The survival impact of preoperative FOLFOX for resectable locally advanced rectal cancer: the R-NAC-01 study.

PURPOSE: In this follow-up of the R-NAC-01 study, we assessed the long-term oncological benefit of four courses of modified leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil (FU), and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) chemotherapy before rectal surgery. METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter study (UMIN 000012559) involving 11 hospitals in Japan, patients with lower rectal cancer underwent four cycles of mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy and subsequent surgery within four to six weeks. The 3-year recurrence-free survival and local recurrence rates were then reported. RESULTS: Of 41 patients (36 males, 5 females; mean age: 60.8 years old) who received 4 courses of chemotherapy, 40 underwent total mesorectal excision, and 1 underwent total pelvic exenteration. R0 resection was achieved in 40 patients, but none showed a pathological complete response. Twenty-nine patients received adjuvant chemotherapy for an average of 4 months. The 3 year recurrence-free survival and local recurrence rates in patients undergoing curable resection were 72.8% and 8.5%, respectively. cStage III patients with adjuvant chemotherapy had a significantly higher 3 year recurrence-free survival than those without adjuvant chemotherapy (76.6 vs. 40.0%, log-rank p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Four courses of mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy before surgery may be a promising treatment strategy for locally advanced rectal cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy might be needed for cStage III patients, even after four courses of neoadjuvant mFOLFOX6.

Retrieval strategy for ruptured balloon with circumferential tear during angioplasty for arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Balloon angioplasty is a common endovascular procedure. The balloon for angioplasty sometimes ruptures (incidence, 3.6%-10%), and it is constructed such that it ruptures in a longitudinal direction and complications related to rupture are rare. However, on rare occasions, retrieval is challenging, especially in the case of ruptures with a circumferential tear. There is no established method for retrieval and careful retrieval is required due to the risk of embolization by the residual balloon fragment. TECHNIQUE: We describe two cases of balloon rupture in the transverse direction during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for arteriovenous fistula in hemodialysis patients. In these cases, the balloon ruptured with a circumferential tear and dissected into two parts, and the tip edge remained in the vessel. We inserted an additional introducer at the side of the tip edge, caught the guidewire by a gooseneck snare, and hooked the residual balloon fragment. This also stabilized and increased the stiffness of the guidewire through the "pull-through technique." Then, we reintroduced the gooseneck snare to catch the residual balloon. We then inserted a cobra-head catheter from the first introducer and pushed the residual balloon. We finally retrieved the ruptured balloon by pulling back the gooseneck snare and pushing using the cobra-head catheter simultaneously. RESULTS: We could retrieve the ruptured balloons successfully using this technique and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was continued in both cases. CONCLUSION: Our technique of retrieval may be suitable for cases of balloon rupture with a circumferential tear during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. The technique enables less invasive retrieval and continuation of the percutaneous transluminal angioplasty thereafter.

Recurrent gastric volvulus associated with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric volvulus (GV) is defined as a rotation of the stomach along its short or long axis leading to variable degrees of gastric outlet obstruction. Rotation of the stomach >180° may cause closed loop obstruction and possible strangulation, which often causes acute abdominal pain. Strangulation and gangrene of the twisted stomach sometimes occurs, which demands immediate surgical intervention. We report a case of acute gastric volvulus due to a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), with multiple recurrences, that eventually required emergency gastrectomy. PRESENTATION OF THE CASE: A 71-year-old woman with a history of recurrent epigastric pain, nausea, and anorexia was diagnosed to have a 70-mm sized submucosal tumor (SMT) in the lesser curvature of the stomach. An elective gastrectomy was planned; however, before the procedure, she visited the emergency room with acute recurrent epigastric pain associated with postural variations. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a GV and the tumor had shifted to the greater curvature. An emergency gastrectomy was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and pathological examination revealed features consistent with that of GIST. DISCUSSION: GV with GIST has rarely been reported and risk factors such as size or localization are unknown. In this case, GV was probably caused by GIST of the stomach, which was large and heavy enough to rotate the gastric body around the mesenteroaxis. CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention without delay should be planned in similar scenarios accounting for the risk of GV in GIST.

