Risk Factors for Postoperative Liver Enzyme Elevation After Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) is more frequently associated with postoperative liver enzyme elevation (PLEE) than open gastrectomy in phase III clinical trials for Japanese gastric cancer patients. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors for PLEE after LG for gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 153 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent LG. The patient characteristics, the liver retraction method [silicone disc (SD) or Nathanson liver retractor (NLR)], and perioperative outcomes were compared between patients with and without PLEE. RESULTS: PLEE was observed in 26 patients (17%). The patients with PLEE exhibited longer operative times (p=0.005) and more frequent use of the NLR for liver retraction (p=0.022). In the multivariate analysis, liver retraction using the NLR (p=0.003) and aberrant left hepatic artery (ALHA) ligation (p=0.042) were independent risk factors of PLEE. CONCLUSION: Liver retraction with the SD during LG was shown to be the safer method that is less likely to cause postoperative liver dysfunction. ALHA preservation may contribute to avoiding postoperative liver dysfunction.

Four stay-sutures method: a simplified hand-sewn purse-string suture in laparoscopic circular-stapled esophagojejunostomy.

Laparoscopic esophagojejunostomy is a challenging procedure because of its technical difficulty. We herein report a new method involving circular-stapled anastomosis using a hand-sewn suture with four stay-sutures and evaluate its outcomes. Esophagojejunostomy using this method was performed in 36 consecutive patients with clinical stage I gastric cancer at the authors' institutions. The key feature of our procedure was the placement of four full-thickness stay-sutures to anchor the esophageal stump prior to the hand-sewn purse-string suture. The median operation time and mean anvil fixation time were 315.5 and 21.9 min, respectively. The mortality rate was 0%, although anastomotic leakage following esophagojejunostomy was observed in 1 patient (2.8%), and anastomotic stenosis was observed in another patient (2.8%). Intracorporeal esophagojejunostomy using the four stay-sutures method appears to be safe and feasible. We believe that this method enables hand-sewn purse-string suturing to be performed more easily.

Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma with Multilocular Cysts.

In this study, we describe a 60-year-old man with a giant retroperitoneal liposarcoma with multilocular cysts. He was admitted to our hospital because of a 5-month history of abdominal distention. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a giant lobulated cystic mass occupying the retroperitoneal space that contained partially solid fat components. Magnetic resonance imaging indicated that this complex mass exhibited a low signal intensity on a T1-weighted image, whereas it exhibited a high and focally intermediate signal intensity on a T2-weighted image. This patient was diagnosed with a mucinous type of retroperitoneal sarcoma, which was then resected. During surgery, the tumor was isolated from the retroperitoneum and other organs, but the detachment was required only because of fixation around the left external iliac artery. The histological diagnosis was a well-differentiated liposarcoma with multilocular cysts that contained old bloody, serous, and mucinous fluids, which are a rare phenomenon in liposarcoma. This case indicates that retroperitoneal liposarcoma should also be considered as a differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal cystic mass.

Paget's disease derived in situ from reserve cell hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagogastric junction: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) of the esophagus is a rare tumor, with most cases originating from invasive adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Pure esophageal Paget's disease, in which no underlying invasive carcinoma component is present, is extremely rare. In this report, we describe a case of EMPD of the esophagogastric junction with no evidence of invasive carcinoma. CASE PRESENTATION: An 81-year-old Japanese woman with a 2-week history of abdominal distension presented to our hospital for assessment. Endoscopic examination revealed a mild elevated granular lesion, with a slightly depressed irregular mucosa, in the distal esophagus, with EMPD confirmed by biopsy. Thoracoscopic esophagectomy with lymph node dissection was performed, with Paget cells observed on microscopic examination in the lower part of the esophageal epithelium. Only a few Paget cells stained positively for PAS/Alcian blue. Immunohistochemically, negative staining for CK5 and p63 were identified in the Paget cells, with positive staining for CK7. Furthermore, an intraepithelial squamous cell carcinoma, with squamous metaplasia and reserve cell hyperplasia, was observed in the gastric mucosa of the esophagogastric junction, adjacent to the Paget cells. CONCLUSIONS: EMPD of the esophagus is a rare disease. We report a case of EMPD that was probably derived from a gastric squamous cell carcinoma, with squamous cell metaplasia and reserve cell hyperplasia, in the esophagogastric junction, which, to our knowledge, is the first report of this type of EMPD in the clinical literature.

