Multicenter randomized phase II study on S-1 and oxaliplatin therapy as an adjuvant after hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases (YCOG1001).

PURPOSE: The high recurrence rate of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) after surgery remains a crucial problem. However, adjuvant chemotherapy after hepatectomy for CRCLM has not yet been established. This study evaluated the efficacy of adjuvant therapy with S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX). METHODS: In a multicenter, randomized, phase II study, patients undergoing curative resection of CRCLM were randomly enrolled in a 1:1 ratio to either the low- or high-dose group. S-1 and oxaliplatin were administered from days 1 to 14 of a 3-week cycle as a 2-h infusion every 3 weeks. The dose of S-1 was fixed at 80 mg/m2. The doses in the low- and high-dose oxaliplatin groups were 100 mg/m2 (low-dose group) and 130 mg/m2 (high-dose group), respectively. This treatment was repeated eight times. The primary endpoint was the rate of discontinuation owing to toxicity. The secondary endpoints were the relapse-free survival (RFS) and frequency of adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Between August 2010 and March 2015, 44 patients (low-dose group: 31 patients and high-dose group: 13 patients) were enrolled in the study. Of these, one patient was excluded from the efficacy analysis. In the high-dose group, five of nine patients were unable to continue the study due to toxicity in February 2013. At that time, recruitment to the high-dose group was stopped from the protocol. The relative dose intensity (RDI) for S-1 in the low- and high-dose groups were 49.8 and 48.7% (p = 0.712), and that for oxaliplatin was 75.9 and 73.0% (p = 0.528), respectively. The rates of discontinuation due to toxicity were 60 and 53.8% in the low- and high-dose groups, respectively, with no marked difference noted between the groups (p = 0.747). The frequency of grade ≥ 3 common adverse events was neutropenia (23.3%/23.1%), diarrhea (13.3%/15.4%), and peripheral sensory neuropathy (6.7%/7.7%). The disease-free survival (DFS) at 3 years was 52.9% in the low-dose group, which was not significantly different from that in the high-dose group (46.2%; p = 0.705). CONCLUSIONS: SOX regimens as adjuvant therapy after hepatectomy for CRCLM had high rates of discontinuation due to toxicity in both groups. In particular, the RDI of S-1 was < 50%. Therefore, the SOX regimen is not recommended as adjuvant chemotherapy after hepatectomy for CRCLM.

Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer in a patient with situs inversus: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Situs inversus (SI) is a rare congenital condition characterized by organ transposition from their normal positions. Careful preoperative planning is important for the safe operation of patients with SI because only a few surgeons have operated on such patients. Here, we report the case of a patient with SI who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) with D2 lymph node dissection (LND) for advanced gastric cancer (GC). CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 72-year-old man diagnosed with GC. Upper endoscopy revealed a type 3 tumor in the anterior wall of the stomach body. Multidetector computed tomography showed no obvious GC metastasis or inverted organs. The preoperative diagnosis was cStage IIB (i.e., cT3, cN0, and cM0) GC with SI. Although liver retracting and intracorporeal suturing required special attention, LDG with D2 LND and Billroth-I reconstruction were safely performed by reversing the usual procedure. The patient was discharged 10 days after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: To safely perform laparoscopic surgery for GC in patients with SI, sufficient preoperative preparation is necessary. In particular, a reversible method of liver retraction should be prepared.

