Simultaneously Diagnosed and Successfully Treated Rectovaginal and Vesicovaginal Fistulae after Low Anterior Resection with Concomitant Resection of Female Genitalia.

Rectovaginal fistula (RVF) and vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) are infrequent but distressing complications after pelvic surgery. However, their adequate treatment is not well described. Here, we simultaneously encountered and successfully treated RVF and VVF after radical surgery for rectal cancer. A 70-year-old woman underwent low anterior resection (LAR) combined with resection of the uterus, the bilateral adnexa, and the upper side of the vagina, as well as diverted ileostomy for rectal cancer. A month after the surgery, she developed urinary incontinence and underwent medical treatment, but her symptoms did not improve. Evaluation with contrast enema before stoma closure revealed the presence of RVF and VVF. We repaired the VVF and RVF via transabdominal and transperineal approaches. After 6 months, ileostomy was closed and the patient had no recurrence of cancer and fistula. In LAR with hysterectomy and resection of the vaginal wall, there is a risk of RVF and VVF. The excision and closure of the fistula tract and omental flap can be effective to treat both fistulae.

A case of diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the appendix: laparoscopic surgery can facilitate diagnosis and treatment.

BACKGROUND: A cavenous hemangioma of the appendix (CHA) is rare. The clinical pathophysiology and adequate management of a CHA have not been sufficiently explained since reports on CHA are scarce. CASE PRESENTATION: A 56-year-old woman presented with chronic right lower quadrant pain. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a thickened appendix (1.5 cm in diameter) and some focal calcifications in the appendiceal wall. No acute inflammatory signs were visible around the appendix. For diagnosis and treatment, we performed a laparoscopic surgery. Intraoperative findings included purple granular lesions that were spread diffusely along the surface of the appendix. Since these lesions were spread to the terminal ileum, laparoscopic ileocecal resection was performed. Upon macroscopic inspection, purple-colored, raspberry-like lesions were found diffusely on the serosal surface of the appendix. No lesions were found on the mucosal surface. Hematoxylin and eosin staining indicated the presence of blood-filled sinus-like spaces largely in the subserosal layer. Immunohistochemistry analysis indicated that CD34-positive cells lined these spaces. Given these findings, we diagnosed the patient with a diffuse cavernous vascular malformation of the appendix. CONCLUSIONS: CHA is difficult to diagnose. A laparoscopic approach may be useful for both the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Successful Resection of Isolated Para-Aortic Lymph Node Recurrence from Advanced Sigmoid Colon Cancer following 156 Courses of FOLFIRI Regimen.

Isolated para-aortic lymph node (PLN) recurrence from colorectal cancer (CRC) is rare, with no currently validated treatments. Few reports have described the successful resection of isolated PLN involvement from CRC following chemotherapy. We report the case of a 63-year-old man who underwent sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer at our hospital. Pathological examination demonstrated advanced sigmoid colon cancer with metastatic involvement in both of the tested PLNs. Palliative chemotherapy was initiated four weeks after surgical resection, with administration of the FOLFIRI regimen. Four years after the operation, computed tomography (CT) revealed an enlarged PLN below the left renal vein. As PLN enlarged to 15 mm in the minor axis on a CT scan in 2014 after receiving a total of 156 courses of the FOLFIRI regimen, we considered the enlarged PLN to represent an isolated metastasis. Accordingly, lymph node resection was performed with microscopically negative margins. The patient maintained a good quality of life without any side effects throughout the whole course of his treatment and remains disease-free at 24 months without chemotherapy after resection of the isolated PLN. Curative resection following chemotherapy may improve survival of carefully selected advanced CRC patients with locoregional recurrence, such as isolated PLN involvement.

Self-Expanding Metallic Stents Versus Surgical Intervention as Palliative Therapy for Obstructive Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) are useful tools for relieving large bowel obstructions in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), their efficacy in a palliative setting has not been validated. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the feasibility of SEMS as a palliation for unresectable CRC patients with bowel obstructions and to determine their contribution to the prognosis of CRC, compared with surgical intervention. METHODS: We conducted a literature search of the PubMed and Cochrane Library databases. We selected all controlled trials that compared SEMS with surgical interventions as palliative treatments in unresectable obstructive CRC patients. The primary outcome was early complications, and the secondary outcomes were mortality, other morbidities, and long-term survival rates. RESULTS: Ten studies met our inclusion criteria. SEMS significantly reduced the risk of early complications (odds ratio [OR] 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20-0.58%; P<0.01), mortality (OR 0.31; 95% CI 0.15%-0.64%; P<0.01), and stoma creation (OR 0.19; 95% CI 0.12-0.28%; P<0.01). Although SEMS placement was significantly associated with a higher risk of perforation of the large bowel (OR 5.25 95% CI 2.00-13.78%; P<0.01) and late complications (OR 1.94; 95% CI 0.90-4.19%; P=0.03), it also contributed significantly to better long-term survival (hazard ratio 0.46; 95% CI 0.31-0.68%; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with surgical intervention, SEMS could provide feasible palliation for patients with bowel obstructions and unresectable CRC, because of their acceptable morbidity rates and better patient prognoses.

