Kitaro Futami

Evaluation of malignancy and the prognosis of esophageal cancer based on an immunohistochemical study (p53, E-cadherin, epidermal growth factor receptor).

The subjects in this study consisted of 40 preoperative untreated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. While p53 did not significantly correlate with the clinicopathological factors, E-cadherin significantly correlated with lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion, the depth of invasion, the degree of lymph node metastasis, the histological stage, and the number of lymph node metastases. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) significantly correlated with age, the depth of invasion, and the number of lymph node metastases. The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 45.7% in the p53-positive cases and 61.9% in the p53-negative cases, with no significant difference, and 87.8% in the E-cadherinpositive cases and 19.1% in the-negative cases, and the difference was significnat. The prognosis was significantly poor in EGFR-positive subjects: the 5-year survival rate was 38.6% in EGFR-positive cases and 68% in-negative cases. The 5-year survival rate in E-cadherin-negative, EGFR-positive cases was 0%, while it was 91.7% in the reverse pattern, and this difference was significant. These findings suggest that both E-cadherin and EGFR are important prognostic factors, and a more precise prognosis can thus be obtained by combining them. Such a combined technique may be very useful as an indicator for grading the biological malignancy of esophageal cancer.

The clinical characteristics and outcome of intraabdominal abscess in Crohn’s disease

BackgroundWe aimed to elucidate the incidence and natural course of abdominal abscess complicating Crohn’s disease (CD).MethodsOf 352 patients with CD who were observed at our hospital between 1985 and October 2001, we studied 35 patients (9.9%) with abscesses in the mid-abdominal region (the abdominal wall, peritoneal cavity, retroperitoneum, and subphrenic region).ResultsThe cumulative incidence of complication with an abscess was 9% and 25%, respectively, 10 and 20 years after CD onset. Of the 35 CD patients with abscess, 60% had had surgery by the time of the present study. The age when the abscess developed was 30.1 ± 8.1 years, and the duration of illness from the onset of CD until development of an abscess was 10.8 ± 6.3 years (range, 0–29 years). The location of involvement was: abdominal wall, n = 14 (40%); peritoneal cavity, n = 10 (29%); retroperitoneum or iliopsoas, n = 9 (26%); and subphrenic region, n = 2 (6%). In terms of location of abscess, it occurred most often on the right side (65.7%). Almost all abscesses occurred near the site of an anastomosis. Diseased segments of the bowel responsible for abscess formation were categorized radiographically as showing mild stenosis (6.5%), intermediate stenosis and/or simple fistula (41.9%), and severe stenosis and/or multiple fistulas (51.6%). Conservative treatment (including drainage of abscess) alone was effective in 7 patients (20%) and surgery was needed in 28 patients (80%). During the 5.3-year follow-up after treatment for the abdominal abscess, 9 of the 35 patients (26%) had recurrence of an abscess, mostly within 3 years.ConclusionsAbscess formation was noted in about 10% of patients with CD, with 46% of abscesses occurring in a diseased bowel segment near an anastomotic site. Of the diseased bowel segments responsible for abscess formation, half had neither severe stenosis nor multiple fistulas. Almost all patients underwent surgery for the abscess, and, in more than a quarter of the patients, there was recurrence within a few years after surgery.

Role of strictureplasty in surgical treatment of Crohn’s disease

Background. The aim of this study was to review early and late results of strictureplasty for patients affected by Crohn’s disease.Methods. We reviewed 103 patients with obstructive Crohn’s disease undergoing 293 strictureplasties (Heineke-Mikulicz, 235; Finney, 22; Jaboulay, 35; side-to-side isoperistaltic strictureplasty, 1). Mean age at surgery was 31.4 years. Forty-four patients had at least one previous surgery, and synchronous other surgical procedures were performed in 62 patients. For 41 patients with strictureplasty alone, 154 strictureplasties were done. The site and number of strictures treated by strictureplasty were as follows: duodenum (2), small intestine (265), ileocecal region (6), colon (4), recurrence at previous anastomosis (11), and recurrence at previous strictureplasty (5). The mean number of structureplasties per patient was 2.8. Reoperation has been used as the definitive end-point for recurrence, and the long-term outcome of strictureplasty was examined.Results. There was no operative mortality. Septic complications related to strictureplasty developed in 4 patients and reoperation was needed in 2 patients (1.9%). Mean duration of follow-up was 80.3 months. For all patients, the 5- and 10-year reoperation rate was 45.0% and 61.9%, respectively. Forty-five patients (43.7%) required further operation for recurrence, of whom 21 patients (20.4%) had recurrence at the site of strictureplasty, which was restricture in 14 patients and perforating disease in 7 patients. Perforating disease for recurrence was more frequent at the site treated by the Finney or Jabouley procedure compared with Heineke-Mikulicz.Conclusions. It is considered that, in the long term, strictureplasty is safe and useful for preserving the intestine in the surgical treatment of Crohn’s disease if strictures are carefully selected.

