Luiz Arnaldo Szutan

Resection of a rapid-growing 40-cm giant liver hemangioma

Hemangiomas are the most frequent benign tumors of the liver. Most hemangiomas are asymptomatic and therefore largely diagnosed only in routine screening tests. Usually they are small and require no specific treatment. In some situations they can reach great dimensions, causing some discomfort to the patient. Resection of liver hemangioma is indicated in cases of great dimension tumors causing symptoms such as pain, nausea or bloating caused by compression of adjacent organs. We report a case of a rare giant hemangioma with rapid growth in short time: a 50 year old female reported to our institution with a 40 cm giant liver hemangioma and then underwent a left hepatectomy.

Tratamento da recidiva hemorrágica por varizes do esôfago em doentes esquistossomóticos operados

OBJECTIVE: To standardize the treatment recurrent hemorrhage esophageal varices in schistosomotic patients after non decompressive surgery. METHODS: We treated 45 patients with schistosomotic portal hypertension who presented recurrent hemorrhage esophageal varices. Performance of abdominal ultra-sonography and arteriographic studies and two groups were defined: Group A: Nineteen patients (42,2%) with absence of spleen, occluded splenic artery and patency of left gastric artery and vein, thus characterizing splenectomy at prior operation. Group B: Twenty six patients (57,8%) with absence of spleen image, occluded splenic and left gastric artery and non-opacified left gastric vein, showing splenectomy and some type of gastroesophageal devascularization performed before. Patients of Group A were reoperated to carry out the gastroesophageal devascularization and patients of Group B were submitted to a sclerotherapy program. RESULTS: In Group A, one patient (5.3%) presented recurrent hemorrhage on the late postoperative period. The esophageal varices decreased in number or diameter in 14 patients (73.7%), disappeared in three (15.8%) and remained unchanged in two (10.5%), under final endoscopic evaluation. In Group B, six patients (23.1%) presented recurrent bleeding. In four patients the acute hemorrhagic event were controlled. Two patients who underwent mesocaval shunt owing to unsuccess of these methods died postoperatively. Esophageal varices disappeared in 17 patients (65.4%), decreased in number or diameter in seven (26.9%) and remained unchanged in two (7.7%) after the last endoscopic evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The gastroesophageal devascularization is appropriated to splenectomized patients, with patency of left gastric artery and vein. 2) A long term of esophageal varices endoscopic sclerotherapy may be an option to splenectomized patients, with occluded left gastric artery and non-opacified left gastric ven.

Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography and serum fibrosis markers in chronic hepatitis C.

Abstract Objective. Liver biopsy (LB) remains the gold standard for the assessment of liver fibrosis, although it is invasive and can have complications. The present study compares several noninvasive methods of fibrosis assessment in chronic hepatitis C (CHC), including acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography, aspartate aminotransferase:platelet ratio index (APRI), Forns, FIB-4, and King scores versus percutaneous LB. Material and methods. This prospective study enrolled 51 untreated CHC patients. Biological tests necessary for the calculation of the scores (according to the classic formulas) were performed within a week of LB. The time interval between LB and tissue stiffness, assessed according to the Metavir score, was <6 months. Cutoff values were determined using area under receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROC). Results. The best test for predicting significant fibrosis (F ≥2 Metavir) was ARFI elastography with an AUROC of 0.90, followed by FIB-4 (AUROC = 0.86), King (AUROC = 0.85), Forns (AUROC = 0.84), and APRI (AUROC = 0.82). For a cutoff of 1.31 m/s, ARFI had 89.3% sensitivity (Se) and 87% specificity (Sp). The best test for predicting cirrhosis was ARFI elastography with an AUROC of 0.98, followed by FIB-4 (AUROC = 0.94), King (AUROC = 0.90), APRI (AUROC = 0.82), and Forns (AUROC = 0.81). For a cutoff of 1.95 m/s, ARFI had 100% Se and 95.2% Sp. Conclusion. ARFI elastography had very good accuracy for the assessment of liver fibrosis. It was more effective than APRI, Forns, King, and FIB-4 scores for the prediction of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in CHC patients.

Planejamento pré-operatório em hepatectomias

Hepatectomy can comprise excision of peripheral tumors as well as major surgeries like trisegmentectomies or central resections. Patients can be healthy, have localized liver disease or possess a cirrhotic liver with high operative risk. The preoperative evaluation of the risk of postoperative liver failure is critical in determining the appropriate surgical procedure. The nature of liver disease, its severity and the operation to be performed should be considered for correct preparation. Liver resection should be evaluated in relation to residual parenchyma, especially in cirrhotic patients, subjects with portal hypertension and when large resections are needed. The surgeon should assess the rationale for the use of hepatic volumetry. Child-Pugh, MELD and retention of indocyanine green are measures for assessing liver function that can be used prior to hepatectomy. Extreme care should be taken regarding the possibility of infectious complications with high morbidity and mortality in the postoperative period. Several centers are developing liver surgery in the world, reducing the number of complications. The development of surgical technique, anesthesia, infectious diseases, oncology, intensive care, possible resection in patients deemed inoperable in the past, will deliver improved results in the future.

