Fikri Bouazza

Salvage esophagectomy after failure of definitive radiochemotherapy for esophageal cancer

Definitive radiochemotherapy (dRCT) in locally advanced esophageal cancer is associated with a high rate of loco‐regional recurrence. In this condition, salvage esophagectomy may be considered as a therapeutic option. The aim of this analysis is to evaluate the feasibility and the morbi‐mortality of this strategy.

Radioembolisation and portal vein embolization before resection of large hepatocellular carcinoma.

Resectability of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic liver disease is dramatically limited by the need to preserve sufficient remnant liver in order to avoid postoperative liver insufficiency. Preoperative treatments aimed at downsizing the tumor and promoting hypertrophy of the future remnant liver may improve resectability and reduce operative morbidity. Here we report the case of a patient with a large hepatocellular carcinoma arising from chronic liver disease. Preoperative treatment, including tumor downsizing with transarterial radioembolization and induction of future remnant liver hypertrophy with right portal vein embolization, resulted in a 53% reduction in tumor volume and compensatory hypertrophy in the contralateral liver. The patient subsequently underwent extended right hepatectomy with no postoperative signs of liver decompensation. Pathological examination demonstrated a margin-free resection and major tumor response. This new therapeutic sequence, combining efficient tumor targeting and subsequent portal vein embolization, could improve the feasibility and safety of major liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver injury.

Elective Colorectal Surgery without Bowel Preparation: a Historical Control and Case-Matched Study

Abstract Background: Although full bowel preparation, including mechanical washout and non-absorbable anti-biotherapy, has been considered for decades as a prerequisite to any elective colorectal surgery, recent literature has suggested that this habit was perhaps unjustified. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of ileocolic, colocolic and colorectal anastomosis in the absence of pre-operative mechanical bowel preparation. Methods: During a 1-year period, 59 consecutive patients underwent elective colorectal surgery with ileocolic, colocolic or colorectal anastomosis without any pre-operative preparation. This “non-prepared group” (NPG) was compared to a “control group” (CG) composed of the previous 127 consecutive cases of classically managed patients. To improve the statistical power we also compared the NPG to a “match-controlled group” (MCG) of 59 patients within the CG. Primary end-points were anastomotic leakage and abdominal infections. Secondary end-points were oral diet resume time and hospital stay. Results: There were no differences between the 3 groups for age, gender, BMI, immunodepression status, anastomosis site and suture technique. There were no differences between NPG and CG or MCG for anastomotic leakage (3.5%, 4.7% and 6.8% respectively, NPG/CG p = 0.68 and NPG/MCG p = 0.4) or for infectious abdominal complications. Mean diet resume time was 1.4 (1–5) days in the NPG versus 3.4 (1–19) days in the CG and 3.1 (1–6) days in the MCG (p < 0.00001). Median length of postoperative hospital stay was 5 (2–81) days in the NPG versus 8 (4–100) and 8 (4–100) in the CG and the MCG respectively. Conclusions: In accordance with the recent literature, the present experience does not show any benefit of mechanical bowel preparation in elective colorectal resection. This suggests that bowel preparation could be omitted before this type of surgery.

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) before partial hepatectomy or radiofrequency destruction for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients: a feasibility and safety pilot study

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Preoperative selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) may improve the results of partial hepatectomy (PH) or radiofrequency destruction (RF) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of this combined approach. METHODS Patients with cirrhosis and HCC selected for PH or RF were prospectively included and systematically proposed for preoperative SIRT. Feasibility and safety of SIRT and post-SIRT PH or RF were assessed. RESULTS Thirty patients were included. SIRT was contraindicated in seven, due to lack of access to tumour artery or to hepato-pulmonary shunts. SIRT was performed in 23 patients without significant complications. Post-SIRT, surgery was refuted in seven patients, due to tumour progression or the patients deteriorating condition. After surgery, major complications were observed in 2/16 patients (12.5%) and one patient died 52 days post-surgery. A major tumour pathological response was seen in most patients who underwent surgery after SIRT. CONCLUSIONS On intention-to-treat basis, the overall feasibility of combining preoperative SIRT and surgery was limited. Preoperative SIRT did not increase expected operative morbidity, but post-SIRT, a third of patients were refuted for surgery. Accurate selection criteria and potential long-term oncological benefit of this approach remains to be determined. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01686880.

