Duodenal adenocarcinoma: why the extreme rarity of duodenal bulb primary tumors?

Adenocarcinoma of the small bowel accounts for only one per cent of all gastrointestinal malignancies. Duodenal adenocarcinoma accounts for half of all small bowel adenocarcinomas. The duodenum is divided into four segments: D1 (proximal horizontal 5 cm beginning with the 3-cm duodenal bulb), D2 (descending), D3 (distal horizontal), and D4 (ascending). The most common location of duodenal adenocarcinomas is the ampullary region of D2. Based on observational experience, our hypothesis was that primary adenocarcinomas arising from the mucosa of the duodenal bulb are extremely rare or possibly nonexistent. Our institutional cancer registry provided a list of patients for the years 1990 through 2012 who had small bowel cancers. Only those patients with primary adenocarcinomas of the duodenal mucosa were reviewed. Ampullary cancers arising from bile duct mucosa were specifically excluded. Medical records were abstracted to obtain patient age, sex, race, anatomic location of the tumor, disease stage (as per American Joint Committee on Cancer 7th edition staging guidelines), operation performed, and current vital status. A total of 30 patients with primary duodenal adenocarcinomas were identified. The mean age was 58 years and 17 (57%) patients were male. The tumor locations were: D2 in 26 (87%), D3 in two (7%), and D4 in two (7%). No tumors arose from D1. The patients presented with the following stages of disease: Stage 0is in three (10%), Stage I in three (10%), Stage II in five (17%), Stage III in 15 (50%), and Stage IV in four (13%). These findings combined with a diligent review of 724 reported cases in the English language literature yielded only five clearly defined cases of adenocarcinoma arising from the mucosa of the duodenal bulb. Although a 1991 published multicenter tumor registry series of 128 localized duodenal adenocarcinomas reported 29 D1 tumors, no anatomic distinction was made between duodenal bulb and more distal D1 tumors. Earlier reports used nonanatomic divisions of the duodenum or a simple breakdown into supra-ampullary, periampullary, and infra-ampullary portions. These data beg the question as to why primary duodenal bulb adenocarcinomas are so exceedingly rare. The obvious implication is that the duodenal bulb mucosa may be physiologically, immunologically, or otherwise uniquely privileged to virtually escape oncogenic transformation. The scientific challenge and opportunity is to explore and understand the important phenomena responsible for this finding.

Surgical malpractice in California: res judicata.

Medical negligence claims are of increasing concern to surgeons. Although noneconomic damage awards in California are limited by the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) law to $250,000, the total amount of such settlements can increase significantly based on claims for economic damages. We reviewed negligence litigation involving California surgeons to determine outcomes and monetary awards through retrospective review of surgical malpractice cases published in a legal journal. This review was limited to actions involving general surgeons. Such litigation was voluntarily reported by either defense's or plaintiff's counsel at the conclusion of the litigation. Data reviewed included alleged damages incurred by the plaintiff; plaintiff's pretrial settlement demand, plaintiff or defense verdict, use of alternate means of resolution such as arbitration or mediation, and total monetary award to the plaintiff. A total of 69 cases were reported over a 20-month period: 32 (46%) were plaintiffs' verdicts, whereas 37 (54%) were in favor of the surgeon. Only 10 (31%) of the plaintiff verdicts were by jury trial, whereas the rest were settled by pretrial agreement, mediation, or arbitration. Of cases settled by alternate dispute resolution, the median settlement was $820,000 (n = 22) compared with a median jury trial award of $300,000 (n = 10).

Senior residents as teaching assistants during laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the 80-hour workweek era: effect on biliary injury and overall complication rates.

PURPOSE: The resident as teaching assistant (TA) in the operating room is an important role in the maturation of surgical trainees. One concern in the current 80-hour workweek era is that current senior residents (SRs) are unprepared to serve as TAs, potentially leading to higher complication rates and a significant increase in the length of operations. The aim of this study was to analyze whether SRs serving as TAs during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) resulted in an adverse effect on complication rates in the 80-hour workweek era. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of 1668 LC performed at 2 affiliated general surgery teaching hospitals from 2003 through 2007. Teaching hospital A was a public teaching hospital where junior residents (JR) performed the LC with a scrubbed SR as TA under faculty supervision. Teaching hospital B was a community-based affiliate hospital where the JR performed LC with only scrubbed faculty supervision. Operative case duration, JR level, patient gender/age, operative indication, final pathology, and complication data were gathered and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Despite a higher rate of acute cholecystitis in the TA hospital, LC-associated complications occurred at similar rates with and without SR as TA. The rate of biliary injury was also the same in both hospitals. On multivariable analysis, only male gender was associated with complications (odds ratio = 1.7; p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In the 80-hour resident workweek era, SRs acting as TAs during LC is not associated with increased total complications or an increased rate of biliary injury.