Bevacizumab terminates homeobox B9-induced tumor proliferation by silencing microenvironmental communication.

BACKGROUND: Homeobox B9 (HOXB9), a transcriptional factor, regulates developmental processes and tumor progression and has recently been recognized as one of important transcriptional factors related to angiogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the role of HOXB9 in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. METHODS: We examined the expression of HOXB9 in colorectal cancer using qPCR and in situ hybridization. We also examined the effect of HOXB9 overexpression in colorectal cancer using a proliferation assay, ELISA, a multiplex assay, and xenograft models. The clinical significance of HOXB9 was statistically evaluated in resected specimens. RESULTS: HOXB9 was expressed in colorectal cancer specimens. HOXB9 induced angiogenesis and tumor proliferation in vitro, which resulted in high tumorigenicity in vivo and poor overall survival. Bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, remarkably suppressed tumor proliferation by inhibiting angiogenesis in HOXB9-overexpressing xenografts, and it improved overall survival and provided prolonged progression-free survival in HOXB9-overexpressing patients. A comprehensive multiplex assay of the supernatant of cancer cells co-cultured with human vascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts indicated significantly higher interleukin-6 (IL6) levels than those in the supernatant of monocultured cells. HOXB9 overexpression in clinical specimens was significantly correlated with increased IL6 expression. An IL6-neutralizing antibody inhibited VEGF secretion and tumor proliferation in the co-culture system. CONCLUSIONS: HOXB9 promotes the secretion of angiogenic factors, including VEGF, to induce tumor proliferation through microenvironmental production of cytokines including IL6 signaling. Moreover, silencing of VEGF or IL6 terminates cytokine release in tumor microenvironment. Thus, HOXB9 and IL6 may be potential biomarkers for bevacizumab treatment.

[Pathological complete response in advanced gastric carcinoma by S-1/CDDP combination chemotherapy].

A59 -year-old woman was referred to our hospital for a close examination and treatment of an advanced gastric carcinoma. A physical examination and CT scan showed that the right cervical and axillar lymph nodes were swelling, and a histopathological examination of the axillar lymph node revealed metastatic growth of the gastric carcinoma (Stage IV). Then, we started S-1/CDDP combination chemotherapy. S-1 (80 mg/m2/day)was orally administered for 3 weeks followed by 2 weeks of rest, and CDDP (60 mg/m2) was administered by drip on day 8. Since the distant metastases were greatly reduced after 6 courses of combination therapy, a distal gastrectomy with lymph nodes dissection (D2) was performed. Histopathological examination of the resected tissues revealed no residual cancer cells, suggesting a pathologically complete response. The clinical course after the operation went well without any complications, and the patient is alive with no evidence of recurrence 1 year after surgery. S-1/CDDP combination chemotherapy appears to be one of the effective treatments for advanced gastric carcinoma.

Regression of nephropathy developed in diabetes by (Pro)renin receptor blockade.

Activation of prorenin by (pro)renin receptor stimulates the tissue renin-angiotensin system and plays a significant role in the development of nephropathy in diabetic animals. This study examined whether (pro)renin receptor blockade inhibits the progression of nephropathy that has already developed in diabetic rats. Seventeen-week-old heminephrectomized streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats with an increased urinary protein excretion and a significant glomerulosclerosis had been treated for 12 wk with the (pro)renin receptor blocker (PRRB), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi), or vehicle peptide by using subcutaneously implanted osmotic minipumps. At the end of observation, in diabetic rats that were treated with vehicle, urinary protein excretion was progressively increased and a significant progression of glomerulosclerosis was observed. In diabetic rats that were treated with PRRB, however, no further increase in urinary protein excretion or glomerulosclerosis was observed, but 12-wk treatment with ACEi only attenuated further increases in urinary protein excretion and glomerulosclerosis. The enhanced expression of activated prorenin was observed in the kidneys of diabetic rats that were treated with vehicle, whereas it was markedly suppressed in the kidneys of diabetic rats that were treated with PRRB but not ACEi. These results suggest that (pro)renin receptor blockade does not only inhibit the progression of nephropathy but also reverses the glomerulosclerosis that has already developed in diabetic rats.