Prognostic Impact of Splenectomy in Patients with Esophagogastric Junction Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We evaluated the survival benefit of splenectomy in patients with esophagogastric junction (ECJ) carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined clinicopathological and survival data for 60 surgically-treated patients with ECJ carcinoma. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 47%. Splenectomy was performed in 20 patients (30%). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed splenectomy (odds ratio (OR), 2.70; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.06-7.17; p=0.04) and venous invasion (OR=3.03; 95%CI=1.20-9.27; p=0.02) as significant independent predictors of poorer OS. Splenic hilar lymph node metastasis was not observed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified perioperative blood transfusion (BTF) as a significant independent factor associated with splenectomy. CONCLUSION: The survival benefit of splenectomy in ECJ carcinoma patients may decrease with increasing frequency of perioperative BTF for blood loss. We recommend that splenectomy should be performed carefully when indicated by the extent or invasion of EGJ carcinoma.

Pneumatosis intestinalis with a benign clinical course: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a rare condition characterized by the presence of gas within the gastrointestinal tract wall. Most cases of PI have a benign clinical course, although some have serious outcomes. Mechanical stress on or bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal tract wall may be responsible for the onset of PI, but the detailed mechanism of PI pathogenesis is still unclear. Here, we describe two Japanese patients presenting with benign PI. CASE PRESENTATION: Case 1, a 37-year-old previously healthy male patient, had a 1-week history of abdominal pain, and case 2, a 78-year-old female diabetic patient, had a 2-week history of voglibose treatment and abdominal pain. Intramural gas was mainly distributed in the colon in case 1 and in the small intestine in case 2. Interestingly, neither patient showed obvious inflammatory signs upon admission and recovered spontaneously with conservative treatment, including fasting and fluid infusion without antibiotics. Voglibose treatment was terminated in case 2. Recent studies have shown the presence of nonpathogenic bacteria, such as Clostridium spp., in PI lesions, which usually play an important role in modulating the tolerance of the gastrointestinal immune responses. The benign clinical course and spontaneous resolution of PI in these patients, without specific treatment, suggests that nonpathogenic indigenous bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract participate in the pathogenesis of PI. CONCLUSION: In patients with benign PI, the absence of an inflammatory response and the spontaneous resolution of the disease without specific treatment suggest the participation of nonpathogenic indigenous bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract.

Randomised phase III study of S-1 alone versus S-1 plus lentinan for unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer (JFMC36-0701).

BACKGROUND: Lentinan (LNT) is a purified ß-1, 3-glucan that augments immune responses. The present study was conducted to assess the efficacy of LNT in combination with S-1 as a first-line treatment for unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive S-1 alone or S-1 plus LNT. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS). Secondary end-points were time-to-treatment failure (TTF), overall response rate (ORR), safety, quality of life (QOL), and biomarker. The percentages of LNT-binding monocytes in peripheral blood prior to treatment were analysed for the biomarker assessment. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-four and 155 patients were randomly assigned to receive S-1 alone or S-1 plus LNT, respectively. The median OS was 13.8 and 9.9 months (P = 0.208), the median TTF was 4.3 and 2.6 months (P < 0.001), the ORR was 22.3% and 18.7% for the S-1 and S-1 plus LNT groups, respectively. The incidences of haematologic and non-haematologic adverse events were similar, and no significant changes in QOL scores were observed during the treatment in both groups. In a subpopulation of patients with LNT-binding monocytes ≥2%, patients who received more than two cycles of chemotherapy showed a longer survival time in the S-1 plus LNT group. CONCLUSIONS: OS did not improve and TTF was significantly worse in the S-1 plus LNT group as compared with the S-1-only group. This study showed no efficacy of LNT when combined with S-1 treatment in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ID NUMBER: UMIN 000000574.