Association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cancer

AIM To investigate the association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver cancer, and NAFLD prevalence in different liver tumors. METHODS This is a retrospective study of the clinical, laboratory and histological data of 120 patients diagnosed with primary or secondary hepatic neoplasms and treated at a tertiary center where they underwent hepatic resection and/or liver transplantation, with subsequent evaluation of the explant or liver biopsy. The following criteria were used to exclude patients from the study: a history of alcohol abuse, hepatitis B or C infection, no tumor detected in the liver tissue examined by histological analysis, and the presence of chronic autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, Wilsons disease, or hepatoblastoma. The occurrence of NAFLD and the association with its known risk factors were studied. The risk factors considered were diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, body mass index, dyslipidemia, and arterial hypertension. Presence of reticulin fibers in the hepatic neoplasms was assessed by histological analysis using slide-mounted specimens stained with either hematoxylin and eosin or Massons trichrome and silver impregnation. Analysis of tumor-free liver parenchyma was carried out to determine the association between NAFLD and its histological grade. RESULTS No difference was found in the association of NAFLD with the general population (34.2% and 30.0% respectively, 95%CI: 25.8-43.4). Evaluation by cancer type showed that NAFLD was more prevalent in patients with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer than in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (OR = 3.99, 95%CI: 1.78-8.94, P < 0.001 vs OR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.18-2.01, P = 0.406 and OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.18-2.80, P = 0.613, respectively). There was a higher prevalence of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (OR = 3.50, 95%CI: 1.06-11.57, P = 0.032). Evaluation of the relationship between the presence of NAFLD, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and liver fibrosis, and their risk factors, showed no significant statistical association for any of the tumors studied. CONCLUSION NAFLD is more common in patients with liver metastases caused by colorectal cancer.

Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, Model for Liver Transplantation Survival and Donor Risk Index as predictive models of survival after liver transplantation in 1,006 patients.

OBJECTIVES: Liver transplantation has not increased with the number of patients requiring this treatment, increasing deaths among those on the waiting list. Models predicting post-transplantation survival, including the Model for Liver Transplantation Survival and the Donor Risk Index, have been created. Our aim was to compare the performance of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, the Model for Liver Transplantation Survival and the Donor Risk Index as prognostic models for survival after liver transplantation. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed the data from 1,270 patients who received a liver transplant from a deceased donor in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, between July 2006 and July 2009. All data obtained from the Health Department of the State of São Paulo at the 15 registered transplant centers were analyzed. Patients younger than 13 years of age or with acute liver failure were excluded. RESULTS: The majority of the recipients had Child-Pugh class B or C cirrhosis (63.5%). Among the 1,006 patients included, 274 (27%) died. Univariate survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model showed hazard ratios of 1.02 and 1.43 for the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease and the Model for Liver Transplantation Survival, respectively (p<0.001). The areas under the ROC curve for the Donor Risk Index were always less than 0.5, whereas those for the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease and the Model for Liver Transplantation Survival were significantly greater than 0.5 (p<0.001). The cutoff values for the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (≥29.5; sensitivity: 39.1%; specificity: 75.4%) and the Model for Liver Transplantation Survival (≥1.9; sensitivity 63.9%, specificity 54.5%), which were calculated using data available before liver transplantation, were good predictors of survival after liver transplantation (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Model for Liver Transplantation Survival displayed similar death prediction performance to that of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease. A simpler model involving fewer variables, such as the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, is preferred over a complex model involving more variables, such as the Model for Liver Transplantation Survival. The Donor Risk Index had no significance in post-transplantation survival in our patients.

Valor crítico da citrulina para as complicações do enxerto no transplante de intestino

OBJECITIVE: A biochemical marker for detection of acute cellular rejection following small intestine transplantation has been sought. Citrulline, a non- protein amino acid synthesized mainly by functioning enterocytes, has been proposed. Trial sensitivity has been reportedly high but with low specificity. Thus, the goal was to determine, in a sufficiently large analysis, the significant value of citrulline level in the post-transplant setting, which would correlate with complications such as rejection and infection. METHODS: Since March, 2004 2,135 dried blood spot (DBS) citrulline samples were obtained from 57 small intestine transplant recipients three months or more after post-transplant, i.e., once the expected period of recovery in the citrulline levels had occurred. RESULTS: Using a 13 µmoles/L cut off point, sensitivity of DBS citrulline for the detection of moderate or severe ACR was extremely high (96.4%). Furthermore, specificity estimates (given the absence of ACR and these particular infections), while controlling for time-to-DBS sample were reasonably high (54%-74% in children and 83%-88% in adults), and the negative predictive value (NPV) was >99%. CONCLUSION: Citrulline is a non-invasive marker to evaluate problems of the intestinal graft after three months post-transplant. Due to the high NPV, a moderate or severe ACR can be ruled out, based exclusively on knowledge of a high value for DBS citrulline.