The unequal distribution of parathyroid neoplasms in male patients.

There is a known lesser incidence of primary hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid neoplasms in male patients. Any difference in the anatomic distribution between males and females has not been documented. Review of our institutional experience with 125 pathologically confirmed parathyroid adenomas (119) or carcinomas (six) from 2000 through 2012 was conducted. The anatomic location was identified from operative records and the distributions between males and females were compared. Ninety-two females with parathyroid neoplasms had equal anatomic distributions between left and right sides and no significant difference between superior and inferior locations (P = 0.381). In marked contrast, tumors in 33 male patients had a significant predilection for the right side (67%, P = 0.016) and inferior position (85%, P = 0.033) and most notably the right inferior position (64%, P = 0.026). For the group as a whole, inferior adenomas were significantly more common (70%, P = 0.044). All patients had postoperative normalization of serum calcium levels. Late biochemical recurrence was noted in two patients. This is the first operatively confirmed delineation of the anatomic distributions of parathyroid neoplasms in separate sexes. Based on the unexpected findings of this study, we recommend the right inferior cervical region be explored first in males with suspected parathyroid tumors of indeterminate location.

Choledochoduodenostomy as the biliary-enteric bypass of choice for benign and malignant distal common bile duct strictures.

Choledochoduodenostomy (including hepaticoduodenostomy) for common bile duct (CBD) strictures has been underused because of concerns regarding postoperative duodenal fistula and cholangitis attending the so-called "sump syndrome." An institutional retrospective review of 55 consecutive choledochoduodenostomy procedures for CBD strictures from 1995 to 2011 was performed to examine its suitability as the biliary-enteric bypass procedure of choice. There were 30 male (55%) and 25 female (45%) patients with a mean age of 49 years (range, 13 to 73 years). Thirty-seven (67%) patients had benign CBD strictures and 18 (33%) had unresectable periampullary adenocarcinomas. Forty-nine (89%) underwent choledochoduodenostomy and six (11%) underwent hepaticoduodenostomy. There were no 30-day postoperative deaths, anastomotic leaks, or intra-abdominal abscesses. Five patients (9%) sustained Clavien Grade III or IV complications. Over a mean long-term follow-up of 29 months (range, 1 to 162 months), there was one anastomotic stricture successfully managed by endoscopic dilation and temporary stenting. Liver function tests in all other patients returned to and remained within normal limits. We conclude that choledochoduodenostomy is the preferred biliary-enteric bypass for both benign and malignant distal CBD strictures because of its ease, safety, and durability. Persistent fears of duodenal fistula and the "sump syndrome" are not warranted by the empiric data and should be abandoned.

Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy achieve comparable weight loss at 1 year.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy has gained popularity as a weight loss surgical option for morbidly obese patients. Although initial studies have shown weight loss and comorbidity resolution comparable to those after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), many of these studies are limited by the small patient size. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and laparoscopic RYGB. A retrospective chart review of all morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic RYGB or sleeve gastrectomy between 2007 and 2009 at an HMO hospital was conducted. Data points collected included age, gender, completion of a preoperative weight loss program, initial body mass index (BMI), pre- and postoperative weights, and presence of diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Outcomes measures included excess weight loss, resolution of comorbidities, postoperative complications, and mortality. A total of 345 laparoscopic RYGBs and 192 sleeve gastrectomies were performed. On average, the patients who received RYGB were younger (46 vs 48 years, P = 0.05) and had higher BMI (47 vs 43 kg/m(2), P < 0.0001). There was a higher incidence of DM in the RYGB group (32 vs 22%, P = 0.01), whereas the incidences of HTN and GERD were similar in both surgical groups. Ninety-three per cent of the patients who underwent RYGB and 90 per cent of the patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy completed a preoperative weight loss program. The median length of hospital stay for both groups was 3 days. The complication rate in both groups was 9 per cent. The incidence of gastric leak was 1 per cent in both groups. There was only one mortality, which occurred in the RYGB group. The postoperative resolution of DM was comparable in both groups. The RYGB group had greater resolution of HTN (48 vs 34%, P = 0.03) and GERD (73 vs 34%, P < 0.0001). At 12 months, sleeve gastrectomy achieved superior excess weight loss compared with RYGB (72 vs 61%, P = 0.0015). After adjusting for age and BMI, the excess weight loss for RYGB and sleeve gastrectomy was similar at 12 months (t parameter estimate -0.06, P = 0.08). Laparoscopic RYGB and sleeve gastrectomy had comparable postoperative morbidity and mortality rates. At 1 year, sleeve gastrectomy achieved only slightly greater weight loss. The two operations are both legitimate standalone bariatric procedures and their applications need to be based on individual patient characteristics and needs.