Poorly cohesive adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: a case report.

A 47-year-old Japanese male was submitted to pancreaticoduodenectomy for an ampullary cancer. Pathologically, the ampullary cancer was poorly cohesive adenocarcinoma without tubular structure. Moreover, locoregional lymph nodes were swollen with hypervascularity, plasmacytes infiltration, and hemorrhage. Our case seems to be different from usual poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma.

Evaluation of abdominal circumference and salivary amylase activities after unsedated colonoscopy using carbon dioxide and air insufflations.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare abdominal distention and stress in unsedated colonoscopy using carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and air insufflations. METHODS: Two hundred and five patients underwent colonoscopic examinations without sedation using either CO2 or air insufflation. Abdominal circumference and salivary amylase (sAMY) activities before and 0 and 15 min after colonoscopy were measured by a nurse who was blinded to the grouping of the patients. RESULTS: In all, 102 and 103 patients were randomly recruited in the CO2 and air insufflation groups, respectively. sAMY activities before and 0 and 15 min after colonoscopy were not significantly different between the two groups. Abdominal circumference measured immediately and 15 min after colonoscopy was significantly smaller in CO2 insufflation group than in the air insufflation group (81.2 cm vs 84.0 cm, and 79.7 cm vs 83.6 cm, respectively; P <0.05). The increasing ratio of abdominal circumference immediately after colonoscopy was not significantly different between the two groups; however, the ratio at 15 min after colonoscopy using CO2 insufflation was significantly lower than that in the air insufflation group (1.007 vs 1.028, P <0.001). CONCLUSION: sAMY activities after unsedated colonoscopy using CO2 insufflation were not improved; however, CO2 insufflation decreases abdominal circumference after colonoscopy compared with air insufflation.

A case of mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma of the stomach with focal intestinal metaplasia and hypergastrinemia.

Among neuroendocrine neoplasms, mixed exocrine and endocrine characteristics with at least 30% of each component are classified into mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC), according to the 2010 World Health Organization classification. We experienced a rare case of MANEC of the stomach with focal intestinal metaplasia and hypergastrinemia. A 76-year-old Japanese male was diagnosed as having gastric adenocarcinoma and underwent total gastrectomy. The pathologic diagnosis was MANEC of the stomach accompanied by unusual mucosal atrophy without Helicobacter pylori infection, the characteristics of which were different from both type A and type B atrophic gastritis. The patient has a history of long-term use of a proton pump inhibitor. Additional serum chemistry examination using preoperatively obtained plasma from the patient revealed hypergastrinemia. The mechanism of gastric MANEC carcinogenesis is still unclear, but that might be correlated with unusual intestinal metaplasia and hypergastrinemia in this case.

Granular cell tumor of the esophagus with elevated preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9: a case report.

A 59-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital for treatment of a submucosal tumor of the esophagus detected by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and computed tomography (CT). Endoscopic examination revealed a submucosal tumor in the esophagus 35 cm from the incisor teeth. Biopsy of the lesions identified granular cell tumor. CT indicated a projecting and slightly enhanced homogenous mass measuring 2.0 × 1.5 cm in the esophagus below the tracheal bifurcation. Serum tumor marker studies revealed elevated carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9. Therefore, the tumor was considered to have malignant potential, and surgical resection was performed. The final pathologic diagnosis was a benign granular cell tumor, positive for S-100 protein. The patient was doing well with normal CA 19-9 levels and no recurrence more than 5 years after surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a granular cell tumor with elevated serum CA 19-9.

Factors predicting recurrence in patients with Siewert type II carcinoma treated with curative resection.

