脇屋 太一

A 65-year-old woman was diagnosed as having initially unresectable locally advanced gallbladder cancer (LAGBC) with direct invasion to the liver, the extra hepatic bile duct, the common hepatic artery, and the head of the pancreas. She received chemotherapy with gemcitabine and S-1. After 8 courses of chemotherapy, the size of the main lesion decreased and the invasion to the adjacent organs disappeared. We performed extended right hepatectomy and extrahepatic bile duct resection with combined resection of the common hepatic artery. Pathological investigation confirmed moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder, pT3N1M0, Stage IIIB, and R0 resection margins. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1. Eight months after the surgery, she was alive with no signs of recurrence. The efficacy of conversion surgery for unresectable LAGBC has not been determined. Further studies are required to establish treatment strategy for unresectable LAGBC. However, it is important to pursue the feasibility of conversion surgery for patients with unresectable LAGBC.

The serum ferritin (SF) concentration is a widely available and objective laboratory parameter. SF is also widely recognized as an acute-phase reactant. The purpose of the present study was to identify the chronological changes in the recipient's SF concentration during liver transplantation (LT) and to clarify factors having an effect on the recipient's intraoperative SF level. In addition, the study retrospectively evaluated the usefulness of measuring SF during LT. Ninety-eight pediatric recipients were retrospectively analyzed. The data were analyzed and compared according to the SF level in the recipient. Patients were classified into 2 groups based on the intraoperative peak SF levels of 1000 ng/mL (low-SF group) or >1000 ng/mL (high-SF group). The SF value increased dramatically after reperfusion and fell to normal levels within the early postoperative period. The warm ischemia time (WIT) was significantly longer in the high-SF group (47.0 versus 58.5 minutes; P = 0.003). In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between the peak SF value and WIT (r = 0.35; P < 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between the peak SF value and the donors' preoperative laboratory data, including transaminases, cholinesterase, hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, and SF, of which SF showed the strongest positive correlation (r = 0.74; P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis revealed that WIT and donor's SF level were a significant risk factor for high SF level in the recipient (P = 0.007 and 0.02, respectively). In conclusion, the SF measurement can suggest the degree of ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). A high SF level in the donor is associated with the risk of further acute reactions, such as IRI, in the recipient. Liver Transpl 21:1419-1427, 2015. (c) 2015 AASLD.

Studies suggest that prophylactic intra-abdominal drains are unnecessary for cadaveric liver transplantation using whole liver grafts because there is no benefit from drainage. However, no studies have investigated on the necessity of prophylactic drains after LDLT using split-liver grafts or reduced-liver grafts, which may present a high risk of post-transplant intra-abdominal infections. This retrospective study investigated whether the ascitic data on POD 5 after LDLT can predict intra-abdominal infections and on the post-transplant management of prophylactic drains. Between March 2008 and March 2013, 90 LDLTs were performed. We assessed the number of ascitic cells, biochemical examinations, and cultivation tests at POD1 and POD5. The incidence rates of post-transplant intra-abdominal infections were 24.4%. The multivariate analysis showed that left lobe and S2 monosegment grafts were a significant risk factor for intra-abdominal infections (p=0.006). The patients with intra-abdominal infections had significantly higher acsitic LDH levels and the positive rate of ascitic culture at POD5 in comparison with patients without infections (p<0.001 and p=0.014, respectively). LDLT using left lobe and S2 monosegment grafts yields a high risk for post-transplant intra-abdominal infections, and ascitic LDH and cultivation tests at POD5 via prophylactic drains can predict intra-abdominal infections.

A 12-year-old female patient with biliary atresia underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Twelve months after the LDLT, she developed acute hepatitis (alanine aminotransferase 584 IU/L) and was diagnosed with disseminated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection with high level of serum VZV-DNA (1.5 x 10(5) copies/mL) and generalized vesicular rash. She had received the VZV vaccination when she was 5-years-old and had not been exposed to chicken pox before the LDLT, and her serum was positive for VZV immunoglobulin G at the time of the LDLT. Although she underwent treatment with intravenous acyclovir, intravenous immunoglobulin, and withdrawal of immunosuppressants, her symptoms worsened and were accompanied by disseminated intravascular coagulation, pneumonia, and encephalitis. These complications required treatment in the intensive care unit for 16 days. Five weeks later, her clinical findings improved, although her VZV-DNA levels remained high (8.5 x 10(3) copies/mL). Oral acyclovir was added for 2 weeks, and she was eventually discharged from our hospital on day 86 after admission; she has not experienced a recurrence. In conclusion, although disseminated VZV infection with multiple organ failure after pediatric LDLT is a life-threatening disease, it can be cured via an early diagnosis and intensive treatment.