Effect of socioeconomic status on surgery for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Survival for pancreatic cancer remains poor. Surgical resection remains the only chance for cure. The intent of this study was to investigate the role of socioeconomic status (SES) on resection rates for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End results database was used to identify patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Disease was deemed resectable or unresectable based on the extent of disease code. Median family income was used as a SES variable to compare patients who underwent resection with those who did not. Median family income was organized into three categories based on definitions from the national census: less than $34,680 (low income), $34,680 to $48,650 (middle), and greater than $48,650 (high income). A total of 5,908 patients with potentially resectable disease were included. A total of 3,331 patients did not have a surgical resection despite having resectable disease. Subgroup analysis of income status revealed that patients with a low or middle income were less likely to have a resection when compared with those with high income (33.0 vs 39.9 vs 45.8%, P=0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed that low and middle SES and race were significant predictors of resection. Ongoing study of access to health care may help define the means to eliminate the disparities in the care of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis: time for a paradigm shift.

HYPOTHESIS Patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis may undergo an early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) within 48 hours of hospital admission without awaiting the normalization of pancreatic and liver enzyme levels. This may decrease the hospital stay without increasing morbidity or mortality and may minimize the unnecessary use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. DESIGN A retrospective review. SETTING Two university-affiliated urban medical centers. PATIENTS A total of 303 patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis, of whom 117 underwent an early LC and 186 underwent a delayed LC. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Hospital length of stay, morbidity and mortality rates, and the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. RESULTS Similar hospital admission variables were observed in the early and delayed LC groups, although the delayed group was older (P = .006). The median hospital length of stay was significantly less for the early group than for the delayed group (3 vs 6 days; P < .001). There were no patients who died, and the complication rates were similar for both groups. However, the patients who underwent an early LC were less likely than patients who underwent a delayed LC to undergo endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS An early LC may be safely performed for patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis, without concern for increased morbidity and mortality, resulting in shortened hospital stays and a decrease in the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The practice of delaying an LC until normalization of laboratory values appears to be unnecessary.

Preoperative serum albumin but not prealbumin is an excellent predictor of postoperative complications and mortality in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Preoperative serum albumin level is well recognized as a general predictor of adverse surgical outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy. Whether serum albumin or prealbumin levels can better predict postoperative surgical complications and death remains unknown. A retrospective review of 641 consecutive patients operated nonemergently for GI malignancies between January 1, 1997, and July 31, 2008, disclosed that 104 patients (16.2%) had complications and 23 (3.6%) subsequently died. All 641 patients had preoperative determination of serum albumin level (cost $0.13 per test), whereas 379 (59.1%) also had preoperative determination of serum prealbumin level (cost $2.27 per test). An albumin level below the discriminatory threshold of 3.2 g/dL was a significant predictor of overall postoperative morbidity, infectious and noninfectious complications, and mortality (all P < 0.001). In contrast, a prealbumin level below the discriminatory threshold of 18 mg/dL was a predictor of only overall morbidity (P = 0.014) and infectious complications (P = 0.024), but not of noninfectious complications or mortality (P = nonsignificant). We conclude that compared with the preoperative serum prealbumin level, the albumin level has superior predictive value for overall postoperative morbidity, both infectious and noninfectious complications, and mortality. The inclusion of serum prealbumin level in the routine preoperative testing of patients with GI malignancy for the purpose of predicting postoperative outcomes is neither clinically necessary nor cost-effective.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization and K-ras analyses improve diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of solid pancreatic masses.