Incidental Gallbladder Cancer on Cholecystectomy: Strategy for Re-resection of Presumed Benign Diseases from a Retrospective Multicenter Study by the Yokohama Clinical Oncology Group.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Current expert consensus recommends re-resection for incidental gallbladder cancer (IGBC) of pT1b-3. This study examined whether this consensus was reasonably applicable to patients with IGBC in one Japanese region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a multicenter, retrospective analysis of cholecystectomies for presumed benign diseases between January 2000 and December 2009. RESULTS: IGBC was diagnosed in 70 (1.0%) out of 6,775 patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Five-year disease-specific cumulative survival was 100% in 19 patients with pT1a, 80.0% in five with pT1b, 49.5% in 33 with pT2, and 23.1% in 13 with pT3. Re-resection was not performed for the 24 patients with pT1a/1b disease, whereas 24 out of 46 patients with pT2/3 underwent re-resection. Regardless of re-resection, independent factors associated with a poor prognosis on multivariate analysis were grade 2 or poorer disease and bile spillage at prior cholecystectomy. In the 24 patients with pT2/3 re-resection, 11 patients without either of these two factors had significantly better 5-year disease-specific cumulative survival than the 13 patients with one or two independent factors associated with a poor prognosis (72.7% vs. 30.8%, p=0.009). CONCLUSION: This Japanese regional study suggests that indication of re-resection for IGBC should not be determined by pT-factor alone and that much more attention should be paid to pathological and intraoperative findings at prior cholecystectomy.

[Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer with Adachi Type â ¥ Vascular Anomaly-A Case Report].

We report a case of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer with an anomalous celiac trunk categorized as Type Ⅵ- Group 24 in the Adachi classification. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in an 81-year-old male revealed a shallow depressed lesion in the middle of the gastric body. Close examination led to diagnosis of cT1bN0M0, cStage Ⅰ gastric cancer, and laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was planned. Contrast-enhanced CT revealed no anomalous bifurcation of the hepatic artery, but the common hepatic artery ran on the dorsal side of the portal vein, branching from the superior mesenteric artery. Therefore, an Adachi Type Ⅵ-Group 24 celiac trunk anomaly was diagnosed. During surgery, the common hepatic artery could not be confirmed in guiding suprapancreatic lymph node dissection, and the portal vein was exposed. Anterior to the portal vein, nerves that are usually around the common hepatic artery continuously ran toward the hepatoduodenal ligament instead. Suprapancreatic lymph nodes were dissected, with the portal vein considered as the common hepatic artery. Adachi Type Ⅵ is a rare anomaly with an incidence of about 2%. Preoperative diagnosis enables safe and appropriate lymph node dissection.

Cholecystitis with abdominal wall biloma after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder aspiration: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal wall biloma is an uncommon entity. We herein report an extremely rare case of cholecystitis with abdominal wall biloma after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder aspiration (PTGBA). PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 69-year-old woman was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis, and PTGBA was performed on Day 1. PTGBA was performed a second time because of re-expansion of the gallbladder and an increased CRP level on Day 3. Computed tomography was performed on Day 9 because we suspected recurrence of cholecystitis. It revealed a well-circumscribed fluid collection between the abdominal wall or the diaphragm and the liver. Based on these intraoperative findings, we diagnosed her with cholecystitis with abdominal wall biloma. Cholecystectomy and drainage of the abdominal wall biloma were performed on Day 10. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged on Day 18. DISCUSSION: Early cholecystectomy is the gold-standard treatment for acute cholecystitis, but cholecystectomy is not performed in some cases. PTGBA is much more convenient, quicker, and less costly, but inappropriate aspiration during the second PTGBA session might have spread the infected bile to the abdominal wall through the PTGBA route. CONCLUSION: This case represents the first reported case of a biloma within the abdominal wall after PTGBA. To prevent this complication, we should aspirate gallbladder bile sufficiently during PTGBA. In addition, we should consider performing alternative therapy, such as percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage or an operation, when we fail to appropriately aspirate.

[Seven Cases of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated with Dose-Reduced and Duration-Reduced Regorafenib Treatment].

Regorafenib is widely used for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, following disease progression with standard therapies.However, regorafenib has severe toxicities; therefore, careful monitoring and treatment are necessary.Several studies have investigated the efficacy of initial dose reductions.We started regorafenib doses from 80 mg, with a duration of 1 week on and 1 week off, after which we gradually increased the dosage and duration.From September 2015 to March 2017, we treated 7 consecutive patients who received regorafenib following standard chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer.The average age was 73 years and average BMI was 23.3.The average total dose was 15,960(2,240-28,000)mg, and the average treatment duration was 243(50-379)days.The mean survival from the start of regorafenib was 399(median 407, 262-622)days.Adverse events of Grade 3 or higher were observed in 1 patient(14%).