AIM: To evaluate the recurrence risk for Siewert type II esophagogastric junction carcinoma treated with curative resection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological and recurrence-free survival (RFS) data of 52 patients after curative resection for Siewert type II carcinoma focusing on the role of lymph node metastasis around the greater curvature or parapyloric area. RESULTS: Recurrence was observed in 21 (40%) patients; the median time-to-recurrence was 11 months (range=3-33 months). According to multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, involvement of nodes no. 4sa, 4sb, 4d, 5 and/or 6 (odds ratio (OR)=6.62; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.27-41.1; p=0.04) and younger age (OR=2.10; 95% CI=1.25-3.82; p<0.01) were significant independent risk factors affecting RFS. CONCLUSION: Involvement of no. 4-6 nodes appears to predict recurrence of Siewert type II carcinoma treated with curative resection. Patients with this risk factor may benefit from effective use of perioperative chemotherapy.

Intrahepatic biliary dilatation caused by a small simple hepatic cyst: report of a case.

Biliary obstruction caused by small simple cysts is very rare. We present a case of biliary dilatation caused by a simple cyst with a 4-cm diameter. The patient was a 75-year-old woman referred to our hospital for evaluation of a cystic tumor associated with peripheral biliary duct dilatation in the left segment of the liver. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed that the cyst probably communicated with the intrahepatic bile duct. Malignant tumors, including intrahepatic papillary neoplasms of the bile duct, could not be ruled out; therefore, we performed surgery with the patient's consent. Histopathologic examination of the resected liver showed that the cystic lesion was a simple cyst. The finding that even small simple cysts can obstruct the biliary tract is important for the management of cystic lesions of the liver.

Recurrent, spontaneous esophageal ruptures associated with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: report of a case.

A 52-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a spontaneous esophageal rupture (Boerhaave syndrome) and was successfully treated. Eight years after the first incident, he was readmitted with a recurrent rupture. Recurrence of Boerhaave syndrome is extremely rare, with only 7 cases reported in the English literature. During treatment, the patient was also diagnosed with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Although APS is known to cause a variety of symptoms due to vascular thrombosis, recurrence of Boerhaave syndrome, coincident with APS, has never been reported. The pathogenesis of Boerhaave syndrome has not been clearly determined. This report serves to increase awareness of the risk of APS, which results in an increased risk of spontaneous rupture of the esophagus.

Propofol sedation during endoscopic treatment for early gastric cancer compared to midazolam.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been proposed as the gold standard in the treatment of early gastric cancer because it facilitates a more accurate histological assessment and reduces the risk of tumor recurrence. However, the time course of ESD for large gastric tumors is frequently prolonged because of the tumor size and technical difficulties and typically requires higher doses of sedative and pain-controlling drugs. Sedative or anesthetic drugs such as midazolam or propofol are used during the procedure. Therapeutic endoscopy of early gastric cancers can often be performed with only moderate sedation. Compared with midazolam, propofol has a very fast onset of action, short plasma half-life and time to achieve sedation, faster time to recovery and discharge, and results in higher patient satisfaction. For overall success, maintaining safety and stability not only during the procedure but also subsequently in the recovery room and ward is necessary. In obese patients, it is recommended that the injected dose be based on a calculated standard weight. Cooperation between gastroenterologists, surgeons, and anesthesiologists is imperative for a successful ESD procedure.

Mucosal esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with intramural gastric metastasis invading liver and pancreas: a case report.

A 59-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital because of a 1-month history of dysphagia. Endoscopic examination revealed a superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and a giant gastric tumor. Computed tomography showed that the gastric tumor was directly invading the liver and pancreas. Because of the risk of the gastric tumor causing obstruction and bleeding, we performed a subtotal esophagectomy, proximal gastrectomy, left lateral segmentectomy of liver, and pancreatosplenectomy with gastric tube reconstruction. Final pathological findings were superficial esophageal carcinoma penetrating the muscularis mucosae with an intramural gastric metastasis directly invading the liver and pancreas. The patient received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, yet died 8 months postoperatively of complications of local recurrence. Early-stage esophageal carcinoma with intramural gastric metastasis is very rare. To our knowledge, this is the first case of mucosal esophageal carcinoma with intramural gastric metastasis directly invading other organs.