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is the main diagnostic modality for pancreatic mass lesions. However, cytology is often indeterminate, leading to repeat FNAs and delay in care. Here, we evaluate whether combining routine cytology with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and K-ras/p53 analyses improves diagnostic yield of pancreatic EUS-FNA. METHODS: Fifty EUS-FNAs of pancreatic masses in 46 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Mean follow-up was 68 months. Thirteen initial cytologic samples (26%) were benign, 23 malignant (46%), and 14 atypical (28%). We performed FISH for p16, p53, LPL, c-Myc, MALT1, topoisomerase 2/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, and EGFR, as well as K-ras/p53 mutational analyses. RESULTS: On final diagnosis, 11 (79%) of atypical FNAs were malignant, and 3 benign (21%). Fluorescence in situ hybridization was negative in all benign and all atypical samples with final benign diagnosis. Fluorescence in situ hybridization plus K-ras analysis correctly identified 60% of atypical FNAs with final malignant diagnosis. Combination of routine cytology with positive FISH and K-ras analyses yielded 87.9% sensitivity, 93.8% specificity, 96.7% positive predictive value, 78.9% negative predictive value, and 89.8% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Combining routine cytology with FISH and K-ras analyses improves diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic masses. We propose to include these ancillary tests in the workup of atypical cytology from pancreatic EUS-FNA.

Staining for p53 and Ki-67 increases the sensitivity of EUS-FNA to detect pancreatic malignancy.

AIM: To investigate whether tumor marker staining can improve the sensitivity of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) to diagnose pancreatic malignancy. METHODS: Patients who underwent EUS-FNA were retrospectively identified. Each EUS-FNA specimen was evaluated by routine cytology and stained for tumor markers p53, Ki-67, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA19-9. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR) were calculated in order to evaluate the performance of each test to detect malignancy. RESULTS: Sixty-one specimens had complete sets of stains, yielding 49 and 12 specimens from pancreatic adenocarcinomas and benign pancreatic lesions due to pancreatitis, respectively. Cytology alone had sensitivity and specificity of 41% and 100% to detect malignancy, respectively. In 46% of the specimens, routine cytology alone was deemed indeterminate. The addition of either p53 or Ki-67 increased the sensitivity to 51% and 53%, respectively, with perfect specificity, PPV and PLR (100%, 100% and infinite). Both stains in combination increased the sensitivity to 57%. While additional staining with CEA and CA19-9 further increased the sensitivity to 86%, the specificity, PPV and PLR were significantly reduced (at minimum 42%, 84% and 1, respectively). Markers in all combinations performed poorly as a negative test (NPV 26% to 47%, and NLR 0.27 and 0.70). CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical staining for p53 and Ki-67 can improve the sensitivity of EUS-FNA to diagnose pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas: a rare and atypically aggressive disease among male patients.

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) of the pancreas is uncommon, has low metastatic potential, typically afflicts young females, and expresses progesterone receptors. In the rare male patient, its biologic behavior may be more aggressive and lethal. A retrospective case series analysis and literature review of SPN was performed to compare its clinical behaviors in males and females. The case series identified 11 patients of which only two were males. Ten patients underwent tumor resection with curative intent. The one operated male developed liver metastases 15 months postoperatively and subsequently died. The other male presented with advanced liver metastases and died 2 months later without operation. One female had regional lymph node metastases resected en bloc and all nine females are disease-free after a mean follow-up of 63.4 months. Analysis of 1014 patients reported in the literature revealed only 137 (13.5%) males. Males had a twofold higher incidence of metastases and a threefold higher death rate. In males, SPN has an atypically aggressive biology suggesting that progesterone and/or other sex hormones may have a role in oncoregulation.

Use of clinical triage criteria decreases monitored care bed utilization in gallstone pancreatitis.

Admission indicators for monitored care in gallstone pancreatitis have been lacking. Recently, we established three criteria for admission to intensive care unit or step down versus ward beds: (1) concomitant cholangitis, (2) heart rate >110 beats/min, and (3) blood urea nitrogen >15 mg/dL. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these criteria would be effective in decreasing monitored care bed utilization without adversely affecting outcomes. A retrospective review of all patients with gallstone pancreatitis at a public teaching hospital was performed (2003-2009). A comparison was made of patients before (2003-2005, Period 1) and after (2006-2009, Period 2) establishment of monitored care triage criteria. Over the study period, there were 379 patients. The median Ranson score for both periods was 1. The median ages were 41 and 39, (P = 0.7). In Period 1, 28 per cent of patients were admitted to the intensive care unit/step down unit versus 12 per cent in Period 2. None of the patients required transfer from the ward to a monitored care setting in Period 2. There were no mortalities in either period. In conclusion, the presence of concomitant cholangitis, heart rate >110, and blood urea nitrogen >15 are useful and safe triage criteria for admission to a monitored care setting. Use of these criteria significantly decreased monitored care bed utilization and resulted in fewer mis-triages without adversely affecting patient outcomes.