Sequential tumor-directed and lobar radioembolization before major hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Preoperative radioembolization may improve the resectability of liver tumor by inducing tumor shrinkage, atrophy of the embolized liver and compensatory hypertrophy of non-embolized liver. We describe the case of a cirrhotic Child-Pugh A patient with a segment IV hepatocellular carcinoma requiring a left hepatectomy. Preoperative angiography demonstrated 2 separated left hepatic arteries, for segment IV and segments II-III. This anatomic variant allowed sequential radioembolizations, delivering high-dose 90Yttrium (160 Gy) to the tumor, followed 28 d later by lower dose (120 Gy) to segments II-III. After 3 mo, significant tumor response and atrophy of the future resected liver were obtained, allowing uneventful left hepatectomy. This case illustrates that, when anatomic disposition permits it, sequential radioembolizations, delivering different 90Yttrium doses to the tumor and the future resected liver, could represent a new strategy to prepare major hepatectomy in cirrhotic patients, allowing optimal tumoricidal effect while reducing the toxicity of the global procedure.

Surgical strategy in abnormally increased Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in an asymptomatic lower esophageal submucosal tumor – Report of a case

INTRODUCTION Leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the esophagus (67–80%), it represents 0.4–1% of all esophageal tumors. PRESENTATION OF CASE An incidentally discovered gastro-esophageal submucosal tumor was found to have increased fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on positron emission computed tomography (PET/CT). After laparoscopic surgical exploration and local enucleation the tumor turned out to be a benign esophageal leiomyoma. DISCUSSION There are few reports of esophageal leiomyomas with a positive uptake on (PET/CT) and even fewer adopting our combination of a minimally invasive approach and frozen section examination as a management plan. Our approach avoided excessive morbid surgical resections and underestimation of a malignant disease. CONCLUSION We report this case hoping to expand the existing literature on the topic and to highlight the limitations of PET/CT in guiding the diagnosis and subsequently the management of esophageal submucosal tumors.

Primary Hepatic Lymphoma Mimicking a Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Cirrhotic Patient: Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature

Introduction Primary hepatic lymphomas (PHLs) are rare liver tumors, frequently misdiagnosed preoperatively. As these tumors could be successfully treated with chemotherapy, their early recognition is essential, potentially, to avoid useless surgery. We report on the case of a cirrhotic patient with hemochromatosis who presented a PHL, initially diagnosed as a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and we analyze recent data from the literature on this subject. Case Presentation and Review of the Literature A 45 mm liver tumor was found is a 68-year-old man with alcohol cirrhosis and hemochromatosis. At imaging, the diagnosis of HCC was suspected according to vascular characteristics and the presence of cirrhosis. FDG PET scan showed a solitary hypermetabolic liver tumor. Tumor markers were negative. Surgery consisted in left lateral hepatectomy. At pathology, the diagnosis of the primary hepatic marginal zone B cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type was demonstrated. Twenty-two articles reporting 33 cases of true PHL of MALT type were found. Presentation lacked specific symptoms (70% asymptomatic). Half of patients were suspected to have other etiologies of liver mass (HCC, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma), and thus diagnosis was established postoperatively. In the patient, diagnosis was made by preoperative biopsy, and chemotherapy was first-line treatment. Discussion Preoperative diagnosis of PHL, and particularly of primary hepatic MALT lymphoma, is challenging. This case illustrates that PHL remains to be considered among the differential diagnosis of isolated solid liver tumors. Further, it indicates that biopsy could be still indicated in case of suspected HCC in cirrhotic patients, particularly in the presence of unusual findings such as the combination of a FDG PET scan positive tumor in the absence of elevated alpha-fetoprotein.