Small Bowel Volvulus Caused by Small Intestinal B Cell Lymphoma

Spontaneous Gastric Decompression of Walled-Off Pancreatic Necrosis

The Relationship Between Postoperative Chemotherapy and Remnant Liver Regeneration and Outcomes After Hepatectomy for Colorectal Liver Metastasis Abstract Background Postoperative chemotherapy for treating colorectal liver metastasis (CLM) has been introduced with the aim of improving therapeutic outcomes. However, there is no consensus on the utility of multidisciplinary treatments with postoperative chemotherapy. Therefore, we evaluated surgical outcomes in patients with CLMs who underwent hepatectomy, while focusing on the effects of post-hepatectomy chemotherapy on remnant liver regeneration. Methods Two hundred ninety patients who underwent hepatectomy were retrospectively analyzed using propensity score matching. Postoperative outcomes were evaluated with a focus on the effects of post-hepatectomy chemotherapy on regeneration of the remnant liver in patients with CLM. The remnant liver volumes (RLVs) were measured postoperatively using multi-detector computed tomography on day 7 and months 1, 2, 5, and 12 after the operation. Results RLV regeneration and postoperative blood laboratory data did not differ significantly between patients who received postoperative chemotherapy and those who did not receive postoperative chemotherapy immediately after surgery or at any time point from postoperative day 7 to postoperative month 12. The recurrence rates, including same and other segmental intrahepatic recurrences, as well as the resection frequency of the remnant liver were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion Postoperative chemotherapy may be of small significance for patients with CLM in terms of the remnant liver volume regeneration and functional recovery.

Influence of Conversion and Anastomotic Leakage on Survival in Rectal Cancer Surgery; Retrospective Cross-sectional Study Abstract Background Conversion and anastomotic leakage in colorectal cancer surgery have been suggested to have a negative impact on long-term oncologic outcomes. The aim of this study in a large Dutch national cohort was to analyze the influence of conversion and anastomotic leakage on long-term oncologic outcome in rectal cancer surgery. Methods Patients were selected from a retrospective cross-sectional snapshot study. Patients with a benign lesion, distant metastasis, or unknown tumor or metastasis status were excluded. Overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between laparoscopic, converted, and open surgery as well as between patients with and without anastomotic leakage. Results Out of a database of 2095 patients, 638 patients were eligible for inclusion in the laparoscopic, 752 in the open, and 107 in the conversion group. A total of 746 patients met the inclusion criteria and underwent low anterior resection with primary anastomosis, including 106 (14.2%) with anastomotic leakage. OS and DFS were significantly shorter in the conversion compared to the laparoscopic group (p = 0.025 and p = 0.001, respectively) as well as in anastomotic leakage compared to patients without anastomotic leakage (p = 0.002 and p = 0.024, respectively). In multivariable analysis, anastomotic leakage was an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio 2.167, 95% confidence interval 1.322–3.551) and DFS (1.592, 1077–2.353). Conversion was an independent predictor of DFS (1.525, 1.071–2.172), but not of OS. Conclusion Technical difficulties during laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery, as reflected by conversion, as well as anastomotic leakage have a negative prognostic impact, underlining the need to improve both aspects in rectal cancer surgery.

Prognostic Significance of Lymph Node Metastasis and Micrometastasis Along the Left Side of Superior Mesenteric Artery in Pancreatic Head Cancer Abstract Backgrounds and Objectives Although metastasis in lymph nodes along the left side of superior mesenteric artery (SMA-LNs-lt) is sometimes found, survival benefit of SMA-LN-lt dissection for pancreatic head cancer is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of SMA-LN-lt metastasis and micrometastasis. Methods A total of 166 patients with pancreatic head cancer who underwent pancreatectomy with lymphadenectomy including SMA-LNs-lt between 2002 and 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. Micrometastasis was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results Twenty patients (12%) had SMA-LN-lt metastasis detected by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and eight patients (5%) had micrometastasis. Patients with SMA-LN-lt HE-positive or micrometastasis group experienced significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than those without (p = .015). In multivariate analysis, SMA-LN-lt HE-positive or micrometastasis (p = .034), portal vein resection (p = .002), histologic grade 2/3 (p = .046), LN metastasis (p = .002), and lack of adjuvant chemotherapy (p < .001) were independent risk factors. Within a subset of SMA-LN-lt HE-positive or micrometastasis group, lack of adjuvant chemotherapy (p = .003) was the independent poor prognostic factor. Conclusions In pancreatic head cancer, the rate of SMA-LN-lt HE-positive and micrometastasis was found in 12% and 5%, respectively. Adjuvant chemotherapy may contribute to improvement of prognosis in patients with LN metastasis including SMA-LN-lt metastasis and micrometastasis.