Acute care surgery performed by sleep deprived residents: are outcomes affected?

BACKGROUND: The Institute of Medicine recently recommended further reductions in resident duty hours, including a 5-h rest time for on-call residents after 16 h of work. This recommendation was purportedly intended to better protect patients against fatigue-related errors made by physician trainees. Yet no data are available regarding outcomes of operations performed by surgical trainees working without rest beyond 16 h in the current 80-h workweek era. METHODS: A retrospective review of all laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LC) and appendectomies performed by surgery residents at a public teaching hospital from July 2003 through March 2009. Operations after 10 PM were performed by residents who began their shift at 6 AM and had thus been working 16 or more hours. An outcomes comparison between time periods was conducted for operations performed between 6 AM and 10 PM (daytime) and 10 PM and 6 AM (nighttime). Outcome measures were rates of total complications, bile duct injury, conversion to open operation, length of surgery, and mortality. RESULTS: Over the 7-y study period, 2908 LC and 1726 appendectomies were performed. Appendectomies were performed laparoscopically in 73% of cases in patients for both time periods. There were no differences in rates of overall morbidity and mortality for operations when performed in nighttime compared with daytime. On multivariable analysis, there were no differences in outcomes between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The two most commonly performed general surgical operations performed at night by unrested residents have favorable outcomes similar to those performed during the day. Instituting a 5-h rest period at night is unlikely to improve the outcomes for these commonly performed operations.

Early cholecystectomy safely decreases hospital stay in patients with mild gallstone pancreatitis: a randomized prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed within 48 hours of admission for mild gallstone pancreatitis, regardless of resolution of abdominal pain or abnormal laboratory values, would result in a shorter hospital stay. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although there is consensus among surgeons that patients with gallstone pancreatitis should undergo cholecystectomy to prevent recurrence, the precise timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for mild disease remains controversial. METHODS: Consecutive patients with mild pancreatitis (Ranson score

Narrowing the gap: early and intermediate outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass graft procedures in California, 1997 to 2006.

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous coronary intervention is increasingly used to treat multivessel coronary artery disease. Coronary artery bypass graft procedures have decreased, and as a result, percutaneous coronary intervention has increased. The overall impact of this treatment shift is uncertain. We examined the in-hospital mortality and complication rates for these procedures in California using a combined risk model. METHODS: The confidential dataset of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development patient discharge database was queried for 1997 to 2006. A risk model was developed using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedures and diagnostic codes from the combined pool of isolated coronary artery bypass graft and percutaneous coronary intervention procedures performed during 2005 and 2006. In-hospital mortality was corrected for "same-day" transfers to another health care institution. Early failure rate was defined as in-hospital mortality rate plus reintervention for another percutaneous coronary intervention or cardiac surgery procedure within 90 days. RESULTS: Coronary artery bypass graft volume decreased from 28,495 (1997) to 15,520 (2006), whereas percutaneous coronary intervention volume increased from 38,098 to 53,703. Risk-adjusted mortality rate decreased from 4.7% to 2.1% for coronary artery bypass graft procedures and from 3.4% to 1.9% for percutaneous coronary intervention. Expected mortality rate increased for both procedures. Early failure rate decreased from 13.1% to 8.0% for percutaneous coronary intervention and from 6.5% to 5.4% for coronary artery bypass graft. For the years 2004 and 2005, the risk of recurrent myocardial infarction or need for coronary artery bypass graft during the first postoperative year was 12% for percutaneous coronary intervention and 6% for coronary artery bypass grafts. CONCLUSION: This study shows that as volume shifted from coronary artery bypass grafts to percutaneous coronary intervention, expected mortality increased for both procedures. Risk-adjusted mortality rate decreased for both procedures, more so for coronary artery bypass grafts, so that corrected in-hospital mortality rates essentially equalized at approximately 2.0% in 2006. The post-procedural risk of reintervention, death, or myocardial infarction within the first year was twice as high for percutaneous coronary intervention as for coronary artery bypass grafts.