Blood transfusion is linked to a negative outcome for malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate aggressive surgical resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) and assess the impact of perioperative blood transfusion on long-term survival. Sixty-six consecutive major hepatectomies with en bloc resection of the caudate lobe and extrahepatic bile duct for HCCA were performed using macroscopically curative resection at our institute from 2002 to 2012. Clinicopathologic factors for recurrence and survival were retrospectively assessed. Overall survival rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 86.7, 47.3, and 35.7 %, respectively. In univariate analysis, perioperative blood transfusion and a histological positive margin were two of several variables found to be significant prognostic factors for recurrence or survival (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, only perioperative blood transfusion was independently associated with recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.839 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.370-5.884), P = 0.005), while perioperative blood transfusion (HR = 3.383 (95 % CI, 1.499-7.637), P = 0.003) and R1 resection (HR = 3.125 (95 % CI, 1.025-9.530), P = 0.045) were independent risk factors for poor survival. Perioperative blood transfusion is a strong predictor of poor survival after radical hepatectomy for HCCA. We suggest that circumvention of perioperative blood transfusion can play an important role in long-term survival for patients with HCCA.

A man in his seventies presented with a stomach abnormality that was revealed upon physical examination.Following workup, he was diagnosed with gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)StageII1 (Lugano staging system for gastrointestinal lymphoma) with low risk as defined by the International Prognostic Index criteria.The entire stomach showed an intense, abnormal FDG uptake by FDG-PET evaluation.He was treated with rituximab plus CHOP (R-CHOP).The patient's body weight decreased by 12 kg during the treatment period.Post -treatment evaluation by gastroscopy and FDG-PET following 5 courses of R-CHOP therapy revealed a residual lesion in the stomach.Total gastrectomy was performed for R-CHOP refractory gastric DLBCL.The pathological diagnosis was DLBCL, and the pathological therapeutic effect was Grade 1a.Lymphoma cells were detected at the duodenal margin of the resected specimen, and an FDG-PET scan showed abnormal FDG uptake in the duodenal stump necessitating salvage chemotherapy (DeVIC therapy)and radiotherapy.The patient's body weight increased by 5 kg after gastrectomy and there were no signs of relapse for 14 months after the operation.Salvage therapy including gastrectomy may be effective for chemotherapy-resistant gastric DLBCL.

Perforation, bleeding, and ileus are known complications of small intestinal lymphoma and can occur either at diagnosis or during the course of treatment. Surgery is an important component in the management of these gastrointestinal complications. However, there is no consensus regarding the indications for and timing of surgery in small intestinal lymphoma. We herein present our experience with a case of small intestinal lymphoma with ileus that required surgery during chemotherapy. A 69-year-old man developed abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed lower right jaw lymphadenopathy, small intestinal wall thickening, and mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Malignant lymphoma (diffuse large B-cell type) was diagnosed on the basis of a lower jaw lymph node biopsy. The patient was initially administered chemotherapy. After the third cycle of chemotherapy, the patient developed small intestinal obstruction detected upon abdominal computed tomography. Because a stricture persisted despite medical treatment, we performed partial resection of the small intestine. The postoperative course was good, and the patient rapidly resumed chemotherapy. Currently, 6 months after the surgery, the patient is alive without any progression of the lymphoma. A multidisciplinary treatment strategy, including surgery, is desirable to achieve a safe but radical cure for small intestinal lymphoma.

A man in his 60s was diagnosed with gastric cancer and underwent distal gastrectomy and D2 lymph node dissection. The histological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma (T3, N1, Stage IIB). He was treated with S-1 as adjuvant chemotherapy for 1 year. One year and 2 months after gastrectomy, a computed tomography (CT) scan revealed liver metastasis (S8, 38 mm). The patient was diagnosed with liver metastasis (refractory to S-1), and administered combination chemotherapy with irinotecan and cisplatin. After 4 courses of treatment, a CT scan detected a progressive liver tumor (55 mm). Combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and S-1 was selected as second-line chemotherapy. After 6 courses of treatment, the tumor size reduced to 40 mm in diameter, and no other metastasis was detected. Nine months after the diagnosis of liver metastasis, partial resection of the liver (S8) was performed. A pathological diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma was determined, and the pathological therapeutic effect was rated as Grade 1b. Combination chemotherapy with docetaxel and S-1 was found to be effective, and was thus administrated after the operation. There have been no signs of recurrence for 6 months after the operation. Surgery with perioperative chemotherapy can be an effective treatment for liver metastasis from gastric cancer.

Background/Aims: (beta-D glucan in the portal vein blood is processed by the hepatic reticuloendothelial system, and therefore, it is possible that the beta-D glucan kinetics of the peripheral vein blood may be useful as a biological index. In this study, the beta-D glucan levels in the peripheral and portal vein blood during liver transplantation were measured in order to study the clinical significance of the molecule. Methodology: The subjects comprised 20 patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation. In the perioperative period, the beta-D glucan levels were measured before liver transplantation, during surgical procedure, then on postoperative days 5, 14, and 21. Results: The portal vein blood showed a significantly higher level beta-D glucan than the peripheral blood (p<0.001). A significant difference of beta-D glucan levels was observed between the pre-liver transplantation and postoperative days 5 (p=0.048). There was a significant positive correlation between the preoperative beta-D glucan level and the period of postoperative hospitalization (p<0.001). The patients with fungal infections (35.0%) had a significantly longer period of hospitalization.(p=0.019). Conclusions: The beta-D glucan kinetics accurately reflects the liver function and fungal infections. The beta-D glucan level before liver transplantation can be used to predict the period of hospitalization.