Immunoglobulin G4-Related Retroperitoneal Fibrosis Treated with Hochuekkito, a Kampo Medicine, following Steroid Treatment.

We report a case of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related retroperitoneal fibrosis (RF) with complete remission and no relapses after therapy with steroids and Hochuekkito, a Kampo (i.e. traditional Japanese herbal) medicine. A 62-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital for treatment of a retroperitoneal mass detected by computed tomography. The mass had a maximum diameter of 11.0 cm; it involved the left ureter and was associated with left hydronephrosis. After inserting a ureteral stent, we performed a biopsy by laparotomy. Histopathology revealed IgG4-related RF. The lesion disappeared after 7 months of steroid therapy. We subsequently used Hochuekkito as an alternative maintenance treatment because of steroid-related complications. The patient has not relapsed in the 3 years since starting the medication. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of IgG4-related RF treated with Hochuekkito as a maintenance treatment.

Evaluation of Pharyngeal Function between No Bolus and Bolus Propofol Induced Sedation for Advanced Upper Endoscopy.

This study aimed to assess pharyngeal function between no bolus and bolus propofol induced sedation during gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection. A retrospective study was conducted involving consecutive gastric cancer patients. Patients in the no bolus group received a 3 mg/kg/h maintenance dose of propofol after the initiation of sedation without bolus injection. All patients in the bolus group received the same maintenance dose of propofol with bolus 0.5 mg/kg propofol injection. Pharyngeal functions were evaluated endoscopically for the first 5 min following the initial administration of propofol. Fourteen patients received no bolus propofol induction and 13 received bolus propofol induction. Motionless vocal cords were observed in 2 patients (14%) in the no bolus group and 3 (23%) in the bolus group. Trachea cartilage was not observed in the no bolus group but was apparent in 6 patients (46%) in the bolus group (P < 0.01). Scope stimulated pharyngeal reflex was observed in 11 patients (79%) in the no bolus group and in 3 (23%) in the bolus group (P < 0.01). Propofol induced sedation without bolus administration preserves pharyngeal function and may constitute a safer sedation method than with bolus.

A case of very well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with carcinoid tumor in the ascending colon.

Malignant tumors with mixed glandular and neuroendocrine characteristics with at least 30% of each component are classified as mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) by the World Health Organization 2010 classification. We report here a case of very well-differentiated adenocarcinoma accompanied by carcinoid tumor, categorized as MANEC. A 41-year-old Japanese man was clinically diagnosed with ascending colon cancer and underwent right hemicolectomy. Using an immunohistologic technique, the pathologic diagnosis was very well-differentiated adenocarcinoma accompanied by carcinoid tumor and marked eosinophil infiltration, which was categorized as MANEC. By immunohistochemical analysis, tumor cells of the carcinoid component exhibited very low proliferation activity. Our case was thought to be MANEC without high malignant potential. MANEC as per the World Health Organization 2010 classification seems to include tumors with diverse grades of malignancy, and it might need to have subclassifications according to the malignancy potential of the tumor cells.

Is gastric tube reconstruction the optimal surgical procedure for Siewert type II esophagogastric junction carcinoma?

BACKGROUND/AIM: To evaluate the potential risk of gastric tube reconstruction for Siewert type II esophagogastric junction carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological and survival data of 41 patients who had undergone total gastrectomy for Siewert type II carcinoma, focusing on lymph node metastasis around the middle to lower greater curvature or parapyloric area. RESULTS: Histological examination showed involvement of at least one lymph node in six patients (14%). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis of seven clinicopathological variables showed that lymph node metastasis around the middle to lower greater curvature, or parapyloric area was the only significant independent unfavorable factor (odds ratio=6.62; 95% confidence interval=1.27-41.1; p=0.03) for survival. We identified no significant predictors of lymph node metastasis in analyzed patients. CONCLUSION: From an oncological point of view, we do not recommend routine gastric tube reconstruction for Siewert type II carcinoma.