Kunihide Izawa

Long-term results of surgical treatment for intrahepatic stones

One hundred and nineteen patients with intrahepatic stones treated surgically in Nagasaki University Hospital from 1969 to 1984 were reviewed. The patients were divided into four types according to location of the stones and the presence or absence of stenotic lesions and/or localized dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Types I and II patients were treated with choledocholithotomy or choledochojejunostomy, while type III patients underwent hepatic resection and type IV patients were treated by partial hepatic resection with bilioenteric anastomosis, including extended hepaticocholedochojejunostomy. The majority of operative or early deaths belonged to type IV and residual stones were present in almost all patients. The longterm results for the 88 patients revealed that the rate of improvement was 100 per cent for type I, 87 per cent for type II, 83 per cent for type III and 84 per cent for type IV. In type IV, the most excellent results (92 per cent) were obtained by extended hepaticocholedochojejunostomy, especially with hepatectomy. It is suggested that extended hepaticocholedochojejunostomy with partial hepatic resection is a reasonable procedure for treating patients with type IV intrahepatic stones.

Early Carcinoma of the Extrahepatic Bile Duct

This study attempts to define early carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct through a study of 11 patients whose carcinomatous invasion did not extend to the outer layer of the bile duct. The patients were divided into the following 3 groups, namely; a mucosa group comprised of 3 patients, a fibromuscular layer group comprised of 5 patients, and an adventitia group comprised of 3 patients. None of the patients had any lymphnode metastases. Histological characteristics were determined according to infiltrative growth (INFα, β, γ), lymphatic invasion (ly), venous invasion (v) and perineural invasion (pn). In the mucosa group, INFα was observed in 2 patients, while ly, v, and pn factors were all negative. In the fibromuscular layer group, INFβ was seen in 3 patients, ly was positive in 2 patients, while v, and pn factors were negative in all patients. In the adventitia group, INFγ was found in 2 patients, and ly, v, and pn factors were positive in all patients except for 1 in whom v was negative. Death from recurrence occurred in all the adventitia group patients and in 1 other patient. Early carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct could therefore be defined at present, as being carcinoma confined to within the mucosa and fibromuscular layer.

The surgical treatment for carcinoma of the gallbladder: rationale of the second-look operation for inapparent carcinoma

Eighty-seven patients with carcinoma of the gallbladder treated in our hospital over a 15-year period were reviewed. Macroscopic curative resection was performed in 30 cases, 6 of which received second-look operations, and their cumulative five-year survival rate was 42.6 per cent. Histological and clinical analysis of our cases initially diagnosed by postoperative histologic examination revealed that the depth of carcinomatous invasion was the most important criterion for the indication of second-look operation, and that the second-look operation is mandatory for the inapparent carcinoma limited to the muscularis or subserosa. The surgical procedures of the second-look operation were: resection of the anterior inferior and medial inferior areas of the liver and dissection of the regional lymph-nodes. The presence of invasion of carcinoma to the cut end of the cystic duct or severe carcinomatous invasion to the lymphatic vessels were also important histopathologic findings for a second-look operation. Cases in which lymphatic invasions are remarkably observed, should receive an en bloc hepato-cholecystectomy plus a resection of the extrahepatic bile duct with neural tissues and soft fatty tissues in the hepatoduodenal ligament in a two-stage operation.

Successful treatment of bleeding due to ileal varices in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

This case report concerns a 62-year-old female who was known to have cirrhosis. An endoscopic examination showed no evidence of haemorrhaging due to either oesophageal or gastric varices. Angiographic studies demonstrated extravasation from the ileal varices. There was a prominent arterio-portal shunt in the liver, and the shunt was considered to be a contributing factor to induce portal hypertension and variceal bleeding in the ileum. Therefore, transcatheter arterial embolization was performed, but was unsuccessful. As a result, the patient underwent a laparotomy, and a dilatating ileocaecal vein and a communicating ovarian vein were selectively ligated. Following the procedure, the haemorrhaging stopped and she then recovered. The patient is doing well 21 months after surgery at the time of writing.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of refractory peripancreatic abscess associated with severe acute pancreatitis

SummaryFive patients with peripancreatic abscesses associated with severe acute pancreatitis were treated by hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO). In 3 patients, the course after surgical mobilization of the pancreas and drainage of the pancreas bed was complicated by peripancreatic abscesses. HBO was conducted under a pressure of 2.8 atmospheres for two hours dialy. Four of the 5 patients showed a progressive improvement in their condition. In one patient who failed to respond despite seven sessions of HBO, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from the discharge, and resection of necrotic tissue and drainage were performed. The main effects of HBO were the alleviation of high spiking fever, the improvement of white blood cell count and serum amylase levels, and the reduction of the abscess size. We recognized HBO to be a successful treatment for peripancreatic abscess associated with severe acute pancreatitis and better results were obtained than in cases that did not receive HBO.