Immunohistochemical Comparison of Malignancy Between Radial Invasion and Mucosal Extension in Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma.

AIM: To compare the cells of mucosal extension (ME) and radial invasion (RI) in hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) for optimal resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six patients underwent surgery for HCCA between 1992 and 2004. Immunohistochemical expressions of p53, Ki-67, matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7), mucin 1 (MUC1), and E-cadherin were assessed at five different sites of the tumour and compared between the recurrence and non-recurrence groups. RESULTS: Expression of E-cadherin was significantly lower in RI cells than in ME cells, and that of MMP7 and MUC1 was significantly higher in RI cells than in ME cells. Ki-67 expression was higher in ME cells than in RI cells. During the 11-year follow-up, recurrence in patients with R0 resection was associated with significantly lower E-cadherin, higher MMP7, and higher Ki-67 expression. CONCLUSION: Removal of as many RI cells as possible should be a priority in resection of HCCA, followed by removal of ME cells. E-Cadherin appears to be associated with recurrence of HCCA.

[Two Cases of HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer with Multiple Liver Metastases Leading to Conversion Therapy with Chemotherapy].

Case 1: A 69-year-old man underwent chemotherapy with capecitabine plus cisplatin plus trastuzumab to treat advanced gastric cancer that was diagnosed as cStage IV adenocarcinoma(T3N2M1[P0, CYX, H1]). After 12 courses, liver metastases were absent on computed tomography images. The patient underwent total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. It has been 22 months since the patient had gastrectomy without recurrence of the cancer. Case 2: A 70-year-old man underwent chemotherapy with capecitabine plus cisplatin plus trastuzumab for treatment of advanced gastric cancer that was diagnosed as cStage IV adenocarcinoma(T4aN1M1[P0, CY0, H1]). After 12 courses, regrowth of multiple liver metastases led to a treatment with weekly paclitaxel plus trastuzumab as a second-line chemotherapy. After 9 courses of second-line chemotherapy, multiple liver metastases were absent in computed tomography images. The patient underwent total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy. A small white nodule on the surface of S2 and S3 of the liver led to the patient receiving a partial liver resection. The pathological finding of the resected liver specimen was a metastasis of an adenocarcinoma. During continuous chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel plus trastuzumab after gastrectomy, multiple liver metastases were revealed. The patient died 19 months after gastrectomy.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma arising 28 years after excision of a type IV-A congenital choledochal cyst: report of a case.

This report presents a rare case of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) arising 28 years after excision of a type IV-A congenital choledochal cyst. The patient underwent excision of a congenital choledochal cyst (Todani's type IV-A) at 12 years of age, with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy reconstruction. She received a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) using the modified Child method for an infection of a residual congenital choledochal cyst in the pancreatic head at the age of 18. She was referred to this department with a liver tumor 22 years later. Left hemihepatectomy with left-side caudate lobectomy was performed and the tumor was pathologically diagnosed to be IHCC. The cause of the current carcinogenesis was presumed to be reflux of pancreatic juice into the residual intrahepatic bile duct during surgery. This case suggests that a careful long-term follow-up is important for patients with congenital choledochal cysts, even if a separation-operation was performed at a young age, and especially after PD.

Is lymph-node micrometastasis in gallbladder cancer a significant prognostic factor?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of our study was to investigate prognostic significance of lymph-node micrometastasis in gallbladder carcinoma. METHODOLOGY: In total, 1,094 lymph nodes from 41 patients who had undergone radical resection with lymph-node dissection, including para-aortic lymph nodes were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunostained with anti-cytokeratin 7/8 antibody. Micrometastasis in each lymph node was defined as tumor cells that were detectable only by immunohistochemical evaluation and were not detected by H&E staining. RESULTS: Metastases were detected in 163 lymph nodes (14.9%) by H&E staining. Micrometastases were found in 25 of the remaining lymph nodes (2.3%). Among 24 patients with lymph node metastasis based on the H&E staining, 12 had micrometastases. Of the 17 patients in whom lymph-node metastasis was not detected by the H&E staining, one was found to have micrometastasis. Micrometastasis correlated significantly with lymph node metastasis on H&E staining and pN (Tumor-Node-Metastasis 5th ed.). On multivariate analysis of data from 17 node-positive patients who underwent curative resection, micrometastasis and microscopic venous invasion were significant prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that micrometastasis might be traces of scatter of cancer cells to the whole body rather than an event in an initial stage of the metastasis.