Centralization of Pancreatic Surgery in Europe Abstract Background The objective of this article is a review and an analysis of the current state of centralization of pancreatic surgery in Europe. Numerous recent publications demonstrate higher postoperative in-hospital mortality rates in low-volume clinics after pancreatic resection than previously assumed due to their not publishing significantly worse outcomes when compared to high-volume centres. Although the benefits of centralization of pancreatic surgery in high-volume centres have been demonstrated in many studies, numerous countries have so far failed to establish centralization in their respective health care systems. Methods A systematic literature search of the Medline database for studies concerning centralization of pancreatic surgery in Europe was conducted. The studies were reviewed independently for previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. We included 14 studies with a total of 117,634 patients. All data were extracted from or provided by health insurance company or governmental registry databases. Results Thirteen out of the 14 studies demonstrate an improvement in their respective outcome related to volume. Twelve studies showed a significantly lower postoperative mortality rate in the highest annual volume group in comparison to overall postoperative mortality rate in the whole patient cohort. Conclusion As the available data indicate, most European countries have so far failed to establish centralization of pancreatic surgery to high-volume centres due to numerous reasons. Considering a plateau in survival rates of patients undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer in Europe during the last 15 years, this review enforces the worldwide plea for centralization to lower post-operative mortality after pancreatic surgery.

Major Complications Independently Increase Long-Term Mortality After Pancreatoduodenectomy for Cancer Abstract Background Postoperative major morbidity has been associated with worse survival gastrointestinal tumors. This association remains controversial in pancreatic cancer (PC). We analyzed whether major complications after surgical resection affect long-term survival. Methods Records of all PC patients resected from 2007 to 2015 were reviewed. Major morbidity was defined as any grade-3 or higher 30-day complications, per the Clavien-Dindo Classification. Patients who died within 90 days after surgery were excluded from survival analysis. Results Of 616 patients, 81.7% underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) and 18.3% distal pancreatectomy (DP). Major complications occurred in 19.1% after PD and 15.9% after DP. In patients who survived > 90 days, the likelihood of receiving adjuvant treatment was 43.9% if major complications had occurred, vs. 68.5% if not (p < 0.001), and those who received it started the treatment median 10 days later compared with uncomplicated patients (median 60 days (50–72) vs. 50 days (41–61), p = 0.001). By univariate analysis, in addition to the conventional pathology-related prognostic determinants and the receipt of adjuvant treatment, major complications worsened long-term survival after PD (median OS 26 months vs. 15, p = 0.008). A difference was also seen after DP, but it did not reach statistical significance, likely related to the small sample size (median OS 33 months vs. 18, p = 0.189). At multivariate analysis for PD, major postoperative complications remained independently associated with worse survival [HR 1.37, 95%CI (1.01–1.86)]. Conclusions Major surgical complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy are associated with worse long-term survival in pancreatic cancer. This effect is independent of the receipt of adjuvant treatment.