Preoperative FOLFOX in resectable locally advanced rectal cancer can be a safe and promising strategy: the R-NAC-01 study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the safety of rectal surgery after 5-fluorouracil-leucovorin-oxaliplatin chemotherapy (FOLFOX6). METHODS: This was a prospective, multicenter study in 11 Japanese hospitals. We included patients with rectal cancer who received 4 courses of modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6) before rectal surgery and examined the postoperative complication rate, the clinicopathological response, and the rate of chemotherapy-related adverse events (UMIN 000012559). RESULTS: The study population included 36 men and 5 women. The average age of the patients was 60.8 years and the average body mass index was 23.1 kg/m2. After 4 courses of chemotherapy, grade 2 peripheral nerve disorder and other grade 3 adverse events were seen in 3 patients each (7.3%). Twenty-eight (73.7%) and 8 (21.1%) patients underwent low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection, respectively. The pelvic nerves were preserved in 35 patients. Surgical morbidity (grade ≥ 3) occurred in 4 patients (10.5%). Anastomotic leakage occurred after surgery in 2 patients (7.1%). No patients achieved pathologically complete remission. However, downstaging of the clinical stage and N stage was seen in 17 (41.5%) and 22 (53.7%) patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery after four courses of mFOLFOX6 chemotherapy can be a safe and promising strategy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Anterograde bile duct drainage for intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with previous pancreatoduodenectomy: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic retrograde drainage is effective for managing bile leakage, which is relatively common after hepatectomy without bile duct reconstruction. However, the procedure is difficult to perform after pancreatoduodenectomy with choledochojejunostomy. We present a case of anterograde bile duct drainage for intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with previous pancreatoduodenectomy. PRESENTATION OF CASE: An 80-year-old woman with a history of pancreatoduodenectomy for distal biliary cancer and adjuvant chemotherapy presented with bile leakage. Six years after the pancreatoduodenectomy, she underwent partial hepatectomy for suspected metastasis or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. On the 9th postoperative day, bile leaked from her drainage tube forming an abscess cavity; this continued until the 28th postoperative day. We attempted selective anterograde drainage from the cut surface of the liver under fluoroscopic guidance using a guidewire and Cobra-type catheter. We selectively cannulated the entrance hole of the bile duct. Twenty days after the drainage, the abscess cavity disappeared. After 41 days, the tube was removed, and the patient was discharged. We suggest this procedure as a possible treatment option for difficult bile leakage cases. DISCUSSION: A case of intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with a previous history of pancreatoduodenectomy is difficult to manage, and usually needs surgical intervention. The effect of selective cannulation of the entrance hole of the bile duct has not been studied. CONCLUSION: Selective anterograde bile duct drainage for intractable bile leakage after hepatectomy in a patient with a previous history of pancreatoduodenectomy successfully resolved bile duct leakage in our patient.

Two-stage surgery for intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal multicentric liposarcoma causing hydronephrosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Liposarcoma is a soft tissue sarcoma of adipocyte origin. Liposarcoma represents 20-30% of adult soft tissue tumors, which was most frequently seen in the retroperitoneal space in 45% and abdominal space in only 5% of cases, but the multicentric case is unknown. Herein, we describe a rare case of multicentric, large, intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal liposarcoma, one of which had caused infection and pressing the right ureter causing hydronephrosis, which was resected by two-stage surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 46-year-old man who was referred for abdominal bloating and fatigue. Enhanced computed tomography showed a 23-cm intra-abdominal tumor and a 14.6-cm left retroperitoneal tumor. The intra-abdominal tumor which compressed the right ureter caused right unilateral hydronephrosis and deteriorated the renal function. The intra-abdominal tumor had also formed an intra-abdominal abscess. We performed emergent laparotomy and resected the intra-abdominal tumor. After the recovery of renal function, we resected the residual retroperitoneal tumor. Histopathological examination showed both tumors to be myxoid/round cell type liposarcoma. Considering clinical findings and their location, he was diagnosed with multicentric liposarcoma. He underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and has been alive without any recurrence for 9 months after the operation. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully resected large intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal multicentric myxoid/round cell liposarcomas. A two-stage surgery was a rational choice as it provides time to confirm the recovery of renal function.

Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder due to bacterial cystitis.

We report a case of spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder (SRUB) due to bacterial cystitis in a 76-year-old woman with chief complaint of abdominal pain a day before presentation. She had fever (38.0°C), and her systolic blood pressure dropped to 70 mmHg; she was referred to our hospital, where she was admitted with a diagnosis of ileus. However, her abdominal pain worsened the following day, and abdominal CT showed free air. Emergency laparotomy was performed for suspicion of digestive tract perforation, which revealed a small hole at the dome of the urinary bladder and another at the peritoneum. Suture repair was performed. We reviewed the abdominal CT on admission and noted that the perforation of the urinary bladder was present during admission, whereas that of the peritoneum occurred the following day. SRUB is rare, and bacterial cystitis rarely causes it; thus, accurate diagnosis and proper treatment are essential.