Right hepatectomy with resection of caudate lobe and extrahepatic bile duct for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

En-bloc liver resection with caudate lobectomy (segmentectomy 1) is the standard procedure for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Although its surgical mortality has been reduced below 5%, it is still a potentially hazardous operation. Complete tumor resection with negative surgical margins and safe reconstruction of bilio-enteric continuity are two principles of the surgical treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Surgeons must pay attention to the variation of the hilar structures including portal veins, hepatic arteries, and bile ducts. Three-dimensional imaging is beneficial not only for understanding anatomical variations but also for preoperative simulations. Since the U-point can be identified by both preoperative imaging and intraoperative inspection, it can be used as the landmark for the hepatectomy and the dissection point of the hilar plate. The hanging maneuver might be useful for both hepatic parenchymal dissection and bile duct dissection just right of the U-point. For safe biliary reconstruction, stay sutures in the anterior wall and transanastomotic stents may be helpful.

Giant mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver in an adult.

We report a case of hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma in an adult; this condition is extremely rare, with only 15 cases having been reported in the English-language literature worldwide. The patient was a 36-year-old woman who was seen at her local hospital for upper abdominal distension. A giant multilocular cystic tumor, which had almost entirely replaced the normal parenchyma of the right lobe of the liver, was diagnosed. She was referred to our hospital, where, with a diagnosis of biliary cystadenoma, the tumor was successfully removed by right hemihepatectomy. After an uneventful postoperative course, the patient was discharged from our hospital. On histological examination, the tumor consisted of numerous cystic lesions without epithelial lining cells; hepatocytes, bile duct, and vascular components, without either lobular structure or atypia, were observed in the pseudocyst wall, leading to a diagnosis of hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma. There have been a few previously reported cases of multifocal hepatic mesenchymal hamartoma reappearing in the remaining liver after hepatectomy, although these cases are considered to be extremely rare. Therefore, periodic follow-up will be necessary for the patient.

Retroportal hepaticojejunostomy for extended resection of hilar bile ducts.

High hepatic duct resection sometimes is unavoidable in achieving curative resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma, as tumor cells can extend further than expected along the bile ducts from the macroscopically evident cancer. In patients undergoing left hemihepatectomy with caudate lobectomy whose bile duct must be severed at the subsegmental bile duct levels, the orifices of the posterior bile ducts would lie behind the right portal vein. Conventional hepaticojejunostomy would be risky in such cases because an anastomosis performed in the usual manner would be subjected to strain. Instead, between 2002 and 2004, three patients underwent retroportal hepaticojejunostomy using a jejunal limb mobilized and positioned behind the hepatoduodenal ligament. Primary tumors were classified as type IV in the Bismuth-Corlette classification. Tension-free hepaticojejunal anastomosis was performed successfully in all three patients; insufficiency of the hepaticojejunostomy did not develop. Neither early nor late complications directly related to this method occurred. Retroportal hepaticojejunostomy, thus, permits more peripheral resection of the hepatic duct while providing a sufficient operative field for safe, tension-free anastomosis. This technique is very useful for patients undergoing left hemihepatectomy requiring high hilar resection of the bile duct.

