Adjuvant hepatic intra-arterial iodine-131-lipiodol following curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether intrahepatic injection of (131)I-lipiodol (Lipiodol) is effective against recurrence of surgically resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: From June 2001 through March 2007, this nationwide multi-center prospective randomized controlled trial enrolled 103 patients 4-6 weeks after curative resection of HCC with complete recovery (52: Lipiodol, 51: Control). Follow-up was every 3 months for 1 year, then every 6 months. Primary and secondary endpoints were recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS), respectively, both of which were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier technique and summarized by the hazard ratio (HR). The design was based on information obtained from a similar trial that had been conducted in Hong Kong. RESULTS: The Lipiodol group showed a small, and nonsignificant, improvement over control in RFS (HR = 0.75; 95 % confidence interval [95 % CI] 0.46-1.23; p = 0.25) and OS (HR = 0.88; 95 % CI 0.51-1.51; p = 0.64). Only two serious adverse events were reported, both with hypothyroidism caused by (131)I-lipiodol and hepatic artery dissection during angiography. CONCLUSIONS: The randomized trial provides insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of (131)I-lipiodol in these patients.

Combined heart-liver transplantation with extended cardiopulmonary bypass.

We report a case of combined heart and liver transplantation for familial amyloid polyneuropathy. This is the first such combined transplant performed in Asia, and differs from previously described cases, in that cardiopulmonary bypass was continued at partial flow during liver transplantation in our case. This was done in order to provide haemodynamic support to the cardiac graft and to protect it from the impending reperfusion insult that frequently accompanies liver transplantation. The utility of this management course is discussed, along with its actual and potential complications. We also describe the impact of a lung-protective ventilation strategy employed during cardiac transplantation.

Spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Splenectomy is routinely performed in conventional distal pancreatectomies. Spleen removal with its possible sequelae of infections and haematological complications has prompted the development of spleen-preserving techniques. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of distal pancreatectomy with preservation of the spleen. METHODS: A retrospective review of 24 consecutive patients who underwent spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy in a tertiary care hospital was conducted. RESULTS: There were 17 female and seven male patients, and the mean age was 47 (range 14-77) years. Median American Society of Anesthesiologists score was II (range I-III) . The indications were as follows : mucinous cystadenoma (n = 7), serous cystadenoma (n = 6), insulinoma (n = 3), intraductal papillary mucinous tumour (n = 2), pseudocyst (n = 3), papillary cystic adenoma (n = 1), neuroendocrine neoplasm (n = 1), and metastatic carcinoma of the thyroid (n = 1). Two patients developed postoperative pancreatic fistula and another two patients developed postoperative ileus with spontaneous resolution. Mean operative time was 172 (range 105-250) minutes. Mean length of postoperative hospital stay was 6.7 (range 5-11) days. There was no perioperative mortality in this series. CONCLUSION: Spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy can be safely performed with low morbidity, and should be considered in the surgical management of distal pancreatic disease.

Pedunculated HCC or adrenal metastasis: a diagnostic conundrum.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the commonest primary liver tumour. Recurrences are common in the liver although extrahepatic metastases can occur and frequently involve the adrenals. When this occurs in the right adrenal gland, it can be confused with an exophytic HCC arising from the posterior surface of the liver. The distinction between a primary HCC and a metastasis is important but can be difficult in this clinical setting. We report a 52-year-old man with recurrent HCC presenting as an "exophytic" posterior liver surface lesion that was actually a right adrenal metastasis. Although right-sided adrenal metastases of HCC can be difficult to distinguish from intrahepatic recurrences, even with modern diagnostic imaging, management either way involves surgical exploration and resection whenever possible.

Clinico-pathological features of cystic pancreatic endocrine neoplasms and a comparison with their solid counterparts.