Elevated Gastric Antrum Erosions in Portal Hypertension Patients: Peptic Disease or Mucosal Congestion?

Background/Aims Portal hypertension (PH) is a syndrome characterized by chronic increase in the pressure gradient between the portal vein and inferior vena cava. Previous studies have suggested an increased frequency of antral elevated erosive gastritis in patients with PH, as well as an etiologic association; however, there has not been any histological evidence of this hypothesis to date. Our aim was to evaluate the histological features found in elevated antral erosions in patients with portal hypertension. Methods Sixty-nine patients were included; 28 with and 41 without PH. All patients underwent endoscopy, and areas with elevated antral erosion were biopsied. Results In the PH group, 24 patients had inflammatory infiltration with or without edema and vascular congestion, and 4 patients had no inflammation. In the group without PH, all patients showed inflammatory infiltration of variable intensity. There was no statistical significance between the two groups in the presence of Helicobacter pylori. There as a histological similarity between the two groups, if PH patients without inflammation were excluded; however, more edema and vascular congestion were observed in the PH group (p=0.002). Conclusions The findings show that elevated antral erosions in patients with PH have more evident edema and vascular congestion in addition to lymphocytic infiltration.

Fatores preditores de recidiva hemorrágica em cirróticos submetidos à cirurgia de Warren

BACKGROUND: Establish the predictive factors of rebleeding in cirrhotic patients submitted to the Warrens surgery. METHODS: 57 cirrhotic patients with good hepatic functional reserve and previous variceal bleeding that had not responded to clinical, endoscopic treatment were submitted to the Warrens surgery (distal splenorenal shunt). They were divided in two groups: I (31 had presented rebleeding at postoperative care) and II (26 had not presented new bleeding). Group I was again divided into 2 groups according to time of rebleeding: Group I.A (12 that presented rebleeding until hospital discharge) and Group I.B (19 that presented rebleeding after hospital discharge). We analyzed the clinical, endoscopic, laboratorial and Doppler-ultrasound information at the pre- and postoperative moments and also intrasurgery data that were compared between the established groups. RESULTS: Serum albumin and bilirubins were 3.33 mg% and 1.7 mg% in group I, 3.56 mg% and 1.16 mg% in group II. Portal flow and diameter were 0.24 cm/s and 1.34 cm in group I, and 0.18 cm/s and 1.21 cm in group II, respectively. In group I.A the volume of crystalloid given during surgery was 3.692 ml against 2.166 ml in group I.B. CONCLUSION: Albumin and total bilirubins dosages in the preoperative period, added to the value of the flow and portal diameter were predictive factors for rebleeding in cirrhotic patients submitted to the Warrens surgery. The volume of crystalloid given during the surgery was a predictive factor for early rebleeding.

Análise da rejeição do transplante de aponeurose em coelhos

OBJECTIVE To study the feasibility of heterologous aponeurosis to close the abdominal wall of rabbits emphasizing the rejection process. METHODS This project was approved by the Animals Care Committee of the Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo, and it was carried out at the Experimental Surgery and Technical Unit. Four red female rabbits exchanged abdominal wall aponeurosis with other four white male animals. Two rabbits just had it removed and replaced to be the control group for the healing process. Animals were evaluated once a day, and after 7 days they were sacrificed. Immunohistochemical analysis with CD20 and CD79 was done. RESULTS The animals did not have cellulitis, abscess, hematoma, wound dehiscence or herniation. The graft site showed intense hyperemia. The histological analysis showed an inflammatory process with maturing myofibroblasts and collagen ranging from incipient to moderate. The number of vessels was reduced and the inflammatory cells were most plasma cells and macrophages. There were no morphological signs of acute rejection with aggressive vascular endothelial damage. The adjacent muscle showed signs of degeneration with inflammatory centralization of nuclei and cytoplasmic condensation. The immunohistochemical analysis (CD20 and CD79) showed that the inflammatory process was not mediated by lymphocytes. Mann-Whitney nonparametric test showed that the hypothesis of equality (p>0.05) should not be discarded. CONCLUSION There were no postoperative complications (fistulas, dehiscence etc.) and the histological analysis showed nonspecific inflammatory process. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that the inflammatory process was not due to a possible rejection.