Role of three-dimensional imaging in operative planning for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Complex, highly variable, anatomic relationships in the portal hilum complicate the surgical management at hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Preoperative three-dimensional (3D) imaging to stage the tumor and define anatomy may help in planning for curative resection. METHODS: Between 2003 and 2006, 20 consecutive patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent preoperative multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) cholangiography; 3D images of the portal vein, hepatic artery, and bile ducts were created and viewed simultaneously. Longitudinal tumor extension was evaluated by direct cholangiography and 3D cholangiography, and contiguous spread by 2D computed tomography (CT). Of 20 patients, 15 underwent surgical resection. Liver resection was planned based on 3D imaging that allowed visualization of the relationship between the tumor and the umbilical portion of the left portal vein, or the bifurcation of the anterior and posterior branch of the right portal vein. Preoperative and operative findings were compared. RESULTS: All patients tolerated 3D CT without serious complication. The accuracy rates of longitudinal tumor extension, using the Bismuth-Corlette classification system, were 85% (11/13) and 87% (13/15) with direct cholangiography and 3D cholangiography, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rates were 100%, 80%, and 87% for portal invasion and 75%, 91%, and 87% for hepatic arterial invasion. The number of bile duct orifices in the cut end of the hilar plate was estimated correctly in 13 of 15 patients. There were no operative deaths. Potentially curative resection was achieved in 14 of 15 patients. CONCLUSIONS: 3D images provide accurate information about the relationship between hilar cholangiocarcinoma and adjacent vessels. This technique is a powerful new tool for improving the proportion of potentially curative resection.

A case of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the colon with ulcerative colitis.

Follow-up colonoscopy of a 25-year-old Japanese man with ulcerative colitis (UC) who had undergone endoscopic mucosal resection twice for early colon cancers revealed the presence of a new 1.5-cm-diameter tumor in the sigmoid colon. It was diagnosed by preoperative biopsy as a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Sigmoidectomy was performed, and the pathological findings revealed lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LEC). In situ hybridization to detect Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded small RNAs showed positive signals in stromal lymphocytes, but weak signals in the tumor cells. The association between EBV and LEC was obscure in this case. Unlike typical UC-mediated colon cancers, the lesion was poorly differentiated, and negative for p53 signals immunohistochemically. These findings may hint at a novel mechanism of carcinogenesis in UC-mediated colorectal cancer.

Porcelain gallbladder complicated with pancreas divisum.

We report a rare case of porcelain gallbladder associated with pancreas divisum (PD). A 60-year-old woman suffered from discomfort in the back of the right side. An abdominal radiograph revealed a calcified spherical mass in the right upper quadrant. Ultrasonography revealed a scattered echo with a posterior acoustic shadow in the gallbladder wall. A plain computed tomography (CT) scan showed flecks of intramural calcification in the wall of the gallbladder. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) showed separate openings for the Santorini and Wirsung ducts. The patient underwent cholecystectomy after porcelain gallbladder and pancreas divisum had been diagnosed. The porcelain gallbladder resulted from a stone impacted in the neck of the gallbladder. Patients with PD should be followed carefully, because gallstones often accompany PD, and porcelain gallbladder may result, as in this patient.

Disruption of the middle hepatic vein is not crucial for liver regeneration of the remnant liver after right hemihepatectomy for hepatic tumors.

BACKGROUND: To clarify the role of the middle hepatic vein (MHV) in liver regeneration of the remnant liver after right hemihepatectomy for hepatic tumors, we reviewed 29 patients to evaluate liver regeneration for up to 12 postoperative months. METHODS: Volume regeneration of the remnant liver was investigated by computed tomography at 3, 6, and 12 postoperative months. The remnant liver was divided into the following three areas: the medial section (segment IV), the lateral section (segments II and III), and segment I. The patients were divided into two groups: group A (n = 17), in which the MHV was preserved in the remnant liver, and group B (n = 12), in which the MHV was removed. RESULTS: Volume regeneration of each area continued until 6 postoperative months but did not increase thereafter. On univariate analysis, differences in the volume regeneration of each area between the groups were not significant at any measured time point. Furthermore, disruption of the MHV was determined to not be crucial to the volume regeneration of any liver area on multivariate analysis. Only the resection volume (percentage) significantly affected liver regeneration of the remnant liver. CONCLUSIONS: Disruption of the MHV does not decisively affect liver regeneration of remnant liver after right hemihepatectomy for hepatic tumors.