AIM: Pancreatic endocrine neoplasms (PENs) may occasionally manifest as cystic lesions of the pancreas. The aim of this study is to report our experience with cystic PENs and to compare their clinico-pathological features with their solid counterparts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1990 to 2004, 38 patients with PENs were reviewed. Six of these tumours appeared on radiological imaging as a cystic lesion of the pancreas. RESULTS: Of the 38 patients with a PEN, 21 of the patients were female and with a median age of 54.5 (range, 33-83) years. Sixteen patients had functional endocrine tumours of which insulinoma was the most common. The six patients with cystic PEN had a median age of 55.5 (range, 41-70) years and half were female. Cystic PENs were significantly larger [48 (range, 25-170) mm vs 19 (range, 3-120) mm, P = 0.013] and were less likely to be benign (0 vs 50%, P = 0.017) compared to their solid counterparts. There was no difference between cystic and solid PENs in terms of age, sex, presence of symptoms, proportion of functioning tumours and location of tumours within the pancreas. CONCLUSION: Cystic PENs share many clinico-pathological features with solid PENs. These differ only in the cystic appearance and tend to be of a larger size. Hence, these findings suggest that cystic and solid PENs are unlikely to be distinct pathological entities but are likely to be morphological variants of the same entity.

Cystic neoplasms of the pancreas with mucin-production.

AIM: To compare the clinico-pathological features of intraductal papillary mucinous cystic tumours (IPMT) and mucinous cystic tumours (MCT) of the pancreas. METHODS: Eighteen patients with IPMT and 18 with MCT who underwent surgical resection between 1990 and 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Their clinico-pathological features were compared using univariate analysis. Statistical analyses of potential predictive factors of malignancy for each of these two groups were also conducted. RESULTS: Patients with IPMT were found to be older (64+/-10 vs 43+/-18 years, p<0.001) and were predominantly male (male:female ratio, 5:4 vs 1:17, p=0.003) as compared to patients with MCT. MCTs were found in the body-tail region (100%) whereas IPMTs were more evenly distributed (50% in the head) (p=0.001). Pathologically, IPMT was distinct from MCT in terms of size (3.8+/-3.2 vs 9.1+/-4.4 cm, p=0.001), association with secondary pancreatitis (50 vs 0%, p=0.011), communication with the pancreatic duct (94 vs 0%, p<0.001), presence of a dilated main pancreatic duct (61 vs 0%, p<0.001) and the presence of ovarian-type stroma (0 vs 44%, p=0.003). CONCLUSION: IPMT and MCT are distinct clinico-pathological entities. This distinction is important as management and outcome of these entities may differ.

Clinical mimicry of hepatocellular carcinoma: imaging-pathological correlation.

This pictorial essay aims to show the clinical mimicry of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its diagnostic difficulty, and to create awareness among clinicians and radiologists of potential diagnostic pitfalls. A selected consecutive series of hepatectomies with proven HCC over a three-year period, identifying clinical presentation, blood results and imaging of patients with difficult preoperative diagnosis, was reviewed. The imaging of the focal liver lesions is presented pictorially with pathological correlation. Six patients out of 34 cases of resected HCC were diagnosed to have benign (three liver abscesses) and neoplastic (one Klatskin tumour, one colorectal liver metastasis, one gallbladder cancer) conditions. Compared to the rest in the series, all six patients had normal serum alpha fetoprotein levels. On computed tomography, the mosaic appearance of HCC mimicked locules of liver abscess while HCC with pseudocapsule (rim enhancement) was misdiagnosed as unilocular abscess or metastatic lesion. Arterial enhancement on contrast-enhanced triphasic computed tomography was useful in diagnosis of HCC. In summary, HCC can mimic benign and neoplastic clinical syndromes. The diagnosis of liver abscess can delay subsequent diagnosis of HCC and potentially complicate the treatment plan. Contrast-enhanced triphasic computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is useful to resolve difficult diagnosis, especially when the serum alpha fetoprotein level is not raised.

Surgical management of colorectal metastases to the liver.

Liver metastases develop in 50% to 60% of patients with colorectal carcinoma. Surgical resection offers a good five-year survival rate and the only chance of cure. In this article, the natural history and risk factors for the development of colorectal liver metastases are discussed, followed by the diagnostic work-up towards surgical resection. Various issues pertaining to surgical management, such as patient selection, timing of resection, perioperative mortality and morbidity, prognostic factors, adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy and repeat resection are reviewed.