Extreme aggressiveness and lethality of gastric adenocarcinoma in the very young.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether very young patients with gastric adenocarcinoma as compared with older patients with the disease have a biologically more aggressive form of the disease, presenting at an advanced stage and conferring unusually poor perioperative and long-term outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: A 15-year, single-institution, retrospective review and analysis of demographic and outcomes data for 350 patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Histologic features, frequency of stage IV disease, frequency of curative gastric resection, postoperative mortality, and long-term survival in very young and older patient groups. RESULTS: Of 350 total patients, 30 (9%) were aged 35 years or younger. Very young patients (aged < or = 35 years) as compared with older patients (aged > 35 years) more often had diffuse-type tumor histologic findings (93% vs 69%, respectively; P = .003), adjacent organ invasion (74% vs 29%, respectively; P = .001), nodal metastases (94% vs 70%, respectively; P = .046), distant metastases (81% vs 50%, respectively; P = .003), and stage IV disease (90% vs 64%, respectively; P = .007). Potentially curative gastrectomy was accomplished in 58% of older patients but only 17% of very young patients (P = .001). Nontherapeutic operations were performed in only 6% of older patients but 33% of very young patients (P = .002). Very young patients as compared with older patients had high postoperative mortality (22% vs 2%, respectively; P = .003) related to advanced-stage disease. Mean survival was 33.4 months among older patients compared with only 11.6 months for very young patients (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Very young patients (aged < or = 35 years) with gastric adenocarcinoma have significantly higher incidences of diffuse-type tumor histologic findings and both locally advanced and metastatic disease at presentation. These findings confirm a more aggressive tumor biology that results in often futile surgical interventions and an unusually grave prognosis. Strategies for earlier diagnosis together with effective new therapies are desperately needed to attenuate the extreme lethality in these uniquely unfortunate patients.

Total bilirubin is a useful predictor of persisting common bile duct stone in gallstone pancreatitis.

Accepted guidelines for preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in gallstone pancreatitis are lacking. Our previous investigations suggested that serum total bilirubin on hospital Day 2 best predicts persisting common bile duct (CBD) stones. We aim to identify an optimal total bilirubin threshold on hospital Day 2 that would predict persisting CBD stones and guide obtaining preoperative ERCP. Prospective and retrospective data were available from 200 consecutive patients with gallstone pancreatitis at a public teaching hospital from 2003 through 2007. Charts were examined for persisting CBD stones on ERCP and/or intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients with cholangitis (n = 18) were excluded. Nineteen of the remaining 182 (10%) patients had CBD stones. Mean hospital Day 2 bilirubin was 3.7 mg/dL for patients with CBD stones versus 1.4 mg/dL for those without (P < 0.0001). Seventeen patients (9%) had total bilirubin 4 or greater on hospital Day 2. Of these, eight (4%) had CBD stones (specificity 94%). Of the 165 patients with total bilirubin less than 4, 11 (7%) had CBD stones (P < 0.0001). In gallstone pancreatitis, a serum total bilirubin level 4 mg/dL or greater on hospital Day 2 predicts persisting CBD stones with enough specificity to serve as a practical guideline for ERCP while minimizing unnecessary procedures.

The value of endoscopic ultrasonography in predicting resectability and margins of resection for periampullary tumors.

Cure of pancreatic head and other periampullary neoplasms continues to be infrequent and is unattainable unless clear surgical margins are achieved during Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a relatively recent gastrointestinal tumor imaging modality and may be superior to other techniques used in locoregional staging. We hypothesized that EUS can accurately predict not only tumor resectability, but also negative resection margins with Whipple resection. A retrospective review was undertaken of 81 consecutive patients with periampullary tumors who underwent preoperative CT and EUS followed by surgical exploration for intended Whipple resection. Correlations among preoperative EUS results, successful resection, and surgical margins on final histopathology were investigated. Of the 81 patients, 61 (75%) underwent successful Whipple resection, and 20 (25%) were found to be unresectable at laparotomy. Resection was achieved in 57 (86%) of 66 patients predicted to be resectable by EUS. Of the 61 resected patients, 52 (85%) had negative margins and nine (15%) had positive margins on final pathology. Margins were determined to be negative in 50 (88%) of 57 resected patients predicted to have negative margins by EUS. We conclude that EUS is a powerful and desirable imaging modality in the preoperative assessment of periampullary neoplasms.