Caroli’s disease associated with hepatolithiasis: A case report and review of the Japanese literature

SummaryA 27-year-old woman was admitted to Nagasaki University Hospital complaining of abdominal pain and fever. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography showed multiple cystic dilatations of the intrahepatic bile ducts without stone formation. The illness was diagnosed as a pure type of Caroli’s disease. No surgical intervention was made. Subsequently, the patient suffered repeated attacks of cholangitis, and six years later, computed tomography demonstrated cystic lesions of both lobes of the liver and stones within the cystic lesions of the right lobe. We collected 62 cases of Caroli’s disease reported in the Japanese literature, including our own case. Among them, cholangitis was found in 43.5%, hepatolithiasis in 30.6%, esophageal varices in 17.7% and cholangiocarcinoma in 8.1%. It is difficult to successfully treat Caroli’s disease involving both lobes of the liver. Long-term repeated cholangitis could lead to fibrosis of the liver, hepatolithiasis, portal hypertension and cholangiocarcinoma. Considering the above-mentioned aspects of the disease, careful follow-up studies are required in each case.

Expression of Kirsten-ras p21 in gastric cancer correlates with tumor progression and is prognostic.

The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between expression of ras oncoproteins and the tumor stage or outcome of patients with gastric carcinoma. After the specificity of each anti-ra.v monoclonal antibody was confirmed by protein immunoblot analysis, immuno-histochemical assays for a common-ms antigen present in N-. Harvey- and Kirsten (K)-ras oncoproteins, as well as for K-ras specific antigen, were performed on paraffin-embedded carcinoma tissue from 110 patients who underwent curative resection. By Western blot analysis, there was more p21 in fresh cancer specimens than in normal specimens. K-ras expression distinguished advanced from early gastric carcinoma and correlated with depth of cancer invasion. Among the 110 patients, survival rates of those with carcinomas positive for the common-ra.? or K-ras antigens were significantly lower than of those with antigen-negative carcinomas (p < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, nodal involvement (p = 0.002), serosal invasion (p = 0.012) and K-ras p21 expression (p = 0.044) were independently predictive of the recurrence. These results suggest that K-ras p21 is a useful marker of tumor progression and poor prognosis after curative resection.

Extended right lobectomy for Caroli's disease: report of a case and review of hepatectomized cases in Japan.

A 27-year-old man was admitted to Nagasaki University Hospital complaining of fever. Percutaneous trans-hepatic cholangiography revealed multiple cystic dilatations of the intrahepatic bile ducts of the right lobe, as well as three obvious cystic dilatations and several small dilatations of the intrahepatic bile ducts of the left lobe. An extended right lobectomy was performed. However, the patient later suffered from repeated cholangitis and required the administration of antibiotics as a result of remnant cystic dilatations and stricture of the extrahepatic bile duct following hepatectomy. A slight enlargement of the remnant cystic dilatations, but no new cystic dilatations, were also recognized in the regenerating liver. We reviewed nine cases of hepatectomy for Carolis disease reported in the Japanese literature, as well as our own case. Among these, four of the seven patients subjected to hepatic resection involving unilateral lobe demonstrated a good recovery. On the other hand, it is difficult to successfully treat Carolis disease involving both lobes of the liver by hepatic resection.

Tuberculous liver abscess with bronchobiliary and gastrobiliary fistulae--a case report.

A rare case of a primary tuberculous liver abscess with bronchobiliary and gastrobiliary fistula formation is presented herein, emphasizing the difficulty in establishing its diagnosis. The clinical course was complicated and a wide range of antibiotics administered repeatedly, based on the initial diagnosis of a liver abscess, until the final diagnosis of a tuberculous liver abscess was established by histopathological reinvestigation of the resected liver specimen. Thereafter, antituberculous chemotherapy proved extremely effective for the alleviation of symptoms, reduction of the abscess and closure of the fistulae.

Evaluation of the maximal excretion rate of indocyanin green as a prognostic indicator in patients undergoing biliary decompression for obstructive jaundice

To assess the postoperative outcome of jaundiced patients and to select the optimal timing for surgical intervention, indocyanin green (ICG) concentrations in the bile were measured after biliary decompression in patients with obstructive jaundice. The maximal excretion rate of ICG in the bile was calculated as a function of time (ICG Bmax).