Assessment of blood flow in the small intestine by laser Doppler flowmetry: Comparison of healthy small intestine and small intestine in Crohn's disease

Blood flow and blood distribution were investigated in 40 patients with normal small intestine and the relation between blood flow and the morphological features of Crohns disease was examined in 11 patients with Crohns disease by laser Doppler flowmetry from the serosal side during surgery. In normal small intestine, blood flow was measured at six points: upper, middle, and lower small intestine, each of the mesenteric borders, and the antimesenteric surface. In Crohns disease, macroscopically normal tissue and affected lesions were observed in detail by intraoperative endoscopy after blood flow measurement. The blood flow values in the normal small intestine gradually decreased from the upper to the lower small intestine. As the level of inflammation progressed in Crohns disease the blood flow values gradually decreased; the exudative stage of Crohns disease (aphthoid ulcer) showed blood flow values that were slightly below those in macroscopically normal tissue. These results are the first to demonstrate decreased blood flow in affected lesions in Crohns disease and changes in blood flow according to the degree of inflammation in vivo.

Gastric pseudolymphoma with monotypic cytoplasmic immunoglobulin

Two cases of hyperplastic lymphoid lesion of the stomach with cytoplasmic immunoglobulin of monotypic pattern are presented. Both patients were young, and the postgastrectomy course was uneventful for 38 and 76 months, respectively. The lesion had been diagnosed as pseudolymphoma based on the presence of hyperplastic follicles with germinal center and mixed infiltration of plasma cells and mature lymphocytes with no significant cytologic atypia. However, the immunoperoxidase method showed monotypic cytoplasmic immunoglobulin; lambda/IgM in one case and lambda/IgG in the other. The staining pattern of germinal centers was also monotypic in one, but polytypic in the other. These cases suggest the presence of monoclonal but reactive lymphoid hyperplasia, i.e., monoclonal‐type pseudolymphoma in the stomach. On the other hand, this type of lesion has to be carefully followed for the possible development of malignant lymphoma.

Cancer risk in Japanese Crohn's disease patients: Investigation of the standardized incidence ratio

There have been very few reported investigations on the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of intestinal cancer and all cancers other than intestinal cancer with Crohns disease (CD) by organ in Japan. This study examined the risk of developing cancer (i.e. SIR) that occurs in association with CD.

AN EVALUATION OF MALIGNANCY AND PROGNOSTIC FACTORS BASED ON MODE OF LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA

This study was conducted to evaluate lymph node metastasis as a key prognostic factor in esophageal cancer. Metastatic lesions in lymph nodes were grouped by histological morphology as intracapsular or extracapsular, and the significance of lymph node metastasis was evaluated by relating metastatic lesions to clinical pathologic factors and patient prognosis. In our hospital, 46 of 81 patients who underwent resection of esophageal cancer developed lymph node metastasis. These 46 patients were enrolled in a study analyzing the relationship between the metastatic mode and the clinicopathological factors. The frequency of extracapsular metastasis was significantly high in patients with a profound depth of cancer, three or more metastases, distant metastasis (n3 and n4), or severe lymphatic invasion. The prognosis was significantly worse in patients with extracapsular metastasis, and this tendency was also seen even in patients with three or more metastases, limited metastasis (n1 and n2), or mild lymphatic invasion (ly0 and ly1). These findings suggest that the metastatic mode reflects the degree of esophageal cancer progression and is an important prognostic factor.

Value of concomitant endoscopic balloon dilation for intestinal stricture during long‐term infliximab therapy in patients with crohn's disease

Aim:  We assessed the long‐term outcome of infliximab (IFX) therapy in patients with Crohns disease (CD) and investigated the efficacy of concomitant endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) for intestinal stricture during treatment.

Risks and clinical features of colorectal cancer complicating Crohn's disease in Japanese patients

Background and Aim:  No reports on the relative risk of development of colorectal cancer (CRC) in Japanese patients with Crohns disease (CD) have been published. The present study aimed to investigate the relative risk and the clinical features of CRC complicating CD among patients managed at Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan (a tertiary referral center for inflammatory bowel diseases).

Diagnosis and clinical course of ulcerative gastroduodenal lesion associated with ulcerative colitis: possible relationship with pouchitis.

Background and Aim:  Ulcerative colitis (UC) is not only characterized by pathological lesions localized to colonic mucosa, but also to various complications involving other organs, including postoperative pouchitis. Among these complications, diffuse gastroduodenitis with lesions resembling colonic lesions has been reported, albeit rarely. The aim of the present study was to attempt to characterize the lesions of the upper gastrointestinal tract occurring as a complication of UC, and to assess the frequency and clinical course of these lesions.