategies for small bowel adenocarcinoma should be elucidated sufficiently, not only for surgery, but also for chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical records were abstracted to identify patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma who were treated at the Iizuka Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan, between 2004 and 2014. The results of surgical treatment for stage II/III cases and the efficacy of chemotherapy for unresectable stage IV cases were investigated. RESULTS: The median tumor size was 25.6 ± 19.2 mm, and tumor size was not associated with primary symptoms. Nine of the patients were diagnosed with stage II/III disease and underwent surgical resection. The other three patients were diagnosed with stage IV disease, and two out of those three cases received definitive chemotherapy. In two out of the nine resected cases, recurrence was observed; however, surgical resection of the recurrent tumor was associated with a good prognosis. In stage IV cases that received chemotherapy, survival durations of over 11 months were achieved. In contrast, overall survival in the stage IV case without chemotherapy was 3.3 months. CONCLUSION: Curative resection and definitive chemotherapy for unresectable cases are effective treatment strategies for small bowel adenocarcinoma.

Necessity for resection of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors ≤ 20 mm.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To evaluate whether surgical intervention was useful in patients undergoing surgery for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), for tumors ≤ 20 mm in size. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between August 2002 and July 2014, 138 patients with GIST underwent surgery at our Hospital, including 112 patients with gastric GISTs. The medical records of these patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Postoperative recurrence was observed in three patients, each having tumors with high mitotic rates and ≥ 21 mm in size. In 89 patients undergoing gastric wedge resection, the incidence of postoperative complications was 10.1%; 5.6% of the patients developed late sequelae, all of which were mild. The group classified as having tumors ≥ 21 mm in size had a higher proportion of elderly patients (p=0.0010), more complications (p=0.0152), and longer hospital stay (p=0.0589). CONCLUSION: To prevent recurrence, definitive diagnosis and aggressive resection while the tumor size is 20 mm or less is recommended. However, because some patients also carry surgical risks, sufficient consideration must be given to the needs of individual patients.

[A case of elderly advanced gastric cancer patient with multiple liver metastases effectively treated by hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy].

An 85 years old man was performed systemic chemotherapy after the palliative gastrectomy for unresectable gastric cancer with multiple liver metastases. The response evaluation revealed a progressive disease after 4 courses of first-line S-1 therapy and 3 courses of second-line paclitaxel therapy. At this point, metastatic lesions were still localized in the liver, so hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAI) was introduced as third-line therapy. Despite the marked reduction of all target lesions and reduced tumor marker level after 25 weeks of HAI without any adverse event, novel multiple metastatic lesions had appeared in the lung and celiac LNs, resulted in the cessation of HAI. Then he had suffered grade 3 mucositis oral and anorexia throughout 2 courses of fourth-line S-1 + CDDP therapy and fifth-line docetaxel therapy. Considering that the goal of treatment for unresectable gastric cancer patients is to delay developing symptoms and to prolong their life with the least adverse event, HAI could be an effective therapy.

[A long-term survival after hepatectomy combined with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for hepatic metastasis of colon cancer].

We report on a patient who presented in 2000 with multiple hepatic metastasis of sigmoid colon cancer. We chose the hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for this case since there was no effective chemotherapy at that time. After the intermittent chemotherapy for one and half years, we recognized that the tumor became smaller, though it couldn't cure completely. Therefore, two years after the first medical examination, we underwent a hepatic left lobectomy and S8 hepatectomy. No recurrence has been observed until now. As a recent treatment of the hepatic metastasis of colon cancer, there is a tendency to choose chemotherapy before operation. However, there are some cases in which chemotherapy isn't acceptable because of its side effect. Besides chemotherapy, we report another treatment (the hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy) which has a similar effectiveness with fewer side effects for the hepatic metastasis of colon cancer.

[A case of multiple liver and celiac lymph node metastases after curative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer successfully treated with hepatic arterial infusion and radiation therapy].

A 65-year-old woman, who had been operated by subtotal esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, was diagnosed as multiple liver metastases and celiac lymph node metastases one year after operation. The response evaluation revealed progressive disease after she had been suffering from nausea and anorexia throughout 2 courses of FP therapy. She refused to continue any more systemic chemotherapy, so we proposed an alternative to her, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAI) for multiple liver metastases and radiation therapy for celiac LN metastases. Despite the marked reduction of all target lesions and maintenance of tumor marker level below the normal limits after 50 Gy of irradiation and 5 courses of HAI, a novel solitary tumor had appeared in S3 of the liver and an abdominal pain during HAI had occurred at the end of 5th course of HAI. The angiogram revealed occlusion of hepatic artery, suggesting that the emergence of new lesion was attributed to unequal distribution of the drug. Six weeks after a cessation of HAI, a subsequent CT scan showed a rapidly enlarged new lesion in S3, so that a surgical resection for this tumor was performed. The patient is alive without recurrence more than 10 months after the diagnosis of multiple liver metastases (2 months after the last surgery).

[A case of duodenal penetration by indwelling catheter during hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy].

We report a patient with hepatic metastasis of descending colon cancer who underwent hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy using 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and CDDP, with an indwelling catheter and port system by GDA coil method. Since the tumor became smaller after five months, we decided to follow her up as an outpatient. Considering the possibility of its recurrence, the catheter-port system remained in her. Two and half years later, the recurrent hepatic metastasis was recognised and the hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy was fulfilled again. The tumor obviously reduced and the same treatment was continued. However, he was hospitalized with a complaint of hematemesis. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a projection around the splitting catheter in the duodenal bulb. Therefore, we embolized with coil under angiographic guidance in order not to bleed from the artery and removed the port. With this experience, special attention for the catheter port system must be taken if one considers a long-term treatment. Thereby, we report on the complications of the catheter-port system.

Extended lobectomy for procurement of the left lobe with caudate lobe for living-related liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation from living-related donors has been established for end-stage liver disease. In adult cases, the left lobe with a caudate lobe was transplanted in order to increase the graft volume. However, the procurement operation should be less invasive for the donor. In this article, we represent our technique by which the blood loss can be reduced during the harvesting operation. The technique was used to improve the extended left lobectomy for the procurement in 27 patients between May 1997 and December 1999 at Kyushu University Hospital. The groups included the following: 1) Procurement operation of the extended left lobe with caudate (n=9), 2) without caudate (n=18). The detailed record during the operation showed that the mean blood loss and the amount for the group with caudate was significantly smaller than that in the group without caudate. To reduce the blood loss during the procurement operation, we continue to use this technique in the living-related donors for adult recipients.

Muscle-targeted interleukin-12 gene therapy of orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma in mice using in vivo electrosonoporation.

We developed a new potent nonviral gene transfer method into mouse muscles in vivo named "electrosonoporation." We tried in this report to treat murine orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by muscle-targeted mouse interleukin-12 (mIL-12) gene transfer using in vivo electrosonoporation. I.m. administration of the mIL-12 gene with electrosonoporation elevated serum IL-12 and IFN-gamma and significantly prolonged the survival periods with both growth inhibition of orthotopic HCC and inhibition of spontaneous lung metastasis. The IL-12 gene therapy reduced the number of microvessels and induced more Mac-1-positive cells into HCC. These results show that muscle-targeted mIL-12 gene therapy for orthotopic HCC using in vivo electrosonoporation is very efficient and is thus promising for further clinical trial.