Applicability of the Milan criteria for determining liver transplantation as a first-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether or not the Milan criteria (MC) should be used to determine the applicability of liver transplantation (LT) as a first-line treatment for patients with cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are able to endure hepatectomy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 82 patients with cirrhosis with HCC who were treated by hepatectomy without LT at our institution between 1990 and 2003. RESULTS: Of these 82 patients, 48 met the MC. Proportional hazard regression analyses to determine the independent prognostic factors for postoperative cumulative patient and disease-free survival showed that meeting the MC is the strongest prognostic factor for both patient and disease-free survival. The cumulative patient and disease-free survival rates were 76.7% and 28.9%, respectively, at 5 years in patients who met the MC. The cumulative disease-free survival was markedly inferior to those in previously reported series of LT for HCC who met the MC, but the cumulative patient survival was comparable to those in the previously reported series. A comparison of cumulative postoperative survival between patients who met the MC and fulfilled all five factors listed below and patients who met the MC but did not fulfill any of the five factors demonstrated that the latter patients showed statistically significantly worse postoperative patient survival than the former. The five factors included: Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score < 10, indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes < 20%, absence of microscopic fibrous capsular invasion and microscopic intrahepatic metastases, and earlier grade (T1 or T2) of American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor classification. CONCLUSIONS: The MC should not be used to determine the applicability of LT as a first-line treatment for patients with HCC considered able to endure hepatectomy. However, modifying MC with some clinicopathological factors could satisfy the appropriate criteria for applying LT as a first-line treatment for these patients.

Usefulness of granular BCAA after hepatectomy for liver cancer complicated with liver cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: Nutritional disturbances such as ascites and hypoalbuminemia frequently arise after hepatectomy for liver cancer with liver cirrhosis. We examined the possibility of maintaining a favorable state of nutrition by outpatient administration of branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) granules. METHODS: Forty-three patients who had gross liver cirrhosis complicated by liver cancer and underwent surgery up to May 2002 were given BCAA granules (n = 21, BCAA group) or no granules (n = 22, control group). RESULTS: 1) Background details such as age, sex, surgical technique, blood loss, and duration of surgery showed no significant differences. 2) Among objective findings, improvement of ascites and edema tended to occur sooner in the BCAA group, but without a significant difference. 3) Although serum albumin recovered its preoperative value 9 mo after surgery in the control group, only 6 mo was required for recovery in the BCAA group. Total protein showed similar changes, but neither group showed any difference in changes of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transferase, or platelets. 4) One year postoperatively, the change from the preoperative indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min after intravenous administration tended to be worse in the control group, but not significantly so. 5) In the BCAA group, hyaluronic acid and type IV collagen 7S improved significantly sooner than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: BCAA supplementation after hepatectomy promotes rapid improvement in protein metabolism and inhibits progression to liver cirrhosis. Administration of BCAA after hepatectomy is considered beneficial to a patient's nutritional state.

Middle hepatic vein tributary reconstruction could not act as a complete substitute for an entirely preserved middle hepatic vein.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The necessity of the middle hepatic vein for living donor liver transplantation using right lobe graft is still controversial. METHODOLOGY: We reviewed 7 long-term surviving right-lobe recipients in whom middle hepatic vein tributaries were not reconstructed (group A, n=4) or were reconstructed (group B, n=3). Volume regeneration of the right paramedian (segments V+VIII) and right lateral (segments VI+VII) sectors was assessed by computed tomography at 3, 6, 9, and 12 postoperative months. The right paramedian sector was further subdivided into the ventral portion in relation to the anterior branch of the right portal vein and dorsal portion. RESULTS: The volume regeneration ratio was significantly lower in group A than in group B persistently after 6 postoperative months in regard to the right paramedian sector, the dorsal portion, and especially the ventral portion (0.64 +/- 0.19 vs. 1.22 +/- 0.17, p=0.034, 12 postoperative months). However, volume regeneration was impaired in the ventral portion as compared to other areas in group B. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, middle hepatic vein tributary reconstruction improves the volume regeneration of the right paramedian sector in right lobe living donor liver transplantation However, it could not act as a complete substitute for an entirely preserved middle hepatic vein.