The Prognostic Impact of KRAS Mutation in Patients Having Curative Resection of Synchronous Colorectal Liver Metastases Abstract Background m-KRAS has been recently reported to be a significant prognostic factor in patients undergoing resection of colorectal liver metastases. This is due to the lack of response to monoclonal epithelial growth factor receptor antibodies, and potentially as a result of a more aggressive tumor biology. Methods The National Cancer Database was queried to identify patients with known KRAS status presenting with colorectal cancer and liver metastases who underwent resection of the primary tumor and metastatic disease between 2010 and 2015. Results A total of 2655 patients were identified of which 1116 (42%) had m-KRAS. Tumor size, lymph node involvement rates, and margin status of the primary tumor were similar between patients with m-KRAS and wild-type KRAS (wt-KRAS). In the multivariable analysis, African-American race and right-sided colon cancers were independently associated with m-KRAS (both p < 0.001). m-KRAS patients had a significantly lower overall survival (OS) than those with wt-KRAS, with a 3- and 5-year OS of 51 vs. 64% and 31 vs. 42%, respectively (p < 0.001). After adjustment for available prognostic confounders, factors independently associated with worse OS were increasing age, receipt of monoagent chemotherapy, tumor size, positive lymph node, and resection margin status of the primary tumor, right-sided cancers, and m-KRAS. Conclusions m-KRAS is associated with worse OS in patients presenting with colorectal cancer and liver metastases undergoing resection of the primary tumor and metastatic disease. Right-sided lesions and African-American race were associated with m-KRAS. However, while right-sided remained an independent prognostic factor for OS, race did not.

Ruling out Appendicitis in Children: Can We Use Clinical Prediction Rules? Abstract Purpose To identify available clinical prediction rules (CPRs) and investigate their ability to rule out appendicitis in children presenting with abdominal pain at the emergency department, and accordingly select CPRs that could be useful in a future prospective cohort study. Methods A literature search was conducted to identify available CPRs. These were subsequently tested in a historical cohort from a general teaching hospital, comprising all children (< 18 years) that visited the emergency department between 2012 and 2015 with abdominal pain. Data were extracted from the electronic patient files and scores of the identified CPRs were calculated for each patient. The negative likelihood ratios were only calculated for those CPRs that could be calculated for at least 50% of patients. Results Twelve CPRs were tested in a cohort of 291 patients, of whom 87 (29.9%) suffered from acute appendicitis. The Ohmann score, Alvarado score, modified Alvarado score, Pediatric Appendicitis score, Low-Risk Appendicitis Rule Refinement, Christian score, and Low Risk Appendicitis Rule had a negative likelihood ratio < 0.1. The Modified Alvarado Scoring System and Lintula score had a negative likelihood ratio > 0.1. Three CPRs were excluded because the score could not be calculated for at least 50% of patients. Conclusion This study identified seven CPRs that could be used in a prospective cohort study to compare their ability to rule out appendicitis in children and investigate if clinical monitoring and re-evaluation instead of performing additional investigations (i.e., ultrasound) is a safe treatment strategy in case there is low suspicion of appendicitis.

Remnant Liver-to-Standard Liver Volume Ratio Below 40% is Safe in Ex Vivo Liver Resection and Autotransplantation Abstract Background The successful application of ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation (ERAT) has gained widespread attention for the treatment of end-stage hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, which is considered to be unresectable by conventional methods due to extensive invasion of the extra- and intrahepatic vasculature. However, data on remnant liver volume (RLV) are limited, and the safe volume limit of remnant liver is still unclear. Methods To determine the effect of liver volume in the technically developed era, we investigated the impact of the remnant liver-to-standard liver volume ratio (RLV/SLV) on the outcomes of ERAT. Results From February 2014 to May 2018, 56 ERAT procedures were performed. Eleven patients with an RLV/SLV < 40% (group S) were compared with 45 patients with an RLV/SLV ≥ 40% (group L). Serial changes in postoperative serum total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and international normalized ratio were comparable in both groups. The incidences of postoperative complications did not significantly differ between the two groups. Three patients died of intra-abdominal bleeding, acute cerebral hemorrhage, and severe liver dysfunction. In RLV estimation analysis, the actual RLV and RLV/SLV were significantly smaller than the expected RLV and RLV/SLV as determined by preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction software in patients with hepatic venous outflow obstruction. Conclusion Patients with a smaller RLV/SLV did not have outcomes inferior to those with a larger RLV/SLV. Further studies are warranted to clarify the factors that contribute to preoperative volumetric estimation and the safe lower limits for ERAT.